Review of Under Zenith by Shannen Crane Camp

By now, I'm sure you're aware I'm a fan of Shannen Crane Camp, both her books, and her as a person. I was lucky enough to read her latest, Under Zenith, which has just been released. 

It was the most important day of her life, and for 21-year-old Isla Edison, graduating from college with a useless degree in vocal performance was all part of her master plan. Dying in a car accident only hours later wasn't part of that plan. Yet there she was, standing over her own lifeless body and panicking about ruining the truck her parents had bought as a graduation present. Talk about a bad way to repay them. 

If coming to terms with the hereafter wasn’t enough to deal with, Isla suddenly finds herself stuck with Hayden, a gorgeous Brit with a bad attitude and a penchant for throwing her off cliffs to keep her in line. Worst of all, Hayden is her Guide, and until she completes six impossible and totally random tasks to reach her mysterious Destination, she's stuck with him. Isla's major problem, though, is that she doesn't know what reaching her Destination actually entails, and soon the mystery surrounding her new afterlife seems more ominous than any purgatory she could possibly imagine. Now Isla must decide if she'll trust her dark and brooding Guide despite his "bad boy" act, or if she'll risk failing her tasks and facing the unknown alone. 

My Review:

Under Zenith is a fun, fresh, new story that isn't like any other that I've read. Isla is completely charming, and Hayden is annoyingly attractive (you'll have to read it to see what I mean). 

Isla wakes up from her car accident in a whole new realm where she's stuck with her Guide, Hayden, and assigned a bunch of tasks she must complete in order to reach her "destination". Her cheerful optimism and ingenuity annoy Hayden to no end. On the other hand, his surly sarcasm drives Isla up a wall. Their interactions are amusing, and I found myself cheering Isla on several times as she stood up to him.

Shannen has created some innovative places and tasks, and without giving away much let me just say my favorite area was the junkyard (again, you'll have to read to see what I mean). Shades of Star Wars and the trash compactor scene in my mind - and anything that brings Star Wars to mind, even in the most obscure way, is a most positive thing as far as I'm concerned. The other part of the junkyard scene was about as terrifying as I can imagine, so be warned.

This is a great book, with a different kind of romance, a story that's unexpected, and an ending that's fulfilling. As with all of Shannen's books, I highly recommend this one.

You can find Shannen at Shannen C Books. Pick up your copy of Under Zenith today!