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In this gripping exploration of a futuristic afterlife, a teen discovers that death is just the beginning.
Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost—family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.
Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian—a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life—comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.
Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind.
GabbyBooks
Posted February 14, 2013
The book was awesome. It had me guessing all the way through the book. I thought Neil and Felicia would be a great couple but when she met Julian I thought they would be a perfect couple. But now I just can't wait until Level 3 comes out to see what happens with Felicia and Neil. So sad how Neil and Felicia died.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.JessabellaReviews
Posted January 17, 2013
First Thoughts:
I wasn't sure what to excpect from this book. I thought the blurb sounded really ineresting, so I was excited when I recieved a copy in the mail for review.
And Then:
Sad to say, this book let me down in alot of ways. I didn't like the how the author used the memory chambers as a way to learn about Felicia's life on earth. It was distracting. The book starts off in Level 2 where we meet Felicia, and learn that she has died and is living with other girls her age called "drones". They have some pretty great tech for this being the supposed afterlife, and at first this confused me, but there is some explanation for this later on in the book. So, the drones practically live in things called "memory chambers", and relive memories from their lives on earth. Almost like an addiction. They can even rent each other's memories with credit, and there is this whole rating system that reminded me of You Tube mixed with Goodreads, but for memories. Now, this is what really bothered me, everytime Felicia goes into a chamber, she relives a memory on earth. (Which she does A LOT) Now, I know this is supposed to let the reader get to know her as a character, but for me it was really just distracting. I would be really into what was happening in the present and BAM, now were reliving the time she went for lunch with her friend! I found myself skimming the parts where she was reliving her past memories, and just wanting more of the action going on in Level 2. Plus, the memories did not do what they were meant to. They did not endear me to Felicia, in fact, they did the opposite. I mean, some of it was just soo boring, not to mention making Felicia seem like such a selfish brat! I really didn't like any of the characters very much in this book. No, that's not true, I just didn't really care about them one way or the other. (Which is worse!)
The book wasn't all bad though. The non-memory scenes were pretty cool and there were some cool twists at the end that surprised me. I really hate it when a book doesn't live up to my expectations, but Level 2 just wasn't for me. Maybe the reason I really wasn't too into it was because the "memories" felt alot like a contemporary novel, and that is one genre I don't really enjoy. I would have preferred less of that and more time spent learing about Level 2. I may still read the sequel, if only because I don't think the memory flashbacks will be part of the sequel. (At least I hope not...)
Overview:
I would reccomend this to anyone who enjoys YA contemporary with some paranormal/sci-fi mixed in. It's how I would classify this one, but that's just my opinion. I hope you will still give it Level 2 a shot if you have been looking forward to reading it. Not every book is for everyone, and this one just wasn't my cup of tea, but who knows, you may end up lovng it.
Rating: 2/5 Stars
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 16, 2013
Great!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.HopeWasHere
Posted April 20, 2013
After reading the synopsis on Pulseit I knew I wanted to read it. I like to try out books with themes I haven’t read before to see where the author goes and figure out what they may have been thinking when they came up with the idea. Lenore Appelhans tells Felicia Ward’s story by starting with a glimpse of Felicia trapped in the all-white expanse with other drones, all forced to replay memories of their lives on earth. Then to help the reader understand Felicia’s way of thinking and who she is we get to travel back and witness all of her memories she chooses to relive throughout the book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the parts that were her actual memories. When I was, I found myself really liking her and eager for the next moment, but then they would end and I’d find myself back in her reality on Level 2. This really didn’t pull me into the story and left me confused in some places wondering what was going on and how the Morati and Rebels even played such a big role.
Once I got a little over half way through The Memory of After, I found myself turning the pages a lot faster and re-reading some parts because I wanted to feel that moment again. More details about Level 2 were shared and the dots started to connect so I could understand what was so important that Felicia just had to get involved. The story line picked up the pace and finally had me in its grip. So many things happened to challenge Felicia and Julian (the guy she knew in life) that it totally changed the entire scope of the story, making it worth reading. I will be reading the second book in Appelhans Memory Series because I was left intrigued and curious about what Felicia Ward’s going to have to face after everything that happened in The Memory After. So if you try out this book when it’s re-released the pace and plot definitely pick up a while into the book.
On a side note here, just because I found the beginning of the book to be slow moving and its only redeeming qualities were the glimpse into Felicia’s memories doesn’t mean that you’ll agree. You may love this book from the start, my sister has different opinions on what makes a great read and we don’t always agree.
