The Sweet Dead Life

Jan 17, 2013 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bea12, arc, winter-2013

This book was really adorable. It wasn't even on my radar until Joy met my mom while waiting on line for the Justin Cronin signing of The Twelve. When I went to join my mom on line, she made me promise to stop by her signing of this book even though I had never heard of her before. (Not I own the first in her Anastasia series.) I'm so glad that I didn't skip out on it, and I instead chose to go and get this book.

It was really cute. I ordinarily wouldn't go for something about a 14 year old becau...more This book was really adorable. It wasn't even on my radar until Joy met my mom while waiting on line for the Justin Cronin signing of The Twelve. When I went to join my mom on line, she made me promise to stop by her signing of this book even though I had never heard of her before. (Not I own the first in her Anastasia series.) I'm so glad that I didn't skip out on it, and I instead chose to go and get this book.

It was really cute. I ordinarily wouldn't go for something about a 14 year old because usually reading MG books, while adorable, seem too young for me the way the narrator talks. In this case, while she seemed young, she was incredibly funny and witty. I found myself wanting to hug Jenna as she faced the though of being poisoned with such a cavalier attitude. It was this horrible thing that her family was going through. Not only was she sick, but her mom was also sick, and her father was missing and then all the sudden her brother is an angel.

I loved how she puzzled out his angel behavior. The way that he would touch her and then all the sudden she would feel calm, and how he went from this stoner to this attractive young man. I loved the interaction between Mags and Casey as she suddenly recognized him in his new and improved state. I felt bad for Casey as she had to abandon everything that mattered to him so that he could take care of his little sister and his mom by getting another job.

Jenna was adorable. Her commentary on what was happening around her was funny. Between her judging Dr. Renfroe's chest hair to not trusting Amber and to her thoughts on Nurse Ed and his Crocs. She had me laughing out loud as I read thorough this book. The writing style carried me though the story with ease. Even though this book took me a while to get through (I blame my boyfriend being home for Christmas break) it was so easy to read and enjoy.

I think that this book would for sure fall more into the Young Adult category over the Middle Grade categorization because some of the content is a little stronger. There is a scene where Jenna decides her brother is a perv and she uses some strong language as she discovers that her brother is an angel. I can't wait for the next book to find out what Preble has planned for Jenna and Casey and Amber. I loved how Casey cared so much for Jenna and how he wanted so badly to take care of her and make her life better. This is definitely one to check out. (less)

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May 18, 2013 Bri rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Sweet Dead Life by Joy Preble is a cute book that relates to the theme of angels, Jenna Samuels is a 14-year old girl is is having a very bad 8th grade year. Her mom

spends all of her time in bed, her dad has left, and her brother Casey is a prev but he’s trying to hold the family together. This was a very interesting book, it had a lot of twist and turns and it made the work very exciting.
Jenna is having a very bad year she thinks she might be dying ,and when she passes out one day Casey ra...more

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May 13, 2013 Dana Wright rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels, dead, poison, depression, quirky, teen, afterlife, twisty-plot, snark, texas, fun-read, mystery

Joy Preble is an author that I am always confident in. Her Dreaming Anastasia series wowed me with it's mythology and legends and now this wonderful book is doing the same. The Sweet Dead Life is a totally different read and I love it! The funny and quirky voice of Jenna Samuels, the main character, is just perfect. She is a kid with problems, just like most of us. Except she has some doozies! Her mom is kind of missing in action, her dad has literally disappeared, her brother is dead and still...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Patty rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Sweet Dead Life
By
Joy Preble

My "in a nutshell" summary...

Jenna and Casey and their mom are living a horrible life since their father left 5 years ago...but...where is he and why did he leave?

My thoughts after reading this book...

Sad tragic events have made Jenna's life horrible. She is not at all well, her brother is in charge and is mostly stoned and out of it and her mom is barely functioning!

