To Be a Fool (A Ghost’s Memoir Book 2) by Robert J. McCarter

To Be a Fool (A Ghost’s Memoir Book 2) Reviews

• 
  Elizabeth

  Another great offering from Robert J. McCarter. If you are into ghost stories you'll love McCarter's. These stories are a bit raw with emotion and death, but then go on to have ghostly adventures. I enjoyed this second installment of A Ghost's Memoir and am looking forward to reading the third. I highly recommend this series and this book.
• 
  Marie Cordalis

  A couple years ago I read Shuffled Off (A Ghosts Memoir, #1) by Robert J. McCarter and LOVED it! So, when I received the opportunity to read the sequel, To Be A Fool (A Ghosts Memoir, #2) I jumped on it.
  Shuffled Off introduces us to a cast of characters who are as flawed and quirky dead as they were alive. JJ the main protagonist in particular was a character I really resonated with. I know there are many beliefs about what happens after death, but honestly I think Robert J. McCarter has hit it on the head with his depiction. It's not the standard idea of an afterlife, but it's a fascinating one :)
  I also REALLY love the way these books are written, as journal entries. Almost as if you're reading a diary. Almost as if it's the diary of someone you know. That's how real it feels anyway.
  To Be A Fool continues the journey begun in Shuffled Off following JJ, Jesus (pronounced Hey Zues, not Jee Zus), Banquo and many more. It's sometimes surprising, sometimes funny, sometimes sorrowful, but always interesting. This sequel goes much deeper emotionally than the first book and was in many ways more difficult for me to read. Maybe it really "got me in the gut" more because I'm a cancer survivor and so have done my share of contemplating the afterlife and how it would be.
  It's difficult in a book review, for me anyway, to do justice to the review without giving much away so I'll leave it at that. I have two suggestions for you though. DO read the first book Shuffled Off (A Ghosts Memoir, #1) first. The second book won't make as much sense to you if you don't. And DO read these books. They will touch you, make you laugh, make you angry, make you feel.
  Thank you Mr. McCarter for the opportunity to continue on the journey with JJ and the rest. I'm SO hoping there will be more to the tale in the future....
  
• 
  Mary Carolyn

  This book, the second in the series, was pure joy to read. It is so refreshing to come across a story which has been so carefully edited, with beautiful vocabulary, and beautiful grammar. But that is just one perk. What really made this read such a pleasure is the powerful characterization, and the realism of their personalities. Mr. McCarter obviously put love, thought, devotion, and skill into creating his characters. You can tell he loves and respects their humanity, and you end up doing so too. The story is also deeply philosophical, and thought provoking, and the struggles, suffering, and growth of all characters, but especially the protagonist JJ provide depth to the story. But don't think it's a heavy adventure. Though there are moments that bring tears, you will also be taken on a startling ride through a unique vision of the afterlife. Mr. McCarter, I do hope you are right about it all!
• 
  Trish Goodgame

  Entertaining and thought provoking
  
  This second book in the ghost memoir series was quite gripping and thought provoking. So much thought obviously went into this with the great detail describing the various stages of grief and dying - and of course what the writer tells us happens after death. JJ (main character telling the story) is not perfect which makes him so much more believable and seeing more of the other characters traits develop is great. Looking forward to the next book.
• 
  Vicki Scullion

  This story was touching, and in a way, painful to read. The section of the story where Rhiannon dies from a brain tumor, describing what it’s like to do the physical and emotional work involved in dying, was thought-provoking. This novel was very well written, descriptive and deep, with characters that we really care about.
• 
  Tricia Douglas

  This was a "Goodreads first-reads winner." It was quite different that what I normally read, but was original and thought-provoking. Most of the book was based on the after-life and how the dead went through this new "life." For those who were ghosts, life seemed to me to continue on pretty much the same as our normal life, including depression in the Bardo. Some ghosts answered "the call" and went to Heaven. There was little about what faith might tell us in this book. In addition, ghosts could communicate to the living via SECA chambers. In this way, the book I was reading was being composed. This was the second book following the same characters. It had some interesting ideas and was very creative, but I would have liked a little more detail in what The Call was like and what happened after that.