Looking for a new book to get stuck into this week? You might want to try something you won’t find in your local bookstore, the first novel from YouTuber Sincerely Oghosa — it’s like nothing you’ve ever read before. 

Sent From Heaven follows a woman called Chioma Da Silva, who died several years ago, leaving her fatherless son behind. With the help of God and some angels a few days before Christmas, she gets the chance to come back to earth to try to give her son a happy ending before it’s too late.

  
Here’s why you should give it a try: 

5. It’s hilarious: there’s nothing better than a story that gets you laughing from the very first page. Oghosa Ovienrioba’s imagining of hell, heaven and earth is not only believable but funny too. I mean, did you know that in the Underworld they watch black and white TV? 

4. It’s inventive: Ovienrioba takes you on a journey through heaven and hell through the eyes of normal people. Not satisfied with basing her story in just one realm, she describes everything in great detail and answers all the questions you might have about life after death (all fictional, of course). 

3. It’s realistic: unlike many other fantasy novels (I won’t name any names) you can actually believe the events that happen in this story. Humans make mistakes, they are stubborn, they are emotional and they don’t often see what’s right in front of them. 

2. It gives you hope: even though the family in this novel make mistakes and some of the wrong choices, God forgives, forgets and provides the main character (Chioma) with the opportunity to make it right. 

1. When was the last time you read a book?! This is a quick and easy read and the perfect way to get your head in gear for 2016. 

Here’s what the author herself had to say about her first novel: 

“With ‘Sent From Heaven’, I wrote something you could relate to, the characters are mostly black, with African names and their issues transcend the superficial.

Within the story you encounter how black men deal with loss, especially the loss of their mothers and it explores the impact a single mother has on her son. The book also takes you on a journey during the Christmas period. 

The story gives you an insight into how much pressure black males are under in our society, to be unemotional, to be the breadwinner, to be rich, to not be weak, and ultimately the book asks whether that pressure can lead to depression and suicide.” 

You can get your hands on the book here: https://payhip.com/b/og8F

You should also watch her latest YouTube video: “Bae-less at Xmas”. Enjoy!