The Blue Are Coming

This one will haunt you.

I “read” a lot of audiobooks these days – mostly during my daily commute. While it’s convenient AF, the format locks me out of a lot of self-pub authors who can’t afford a voice actor. Not fair to the authors – and perhaps not fair to me.

While looking for a gateway novel to temper my audiobook addiction, I found Daisy Roberts is Dead. I’m not sure what I expected, but it wasn’t this.

*** A spoiler-free review follows ***

You won’t be surprised to learn that poor Daisy is… um… pushing daisies. Even if you missed the title, she tells us in the first paragraph of chapter one (there’s no prologue). We find out what killed her in the next few paragraphs.

With that out of the way, we follow Daisy as she explores the afterlife. Turns out, it’s a lot like life. She can see and hear the world of the living. However, she cannot interact with any of it. Daisy is alone, and we are alone with her.

If Daisy is a ghost, are there more like her? Why is she here when others appear to have moved on? Is there a way to contact the living? Will she always exist in this lonely realm?

We get answers, but the exposition is mostly slow and deliberate. Until it isn’t. A big reveal comes out of nowhere. I had to put the tablet down for a bit to let it sink in.

Do you know the ‘80s tune Love Vigilantes by New Order? The main lyrics end with a crushing revelation. The refrain repeats three times afterward, but with a whole new meaning. The outro goes on a full minute so you can process what the hell just happened. That’s what the Daisy reveal did to me.

I feel the story contained a missed opportunity or two. I can’t really say how and where without spoiling. Yet I feel just a bit of speculation would’ve gone a long way. Yet maybe expanding the scope would’ve diluted the plot.

The author’s prose is often subtle, yet effective. She lets us feel pathos without being maudlin. That’s tough to pull off with so much loss, longing, and regret going on. So it’s a bit disappointing when that lighter touch briefly falters. The author addresses a serious issue in a way that feels a bit on-the-nose. There’s no discussion, only acceptance. Even a little antipathy or doubt would’ve made the discourse more engaging and relatable.

Yet if you can make it through a few clunky passages, you will be rewarded. The author leads us to a denouement that borders on sublime.

The final chapters are believable and real. By now, we know where this is going. As the story accelerates into the final stretch, we can’t let go. The payoff is exactly right.

Daisy Roberts is Dead is a compelling work of fiction from a talented yet largely unknown author. The editing is impeccable. There are no SPaG errors to distract from the story. Word choices and structure are damn near perfect. This novel is a beautiful example of what independent authors are capable of.

You will feel good after reding this.