Review - The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom

Title: The First Phone Call from Heaven

Author: Mitch Albom

Series: Stand Alone

Pages: 272

Published:  November 12th 2013 by Harper 

ISBN: 9780062294371

Source: Sent for honest review

Description: The First Phone Call from Heaven tells the story of a small town on Lake Michigan that gets worldwide attention when its citizens start receiving phone calls from the afterlife. Is it the greatest miracle ever or a massive hoax? Sully Harding, a grief-stricken single father, is determined to find out. An allegory about the power of belief--and a page-turner that will touch your soul--Albom's masterful storytelling has never been so moving and unexpected.

I Give This ...

I haven't read a book by Mitch Albom in quite some time.  But, this book seemed to have all the same qualities of the previous books that I read and enjoyed.  Sadly, I think this missed the mark a little for me.

I really tried not to go into this book as a skeptic.  Albom has a knack for making a believer out of you.  I wanted to see how he could pull off phone calls from Heaven.  But, it didn't take me long to not like how these phone calls were presented.  This whole plot line is heavy in spoilers so lets just leave it as I was extremely disappointed how it all played out.

However, I did love the characters.  Sully is the perfect person to narrate this book.  He needs something to believe in.  His life has become the opposite of how he pictured it.  And really, it's not because he made bad choices (well maybe just that one).  It's really just the luck of the draw.  Sometimes bad things happen to good people.  And sometime really unimaginable things happen to people like Sully.  I hope in the end he found some measure of hope in those around him.

In the end, this wasn't exactly what I had hoped it would be.  But, it really does have all the qualities that Mitch Albom is known for.  I think plenty of people will connect with it more than I did.