If you read my blog on Thursday, you might have read Ron Charles’ Washington Post review of this book. https://wapo.st/2IOE7zI. It was funny. But, I read Mitch Albom’s The Next Person You Meet in Heaven. It’s really directed at the same audience that made The Five People You Meet in Heaven a #1 bestseller.

In The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Eddie, a maintenance man at Ruby Pier amusement park, died saving a little girl from a cable that snapped on a ride. Now, twenty-five years later, Annie, that little girl, is a nurse. She’s also a newlywed, for one day. That’s not a spoiler. The author makes it obvious with an hour-by-hour countdown that it’s the last day of Annie’s life. But, throughout the book, readers meet the five people (used loosely) who changed or affected Annie’s life. Readers see Annie’s view of every situation. Most times, Annie thinks she made a mistake that caused a tragic result, but she’s blocked out the accident that permanently damaged her hand. Annie views her life, even in death, as one big mistake.

Yes, I’ll admit the book is overly sentimental. I found myself tearing up over a story about a dog. Albom’s words are excessively flowery at times. Even before I read Charles’ review, I thought this book was unnecessary. The first book seemed to have set the pattern, and, in some ways, this seemed repetitive. It was a totally different story, with a twist in the end. But, it still felt as if I had been on this journey before.

As I said, The Next Person You Meet in Heaven has a built-in audience. I’ll be curious to see if or where it lands on the bestseller lists, and how long it stays there. It just wasn’t as original as the first book.

Mitch Albom’s website is https://www.mitchalbom.com/

The Next Person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. Harper, 2018. ISBN 9780062294449 (hardcover), 213p.

*****
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