Hell Is Real, Too

BOOK: Hell Is For Real, Too: A Middle-Aged Accountant’s Astounding Story Of His Trip To Hell And Back

AUTHOR: Skip Shmuley

GRADE: B-

By now, we’ve all heard the amazing story of Colton Burpo: the little boy who almost died during emergency surgery and – while in a coma – went to heaven. Once he regained consciousness and told his story to his family; he was catapulted into fame when his father documented his experience of heaven in the bestselling book “Heaven Is For Real.” Burpo’s account of his son’s experience sold over one million copies nation wide and was a NY Times bestseller for nearly a month.

This, my friends, is not that! This is the self proclaimed parody of that situation. Mr. Shmuley is a middle aged accountant – as the title suggests – who faced death (although not nearly to the degree of little Colton Burpo) during a vasectomy and has lived to tell the tale of Hell. According to Mr. Smuley; it is both real and unimaginably terrifying; filled with the likes of everyone from Lindsay Lohan to the Real Housewives of whatever.

Hell is For Real, Too is amusing at times; but never reaches the laugh out loud level of humor that I believe the author aspired to. Instead, Mr. Shmuley comes across as self important and slightly deluded. At a mere 128 pages, with large print, it’s an easy read. It doesn’t get my whole-hearted recommendation – but it did make me giggle a time or two… and that’s important.