Novella Review: The Purpose of Life by Jason Hershey
The Purpose of Life
Series: To Die To Life #3
Author: Jason Hershey
Published: May 26, 2026
Kindle: 117 pages
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: June 7-8, 2026
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Novella Description:
Thelonious Mitchell came to Kansas to start over. A college freshman who walked away from a football scholarship, he found new purpose working with at-risk youth at Riverside Learning Academy — mentoring kids like Tommy, who needs someone to believe in him, and DeMarco, whose anger is really just grief wearing a different face.
Then a broken taillight that wasn’t broken changes everything.
After a racially motivated traffic stop leaves Theo humiliated, handcuffed, and carrying wounds he doesn’t know how to name, the man who taught kids to control their feelings can no longer control his own. The trauma spreads — into his work, his relationships, and finally into the one place it was never supposed to go: the gym where the children who trust him are just trying to play basketball.
The Purpose of Life is the story of what happens when the person who holds everyone else together starts to fall apart — and what it takes to put yourself back together without losing who you were trying to become.
Jessica’s Review:
The Purpose of Life is the third novella in the To Live To Die series with Theo Mitchell as our protagonist. This part of Theo’s story takes place just two months after Book Two: The Chosen Path, which was left on a ‘To Be Continued’ note all the way back on May 3, 2017. Theo is a college student who has given up football to help at-risk kids, much like he was. He is now working as an after-school youth counselor.
This series is true-to-life and these novellas do not end in a ‘happy ever after’. This time in Theo’s life he is going home from work (like we all do) and he is pulled over by a police officer and extremely mistreated. The rest of the novella deals with the after-effects that Theo is having to deal with. Theo’s life is permanently changed from this pullover. It affects all aspects of his life including his job with the at-risk kids he is trying to help.
Theo recognizes he needs help and I know he will work to overcome his experience and become a better man for it! Many thanks to Jason Hershey for introducing me to his novellas. If I wasn’t before, I am now fully invested in what happens with Theo next! The Purpose of Life ends in another ‘To Be Continued’, but fortunately we only have to wait until the fall of this year to get the next story. There is even a teaser included with the Prologue and Chapter One after the end of Purpose.
This novella realistically focuses on racism, the impact of decisions and actions that are taken, and PTSD. If I had to give any kind of critique, I would have liked to have seen more of what happened with officer Kowalski after the fact.
Please note that you do not have to read the series in order, these novellas can be read as standalones; but I insist that you should read them all. They are not long, just a little over 100 pages and you can’t help but become attached to Theo. Hershey just has a way with words to completely pull you in to the realness of each situation that Theo finds himself in.
I will be looking forward to The Long Road Home in the Fall!