The Afterlife by Gary Soto starts off in a way most books don't. The main character named Jesus, but who goes by Chuy, is in the bathroom at a nightclub thinking about a girl that he likes when he is stabbed and killed by a man in yellow shoes. As he dies, he finds that he has become a ghost and can wander his hometown without being seen or heard. He walks around the town visiting family and friends and reflecting on his life as well as watching how his death affected those around him. During his travels he runs into the man who murdered him, a girl named Crystal who he falls in love with, and a homeless man whom he befriends. As he slowly disappears, we see his thoughts about life, death, love, and family.
This novel was definitely an interesting read. I think that students would get into this book, the shock value of the main character dying within the first few pages grabs your attention very well. It is also interesting how the Latino culture is incorporated into the book, using Spanish words and showing the lifestyle that they lived in California. In addition, I think you could do a lot of very interesting writing prompts about morality and how one persons actions affect others. Aside from the Spanish words though for which there is a glossary in the back, there isn't a lot of challenging vocabulary nor was it a hard book to read. I would recommend this books to eighth graders though, if only for the fact that there are subjects such as suicide and crime that are talked about. This could definitely be a fun read in a classroom though!
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