Title: S413
Author: Saniyah Chisti
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-7960-6624-1
Pages: 402
Genre: Fiction
Reviewed by: Tara Mcnabb

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Elizabeth Lawrence, at first glance, seems just like any other girl. She lives in New York and dreams of a life of luxury while spending hours devouring social media posts. Passionate about fashion and makeup, her world seems to revolve around looking your best and always trying to impress others. That is, until a shattering breakup with her boyfriend Leo leaves her spiraling into self-doubt. As she struggles to pick up the pieces, she unintentionally discovers a world beyond that of superficial things; the world of the soul. A spiritual realization suddenly takes Elizabeth to new heights, and it quickly becomes clear that the only one standing in her way is herself.

Besides being a rags-to-riches story, this is also a tale of deep spiritual awakening. The novel stands out by combining two seemingly different worlds; the material and the metaphysical. As we witness Elizabeth go from a social media-obsessed young woman to a wise, compassionate, and awakened human being, we are given access to one of the most powerful transformations in the modern world. Being willing to look below the surface of our lives is not easy to do, and yet Elizabeth is called by a mysterious strength within herself to do so. Through her story, the novel sends a clear message to the reader about the power of attraction and what can happen when we attract the wrong things. This gives the novel a deeper underlying tone that isn’t immediately apparent in the first few chapters.

The writing style is humorous and playful, and being privy to Elizabeth’s innermost thoughts is more than entertaining; “I couldn’t fathom his spoken words. Did he just become the top villain in my superhero movie?” This witty sarcasm is what makes the dialogue so fun, but readers should still be warned that there is a fair amount of potentially offensive language, so if that’s not your thing it’s best to look elsewhere. Otherwise, there are plenty of laughs to be had. Not only that, but the budding romance between Elizabeth and her dashing lawyer boyfriend provide the story with a warm sense of happily ever after that lingers long after the final page. Because of this, young adult audiences would be most likely to gravitate to this novel, but older readers could find it just as entertaining.

Just in time for spring, this story of rebirth and rising above setbacks is the perfect inspirational read.