LitPick Review
What I Did After I Died by Ryan Standley is a ghost, treasure hunt adventure book that would appeal most to an audience of young adults and adults who’ve enjoyed movies/books like National Treasure. Lenoir Stoun, grandmother to Kevin, passed away at the ripe age of 96, leaving behind a small house and belongings that most would term as junk, with one exception: a small box titled army held a letter that hinted at the location of Nazi treasure. The box and letter are found by Kevin, his Aunt Vera, his cousin Amy, and his brother Johnny. After some discussion, the Kevin decides to go treasure hunting with his family when the weather warms up in the spirit of his grandmother’s favorite saying: “adventure feeds the soul.” However, things quickly take a turn when Aunt Vera (known for her drinking and her lack of a driver’s license) takes off in the middle of the night with the intent of going after the treasure herself. This leads to a quick rallying of the rest of the group for a desperate chase to get her before she gets herself killed. When they finally catch up to Aunt Vera, Amy drops a bombshell on Kevin and Johnny that changes everything. Will they still be able to find the treasure or is this the end of their family treasure hunt?
Opinion:
What I Did After I Died by Ryan Standley was a very well-written book that pulled me in right from the beginning. I enjoyed the family stories about their grandmother and their family as it helped me to understand that their desire for the treasure was not just a want for money, but also a way to honor the memory of Lenoir and her spirit of adventure. The author did an amazing job with the characters as they all felt so very real with how they had full backstories, and their emotions could practically be felt through the pages. At first it felt like a sort of typical treasure hunt, but then we find out that years have actually passed between them finding the letter about the Nazi treasure and the present, and that two of the party are in fact dead and that they did not even know that they were ghosts. I loved the shift in perspective that was offered especially in regard to some of the “dreams” the one character was having on the journey. The supernatural element added quite the kick to the book, and it was around then that the pace of the book also sped up. I was left feeling like I needed to finish the whole book in one reading as I wanted to find out the truth behind the ghosts and the treasure.
