[yasr_overall_rating]
Is there a right way to die? If so, Joanna DeAngelis has it all wrong. She’s consumed by betrayal, spending her numbered days cyberstalking Ned McGowan, her much younger ex, and watching him thrive in the spotlight with someone new, while she wastes away. She’s every woman scorned, fantasizing about revenge … except she’s out of time.
“The Next” is a very unusual ghost story; weird, wacky, and a bit unsettling, if you probe too deeply. At times, one is inclined to think that author Stephanie Gangi, is a very disturbed lady but as the story unfolds, you get caught up in life, death, and the whole damn thing!
We are introduced to our ghost in the person of Joanna DeAngelis, a mother of two daughters, Anna, who is in med school, starting her residency, and Laney (Elena), still wondering in what direction to take her life. Martin is Joanna’s ex-husband, Ned is her ex-lover and Tom, her dog, is in charge of all the humans in the house.
Joanna is dying from cancer and her girls are trying to cope with the coming loss, not understanding their individual idea of death and the complete separation of one soul to another. This is where the story takes off. Joanna is so mad with Ned, he knew she was dying but walked out on her anyway and she is not ready to let him off the hook, just because she is dead.
What unfolds is extraordinary in its depth and the entire story is woven in such a way that everyone is included in the reckoning. It’s sad, funny, and it brings closure, in a way, to everybody. The poetic words are profound and sweet but the revenge is sweeter. A very enjoyable and most unusual read. Highly recommended.
Available in book stores October 18th
