The Afterlife Book Review

 
















1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Soto, G. (2003). THE AFTERLIFE. Harcourt. ISBN: 9780152047740

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

The Afterlife is a novel about Chuy who is murdered, and Crystal who dies by suicide. The two meet in the afterlife. Much of the story is Chuy watching the aftermath of his death while his spirit is slowly fading away from existence. Crystal grapples with her decision as they rekindle love from their childhood. Ultimately they make peace with death and fading into memories. 


3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In The Afterlife, the characters are very authentic and culturally accurate. As the main character, Chuy is bilingual and exists between the two cultures of Latinx and American. His parents immigrated from Mexico and work hard, which is a traditional portrayal of Latinx families. His extended family is also described as loving and has close relationships. He is especially close to his uncle. Crystal is of the same background but has a different upbringing. Her family is wealthier and she has pressures to be the ideal daughter, which is common in Latinx families.  Secondary characters in their families are described as hard working, respectful, and deeply connected. The murderer felt as if Chuy was insulting him by complimenting his shoes. He reacts in a toxic masculine way by stabbing him. 

The setting is Fresno, California. The opening scene is in a nightclub bathroom, which is described as nasty. It is implied that it is a seedy place. Chuy lives in a lower class neighborhood, but not at poverty level. While floating over the city, readers are given a vivid description of the many areas. The streets and homes in his neighborhood are described as well taken care of; families take pride in their home and yards. When he floats over the poorer part of Fresno, the author speaks about how houses are dilapidated. Crystal lived on a farm on the outskirts of Fresno and is described as a migrant farm with sprawling fields. 

In this novel, there are many cultural markers for Hispanic/Latinx. One of the most noticeable is the mixture of Spanish words and phrases. Chuy’s real name is Jesus, which is a very common name in the Latino community. Familial ties are evident throughout the story. Both Chuy and Crystal’s families are tight-knit and spoken of fondly in death by both characters. Mexican food mentioned in the book includes tacos and pan dulce. Although Catholicism is not explicitly mentioned, there are examples of the religion. Chuy speaks about the priest and funeral mass along with the rosary. Honoring the dead and afterlife play a big role in Latinx communities as well. The socio economic background of Chuy’s family is working class and shows the hardships of not having enough money to buy a new outfit for the dance. He questions if his family will bury him in the suit from a couple of years ago for his confirmation. 


4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

  • Book Links, 01/01/05

  • Booklist starred, 08/01/03

  • Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 10/01/03

  • Five Owls, 04/01/07

  • Horn Book Magazine, 11/01/03

  • Kirkus Reviews, 09/15/03

  • Publishers Weekly, 08/25/03

  • Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA), 02/01/04

Wilson's Junior High School, 01/09/10

Wilson's Senior High School, 10/01/07

Wilson's Senior High School, 10/01/11

Full-Text Reviews
Booklist starred (August 2003 (Vol. 99, No. 22))

Gr. 7-10. Combing his hair in the dirty bathroom of a club where a dance is being held, 17-year-old Chuy makes the mistake of telling the rodent-faced guy next to him that he likes his shoes. The young man returns the compliment by stabbing Chuy to death. Where any other story would end, Soto's begins. It follows Chuy for several days after his death, as the teenager recounts what he sees and experiences. His parents grieve, and his mother asks a cousin to kill Chuy's assailant; then he goes to his high school's basketball game and sees the effect his death has had on his friends, realizing their sadness will be fleeting. He saves the life of a homeless man, albeit only temporarily, and improbably, he finds his first girlfriend, Crystal, a specter who died from an overdose. Crystal's character is not as well developed as Chuy's, but their relationship is beautifully evoked, with Chuy grasping every thread of love he can as he slowly disappears. Soto has remade Our Town into Fresno, California, and he not only paints the scenery brilliantly but also captures the pain that follows an early death. In many ways, this is as much a story about a hardscrabble place as it is about a boy who is murdered. Both pulse with life and will stay in memory.



  • 5. CONNECTIONS

Related books:

Jiménez, F. (2008). REACHING OUT. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN: 9780618038510


Reynolds, J. (2017). LONG WAY DOWN. Antheneum.  ISBN: 9781481438261






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