Death is an uncomfortable topic for many, an inevitable prospect that prompts the question, "If I died tomorrow, what's to follow?" For young careerists just embarking on life's journey of treasures and predicaments, twenty-somethings without a written will, and those whose collarbones glow with the ink of "Carpe diem," dying lingers in the back of the mind. But surely, at some point in time, we've asked ourselves a question all too common in Internet chain letters:
"If I died tomorrow, would anyone care?"
In A Thousand Rooms, Helen Jones explores just who cares after a young woman's head-on departure from a high-pressure world. Katie works in an Australian ad agency, tiptoeing on thumbtacks to appease her overbearing boss, Darryl. She's bruised from unsavory dating experiences, primarily with a coworker named Jeremy. Jones, author of the Journey to Ambeth series, tosses laughter into an ocean of jellyfish stings. With grammatical command and physical description, Jones gives relatable, cringeworthy scenarios some light. If anything, there are very few instances of obscurity in the novel, while readers are welcome to flesh out the story with their own milestones and follies. Jones writes:
"There was a bit of a crowd around the bar and, as they parted to let us through, I saw a redhead leaning against it, talking to someone, a glass of wine in her hand. She had gorgeous hair, long and curly, and a nice figure. She was wearing jeans and a strappy top, just like me, but hers were more expensive. Still, I was with Jeremy. I turned to him and saw his face sort of, light up. The frown went and at that moment, the redhead turned and saw him. Her eyebrows went way up as she noticed me, then she was all smiles, though I could tell she was checking me out. We reached the bar and Jeremy, finally, introduced me to someone. To her."
Ah, that unflattering awkwardness, illuminated in thoughtful prose. Jones writes with magical realism, and a respect for the diversity in human experience. We see this in the different versions of Heaven presented, and Katie's roundabout journey towards her own ethereal paradise—the pair of red shoes that finally fit. While not explicitly mentioned, the novel, in its colourful youthfulness, sparks thoughts of The Wizard of Oz, Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid and one's being otherworldly, and The Princess Bride's Wesley. Jones writes a playful, yet achingly tasteful story, as readers may discover upon meeting the ever-obliging Jason.
While A Thousand Rooms fills the mind with much to discuss and reminisce upon, I do wish Jones had chosen to elaborate more on the past life experiences of the people Katie encounters. Delving further into the lives of Katie's antagonists (such as Darryl), may have added further profundity, though the story is already packed with diverse perspectives.
A Thousand Rooms completes itself with wizened contentment, an impressive feat given the protagonist's youth. The storyline quivers with humor and a work environment that reminds me of Toby Young's How To Lose Friends And Alienate People, while conversational insightfulness rings of spiritual resolution Mitch Albom offers in The Five People You Meet In Heaven. Outwardly, the novel is light, though the relationships depicted present a world and an afterlife of multidimensional possibility, where predestination and free will engage in a dance of shifting rhythms.
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A Unique and Fun Look at the Afterlife.
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2017
A Thousand Rooms by Helen Jones begins with the end - the end of Katie's life. When Katie accidentally steps off a curb while checking her text messages, she is hit by a car and killed. When she awakes, she finds her old body lying on the ground and her separated body and soul still dressed to kill .... or be killed, in her new, expensive and adorable red shoes. However, she seems to be stuck somewhere in oblivion, between this life and the next. Katie finds she can still wander around the city of Sydney, see her friends and family, and go home, but she can't be seen, heard, or feel anything. She begins a quest to find her way to her afterlife while mourning the beauty of the life she left behind. Katie's biggest challenge comes with finding a fellow "in-betweener" to guide her to her own version of Heaven, one of the thousand rooms.First of all, I'd like to thank the author and Netgalley for allowing me the chance to read and review this exceptionally unique and interesting novel.With human life comes death, something we inevitably will have to face and think about someday. We all wonder where we will go after our demise, and sometimes it is even fun to imagine what Heaven could be like. In a Thousand Rooms, Jones takes us to a fictional and fantastical version of Heaven. This is a mostly secular and fun look at the afterlife, without the heavy feel of religious bias. Though I am a Christian and believe Heaven will look different from the life after death represented, I enjoyed the fictionalized version in this book and applaud Helen's ability to walk a fine line with her writing. This is a book readers of all religious and non-religious backgrounds alike can connect with and enjoy. I was pleasantly surprised with the added aspect of romance in this story. As an avid romance reader, especially Indie Romance, I wasn't expecting Katie to find a love interest, especially after her death. This was a unique and exciting twist in the story and made me enjoy the book all the more. I love to change up the genres I read frequently, but always fall back on hoping for the main characters to find a bit of love somewhere, no matter what genre I read. I especially love books like this one, as it doesn't neatly fit in any one genre. It features a bit of everything and can only be counted as "different". My only critique of this novel was the lack of structure at times. I felt it needed a little more organization, which would have resulted in a more exciting and purposeful plot. At times I was left wondering where the story could continue to go, which may be due to the tough topic the author chose to tackle. Where are we left to go after an untimely death anyway? It's even hard for me to imagine an eternity of purpose!Impressively, this novel did not feel emotionally overbearing or depressing, despite the constant topic of death. At certain moments, there was a sadness as Katie reflected upon her life, or the life her family would continue to lead without her presence. However, these touching and sad moments were followed up with a cheerfulness or a changing of gears to lighter topics. Occasionally I felt close to shedding a few tears, but managed to keep my cool, much to my delight since my husband is home for summer break. He always seems entertained by my crying over books and movies. ;)Overall, I found this to be an original story with some helpful reminders to readers to enjoy the life we have been given. We should enjoy the people around us and love them in the time we are together here on Earth instead of taking ourselves so seriously. I am eager to check out more of Helen Jones's work in the future and hope you will consider supporting another Indie author's work! A Thousand Rooms is a great place to start... or end, in this case.
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2017
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