“Odd, gentle, beautiful, weird… enchanting, light tale of discovery, change, and dubious redemption; all wrapped into the tale of a block party like no other.”Alyse died and she isn’t happy about it. She finds herself stuck in a ghost town occupied by dead souls with whom she has nothing in common. Her reaction to her loneliness and isolation is to throw a neighborhood block party for her … neighborhood block party for her little outpost in the afterlife. In the course of her party-planning, Alyse experiences a series of revelations about herself and other people–lessons she had failed to learn while alive–which leave her happier and wiser at the end of the story.
From Booklife (Publisher’s Weekly):
“Koerber weaves a slow, captivating exploration of life, death, and the place of kindness and forgiveness in the salvation of the spirit.”
From a reader:
“The story is simply an odd and gentle book. I loved the characters. This is a book to read when you want to get away from the noise and anger of current events and politics.
Somehow I felt lighter at the end of the book even though I would have liked it to continue on.”
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Subject may be triggering!
This is a beautiful story of a young girls journey after death.
Acceptance and understanding seems to be a huge moral to this story.
This author has an amazing way of carving real life lessons into the words and plot.
Are we ever ready to die?
Stuck between life and death our main character embarks to find her truths and her peace.
This was .a difficult read plot wise as it pulled at the heart strings.
I would read this to my children and pass this story down to generations.
I’m not crying your crying.
Beautiful in the description of what we may believe as the “in between” and how you in the end find and accept death.
Limbo was original and thought provoking. It takes you to that questionable void between heaven and hell. We are introduced to the main character Alyse who died of Cancer, and is only seventeen. The very start of of her life cut short, and she is unhappy to be dead and stuck in that place. The story is told in multiple POV, and you get a bit of insight as we meet each character and get a bit of their backstory. Our characters ask the question of what could have been done differently, was this punishment or salvation,, what does this existence hold and mean, etc.
This book truly makes you think about life, and what the after life may truly hold.
This story was beautiful and thought provoking in its own way. When I first picked up this book I picked it up purely based on the cover and the synopsis on the back. But I soon found myself flipping through the pages to see what happened with these amazing characters. While this novel is only 156 pages our author really knows how to pull her readers in and keep them interested until the very end. The characters are amazing,the plot was thought provoking, and the story as a whole was just beautiful. Alyse is a young girl who feels like her life has been taken away from her as she floats through Limbo. Trey is an older man who thinks his death was an accident, but was it? These two will oddly become friends and throw a fun party for all of their other ghost friends that are stuck in limbo. But can they really be happy? Can this party make them feel better about being stuck in limbo? You’ll have to read this beautiful novel to find out for yourself.
This novel was a fresh take on the existence of ghosts. I don’t think I have ever wondered if a ghost had feelings or ever felt like they were missing out on something so the novel Limbo opened my eyes to new questions and new possibilities. It made me think which is always good. I enjoyed the book and will look for more from this author.
Good book overall. Interesting characters in the book. Neat idea of limbo. You never really figure out why they are there though. Jumps from character to character. I didnt understand their limits on interacting with objects.
Alyse is a young lady of seventeen and she is dead, but she isn’t happy, she is stuck in a village of other ghosts, it is in the middle of nowhere and more like something you would find in the wild west than the afterlife. Alyse misses her family, her friends and her life, but she feels isolated despite being surrounded by the other dead, so she decides that she wants to get to know them all a bit more.
One day, when the boredom and loneliness has become too much, Alyse decides to throw a party for the outposts inhabitants and asks for help from some of them too, however, as she makes the arrangements and encourages the others to join in, but will it be a success or a failure? Along the way, Alyse realises some things about herself which realign her thinking, but will the lessons improve or hamper her existence in Limbo?
This is a new take on the subject of life after death in a place where people are thrown together and have to try to make the best of the situation they find themselves in.
