Review: Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

Three levels. Two loves. One choice. Debut novelist, Lenore Appelhans has written a thrilling otherworldly young adult novel about a place that exists between our world (Level 1) and what comes after life (Level 2).

'I pause to look around the hive - all the podlike chambers are lit up as the drones shoot up on memories ... I've wanted to get out of here before, but now the tight quarters start to choke me. There has to be more to death than this.'

Felicia Ward is dead. Trapped in a stark white afterlife limbo, she spends endless days replaying memories, of her family, friends, boyfriend ... and of the guy who broke her heart. The guy who has just broken into Level 2 to find her.

Felicia learns that a rebellion is brewing, and it seems she is the key. Suspended between heaven and earth, she must make a choice. Between two worlds, two lives and two loves. (From Goodreads)

Best Bits: Lenore is a YA book blogger! She was one of the first book bloggers that I followed (and was envious at her ability to write engaging reviews), so seeing her published was awesome. Similarly, I was drawn into her novel. The book takes place in a limbo of sorts, and there is rebellion brewing. So, while the concept of being (almost) dead isn't new, this was a new take on it. Another portion that I really enjoyed were the portions of the book that contained Felicia's memories. It made her an appealing character, getting to understand the choices that she made before her death. She wasn't perfect, in fact she made a couple that I disagreed with, but it just served to make her a more interesting person. 

Nit Picks: I feel like this book is a bit like Lost, every time a question is answered it creates three more questions. We're definitely not omniscient readers, and that's a good thing, but I do think that people need to know that they may leave the book a bit confused. I had to have some process time after finishing to fully understand what had just happened, and what that meant for book 2. I also wasn't a fan of Julian, and his relationship with Felicia was tiptoeing the insta-love line. Of course, in the sequel we might get memories that paint a completely different picture. 

Level 2
By Lenore Appelhans 
Published by Simon & Schuster
281 Pages
Rating: B