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My COVID Story
Camp Afterlife follows a teen who overdoses and ends up at a camp that gives him one last opportunity to find peace before moving on. How did you come up with the idea for the camp in this story?
Honestly, it was my Covid story. I had been hospitalized with Covid right when the pandemic happened. Everyone said I should write a Covid novel, but I didn’t want to. I liked the idea of when you die that you go to camp. It made me happy to believe that is what could happen. It gave me some comfort with the afterlife.
What were some emotional obstacles you felt were important for Gus to face in this story?
I think the biggest issue was that everyone isn’t out to get him. I felt like he felt so alone in the world and no one cared for him. I wanted Gus to figure out that he had people in his life that truly loved and cared for him.
What is a common misconception you feel people have about loss and grief?
I think that it goes away with time. I lost my brother twelve years ago to suicide, and those emotions never really go away. You just learn to deal with it. That was why I loved the dynamic of the brothers.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next novel is called Missed Calls. It will be out in February. It’s about the rise and fall of a friendship over the years and how politics can ruin friendships sometimes.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook
Meeting kindred souls like himself, Gus began to heal at Camp Afterlife. All thanks to his friends and blossoming relationship with Luis. This makes him pause, were Gus’s best days actually the ones after he took his final breath? Or will the guilt of his mistakes during his life going to cause him to self-destruct once more?
Camp Afterlife
![Camp Afterlife by [Zachary Ryan]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/510hG8-j2vL.jpg)
Camp Afterlife by Zachary Ryan offers a new twist on an age-old question! Gus’s teenage years haven’t been easy; the loss of his brother and the demise of his relationship leaves him in a downward spiral. The spiral comes to a sudden halt when Gus wakes up near a summer camp, where he learns he has passed away from a drug overdose. Camp Afterlife is where troubled souls like his go-to reconcile and come to terms with their life and passing. Will Gus be able to let go and have peace?
If I could use one word to describe Camp Afterlife by Zachary Ryan, it would be innovative. Let me delve deeper into why that is. For starters, I appreciated the stylistic touch of using song titles as chapter titles. It helps immerse the reader between the author’s fictional world and our own. If you have the time, I highly recommend listening to the songs as you read along. It adds Ryan’s personal touch to your overall reading experience. Bonus, the songs are actually good. The author has incredible taste in music. Secondly, I enjoy the beautiful but simplistic writing style. I feel that Ryan truly captured the essence of his teenage characters and had a firm understanding of how they talk and interact. It was refreshing. Oftentimes, when adult authors write younger characters, it is evident that they are far removed from the generation. But Ryan was flawless in his approach. The story was also super easy to follow. Despite the beautiful writing style, Ryan did not fill up sentences with fluffy poetical adjectives. It made the story easy to follow without skipping over any crucial details. I never had to reread a sentence to grasp what it was saying. And last but not least, the story was fast-paced and never dull. I read the book in a little less than three days. Although the subject matter could be heavy at times, I still had a relaxing reading experience. It was a much-needed break from this very busy season.
If you are looking for a relaxing but thought-provoking read all-in-one, you need to check out Camp Afterlife by Zachary Ryan. I do not have a single complaint about this book and give it a glowing five out of five stars. Now go and add Camp Afterlife by Zachary Ryan to your bookish wish list!
Pages: 235 | ASIN: B09JGVQDQ3
LITERARY TITAN 