Limbo by Laura Koerber
4 of 5 stars
This is a wonderfully written and original novel with a unique and intriguing storyline, which caught my attention and held it from start to finish. Sixteen year old Alyse died and found herself in ‘limbo’. In this story ‘limbo’ is literally a ghost town, whose residents are all deceased. Being sixteen she feels she has nothing in common with any of the other occupants in the afterlife she has found herself in. Feeling lonely and isolated she decides to throw a neighbourhood block party. Whilst planning this party she gets to know the other people better and a series of revelations about both herself and the others, lead her to realise things she did not learn whilst alive. Alyse also discovers more about herself and by the end of the story is happier and wiser.
This is definitely an odd read but one that I could not put down. The descriptive narrative really brought ‘limbo’ vividly alive, making me feel immersed in the story. However, it was the strange mix of quirky characters that really made the story for me. Each character had their own backstory and you got little glimpses into their lives before they died. Although you are not told why any of them are in ‘limbo’, you do get some clues in their backstories. Alyse was a great main character who was both likeable and relatable. An engaging read which left me with many questions, and I was left thinking about the storyline long after I had finished the book.
A beautifully woven story that examines the meaning of life and death and all the small in-betweens. In Limbo, we see how a plethora of diverse lives comes to be, existing in a place that is neither heaven nor hell, and the ability each individual has to cope with such an existence. The author shows how connection and community uplifts those to give meaning during a time of uncertainty. Together, the community in Limbo is able to reinvent their purpose and identify important details of their lives before death, translating it to the after-life. A wonderful read that will leave your heart feeling full!
4 Stars
I read this in one sitting as it’s a very short quick read and when it ended I was really confused. I guess like all books you read you know that that last page is going to clear everything up for you. I either missed that happening, or it didn’t happen with this one. This was a really good read though and I enjoyed the whole idea of this storyline. I have not read other books yet by this author but I do plan to because the writing was amazing. I had a clear picture in my head of the town and each of the characters. It felt calm and thought provoking all the way through. My 4 stars are only based on wanting more I think. I didn’t have that satisfied feeling of closure at the end.
I will be looking into other books by this author based on the writing that I very much enjoyed in this one!
This book was different. Not really my cup of tea. The Genre was ‘slice of life’ which this was my first read in that category. Apparently I do not like this type of book. I like books with more plot than character growth.
Regardless, it was well written for what it was. You follow the every day life of a group of ghosts living in limbo. The main character is a 17 year old ghost who is sad that she never really got to live since she died so young. You follow her figured out death and how to live with it.
The author really tuned into the emotions I would expect from experiencing death and waking up in Limbo. The author’s descriptions were very well thought out. I have never read anything like this. The topic was interesting.
I loved this sweet, easy read. Alyse died young, and found herself in a town full of ghosts. Everyone has their own way of dealing with being in their little town. Alyse wants to try to bring them all together, thinking a party may be what they need. Little did she know how much she would learn about herself along the way!
This story is full of beautifully developed characters. Each one has their own depth of a life story that makes them relatable. Anyone who reads this book will connect with at least one character! The whimsical way they move around their world is creative. This is a fun way to picture the afterlife, and join Alyse on a journey of discovery.
This is a new author to me, and this book was recommended to me by a friend. I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting into, but it’s a really great story regarding the afterlife. It was quite a “ghost” story of what happens to those stuck in limbo when they are dead. I think that the author did a wonderful job writing this story. I especially loved how she was able to describe the world this book takes place in. The characters at first I thought would pretty much all be the same. They aren’t and they all have their own stories. It was quite interesting. My only disappointment was that I didn’t feel the answer to why they were stuck in limbo was ever answered. So hopefully there will be a follow up that will answer more of these questions.
This is a totally different kind of book than I normally read, but I’m so glad I did. It is the kind of book that sticks with you long after you have finished it. Its such a wonderful and different idea. It’s about a group of people stuck in Limbo after death. This book really makes you think about life, how you live your life, death, and what comes after death. I highly recommend this book!
The cover and topic in this novel greatly caught my interest and I could not wait to start reading it.
After dying, Alyse finds herself in a deserted town surrounded by souls. What does she do with her loneliness? Throw a block party of course!
But in the midst of planning the party, she learns about herself in ways that she was unable to do while still alive.
