Jacob's Ladder

By:Brendan Connolly


Keaney, Brian. Jacob’s Ladder. Candlewick Press: Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2005.
Heart
Borders Books, $15.99
Young Adult Fiction

The book, Jacob's Ladder, begins with a teenage boy waking up in a huge field. The boy has no recollection of how he got there or his life before he woke up, all he remembers is that his name is Jacob. As he walks, he soon finds out that he is in a town called Locus. As he talks with the other people there, he realizes that everyone else has the same problem as him and can't remember their past. After exploring the town and questioning why he was there, he finally realized that this society was the after-life. Determined to find his family and who he really is, Jacob sets off on a journey with two friends to try to find the Palace of Remembrance. Along this journey, Jacob and his friends face many obstacles and difficulties that make them question whether or not they should keep looking for the palace. The journey shows them more about their lives and the lessons they must learn. Once they get to the Palace of Remembrance, they find out that there is a catch before they can go back to their lives. Will they be able to obey this task that they are given and go back to their lives?

I really enjoyed the book Jacob's Ladder. Brian Keany gives the reader a very interesting look about what he believes life is like after death. The book takes you away from reality and brings you into a world of surrealism and symbolism, which makes you want to read more and more. The way Keaney uses conflict and other literary features throughout the story keeps the reader drawn to plot of the book. The symbolism throughout the whole story will make you think about your own life and make you question your beliefs. It makes you wonder if you're living life how you should be and if you are living life to the fullest. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read something that is different and unusual compared to other books. This story makes you think if there is an after life or something after death. So if you want to take a step out of reality into an interesting view about life, this book will be perfect for you.