Why is Jenna so sick? Jenna and her brother are in an accident as they are driving to the emergen...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Tiltedlamp rated it 5 of 5 stars

How can I articulate how amazing this book is? It's the book I never realized I was missing in my life. First off, the protagonist. Not only does Jenna possess a wickedly hilarious voice, but she is also thirteen. That's right. She breaks the typical YA mold by being on the younger spectrum, and she works it super well. (Maybe her age changes to fourteen though? I'm a little thrown by how the description here has her older.) Jenna is pretty much all you could ask for in a protagonist. I loved be...more

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May 16, 2013 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. My summary: Fourteen-year-old Jenna has had one of the worst times of her life. First, her father left them when she was eight, and now she's discovered that someone is trying to poison both her mother and her. The only question is, why? Then, things go from bad to worse when she and her older brother, Casey, are in a car accident on the way to the hospital. And that's when life gets really strange.
After waking up in the hospital, Jenna notices that her once-stoner brother has cleaned up his ac...more My summary: Fourteen-year-old Jenna has had one of the worst times of her life. First, her father left them when she was eight, and now she's discovered that someone is trying to poison both her mother and her. The only question is, why? Then, things go from bad to worse when she and her older brother, Casey, are in a car accident on the way to the hospital. And that's when life gets really strange.
After waking up in the hospital, Jenna notices that her once-stoner brother has cleaned up his act, stopped getting high, has become a lot more protective of her, and is suddenly getting attention from girls who didn't even know he was alive before. Between her brother's new, strange behavior and Amber, the paramedic who suddenly shows up everywhere Jenna is, she doesn't know what to think. But then the three uncover a clue about Jenna's dad's disappearance, and the three must work together to figure out where he went before the person trying to kill Jenna does.

My thoughts: I loved this book! In spite of all the things Jenna's family has been through, she's somehow able to maintain her sassy attitude and sense of humor. I laughed out loud a few times when she referred to her teachers by her favorite word: "asshat." In her situation, it would be easy for a person to be upset or depressed about having an illness nobody can diagnose—especially when your pee turns lime green and your tongue has spots—but Jenna continually jokes about it by calling it her "not-eboli," or her "not-herpes," etc. She and her older brother, Casey, have the typical teenage banter, and she's fiercely loyal to her family and friends. I would've loved to be friends with her when I was fourteen.

This was the first one of Joy Preble's books that I've read, but after reading this one, I'll definitely be checking out her other books. Her writing style is fun and great for the YA genre, and I felt she really captured the attitude and spirit of Jenna's character. The only thing I wasn't completely satisfied with is the ending of the story. I kept hoping that all the story threads would've been tied up with a pretty little bow and that her family would get back together permanently at the end, but that didn't totally happen. The story stays open for a sequel where those things could happen though (pretty please?). Even if there isn't a sequel, the ending is open enough that readers can use their imaginations to decide what happens. If you're a fan of Joy Preble's work, or just a fan of sassy YA characters in general, this book is definitely one for you!(less)

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May 10, 2013 Jaki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: just-finished

What a sweet joy of a surprise this book was! (No pun intended *grin*) What we have here is a young adult paranormal book about angels, that has NO instaluv romance in it!! Instead we have a young girl, struggling with a mysterious illness and trying to cope with her severely depressed mother and the disappearance of her father years before. In fact, the only instaluv crush romance going on is with Jenna and her Ariat cowboy boots.

A few years ago, Jenna and Casey’s father walked out on them. Sin...more

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May 08, 2013 Kurt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kurt by: Amazon Vine

This is a charming and engaging story of a tough-on-the-outside teenager as she adapts to her brother's transformation from a stoner to an angel. It's definitely geared to a teen audience, with just enough mild profanity to keep teenagers interested without slipping into anything too vulgar. It's not a sappy romance, and all of the supernatural elements are plausible within the context of the book.

The central mysteries are not tough to figure out (the book cover reveals the secret of the brothe...more This is a charming and engaging story of a tough-on-the-outside teenager as she adapts to her brother's transformation from a stoner to an angel. It's definitely geared to a teen audience, with just enough mild profanity to keep teenagers interested without slipping into anything too vulgar. It's not a sappy romance, and all of the supernatural elements are plausible within the context of the book.

The central mysteries are not tough to figure out (the book cover reveals the secret of the brother's transformation, and there are very few possible suspects for the whodunit part of the mystery story), but that's just fine because the book is less about the mysteries and more about the protagonist adapting to the changed roles that develop when a family loses a member. Yes, Jenna doesn't like her brother's new powers and the spooky poison sneaking into her body, but this largely reflects that when your dad walks out on the family, the world is a scary place, and maybe you resent that your brother has to take a paternal role. This is a great book for teens with similarly shifting family structures, as the emotions always play realistically, so a concerned adult can use this book to start conversations.