This book is about Felicia, when she died (which we learn how and why)she is stuck on Level 2. It's a like a waiting room for Heaven. We see her past through her reliving her memories in the chambers. There was a lot with her and Neil, which those were sweet moment. Also some with Julian, which were some steamy moments and betrayal. Julian finds her and tries to convince her to join the rebellion to take down the people controlling the hives.
I thought it was just great. There was something always going on to keep my attention. Either her memories or what they were doing on Level 2. I look forward to read the next book.
Anonymous
Posted April 13, 2013
I have to say I was a bit skeptical of the premise for Level 2. I kept thinking, "Oh no, not another dead-girl-in-the-afterlife book." But Lenore does a good job of relating the afterlife to real life in terms of friendships, self-esteem, self-reflection, and love. Things aren't magically perfect in the afterlife. You don't suddenly have everything you want or need by your side. And you still have to learn from your past. I think these are great lessons for teens--no one gets to skip the hard stuff, whether on this side or the next. Add in a great twist ending, and you have a dead-girl-in-the-afterlife book that isn't formulaic. Looking forward to the release of the next Memory Chronicles book later this year!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 27, 2013
I don't typically read YA books, or even dystopian/sci-fi, etc; but I found this book extremely interesting and very well written. I would highly recommend it!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Felicia's death has left her stuck in a sort of limbo. As one of the residents of her hive she has friends and she has access to her memories from her life before. Those memories, happy and sad, set the stage for the larger conflict in the afterlife. That's the beauty of the story you see, it's not easy to discern what is really what. It's not confusing, mind you, but an action-filled and fast paced story filled with unexpected moments. A kudo to Appelhans for giving those surprises as it's a rare book that I can't predict the larger plot points.
Level 2 isn't all about the plot though, there's compelling characters too. Felicia is conflicted in a variety of ways (that I won't spoil you on here) so her strength and determination really shines through. She's flawed but in a way that makes her relatable and ultimately a person to root for. Then there are the two boys in her life (yes I said two!) Julian and Neil, who are equally interesting. Before you get your panties in a bunch this isn't your exhaustive love triangle scenario. In fact it's not even really a love triangle which I appreciated. You all know I'm not a fan of grey, I like to know what is going on and I like things straight-forward. What Appelhans has done so well is given me the ability to love all of her characters despite the fact that they are not painted so rigidly. We are lead to believe some are good and some are bad but that is ALWAYS in question. There is a sweet romance too -- for what it's worth, I'm Team Julian at the moment.
If you're a fan of Lauren Oliver's Delirium series Level 2 is going to be right up your alley. Well written, well characterized and well plotted. A win to be sure!
* note, I beta read this book and the author is a close personal friend.
Anonymous
Posted January 20, 2013
Bought this bc I couldn't put down the book and it was easier to by a nook version for my phone than use my phone as a flashlight :) Loved the story, and it ends in a way where there is definitely room for more! can't wait for another book!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. I think I had this built up in my head as what might be the perfect book. It's written by a fellow blogger who knows what the constant complaints are in young adult books. My expectations were high, but I forgot the most important rule. Not everyone can like it. I struggled with my thoughts while reading it, for a few days after, and now while writing this review. It's still a good book. I just wasn't blow away by it. And I really wanted to be.
I think what I liked most about this book is our lead character Felicia. She's lead a very interesting life as the daughter of a US diplomat. She's smart, friendly, and has traveled the world over. When we meet her she's already dead and we learn about her life through the memories she accesses in the pods of Level 2. It was intense watching her life spiral out of control. As we learn what really happened before she died, it's not wonder why she doesn't trust Julian when he shows up to rescue her from her mundane afterlife on Level 2.
I really enjoyed the flashbacks (or memories I guess) in this story. But, I just did not get into the storyline that revolved around Level 2. I came to concluded it was a sort of purgatory level. People are forced to relieve their lives over and over, but nobody moves on. I just didn't get this world of whitewashed room after room with nobody understanding what was really going on. What the purpose was of having the people trapped in this level on how it got back at God. Was Felicia the only one with the power to overthrow what the Morati was doing? What made her so special, because she could remember and function longer before she had to plug in?
It was a fascinating concept that I really wanted to like. I felt like I should like it. But in the end, the book just didn't do it for me. I think many will enjoy this though! I might give the squeal a try.
Anonymous
Posted March 27, 2013
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
In this gripping exploration of a futuristic afterlife, a teen discovers that death is just the beginning.
Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost—family, friends, and Neil, the boy she ...