Joe Shaughnessy

Seven Levels Joe Shaughnessy

For fans of C. S. Lewis and Dante's Inferno. Zachary Richards has a problem - he has died and gone to hell. He assumed he lived a good life, so banishment to the underworld doesn't feel warranted. He wonders what he did to deserve it. Zack soon discovers he is the worst offender. He has been banished to the darkest corner of hell and will experience the rest of eternity suffering for his sins. But first, he gets the grand tour of the easier levels. There's a nursing home for cranky retirees and a retail mall full of lazy workers. Hell has a special place designed for everyone. Along the way, Zack is beaten and bruised. He's forced to eat atomic-level spicy food and gets whipped for weaving a basket incorrectly. Zack hates each level he visits but discovers the punishments are getting more severe. He wishes he could return to a simpler level and live out eternity there. As each floor gets worse and worse, Zack decides to slow the adventure and delay the inevitable. He makes friends and tries to fix their problems, thinking it will benefit his cause. But in the end, there's nothing Zack can do. This is hell, after all, and all sins must be paid for in full.