Readers concerned about the angelic element should know that these angels are not tied to any particular spiritual tradition. The book is not preachy, and the angel characters still curse and goof around like everyone else.

On a personal note, I was delighted with how well the book captures the North Houston suburban experience. Mrs. Preble was my English teacher in high school (which is why I chose this book from the Amazon Vine program - I don't read much YA lit, other than the Hunger Games, but I was curious to read a real published novel by a teacher who taught me in my first creative writing class), and she writes like someone who has been listening to teenagers in my hometown for years. The way they kind of view going to the Galleria as special but too crowded, the constant consumption of kolaches, the UT/A&M rivalries, the appreciation for cowboy boots in a context completely removed from any actual cowboy work, casual mentions of nutria... This book feels like a homecoming for me, culturally, so someone reading this review should know that I may have loved it from a personal bias that isn't shared. Still, I think anyone who cares about teenagers, especially teenagers themselves, will find something to love about this book, whether or not the reader knows North Houston.(less)

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May 19, 2013 ExLibris_Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

The first thing I noticed about this book was how smart and hilarious Jenna’s narrative voice is. Her observations about her stoner brother and life as an 8th grader made me laugh out loud more than once. Those funny moments were balanced very well with the more serious themes regarding Jenna’s mom and Jenna’s feelings of having to try to take care of the family since her dad disappeared. I loved Casey’s transformation from “loser” to “A-word”. Through Jenna’s somewhat cynical view, it was both...more

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May 16, 2013 Katrina Tinnon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sweet Dead Life is such a refreshing angel story. The angels aren't broody, or anything like angels in other books. In fact this angel is the sort, you might not want your kiddos hanging out with.

Jenna is an awesome character. She's spunky, and doesn't hold back her thoughts. I love that's she's out there. I also adore the fact that this book isn't centered around her pining over some boy. Her and her brother, Casey, are trying to figure what is wrong with her and her mom. They have supported t...more

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May 20, 2013 Stephanie Redwine rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Sweet Dead Life is told from the point of view of an 8th grade girl named Jenna Samuels. Jenna’s family is falling apart and she is too sick to do anything about it. Her father left five years earlier with nothing more than a short note and a coupon to a Mexican restaurant to explain his absence. Her brother, Casey, is left picking up the pieces as Jenna has a mysterious illness that no doctor can explain and his mother never leaves the house and is slowly losing her memory. After a car acc...more

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May 13, 2013 Nafiza rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: edelweiss, 2013

The synopsis for this book is pretty convincing and I was sold as soon as I read it. We don’t read as much about brothers and sisters as we should or perhaps I should, possibly because I have two older brothers and I’ve lived the experience in real life and do not seek to repeat it in fictional life. Big brothers are often gross, coarse and mean. They are also unexpectedly sweet and caring, protective and warm. They scare away prospective boyfriends with a glower and have the weirdest tastes in...more The synopsis for this book is pretty convincing and I was sold as soon as I read it. We don’t read as much about brothers and sisters as we should or perhaps I should, possibly because I have two older brothers and I’ve lived the experience in real life and do not seek to repeat it in fictional life. Big brothers are often gross, coarse and mean. They are also unexpectedly sweet and caring, protective and warm. They scare away prospective boyfriends with a glower and have the weirdest tastes in music and movies. I have some questionable music tastes thanks to my brothers.

What makes The Sweet Dead Life so sweet is the relationship between Jenna and Casey. They are in a terrible situation where the adults of their lives have checked out leaving them to fend for themselves. Their father possibly pulled a runner and their mother seems to be sinking further and further into depression. Oh and Jenna is on her way to dying. She’s almost there when Casey crashes the car on their way to the hospital and the game changes dramatically.

Despite the presence of a feathered human being (not a werebird), there is very little holiness present in the novel. It is funny, poignant and disarmingly real. Jenna’s familial situation is narrated without romanticizing anything. From the mold growing in her mother’s bathroom to her brother’s uh…recreational activities under his blanket, Jenna narrates everything in an authentic fourteen year old voice. When her life takes a turn for the weird, she manages to convey disbelief without going overboard and her gradual acceptance of the A-word is believable.

