Boook Review – The Five People You Meet in Heaven
What is heaven? Is it a place where our true paradise is? Is heaven the same or different for everyone?
The Five People You Meet in Heaven, by Mitch Alborn, is one outlook about heaven. There is no peering down from the clouds. Or floor of clouds. Rather, it is a place that helps you understand your life on earth through five different people, ones who have crossed your paths, in some way, and altered your life. With each person you meet, you feel different and even your appearance changes. That’s only because you alter into the form that you were when you encountered these five people.
My first impression of this book: Five People You Meet in Heaven was cheesy. Even with the rave about the book back in grade ten and the recommendations.
When I opened the page of the first chapter, I was amazed. Though the title is evident, the author proclaims the death of Eddie. Usually when that happens, I stop caring about the book. “The surprise is ruined. I know he dies. What difference does it make if I know how he dies?”
It makes all the difference. The writing style is simple, yet poignant. By describing the approaching minutes until Eddie’s death and his whole life in segments, Alborn creates a sort of narration that deeply connects to the readers. Because of this, his words are so powerful and moving that I felt deeply moved by how Eddie dies.
As the story progresses, I was impressed by how the novel is crafted. Everything seems to be random (although, it’s a bit obvious that it shouldn’t be), but they all connect in a way that enforces the strength of the storyline. I especially liked how one perspective of Eddie’s life is seen through someone else’s life. I even cried.
This book has proven to me how judgmental I was. A title or a cover means little when all the beauty and text of imagination is just a flip away. Though it is only about 190 pages, it won’t take long to realize how truly extraordinary The Five People You Meet in Heaven is.
