ARC Review: For Better or For Worse by Ingrid Nickelsen

When one story ends, another begins.

Evangeline lived a long fulfilling life. Loving mother and wife, she had everything she could wish for…until a tragic car accident took it all away from her.

Awakening in a new world with the body of a young woman, Evangeline doesn’t remember anything about her life, not even her own name. Luckily she has godparents to help guide her in this new society of the dead. As she struggles to fit in, deep inside, she can sense something is missing, a part of her that she can’t recall. When a mysterious man claims he can help get her memory back if she agrees to keep their nocturnal meetings a secret, she can’t refuse. Everything about him screams trouble, but she can’t seem to stay away. Every moment spent with him makes her feel alive again.

Is she really prepared to unveil her past completely, from beginning to end? Everything is not as it seems in her new found home, and her new life may also end in tragedy.

Rest in fear, Evangeline.

Review:

I received a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

You should read the blurb first.

Did you understand it? Seems quite straightforward right?

Hahahaha nope!

“But trusting your heart is even more important. Just listen to what it says to you. The heart isn’t always right, but sometimes being wrong is what’s best for you.”

Everyone, by everyone I literally mean, everyone on the face of this planet, is or has at one point, been fascinated with what happens AFTER we die. Because let’s face it, we live our lives half-heartedly, yet wonder where we, our own essence, would go after our physical body disintegrates.

This is exactly what the author has tackled in the book – a place where we would go when we die – a place where you have to understand the why’s, the what’s and most especially the who’s.

Evangeline is a recently deceased woman – she wakes in a place finding herself to be at the age group of 18 – 19 year olds, then again, everyone in that place isn’t exactly old – with no recollection of her life, before death. She also, finds that she has a Godmother in this place – Brielle, who is supposed to be her guide/advisor. She also, meets Will, a mysterious man of the night, who is willing to help her navigate her life now and help her with her memories.

This place is like any real life town, with various characters and yes, even secrets. It’s a mystery that even death can’t solve. Evangeline doesn’t remember anything of her life. And she isn’t sure that she wants t – because remembering brings pain and she shies away from it (cause who wouldn’t!). She meets an interesting array of characters – some who seem to know more about her than herself.

“What hurts is to have no one to hold. What hurts is to be dead, and forced to survive. What hurts is that trying to survive breaks me.”

The story starts of slow – I have to admit it took me a while to get into the story. But it was the the confusion that got to me. SInce it’s told in a single POV (again why do authors torture us?), it was only Evangeline’s side of story we got. And her confusion and uncertainty became my own. It is hard to be the one on the outside, when everyone around her always seems to know more than her.

The only reason I give this book this high a rating is because the writing is phenomenal. Ms. Nickelsen has created a world within a world. The characters themselves are intriguing and the concept behind the book, creative. Ms. Nickelsen has clubbed this book under Paranormal Romance and it might be a little misleading – ’cause I can honestly say there are no shapeshifters, vampires or any other dark creatures in this book – just a place that decides where you belong in hell or heaven.

I would actually look forward to her future works, because if For Better or For Worse is any indication, I have feeling that her future works would also end up being as creative and give us something to think about.

Rating:

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Recommendation:

This is a different sort of book – the content in itself is miles away from the normal book that Ihave read. And if you can carry on especially with a slow start and a lot of confusion at first – you will definitely be rewarded.