The weakest part of the novel is the so called mystery and the resolution of it. While it is not terribly done, it could have been stronger. I wish the mystery portions of the novel had been better woven into the rest of the narrative. However, I appreciated that the resolution is not neat and tidy. There is a sense of time having past and that some irretrievable losses have occurred. I liked that the ending is ambiguous in certain details and that though there is an emotional payoff, it is not in your face and explicit.

I really liked this one, you guys. I recommend it.(less)

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Jul 16, 2012 Meredith Barnes rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was so fun--and filled with rich setting details that tugged at my heart strings (I'm a Texas native). Jenna's voice is funny and spunky, a refreshing shift from the ubiquitous "snark" of most YA protags. Jenna isn't "over it."

She's just living her life, which is sort of giving her a hard time--her mother has been out of commission for a while now, leaving her stoner brother in charge of running things. If that sounds like a bad idea to you, you're right in line with Jenna.

Then things...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Jennifer Clausen-greene rated it 3 of 5 stars

About the Book:

"I found out two things today: One, I think I'm dying. And two, my brother is a perv."

So begins the diary of 14-year-old Jenna Samuels, who is having a very bad eighth-grade year. Her single mother spends all day in bed. Dad vanished when she was eight. Her sixteen-year-old brother, Casey, tries to hold together what's left of the family by working two after-school jobs-difficult, as he's stoned all the time. To make matters worse, Jenna is sick. When she collapses one day, Casey...more

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May 18, 2013 Kristina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-egalley-for-review

The Sweet Dead Life focuses on 12 year old Jenna. Jenna definitely has had a couple of bad years. Her dad left, her mom is depressed and really has no clue what is happening with her children, and her brother Casey is a pot head. To top everything off, she thinks she is dying. You think that her life can't get any worse, but after a car accident that completely changes her brother, her life will forever change.

I really had no idea what to expect with this book. I just knew I had to read it becau...more

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May 21, 2013 Tabitha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-arc, edelweiss, for-review, own-ebook, digital-reads, funny, angels, want-to-own-physical-copy, young-adult

Jenna Samuels’ eighth grade year isn’t going exactly how she planned. She’s dying and the doctor’s cannot figure out what’s wrong with her. Then she has a seizure and on the way to the hospital, gets into a car wreck where she is sure she sees her brother die. But when she wakes up in the hospital, Casey is just fine, better in fact. He’s hair and skin have visibly improved and he’s belly has magically transformed into six pack abs. What the fuck, right. Apparently Casey is an A-word (Jenna cann...more Jenna Samuels’ eighth grade year isn’t going exactly how she planned. She’s dying and the doctor’s cannot figure out what’s wrong with her. Then she has a seizure and on the way to the hospital, gets into a car wreck where she is sure she sees her brother die. But when she wakes up in the hospital, Casey is just fine, better in fact. He’s hair and skin have visibly improved and he’s belly has magically transformed into six pack abs. What the fuck, right. Apparently Casey is an A-word (Jenna cannot bring herself to say “angel” just yet) and he was sent back from heaven to find out who is poisoning her and why.

I’ve been avoiding writing this review just a little. It was partly because I was already caught up in another amazing book and wanted to continue with it and partly because I’m not exactly sure what to say. This book was very good and entertaining, but I can’t seem to pinpoint exactly why, even in my disconnected thoughts so having to put it into words is a bit difficult. I liked most of the characters. Jenna’s smartass attitude and slight potty mouth (she does cuss some, but never says anything truly foul, in my opinion) had me relating to her within the first few pages. She is a bit repetitive, but let’s face it, what 14 year old girl isn’t? Casey was a very interesting character and I loved that becoming an angel didn’t just magically solve all his problems. He still has to work and go to school and try to kick his pot addiction, but with the added bonus of being much more attractive. I loved the obvious affection between the two of them. In the beginning, Jenna complains about him quite a bit, but it’s clear that she loves him a great deal.

