Tariq Khan, a Norwegian man of Muslim-Pakistani ancestry, is sitting in jail after coming back from a stint in the Middle East. Thus begins Tariq's tale of what had driven him, someone who grew up in a multicultural society in Europe, into becoming a Muslim fanatic, traveling to Syria, and attempting to become a suicide fighter. And his story reveals that in the right conditions anyone could become a terrorist.

From the time his family traveled to Norway, Tariq felt like an outsider because of his background and appearance. To cope with feeling aimless in life, Tariq began to grow deeper and deeper into Muslim faith, leading him to radical Islam. At this point in the novel, I would have expected a "Hollywood" type of ending to the novel, where all problems are solved and everyone lived happily ever after. However, THIS LIFE OR THE NEXT by Demian Vitanza bravely portrays real life where nothing is simple and there are no Hollywood movie endings.

THIS LIFE OR THE NEXT by Demian Vitanza was truly an eye-opening read. There are people in my life that I know would benefit from reading this book. Along with this being a tale of faith and what happens when there is no middle ground between too much and too little, THIS LIFE OR THE NEXT tackles many modern day issues that are difficult to answer. It also brings up important issues, such as why there is focus on only negativity, rather than positivity, when it comes to different faiths? For a reader attempting to understand the vast world of the 21st century and to see life from a Muslim perspective, THIS LIFE OR THE NEXT is a captivating read.