Ascenders: High School For the Recently Departed (Book One) by C L Gaber

Ascenders: High School For the Recently Departed (Book One) (Ascenders, #1) (Ascenders Saga Book Two, #2)

by C L Gaber

Walker Callaghan doesn't know what happened to her. One minute she was living her teenage life in suburban Chicago...and the next minute, she was in a strange place and in a brand-new school with absolutely no homework, no rules, and no consequences. Walker Callaghan, 17, is dead. She doesn't go to heaven or hell. She lands at The Academy, a middle realm where teenagers have one thing in common: They were the morning announcement at their high schools because they died young.

These high school kids are now caught in a strange “in-between” zone where life hasn’t changed very much. In fact, this special teen limbo looks a lot like life in a quaint Michigan town complete with jocks, popular girls and cliques. "There are even cheerleaders in death," Walker observes. It's not a coincidence that the music teacher is a guy named Kurt who "used to have this band." The drama teacher, Heath, is crush worthy because back in his life, he starred in some superhero movie.

Principal King explains the rules -- there are none. Why? You can't die twice.

There is no homework. No tests. No SATS. You're just there to learn because the human brain isn't fully formed until you're 24.

By the way, you can't get hurt physically, so race your Harley off that hillside. But falling in love is the most dangerous thing you can do ...because no one knows how long you'll stay in this realm or what's next.

"Losing someone you love would be like dying twice," Walker says

Walker Callaghan has just arrived at the Academy after a tragic car accident. “Is this heaven or is this high school?” she asks.

She finds out her new life is a bit of both as she falls in love with tat-covered, bad boy Daniel Reid who is about to break the only sacred rule of this place. He's looking for a portal to return back to the living realm.

He needs just one hour to retrieve his younger brother who strangely never arrived at The Academy. Bobby is an Earth-Bound Spirit, stuck at a plane crash site that took both of their lives as their rich father piloted his private jet nose-first into a cornfield on Christmas Eve.

Walker loves Daniel and risks it all to go with him.

Have they learned enough to outsmart dangerous forces while transporting a young child with them? Can their love survive the fragmented evil parts of themselves that are now hunting them down as they try to find a way back to the middle?

At the Academy, you learn the lessons of an after-lifetime.

Reviewed by tweetybugshouse on

4 of 5 stars

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This book is a different read for me as it deals with the afterlife and ghosts. I thought that the author take on the fact that kids do not pass straight on to hell or heaven regardless of the crimes or actions in life. You go to this in between place where if your bad you go to one school and if your good you go to another. It not like any school you ever been to, the teachers can be anybody, your friends could leave at anytime and their only one major rule don't try to get back to your life.

Their are parts of this story that really make you think and others that make you want to cry and the guy that the main characters falls for boy you will get the heartache for him something fierce. This is a great book and i glad i gave it a chance.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 15 January, 2016: Finished reading
  • 15 January, 2016: Reviewed