Review: Entertaining Fictional Exploration of Life and Death with a Supernatural Element
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 16, 2013
"Death and the Supernatural" is the story of Rosalie, who gets the call she dreads one night from the hospital--her husband, who has leukemia, has taken a turn for the worst. Before she gets the call, though, an ancient spirit takes pity on her and tries to bring her comfort, accidentally interfering with what is known as the "co-brain lock"--a little piece that keeps a person's soul in and that keeps all the memories from past live from tainting the current life.All of a sudden, Rosalie finds herself soaring above her body at night, becoming immersed in old memories that are as vivid as if they are happening just now. At first, the memories are a great comfort and joy, though it turns out not all of them are so pleasant, and she will have to work through more than her husband's death if she is to find happiness on earth.However, Rosalie becomes addicted to the freedom of leaving her pain behind, and isn't sure she wants to stay on earth, where she has to deal with Julian's funeral and unwanted houseguests. So, the same spirit who knocked loose Rosalie's co-brain sends three spirits to guard Rosalie and keep her from moving on to the next world--though ultimately, Rosalie must decide if and how she wants to live."Death and the Supernatural" has a little bit of everything--grief, humor, strength, dysfunctional family. It explores memory, the trauma of loss, and the difficulty of coping. However, it's not a downer of a book. Rosalie's houseguests bring comedic relief, as do the guardian spirits, and Rosalie herself isn't a pessimistic character--she gains the reader's empathy within the first few pages. Though it's about death, the novel is actually full of a life and a celebration of the good and bad, the annoying and the euphoric parts of existing. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy contemporary fiction with a bit of a supernatural/fantasy element, as well as readers who enjoy character-driven novels with likeable, memorable protagonists.