D09: Afterlife

'To wake from slumber, one must understand what they are willing to lose.'

D09: Afterlife by Ethan Vonday is based on the lives of five hopeless individuals wishing for a second chance in life. Vonday’s style is unique and it succeeds to grasp readers' attention while sending the resounding message that “Everyone Matters.” The first story introduces Ralph, who has a near-death experience. Vonday comprehensively explores Ralph’s psyche and struggles by bringing to light some disturbing visions of his childhood hero —Super Mario. The book then moves to other stories and characters dealing with all types of complex social and psychological issues such as acute anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, out-of-body experiences, and the like. All five stories are thrilling in their own right, and are introduced using poetic phrasing and vivid illustrations with dark themes, making it difficult for readers to stop once they start reading.

Vonday strategically uses internal dialogues and streams of consciousness to draw readers into the mindsets of the characters by exposing them to disturbing mindscapes and extreme emotional thoughts. Although none of the characters are linked to each other, each of them has a unique and relatable background. The richly developed and complex characters are symbols of the darkness that usually invades the human mind. The excellent storytelling of D09: Afterlife features skillful handling and transition between the worlds of the characters, along with an unsettling realization of the darkness that resides within all of us. Ethan Vonday is an excellent inspirational fiction novelist who writes to elevate the limitations of English literature by bringing to life fascinating characters driven by the subconscious mind. D09: Afterlife is one of Ethan Vonday's inspiring masterpieces. The writing is bold and captivating; the worlds it evokes are strangely familiar, and the characters feel like people readers encounter quite often as they journey through life.