Published: 2024
Author: Jennifer Yu
Genre: YA Speculative Fiction / Sci-Fi / Fantasy
Audience: Grades 10–12, Adult
Number of Stars: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Goodreads Link: Grief in the Fourth Dimension
Content Warnings: Suicide, depression, suicidal ideation, and grief.
Publisher’s Summary
A moving and unique speculative YA novel about the afterlife and the unexpected connections that can be made in death.
In life, high school classmates Caroline Davison and Kenny Zhou existed in separate universes—Caroline in one of softball practices and family dinners; Kenny in one of NASA photo books and late-night shifts at his parents’ Chinese restaurant. But after their deaths, they find themselves thrown together as roommates in a mysterious white room—one that seems to exist outside of time and space, shows them their loved ones’ lives on a large hi-def TV, and grants their wishes with a sardonic sense of humor. As Caroline and Kenny watch life continue to unfold back on Earth, they realize they can influence events through radio signals, psychic mediums, and electromagnetic interference. In their efforts to console their families, they also start to understand the tragic depth of how their lives and deaths were connected and how to help their families—and themselves—heal from the losses.
Review
Grief in the Fourth Dimension has a very cool concept. Teenagers Kenny and Caroline have seemingly nothing in common other than going to the same school. Oh, and the fact that both of them are dead. For some reason, they’re stuck in a room with a magical TV that shows them scenes of their grieving friends and family. Eventually, the two discover that they’re able to send their loved ones messages, albeit very cryptic ones. Slowly, Kenny and Caroline realize that they’re in this weird 4th dimension to help their families begin to move forward and to figure out why exactly the universe has thrown them together in this situation, if not just for their shared geography.
The novel is a quick but emotional read. It alternates between Kenny and Caroline’s perspectives, which is an interesting take, especially because they spend the entire novel together. The novel also makes a text that technically takes place all in one room feel very expansive. We visit several fully developed locations (and characters) without ever actually leaving the 4th dimension.
Readers should be prepared to get choked up. There are several scenes in the novel that tug at the heartstrings. There are very poignant and eloquently written discussions of grief in the novel (the title is pretty literal). Readers should also be aware that the novel contains pretty frank discussions of mental illness, including severe depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide, as well as the stigma surrounding mental health issues. While these discussions are not in any way graphic or gratuitous, they are fairly direct.
🌌 The Physics of Afterlife: The Fourth Dimension
The “Fourth Dimension” in physics is typically referred to as Time. In this novel, the setting acts as a “non-place” where time behaves differently, allowing the characters to observe the linear lives of those they left behind.
- Observational Grief: The “magical TV” serves as a window through the dimensions. Caroline and Kenny are spectators of their own aftermath, highlighting the feeling of helplessness often associated with loss.
- The Electromagnetic Connection: The book uses the idea that energy cannot be destroyed. Kenny and Caroline use radio signals and electromagnetic interference to “bridge” the gap between the 4th dimension and our 3D world.
- Shared Connection: The “geography” of the room forces two people who never spoke in life to dissect the “tragic depth” of how their paths crossed, suggesting that human connection is a fundamental force, even in the afterlife.
🎒 Classroom & Curricular Connections
- ELA (Perspective & Setting):
- Activity Idea: “Infinite Space in a Single Room.” Analyze how Jennifer Yu uses sensory details to make the “White Room” feel expansive. Have students write a scene from the perspective of a character confined to one space who is watching the outside world—how does their focus change?
- Health & SEL (De-stigmatizing Mental Health):
- Activity Idea: The novel addresses the stigma surrounding depression and suicide directly. Use excerpts from the book to facilitate a Socratic Seminar on how community support and open dialogue can combat the isolation of mental illness.
- Science (The Science of Spectrums):
- Activity Idea: Kenny is fascinated by NASA and photo books. Research how we use different spectrums of light and radio waves to “see” things that are invisible to the naked eye (like black holes or distant stars). How does this mirror the characters’ attempts to communicate through radio signals?
- Creative Writing (Speculative Prompts):
- Activity Idea: If you were in a room that allowed you to send one “cryptic message” (via a flickering light, a radio song, or a cold breeze) to someone you miss, what would the message be, and what medium would you choose?
