Juan Joseph Torres lived his life in an alcoholic and drug induced stupor for years. His life seemed to spiral out of control around the age of forty-five after some issues in his life were more than he could handle. His wife Marion had just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer when his two daughters Angela and Teresa were in a car accident that took the life of his daughter Angela who was only fifteen. Unable to handle the situation he started drinking excessively and left his eighteen year old daughter Teresa to take care of his dying wife. It took years of abusing his body as well as a horrendous trip through hell to finally come back from the brink and become sober. With the help of his good friend Father Benjamin he became a respected alcoholic counselor, but he never contacted his family. Now at the age of sixty-six he is dying and wants to see his daughter Teresa, and meet his fifteen year old grandson for the first time. Teresa is dealing with past issues of her own, and isn't sure that she wants to even meet with her father. Little does Teresa know that Angel, a spiritual being, has been connected to her for some time. Angel isn't sure who she is or why she is connected to Teresa or her family. Will Joe and Teresa be able to take care of their past issues? And will Angel finally figure out who she is?

"Heaven or Hell" by Roni Teson allows us to have a glimpse of a family whose dysfunctional past really shaped their future. From the beginning I was on the edge of my seat wondering how it would play out. Joe Torres and his friend Father Benjamin are trying to locate a homeless man on Skid Row when suddenly Joe collapses and we learn that he is dying. As the story unfolds we see what a wonderful selfless man he has become, but more than that we are allowed to see the depths of despair that he fell into and how someone from his past haunted him as well as tried to guide him. The spiritual aspects of this story were just amazing. I enjoyed the tranquil place that Angel was in, and her two doggie companions were a wonderful touch for me because I am such an animal lover. Roni Teson's storytelling ability breathes life into the characters. Each character is easy to connect with because you can actually believe that life could happen just as it did for them. The reality of the plot and characters is what made this story resonate with me. It is a heart-touching story that pulled me in and allowed me to feel empathy, sadness, and hope. Because Joe is facing the end of his life, and we are allowed to glimpse his out of body experiences, it had me thinking about my own spirituality. This was a book that I truly hated to shut down at the end.

Author Roni Teson has done a very interesting job of keeping the reader spellbound in her book "Heaven or Hell." This book portrays events about life, death and life after death in a very unique and interesting way. There are many facets within the book that readers will relate to and be driven by. Maybe it is the death of a loved one, the anger that has been built up because of an alcoholic father, the disappearance of a father when you needed him the most, or feeling like someone is around you trying to tell you something. Each of us have our own story to tell and within the pages of this book you will get a gripping story with some heavenly twists in it. Joe, the alcoholic father, later turns his life around by helping others in need and on the street. He becomes a very close friend to the priest in this neighborhood and finds this priest will stand by him through thick and thin regardless of the outcome. Theresa deals with a lot of grief, anger, and hurt when she finds out that her dad is still alive after she, as well as her aunt, had given up years before of ever finding him alive. Then what about the sister who is killed in the automobile accident? What about speaking to people, riding on clouds, and trying to make a difference in her family’s life? There are many things that will entertain you as well as cause you to wonder whether something like this will truly happen as the author has described.

The author includes twists and turns that keep the reader involved throughout the book. The characters are likable. This was a very enjoyable read and I appreciated the opportunity to read a book by Roni Teson. I look forward to her next book.