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A review by stephanieluxton
A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book was not what I was expecting which isn't surprising since I went in totally blind without reading the description. I think that was an enjoyable way to read it, honestly!
But the book is about a mormon man named Soren who tried to live his best life then dies of cancer and finds himself in hell alongside quite a lot of other people who also were pretty regular people. Hell for Soren isn't the fire and brimstone you'd expect but instead is a basically eternal library containing every book that could theoretically exist and the only way the inhabitants can leave is by finding a books that perfectly portrays the story of their lives. This isn't exactly a spoiler, but contrary to the title, his stay is not short.
This book was interesting because it feels like it's more about immortality than anything else (because when you're already dead, you don't exactly die). I found this book to be sad. It explores themes of regarding madness of groups of people, love, loss, and being faced with an impossible task.
I don't know what the genre of this book is. There's a few parts that feel like horror but most of the book has a very somber feeling to it.
It's a short read so I definitely recommend picking it up. It's definitely different!
But the book is about a mormon man named Soren who tried to live his best life then dies of cancer and finds himself in hell alongside quite a lot of other people who also were pretty regular people. Hell for Soren isn't the fire and brimstone you'd expect but instead is a basically eternal library containing every book that could theoretically exist and the only way the inhabitants can leave is by finding a books that perfectly portrays the story of their lives. This isn't exactly a spoiler, but contrary to the title, his stay is not short.
This book was interesting because it feels like it's more about immortality than anything else (because when you're already dead, you don't exactly die). I found this book to be sad. It explores themes of regarding madness of groups of people, love, loss, and being faced with an impossible task.
I don't know what the genre of this book is. There's a few parts that feel like horror but most of the book has a very somber feeling to it.
It's a short read so I definitely recommend picking it up. It's definitely different!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer