A beautiful urban queer fantasy written about pain, punishment and death. It revolves around Isaac, a guilt-ridden murderer who seeks a second chance after death... for redemption. Taking his side is Grim, a reaper tired of escorting souls to the afterlife. Now, they’re in the living realm.

And throughout the story, I kept thinking, “Can a story about death be this cute and funny?” It’s often philosophical, also comforting and heartwarming. Grim felt like a baby robot learning the world and the nuances of human behaviour.

Alice’s writing is conversational and straightforward, making the book easy to read. Even serious themes like grief, forgiveness and acceptance never feel overwhelmingly heavy.

She also managed to keep the pace natural. Nothing felt dragged or forced. At times, Isaac did feel like an irritating crackpot (towards the end, especially), but only for moments.

The ending is touching, too, beautiful, closing on a happy note. It’s rare to find a book that talks so openly about death yet leaves you with happy tears. Resonated with my own thoughts around death.

“When death gives you lemons, make some tea.”

It's a fun, light read. Best suited for fans of philosophical fiction who are curious about death and the afterlife.