Deep in Providence by Riss M. Neilson

The Quick Cut: Three best friends use magic to try to bring their best friend back. Chaos ensues when it does not go as planned. A Real Review: It's easy to get trapped into thinking living in a fantasy world would be better than reality. Having the power to break the rules can be exciting. However, this story highlights how it's not all fun and games. Miliani, Inez, and Natalie are mourning the loss of their best friend, Jasmine. Taken away far too early, she died after being hit by a drunk driver. All the friends are reeling from the death when they decide together to use their magic to bring her back from the dead. Can they deal with the consequences? This book is very much an emotional rollercoaster that shows you how loss and grieving can look different for everybody. Some feel all their feelings while others try to ignore their emotions. When people are taken away unexpectedly, that process can become even more difficult. Seeing these characters go through that at such a young age is hard. The chapters are narrated by all three surviving friends, so you get insight into their challenges from each of their perspectives. The more you connect with the characters, the more you'll enjoy this book. It is very much a character oriented tale. While I thought the story was intriguing, it wasn't quite for me. I like my books fast paced and hard hitting. This is a 400+ page book that takes it's time getting to the conclusion. For me, it's not a fit reading style wise. If you enjoy a longer journey, you'll like this one for sure. An emotional tale about loss. My rating: 3 out of 5