I think the reason that this is so hard for me is because it was intensely interesting and then quite a bit boring and then interesting again. In the beginning, when they were trying to figure out what was wrong with Jenna, I was addicted. Call me a House MD addict, but I loved that. Once you find out that she is being poisoned, which is pretty early on, I was bored. Who was poisoning her? Sure, I was curious, but it wasn’t a driving need. She whole plot sort of slowed and the self-deprecating death humor disappeared because Casey was in fact dead now. Then, you start to unravel the mystery of why her dad left and what’s wrong with mommy dearest and things got very interesting again, if a little predictable. (view spoiler). The ending was good, with all the mysteries solved, but I was so highly disappointed with their dad and even more disappointed that Jenna wasn’t angrier with him. (view spoiler)

Really, this was an interest story with great characters and pretty amusing writing. If you want a pretty good mystery, this is for you!

****Thank you to Soho Teen, An imprint of Soho Press Inc for providing me with an eARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review****(less)

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May 15, 2013 Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2013/05/...

Jenna Samuels is surely dying. After all, she has a rash on the bottoms of her feet, she can hardly walk ten feet without getting out of breath, her blood cell count is wonky, she’s always cold and thirsty, and her pee is green. Doctors can’t figure out what’s wrong and being fourteen is hard enough as it is without an unexplained illness as an added complication. Her brother, Casey, is a stoner, but he did quick sports to...more You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2013/05/...

Jenna Samuels is surely dying. After all, she has a rash on the bottoms of her feet, she can hardly walk ten feet without getting out of breath, her blood cell count is wonky, she’s always cold and thirsty, and her pee is green. Doctors can’t figure out what’s wrong and being fourteen is hard enough as it is without an unexplained illness as an added complication. Her brother, Casey, is a stoner, but he did quick sports to work a second job because frankly, their mom is a mess. She hasn’t been the same since their father left, and now hardly leaves the house, putting Casey and Jenna in the position of having to fend for themselves. One day, after Jenna collapses, Casey puts her in their Prius to drive to the hospital, only to flip the car, ending up in a ditch. After Jenna sees the state that Casey is in, after the crash, she can’t help but think it’s too late for him, but when she wakes up in the hospital, he walks in her room looking better than ever. No more zits, stoner flab, or miasma of defeat. Casey is now the very picture of teenage health. He’s also acting very mysteriously, and Amber, the EMT that claimed to have been at the scene of the accident, has been following them around and nosing into their business. The sorry state of Jenna’s mom is certainly none of Amber’s business, nor is the sorry state of their family in general, with a father that left over 5 years ago, leaving only a short note and a coupon for a local Tex Mex restaurant.

Turns out there’s a pretty good reason for Casey’s transformation, and it has quite a bit to do with the strange little nubs growing out of his back. And feathers. Yep, Casey is an A-word (angels..shhhh) and Amber, as it turns out, is his mentor. Casey was sent back to help Jenna and his family, and maybe even find their father, but it won’t be easy.

I’m notoriously hard on YA, possibly because at my advanced age of 36, it’s hard for me to go back to those seemingly carefree days of my teens. However, I had no problem whatsoever falling under the spell of Jenna Samuels. She has a refreshingly pragmatic voice for such a young girl and her wry observations of people and places had me laughing out loud. The kid’s got a lot on her plate: a mom that can’t function as a person, much less a mother, a brother that, until now, has been a bit of a drain on the family, and she really, really misses her dad, but her fierce spirit shines through, and when she finds out her brother is an angel, she handles it with characteristic aplomb.

There’s a mystery here, and it’s actually a rather smart one, and if it seems as if a few pieces may be missing, keep in mind, this is from the somewhat limited (if whipsmart) viewpoint of an eighth-grader, who is certainly not omniscient, but is very able to make connections when the evidence is presented to her, and she adds more than her share to the investigation into why she’s been so sick and also her mother’s declining health. While the mystery is definitely a high point of the book, it’s really Jenna’s delightful and insightful observations, her struggle with abandonment by her father, and having to take on much more than an eighth-grader should that fuels this charming novel. In fact, Jenna reminds me, fondly,of the astute Ingrid Levin-Hill who is featured in the superb Echo Falls series by Peter Abrahams. A word on the villian: while certainly not without his considerable flaws,he isn’t an over-the-top evil character, and there are plenty of shades of grey to the mystery. Another delightful surprise: other than Casey’s designs on his ex-girlfriend, a cheerleader, there’s no romance in sight in The Sweet Dead Life, at least not for Jenna. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with a little romance, but I think it would have detracted from the story considerably, and I was happy to focus on the awesome Jenna and the mystery at hand (in Texas no less!! Come on, I’m a Texas girl, can’t help it.) Now, the book isn’t wrapped up in a pretty bow at the end, but it’s a realistic ending, with a considerable amount of hope for the future in the mix, and plenty of directions for the author to take the story. Consider me a big fan of Jenna and Casey Daniels (and Amber-she’ll grow on you just like she grows on Jenna) and I very much hope a sequel is in the works for this funny, intelligent novel! Joy Preble doesn’t talk down to her young readers, and there’s plenty in The Sweet Dead Life to entertain young and old alike.(less)

