Exhaled: A Novella (Isabella Rogge)

I hope March has been kind to you so far and that you've been enjoying some good books too. As many of you know, I'm currently working through another term of University, but I finally managed to squeeze in time devoted to reading this novella. Isabella Rogge reached out to me a while ago (all the way at the start of January) to review her novella, since I helped promote her collaborative book Fire In The Stars back in September. So without further ado, the review!

Exhaled: A Novella is a short story (72 pages) that follows Claire Williams, a young girl facing the challenge of accepting the after-life after a tragic accident. She is met by Caesar, the "greeter of death" as I like to describe him, who has been given the task of escorting Claire to the after-life. Claire, however, is reluctant to let the living go do to unfulfilled promises. The story follows Claire and her acceptance of death, as well as Caesar's journey to understanding life.

Though the story is brief in comparison to a full length novel, I was immersed so quickly and even after finishing the novella; I wish it was a full length novel. I love stories that make you question your own stance on accepting the inevitability of death; novels that make you reflect back on yourself. If life were to be cut short, would you truly be able to move forward, or would you be left with uncompleted tasks?

The characters Isabella writes are very natural and contrasting. Claire and Caesar are quirky in their own ways; they are an unlikely pair of personalities. But they give each other an understanding of a topic they initially couldn't grasp. I like that a lot - I tip my metaphorical hat to Isabella for again creating amazing characters.

Rating: 5/5

Reason: An amazing, thought-provoking topic & incredible characters

Make sure to get your copy!

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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A copy of the book was provided to me for honest review purposes.