They say bad things occur in threes, but in Libby Miller's case, two terrible things are quite enough to handle for one woman. A cancer diagnosis and news that her faithful husband has been in the closet for years are enough to derail Libby's normal countenance completely, causing her to abandon her current life and jet off for waters unknown, as a last hooray before her time's run out.

Camille Pagán's LIFE AND OTHER NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES is a clutching-the-wheel of a ship kind of ride that launches readers into uncharted territory. Death always hangs waiting for curtain call for all of us, but when you know the story of your life is drawing to a close, do you recite your lines as planned or is going off-script the better swan song?

I really like LIFE AND OTHER NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES. The author knows when and how to balance hilarity and sadness in a single scene without too much of one or the other. The looming cancer progression hangs over every scene, creating a fantastic sense of urgency in the story for Libby to find what she's seeking before her illness catches up to her. And her sarcasm and self- depreciating humor make her a protagonist worth rooting for.

The side characters in this story are well-developed as well. Every one of them also has their own agenda and goals, which works nicely against Libby's story, who is scrambling for hers before she has no time left to have one.

Overall, I recommend LIFE AND OTHER NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES. It is a wonderful story.