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May 09, 2013 Dayla rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, edelweiss, angels, coming-of-age, cool-concept, could-have-been-better, death, down-to-earth-supernatural, drugs, family, fast-read, fun-read, good-character-development, great-pacing, journal-entry-style, epistolary, mystery, not-perfect-but-fun, religion, sassy, sickly-people, surprising, tough-chicks, young-adult

Review first appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7

I received a copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

The Sweet Dead Life by Joy Preble is a very quick and quirky read that features a witty, and slightly neurotic 14 year-old protagonist. The storyline is considerably original, while the mystery promises to intrigue the reader until the conclusion. Preble's novel is a great light read for a hot summer day.

Jenna, the protagonist, tells us the story of how her brother became her guardi...more

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May 08, 2013 Katie Tuccelli rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, texas-author-love, blog-tour, arc

I'll admit, angel books are not normally my "thing." I'm wary of them because they tend to be a bit too self-righteous for me. THE SWEET DEAD LIFE is a refreshing relief from the typical angel book, in that you won't find characters with a superiority complex or overly-preachy moral messages that make you want to chuck the book at the wall in disgust. No, instead, you'll find angels (and non-angels) that smoke pot, cuss like sailors, masturbate, and generally behave like, well, humans. This is w...more I'll admit, angel books are not normally my "thing." I'm wary of them because they tend to be a bit too self-righteous for me. THE SWEET DEAD LIFE is a refreshing relief from the typical angel book, in that you won't find characters with a superiority complex or overly-preachy moral messages that make you want to chuck the book at the wall in disgust. No, instead, you'll find angels (and non-angels) that smoke pot, cuss like sailors, masturbate, and generally behave like, well, humans. This is where the book exceeded my expectations, and at the same time, fell short of what I thought it could have been.

Allow me to elaborate by focusing on what I felt was good in this book: First, the characters. Jenna Samuels was so refreshing! She has a sarcastic, witty voice that kept me in splits for a good chunk of the book. This girl says what she thinks and is not quick to censor herself, which is typical of most 14-year-olds. Similarly, the other characters, from Jenna's older brother, Casey, to her best friend, Mags, and even ol' Nurse Ed with the purple Crocs, all had depth and personality that just jumped off the page. The humor sprinkled throughout the pages, both within the scenes and the dialogue, made THE SWEET DEAD LIFE an easy, entertaining read, and is a big part of what kept me going until the end. If Joy Preble's night-job isn't as a stand-up comedian, it should be! I also enjoyed the overall mystery of the plot, and though I did recognize who the villian would be early on, the way everything unfolded was very satisfying. Finally, I give Joy high marks for including so much of the Houston/Texas I know and love within the pages of THE SWEET DEAD LIFE. It's so neat reading about places and street names with which you are familiar. "Hey, I was just there!"

Now, on to the things that didn't quite work for me. I mentioned earlier how I liked that THE SWEET DEAD LIFE doesn't beat you over the head with a moral message. While this is true, I also thought that the almost-constant mention of pot and porn, as well as the excessive cussing, were just too much. I know (some) teenagers do and say these things, and I think I understand what Joy was going for - that is, no one is perfect - but it seemed that the inclusion of these -ahem- activities was more for shock value or in an obvious attempt to avoid the "heavenly being" cliches. The main character is 14, yet I would not feel comfortable giving this book to any middle grader, so while it is a bit of a cross-over between Middle Grade and Young Adult, I'd say this book is more for older Young Adults. The pacing of the story was decent-to-good, but I did have an image in my head of wheels spinning but getting no traction for several portions of the book. Finally, the ending fell flat for me. It's not a happily-ever-after, and it really can't be, since there's going to be a sequel, but it was an ending that didn't exactly inspire me to read the next book in the series.

