FOR THIS LIFE ONLY

When Jacob’s near-death experience fails to live up to his Christian beliefs, he is desperate to find out the truth. The person he turns to in his fear and doubt shocks even him.

After a car accident takes his brother’s life and leaves him seriously injured, 16-year-old Jace cannot shake the feeling that the wrong twin died. Eli was an exemplary student, a talented debater, and the pastor’s model son. Jace, the troubled one, dreams of the day when he can finally escape the scrutiny of his family and his father’s church. Overwhelmed by guilt and doubt, the white teen is desperate for answers. When his faith wavers, he turns to the only person who seems to neither blame him nor hate him: Thera, also white and the local psychic’s daughter. Thera speaks of a different kind of belief, one where you can choose your own doctrine. Kade’s contemplation of life and the afterlife is unflinching, and Jace’s journey through his grief is messy, raw, and, above all, real. Spot-on dialogue and an authentic voice keep this story fresh. The only misstep is Jace’s father; legalistic and rigid, he lacks depth or complexity.

Poignant and powerful.