Mitch Albom’s newest novel is so good you’ll want to read it “Twice.”

Published last fall, the story follows amateur musician and hopeless lover Alfie Logan in pursuit of his childhood sweetheart, Gianna. He stumbles over himself and slips up as often as any of us would. But there’s a catch: Alfie gets to do things twice. He can jump back to undo or redo any action anytime he wants, but he must live with the result of his second chance. No explanation. No third tries. 

When Gianna is suspected of aiding an illegal gambling operation in the Bahamas, Alfie’s testimony will prove her innocence and, he hopes, his own love.

“Twice” achieves the narrative vigor of Albom’s most creative novels like “The Time Keeper” and the “Stranger in the Lifeboat.” The story weaves between the present-day stress of the police chase and the countless other lives Alfie Logan has lived until then. Albom’s newest novel moves at a speed that will keep readers engrossed in every chapter. The author leaves enough questions unanswered in the main storyline, the present day, that readers won’t quit until they discover which of Alfie’s second chances, which success or repeat blunder, led to the trouble.

Though a longtime fan of Albom’s work, I have found most of his fictional characters underdeveloped. Some are compelling enough to keep me reading to the final chapter, but all are made of stock images. Not so with “Twice.” Albom sketches every character — from the lovers Alfie and Gianna to the curmudgeonly cop Vincent LaPorta and Gianna’s sleazy college boyfriend Mike — with extreme attention. Each member of the cast of “Twice” is as human as Albom’s real-life professor and mentor Morrie Schwartz (“Tuesdays With Morrie”). Each character is drawn with as much personality as Chika, Albom’s adopted daughter (“Finding Chika”), and Albom himself.

Alfie’s second chances raise a question about human evil. “Because men are fallen,” Albom seems to say, “a second chance won’t fix everything.” And that’s okay. Alfie, Gianna, and LaPorta all must learn to meet mistakes head-on rather than run from them. Each learns that love is less about what you say and more about what you do.

I recommend Albom’s newest novel to anyone. Fellow English majors will be happy to hear “Twice” ends on a rather bleak note. But Albom leaves enough ambiguity that the hopeful reader might see a way forward and a chance for the lovers to start… again!