Coming up with a final rating for THE SWEET DEAD LIFE was really hard. I've been trying not to split hairs with half-stars, but in the end, this one demanded that I do. It wasn't quite 4-star material for me, and honestly, I hate that because I love Joy and I especially love supporting local authors. However, the good outshone the bad and this is why I gave the rating I did. Overall, THE SWEET DEAD LIFE was a well-written and fun read, and many of my good friends did enjoy it. You may, too! I recommend that you give it a try and see for yourself!

*An advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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This review was originally published on BlookGirl.com.(less)

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Dec 10, 2012 Anna (Gatsby's Girl) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jenna Samuels has a pretty sucky life, watching out for herself ever since her Dad disappeared and her Mom lost her mind. Her older brother Casey isn't much help either, with his pervy tendencies but he has a good heart and is trying his best to support them by working two jobs. But lately Jenna has been deathly ill and when Casey is rushing her to the emergency room one night, they get into a car crash and Casey is transformer - into an angel! Soon Casey and Jenna figure out that she was being...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Suz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2012

Joy Preble has done it again! She's managed to write such a wonderfully entertaining and intriguing young adult novel, full of mystery and wonder. It's full of fascination and wickedy delicious dialouge, catapulting readers into such a fun story. The characters are quirky and interesting, with their own complexities that make them stand out and shine on the pages. The style and sense of humor is also another great element about this book.

Preble manages to give it such incredible pinache. The gre...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Bob rated it 2 of 5 stars

I very much enjoyed the middle of the book. However, the beginning was not only unnecessary, but did not fit the rest of the book in style, content or plot. The ending was simply flat. After the way the book entertained me (disregarding the first chapter), I expected more. guess I was simply disappointed. And enough with the pot already. The point was made after the first dozen or so mentions.

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Mar 19, 2013 Ally rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, edelweiss, kindle, fiction, fantasy

There were certainly some things about this one that were a little far-fetched, but for the most part, this was fun and engaging read. And I'll tell you what I liked the most: the MC is in eighth grade. Not every teen is 16/17 years old, and YA doesn't usually reflect that well. Jenna is a snarky, believable 14-year-old and I loved her. So will my younger teen patrons. Bravo.

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Mar 18, 2013 Hulamonkey rated it 5 of 5 stars

What an unexpected page-turner. Clever engaging mystery that strung me along to the end - I HAD to finish it in one sitting, I HAD to know what was going on. I enjoyed the turn of events as Preble revealed the story. Funny, sad, heartbreaking, warm, happy moments with the characters who snagged me into the story right from the beginning.

1 like · like · see review

Sep 12, 2012 Carla A rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book gets props for being a book about angels without a bunch of annoying love ridden angst. Also while it will be appealing to younger teens you could recommend this to a middle school student without a parent getting upset that it might be too sexy.

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Apr 18, 2013 Iris rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book in an interesting read. This book holds your attention because it is so unique. Jenna is in eighth grade and is being poisoned. Who wants to poison a girl in middle school? Can they find out before someone ends up killing her? Something big is going down can these two teens find out whats going on before its to late? Who wants to hurt their family?
I seriously adore Casey he is such an amazing brother.

Angels
Death
Trust
Loyalties
Lies
Poison
Deception
Who can you trust?

Booksessions
Madbookread...more

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May 04, 2013 Cheri Williams added it

Shelves: 2013, fiction-ya

SO funny (when writing stories of death, this is a real art). Totally want to be besties with the main character--she's hilarious!!

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Jul 03, 2012 Joy rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

Yes, I love it because it's mine! And also because it's funny and bittersweet and set in Texas. And I hope everyone enjoys it.

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 11, 2012 Janet rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

A really fun book set in Houston--one of the few "angel" books I have liked.

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Apr 22, 2013 Jen Bigheart (I Read Banned Books) added it

Shelves: arc

Review to come!

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title link	preview: The Sweet Dead Life
avg rating	preview: The Sweet Dead Life Goodreads rating: 3.79 (53 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12561585-the-sweet-dead-life?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1338432515l/12561585.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12561585-the-sweet-dead-life?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Sweet Dead Life by Joy Preble[/url]

The Sweet Dead Life

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