20. Which was more important to the story, the characters or the plot? Was the plot moved forward by decisions of the characters, or were the characters at the mercy of the plot? Was the action believable?
I felt that the characters drove the story. Irene faced a lot of obstacles throughout the plot, but every person, place, and thing she came in contact with were what stuck out the most for me. The story wouldn't have been the same without, for examples, Andras or Elvira or the Guide. If the plot were different and the same characters were still there, I think the story would still hold its essence.
21. What events in the story stand out for you as memorable? Was there any foreshadowing and suspense or did the author give things away at the beginning of the book? Was this effective? How did it affect your enjoyment of the book? Has the author foreshadowed things to come in the remaining books of the series?
The people decaying into sand! *wail* That imagery will haunt me for LIFE. The plot between Andras and Ian to destroy Irene's shrine affected me more than it probably would a normal human being, but I think it was because I, like Irene, feared taking apart the shrine would cut off her connection with Jonah before she was ready. I almost cried!
22. Have you read anything else written by this author? How does Thereafter compare in terms of voice, tone, and style to the author’s other works?
...Terri, do you have more books?? lol As part of a set, it holds the same voice, tone, and style to Hereafter, but having so much more to work with this time in the realm of the afterlife, there was a definite growth overall in Terri's style.
23. The Afterlife Series is planned to be six books total. What do you think will happen to the characters next? What do you wish would happen to the characters? How would you like to see the series progress? What, for you, would be a “happy” ending, given that Irene is dead?
SIX?! lol I had a feeling Irene won't run back into Ian, but with 4 books to go, she just might. I want to see if she and Andras grow closer. I'd like that for her. He will help her grow up. I can't say what I'm wishing for or how I'd like to see the series progress so early in it, but I'm so excited to see how it does. A "happy" ending for Irene to me would be, her contentment and acceptance of that cyclical life process the Guide was explaining to her no matter what happens right before The End.
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I need to give a huge THANK YOU to Terri Bruce. I am an eternal fan, and now that I know there are plans for 4 more books, I will be watching and waiting!
When recently-deceased Irene Dunphy decided to “follow the light,” she thought she’d end up in Heaven or Hell and her journey would be over.
Boy, was she wrong.
She soon finds that “the other side” isn't a final destination but a kind of purgatory where billions of spirits are stuck, with no way to move forward or back. Even worse, deranged phantoms known as “Hungry Ghosts” stalk the dead, intent on destroying them. The only way out is for Irene to forget her life on Earth—including the boy who risked everything to help her cross over—which she’s not about to do.
As Irene desperately searches for an alternative, help unexpectedly comes in the unlikeliest of forms: a twelfth-century Spanish knight and a nineteenth-century American cowboy. Even more surprising, one offers a chance for redemption; the other, love. Unfortunately, she won’t be able to have either if she can’t find a way to escape the hellish limbo where they’re all trapped.
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