Book Review- Ashes to Ashes

Last night, I finished reading Ashes to Ashes by Melissa Walker for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

If I Stay meets the movie Ghost in this first book in a teen duology about a teenage-girl-turned-ghost

who must cling to the echoes of her former life to save the people she left behind.

Ashes to Ashes is author Melissa Walker's sweeping, romantic, and emotionally rich story about the things that torment and tempt us, even from the Great Beyond. This book is perfect for fans of Die for Me and Imaginary Girls, and its breathtaking ending will leave readers anxiously awaiting the series conclusion, Dust to Dust.

When Callie's life is cut short by a tragic accident, she expects to find nothingness, or maybe some version of heaven.

Instead, her spirit travels to the Prism, an ethereal plane populated by the ghosts she thought were fictional. Here she meets a striking and mysterious ghost named Thatcher, who is meant to guide her as she learns to haunt and bring peace to the loved ones she left behind.

However, Callie uncovers a dark secret about the spirit world: The angry souls who always populate ghost stories are real, dangerous, and willing to do whatever it takes to stay on Earth, threatening the existence of everyone she ever cared about.

As she fights to save them, Callie will learn that while it may no longer beat, her heart can still love-and break.

I really liked the premise of this story--just what happens when you die?  And it was done without being preachy AT ALL.  Thank goodness!  I loved the idea of an dimension (is that the right word?) you go to so you can "haunt" the ones you love.  But in this book, haunting isn't a scary thing--its a peaceful thing that helps them move on in their lives.

I have to be honest that I didn't really connect with Callie.  Maybe it was her daredevil ways.  I'm not sure but I just never really got there.  I did love Carson though.  Oh and Thatcher.  And I just pitied Nick.

The end was a huge twist!  One I definitely did not see coming at all.  And I love when that happens!  I'm definitely intrigued to see what's going to happen in the sequel! 

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

Ashes to Ashes will be released on December 23, 2013.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2013 150+ Reading Challenge: 57
2013 ARC Reading Challenge: 34
2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 46

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.