Words really can not describe this novel. It is short but it leaves a lasting impression.
I definitely do not want to give too much of the details away, such as what Alyse learns, but I do highly suggest reading it.
This book was truly beautiful from start to finish, I found the author did a wonderful job in creating this beautiful story, the story really came to life along with the thoughts and emotions it had brought on. It was emotional times, and truly beautiful in all that it is and was. Wonderful book and story!
I was very moved by the concept of the story. A character dies, and acceptance came rather difficult for her. She meets others through out her journey and the feelings and emotions she felt were real and true I defiantly felt. I was very involved with the story and the characters it held. I could not let go of this story. I loved how easily the story flowed and how I felt as I read it. I found acceptance brings on a certain tranquility most of us don’t have when someone passes, even if its a long time after. The story was wonderful, I really loved it. I do highly recommend this book. This book was a eye opener for me and gave me a lot to think about as well as my emotions. It is a truly remarkable story, not one to be missed!
Loved this book as well as the emotions and thoughts I revived. It was a journey I took as well as the characters and truly gave me a lot to think on and wonder about. It made me feel my own tranquility within my heart, and I loved how the author did this and created this. I loved their their books they have created as well, this one was just as wonderful. Highly recommend this book, it truly is a rare read!
This novel is well written and has a very diverse cast of characters. While I enjoyed the premise of the tale I found it lacking in detail and in answers. Why are these lost souls stuck and can they move on? Are they doomed to purgatory in Limbo forever? Thus I gave it 3 stars. I really feel there is more to this world that needs to be built upon and with a little more detail and a better back story this book could hit the best seller list. It is definitely a book I would love to see updated with more information. I can see a great story in between the lines and I really like the idea behind the scenes.
What can I really say about this book without giving it all away, it takes place in the limbo, the same place where Catholics are used to think souls go when we pass, so does this mean everyone in here is too good for hell or too bad to go to heaven?
Limbo, by its description, reminded me of a wild west city, but without its life, you have the buildings, but its empty, there’s nothing to do, nothing to help pass the time, a bar that don’t have drinks, a card game made from the wallpaper…
You have animals there, dogs, cats, mouses, cows, but the people there don’t see these animals growing, eating or anything, so are they being punished as well?
This book, reminded me very much of the show the good place, most people in the limbo are old, but there are exceptions and to make things worse you won’t find anyone you loved in your past life… you may find people you hated but why are people sent there? How can they move on? Why can you find children there?
Alyse, one of our main voices is only a teen that died of cancer… other people on the book we get to know their backstory and some of those stories only make us wonder, why are they there?
Probably If you liked the good place you will like this book, you get to know almost all people background and how they got there, but at the same time there’s many things left to learn about them.
Limbo is just that, not heaven, not hell, just some perpetual in between. I honestly very much enjoyed this book. It was short, but very well done for its length. I would absolutely recommend, and would read more by this author.
This is definitely quite an odd book to read as there is no set storyline to it. The author just seems to meander through the book with the help of a few characters. And yet it works. You don’t really miss not having that typical structure. You find yourself caught up in the story anyway and wandering along with it. I enjoy the range of different characters in the book and how they all felt unique. This is a strangely enjoyable read that I would recommend.
Limbo is a very thought provoking book. That is down to earth and beautiful in its own way. I have to say I have never read a book like this and I truly enjoyed it. This book raises so many questions and does not answer them by the end. Usually that would have me upset but that felt perfect for this book. I actually felt peace and a lightness after reading it.
After 16 year old Alyse dies of brain cancer she finds herself in a ghost town that is quite literally occupied by ghosts. Everyone there calls the town limbo. Because they are presumably stuck in-between the living and the afterlife they expected. No one knows why they’re in Limbo, how to leave it or why their afterlife is filled with strangers or people they dislike.
This book takes us on a beautiful journey of self discovery, acceptance and making the best out of a less than ideal situation. The multiple points of view allows the reader to join many characters on their discovery of growth and acceptance. For me this book was about finding peace within yourself and with the people around you. This is a must read!!!