Dead Girl Diaries.

Dead Girl Diaries, Marianne Paul’s fascinating fourth novel, records journal episodes from protagonist Maxime’s life on Earth to places afterwards. Maxime is in dialogue with the living—her parents, boyfriend, and others—as well as having question-and-answer sessions with the Archangel, Buddha, Einstein, and notable spirits. There is not only her humour in hubris, but also compassion and wisdom in these exchanges.

Maxime’s witty phrases (e.g., “Is it enough, having been?”) and the novel’s detailed locations create a memorable story, stretching from Maxime’s toddler tales (e.g., “stepped full-face and full-chest into the sticky horror of a cobweb”). Short chapters full of sounds and flavours flip by, rapidly changing time and place, and keeping the reader gasping from “aah” to “ouch.”

The author asks all the important questions, including, Who am I in the eternity and infinity of this universe? The novel is not a quick read, but one that causes laughter with long stretches of self-evaluating, searching one’s memories, even gradually enjoying Maxime’s conclusions.