The narrative of Daniel Santos’ debut YA novel, LIFE IS INEVITABLE opens in medias res, immediately introducing readers to angry-at-the-world teenager Brennan Claufield as he contemplates his imminent – and carefully prepared – suicide while sitting in his Florida classroom. He is a little reminiscent of angsty Holden Caulfield of Catcher in the Rye fame – Brennan’s surname even resembles that of JD Salinger’s anti-hero. Although his planned self-destruction is not explicitly mentioned, Brennan’s intentions are clear: “The pointless drama that plagued the place wouldn’t matter anymore, not after today.” Meanwhile, across the country in a Washington English class, fellow teenager Olivia anticipates her own exit from the world. She and Brennan have never met, but are about to cross paths in the afterlife, forming the foundation that drives the remainder of the plot. After their suicide attempts, Brennan and Olivia find themselves in Purgatory, in the form of a train station. From the start, it is obvious that the two are as different from one another as it’s possible to be. Brennan is an angry young man while Olivia is a timid soul, something of a pushover; Brennan later admits that “[t]he differences in their personality were like night and day.” The station’s ‘angel on duty’, Haniel, offers this pair of souls in limbo train tickets back to their own bodies – but a mix-up ensues and the two end up inhabiting each other’s bodies – and consequently experiencing each other’s lives.
The plot of LIFE IS INEVITABLE is fast-paced and well-balanced between the two main characters. As the story unfolds, Brennan and Olivia learn more about each other by living their reality. Understanding deepens as to the reasons that drove them to take their own lives unravel. Brennan discovers the bullying that Olivia endured (“You dumb slut!” Olivia’s classmate, Jessica, hisses at her shortly before her death), compounded by the abuse she suffered at the hands of her stepfather. In Brennan’s skin, Olivia uncovers the horrors he weathered within a brutal family environment. Yet both are able to grow, by virtue of tackling their respective situations from a stranger’s standpoint: Brennan is able to build some bridges with his sister, and Olivia discovers a new assertiveness that allows her to form a relationship with her main bully. In To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus Finch advises daughter Scout that “You never really understand a person from his point of view … until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”, a principle that echoes throughout LIFE IS INEVITABLE and is in keeping with the coming-of-age vibe in Santos’ novel. As the story hurtles toward its finale, the title’s meaning is clarified for readers, but – without mentioning spoilers – a neat ending should not be expected. In fact, Santos sets the scene for a potential sequel. The story seems to operate on a “what if” basis that examines the capacity for second chances, a sentiment that adds a touch of hope in the midst of some tough subject matter.
While the more vulnerable might want to approach Daniel Santos’ LIFE IS INEVITABLE with caution, many young people will relate to the issues the characters face, and enjoy the page-turning fantasy elements – with an ending that leaves readers wanting more.
~Amanda Ellison for IndieReader