By Nana Horii | Staff Writer

Fifteen years after Mitch Albom released his hit work “The Five People You Meet in Heaven”, he released the sequel “The Next Five People You Meet in Heaven”. In this touching book regarding the lessons of life on Earth, readers follow the soul of Annie and her journey through Heaven.
Several hours after her happiest day on Earth, Annie passed away. Filled with confusion and curiosity, her soul departed to heaven where she meets five people who affected her life on Earth. Through her journey, Annie learns precious lessons that she was unable to learn during her earthly life.
Everything Annie learns in heaven is applicable in our lives. It’s okay to make mistakes, for they have the potential to change the world in ways unimaginable. Every life has a meaning and there is something only we can do in the world. Appreciate the small things in life, even if they seem mundane or unimportant.
It is often difficult to recognize all the things our parents do for us. The mother-daughter relationship depicted in this book left a lasting impression on me and is my favorite part of this book, making me reflect on my own relationship with my mother. Annie learned far too late in her life how much her mother meant to her, but it is never too late to rectify relationships while still here on Earth.
Not only are the life lessons in this book profound, making it a good read, but Albom’s writing style was also unique, which had me glued to this book. Though his prose was plain, it did not detract from the emotional impact a scene had and at times, it felt as though I was being punched in the gut. Carefully selected details and vivid imagery keeps the readers on the edge of their seat, eager for what will come next.
Each of the characters are painfully and incredibly human in nature. They are by no means perfect people, Annie included, and are all capable of making mistakes. They play the hand they’re dealt in the way we do. Their motivations in life are incredibly relatable yet unique to one another, representing the many different views people have on life.
Although this book is a sequel, you can still read this book without reading the other. I hadn’t read the first book before reading this one, but I still understood everything perfectly. Albom’s storytelling skills elicit many different emotions out of readers, and this holds true for many of the books he’s written but this one takes the cake. I don’t think I’ve read a book that’s made me more emotional than this one.
I highly recommend you read this book. Due to it having many different lessons regarding life, there’s something for everyone. Although it is only a 210 page book, it is heart-wrenching and emotional, as much as it is heartwarming, making for an amazing book to read.