Life After: Huntress by Julie Hall (Laurie)

Me again :) Sorry for the lack of variety in bloggers this week - I'm helping out Erin, who has hit a very busy stretch at work. Make sure to stop by on Saturday, when we'll have another guest Top 3s post!

Speaking of guest Top 3s posts, a few weeks ago Julie Hall stopped by as part of her blog tour celebrating the re-release of Life After: Huntress to share her Top 3 Places to Travel. Today, I want to talk about her amazing book!


In Life After: Huntress, Audrey wakes up in the afterlife without any memories from her time on earth. Heaven is beautiful, but also mysterious, changeable, and filled with new roles and expectations. As if her lack of memories wasn't confusing enough, when she gets assigned the position she's to fulfill for all eternity, Audrey's certain there's been a huge mistake. She couldn't possibly be cut out to be a huntress, required to battle demons alongside a crew of bulky guys.

Then Audrey meets her trainer. Logan is unnervingly attractive, but also harsh and distant. Their clashes make for long, painful days in the gym, until their first run-in with a demon brings them closer than they could've anticipated. Filled with doubts, Audrey must sort out her true purpose in the afterlife, and whether she can trust the God who brought her there.


I think Audrey was my favorite part of this book. She had a fun voice and great sense of humor, but I also felt very drawn into her confusion and emotional turmoil. She was easy to relate to in her frustration with her new assignment and jealousy of a fellow huntress who seemed a little too perfect. Her chemistry with Logan was palpable and I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop, but I also wanted to yell at them a few times. Just TALK to each other!!! *Ahem* Moving on... :)

The author's depiction of heaven was nothing like I would've ever imagined, but I loved the creativity and vivid descriptions. And I found the idea that God intends for us to continue to grow and have purpose in the afterlife both thought-provoking and appealing. The spiritual theme was subtle for most of the book, but when it came together towards the end it was so powerful I was brought to tears.


Fans of young adult fantasy with humor, action, and romance will definitely want to check out Life After: Huntress! I'm eagerly anticipating the next book in the series, which is coming out later this year! Also, make sure to follow Julie Hall's updates, because she will soon be revealing a gorgeous new cover! I know because I got a sneak peek :)


How about you? Have you read any books that take place in the afterlife? Can you think of any literary couples that made you especially frustrated?


Thanks for reading!
Laurie

*UPDATE* The new cover has officially been revealed, so now I get to share it with you!! Did I mention it's gorgeous?!