Woke Up in a Strange Place

I am really struggling to articulate or even understand my feelings for this book. When it comes down to it, I think the best way to express how I feel is to say I appreciated the story rather than loved it.
I found it difficult to feel fully engaged in Joe's story. To be perfectly honest, I think the fantasy element dampened my enthusiasm. I don't read a lot of this genre, and Joe's journey, filled with mythical creatures and other wonders, just didn't do it for me. To the extent that I actually struggled to read the first half of the book.
The concept of the afterlife was fascinating and I appreciated the journey, the descriptions, the imagination.
What was interesting was my surprise to find myself a bit teary near the end of the story. Somehow, along the journey, I had found myself emotionally invested in the outcome.
This is the type of book that is thought provoking and definitely very unique. While I struggle to say I loved it, and in all honesty found the first half hard going, it was a book I am glad I completed. Would I recommend it? According to other people's reviews and it's overall rating, yes, but from a personal perspective, maybe not. The best option would be to suggest readers check out other reviews or maybe even read the book themselves to make up their own mind.