Blog Tour: This is Not the End by Chandler Baker

This is Not the End

Author: Chandler Baker

Publication Date: August 8th, 2017

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Synopsis: I wonder if for the rest of my life, I’ll be haunted by beautiful days.

On one cloudless, radiant summer afternoon, Lake Devereaux lost everything. The car crash claimed the lives of her best friend and boyfriend, the people who had become her family after her own fell apart. But she doesn’t have to lose them both.

The development of resurrection technology has changed the world. Under the new laws regulating the process, each person gets one resurrection to be used or forfeited on their eighteenth birthday. Mere weeks away from turning eighteen, Lake faces an impossible choice.

Envisioning life without one of the people she loves most is shattering enough, but Lake carries an additional burden: years ago, under family pressure, Lake secretly—and illegally—promised her resurrection to someone who isn’t even dead yet.

The search for answers about her future draws Lake more deeply into the secrets of her past until she begins to question everything about those closest to her. Betrayals and hurts both new and old threaten to eclipse the memories she once cherished.

Then Lake meets a boy unlike anyone she’s encountered before, who unflinchingly embraces the darkest parts of her life . . . and who believes that all resurrections are wrong.

Which path is the right one? And how can Lake start to heal when she can’t move on?

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You know when you pick up a contemporary and you don’t really expect to relate to it or fall in love with the book, and then end up not being able to put it down because it’s just so amazing?  Yep, that was definitely the case for me when I started reading This is Not the End.

I haven’t heard any hype at all about this book, and I honestly can’t understand why – the book is full of emotions, awesome characters, and a plot that will make you want to keep reading, even after you turn the last page.  This book has so much going on, and the author has a way with words to pull you in and keep you reading the book, even when you have other stuff you need to do (yeah, I pretty much did nothing BUT read this book for an entire day).

While this book is mainly contemporary (I think), it’s got a lot of science fiction/fantasy feeling going on as well, making it one heck of a unique read.  It’s more or less a contemporary but with the idea of this resurrection technology in there – something you would see in a movie quite a few years in the future, although we don’t really know much about what time or year this book actually takes place in.  Then again, I didn’t really think that was incredibly important, because what really is important in this book is the message that it sends.

Lake’s character is full of personality and really stands out among other characters in contemporary books that I’ve read this year.  I love the way she handles things, even when it feels like everything is too difficult for her to go on (and let’s face it, she’s dealing with a lot of loss and things are heartbreaking for her), she still remains strong and keeps going.  She is full of love – the unconditional kind of love – after all, she does promise her resurrection to someone else, so you can tell she has feelings for that person deeper than you can imagine.

The overall premise for this book is unique, and while sad at times, is still kind of fun, because it isn’t something you see everyday.  Since this book is not just a contemporary but also kind of a science fiction read, it can easily appeal to fans of both genres.

While the pacing was a little slow, it’s definitely worth it to stick with it and keep reading, because it’s simply that interesting of a read.  I definitely recommend this one – it’s a great book for the end of the summer!

Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

Chandler Baker grew up in Florida, went to college at the University of Pennsylvania, and studied law at the University of Texas. She now lives in Austin with her husband, though her heart remains at the beach. She strongly believes that writing quality improves vastly if done while staring out at a large body of water and daydreaming. Chandler is the author of the young adult thriller Alive, as well as the High School Horror series. You can visit her online at www.chandlerbaker.com.

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