illiteratepaige's review against another edition
4.0
honestly, i was so skeptical of this book because i’ve already read they both die at the end, and i assumed the storylines would be too similar. denton little’s deathdate was a wild book, of course there were some similarities between the two, but this book came with that conspiracy. “is this really the day i have to die?” no, it’s not.
sandraagee's review
4.0
Listened to this one on audio. Loved it! Narrated by the author, and he's brilliant.
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I was going to. It's funny - laugh-out-loud funny at times - but also really great at making you think about death in a meaningful way.
There is one thing...
The issue was never directly addressed. Some might find this troubling. (My husband is one of these people.) I see it as brilliant. Denton is just a Joe Schmo who doesn't really question the way things are or think critically about this, because it's just the way it is. This book doesn't read like science fiction at all, and that's actually kind of awesome. Still, you can see hints regarding this issue happening around Denton, and I suspect that he'll have to confront this in the sequel. I can't wait to see how it plays out.
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I was going to. It's funny - laugh-out-loud funny at times - but also really great at making you think about death in a meaningful way.
There is one thing...
Spoiler
The entire premise of this book - that anyone's deathdate can be accurately predicted with science - hinges on being able to predict not just deadly medical things like cancer or heart disease, but also other causes of death with a human element. Getting into a car accident. Being shot. Drug overdose. Getting caught in a riptide and drowning. Tripping down the stairs because you're carrying an armful of stuffed animals and banging your head the wrong way when you reach the bottom. These are things that science should not be able to predict. Going into this book I was really wondering how this phenomenon would be handled.The issue was never directly addressed. Some might find this troubling. (My husband is one of these people.) I see it as brilliant. Denton is just a Joe Schmo who doesn't really question the way things are or think critically about this, because it's just the way it is. This book doesn't read like science fiction at all, and that's actually kind of awesome. Still, you can see hints regarding this issue happening around Denton, and I suspect that he'll have to confront this in the sequel. I can't wait to see how it plays out.
cosmicpages's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this! It was comical, entertaining, and brought you along for the wild ride that was Denton's deathdate. There isn't enough funny books that touch on the prospect of death and how it feels. I loved the characters in this as well. They were all unique and well developed and had personalities you could love. I have to say Paolo, totally one of my favorites. I loved how much of a comedian he tried to be and how loyal of a friend he was. This book takes such a genre change too! And it was done so well. From a comedy about death to a conspiracy mystery/thriller in one little novel.
And that ending! I did not see that last twist coming. So happy it did though. Can't wait to read the 2nd one!
And that ending! I did not see that last twist coming. So happy it did though. Can't wait to read the 2nd one!
wombat_88's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
shereadsometimeshewrites's review against another edition
4.0
I STRUGGLED through the first few chapters of this book. I debated giving up on it and I rolled my eyes anytime anyone asked me how it was but be it a new year, I’ve made a goal to NOT give up on books and good thing I didn’t!
Finally, around chapter 6 or 7 things began to pick up and a story started. I was interested and for the first time gave a shit about this kid Denton. After that it was a page turner; it’s a fast and easy read. I’m still undecided on if I will continue the series but that’s much farther than I was earlier this week.
Yes, I have a feeling I’ll be meeting Denton again this year.
Finally, around chapter 6 or 7 things began to pick up and a story started. I was interested and for the first time gave a shit about this kid Denton. After that it was a page turner; it’s a fast and easy read. I’m still undecided on if I will continue the series but that’s much farther than I was earlier this week.
Yes, I have a feeling I’ll be meeting Denton again this year.
fearoflung's review against another edition
2.0
Mini Review ~ ~~
I received this book free from the ARC shelf of a local bookstore to review.
I want to start this off by saying that the writing is very well done. It is fast paced and funny (even if the jokes tend to lean more toward sexual humor than I would have liked) and the characters were very realistic. I actually listened to the audiobook and the author does a fantastic job of narrating. He is HILARIOUS and his timing with his reading is spot on. That all being said, I had some problems with this book. From the synopsis I read, it sounded like it was going to be a sort of John Green-esque contemporary story about a boy who thinks he is dying and how he deals with his impending death, how he spends his last hours, etc. What I did not expect was an overly complicated plot about I believe if I had been expecting it, I might not have been so disappointed. But overall the book isn’t bad, the writing is great, and the audiobook narration by the author is awesome- the plot was just a bit too overly complicated for what I thought I was getting into.
I received this book free from the ARC shelf of a local bookstore to review.
I want to start this off by saying that the writing is very well done. It is fast paced and funny (even if the jokes tend to lean more toward sexual humor than I would have liked) and the characters were very realistic. I actually listened to the audiobook and the author does a fantastic job of narrating. He is HILARIOUS and his timing with his reading is spot on. That all being said, I had some problems with this book. From the synopsis I read, it sounded like it was going to be a sort of John Green-esque contemporary story about a boy who thinks he is dying and how he deals with his impending death, how he spends his last hours, etc. What I did not expect was an overly complicated plot about
Spoiler
government conspiracies and viruses and corrupt cops and spies. It sort of came out of left field.sheffner07's review
4.0
Surprisingly pleased with this novel, which I found in the bookdrop. A fast, funny read, with likeable characters and an interesting plot. Looking forward to the next one in the series.
resslesa's review
5.0
Fascinating and hilarious!
I love this premise -how would you live your life differently if we all knew our death dates in advance?
We attend, and speak at, our own funeral, have a blast at our wake, and have a pretty good reason for pressuring people into doing what we want (I'm going to die tomorrow...)
Yes every turn that Denton takes, from his funeral eulogy where he tells everyone what a jerk his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend is, only to have him show up and try and kill him the next day, to his crazy antics with his girlfriend as well as his best friend's sister, keep this wild ride going!
The author, Lance Rubin, is a sketch comedian so his reading of his own novel makes it that much more hilarious. Overall, a great listen, especially now that the sequel, Denton Little's Still Not Dead, is finally out!
I love that the author (also a comedian) read it.
I love this premise -how would you live your life differently if we all knew our death dates in advance?
We attend, and speak at, our own funeral, have a blast at our wake, and have a pretty good reason for pressuring people into doing what we want (I'm going to die tomorrow...)
Yes every turn that Denton takes, from his funeral eulogy where he tells everyone what a jerk his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend is, only to have him show up and try and kill him the next day, to his crazy antics with his girlfriend as well as his best friend's sister, keep this wild ride going!
The author, Lance Rubin, is a sketch comedian so his reading of his own novel makes it that much more hilarious. Overall, a great listen, especially now that the sequel, Denton Little's Still Not Dead, is finally out!
I love that the author (also a comedian) read it.
wahooemma's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Great easy YA read, emma is obsessed with this after we listened to the audiobook otw to spring break senior year