The Sweet Dead Life (Sweet Dead Life, #1) by Joy Preble

Apr 29, 2013 Kurt rated it it was amazing

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 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. ...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Joy rated it it was amazing · (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. ...more

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Aug 17, 2013 La Coccinelle rated it it was ok

Shelves: middle-grade

I'm getting too old for this.

I could not connect with this book. It tries to be sweet and cute and entertaining, but by the end of it, I just found it annoying. The main issue I had is that this book doesn't know what it wants to be: middle grade or young adult. Jenna is fourteen and a straight-A student in the eighth grade, something that the author really should have thought about a little more; I spent much of the first half of the book wondering why she'd been held back a year. I eventually I'm getting too old for this.

I could not connect with this book. It tries to be sweet and cute and entertaining, but by the end of it, I just found it annoying. The main issue I had is that this book doesn't know what it wants to be: middle grade or young adult. Jenna is fourteen and a straight-A student in the eighth grade, something that the author really should have thought about a little more; I spent much of the first half of the book wondering why she'd been held back a year. I eventually decided that her grade level was to try to shoehorn this book into the middle grade category. And it's a weird choice, considering the language Jenna uses (she alternates between swearing and using phrases like "apropos of nothing"... seriously, what 14-year-old says "apropos of nothing"?), the fact that the boys in her middle school are potheads, and her best friend dresses like a hooker. Have things really changed that much since I was in the eighth grade? Are 14-year-olds really that grown-up? Or did the author just get it very wrong? (I thought about the characters in another middle grade book as I was reading this. The narrator of Ingrid Law's Savvy is thirteen, just a year younger than Jenna... but Mibs reads more like a child, relatively innocent and homespun, all excited about her yellow birthday dress with the purple sash. There is a huge difference in the apparent ages of Jenna and Mibs... and I'm not sure that there should be, considering it's only one year separating them.)

I also wasn't impressed by the story. It was a little far fetched, but that wasn't what bothered me. What drove me nuts was the fact that the villain was so obvious that I figured it out very early... and then had to slog through the rest of the book, waiting for these knuckleheads to catch up. I also wasn't impressed with the whole angel angle. Jenna's brother died trying to save her, and it was really of little consequence because he was still around. Sure, he can make poop noises and have wings sprout from dark nubs on his shoulder blades (this was probably the most disgusting angel-wing description I've ever read), and he's supposedly now swoon-worthy (for the readers' benefit, obviously), but I thought a pretty heavy situation was glossed over and made light of. Casey is dead. (view spoiler)

The writing was also sub-par. There were lots of typos, and the author couldn't figure out how to pluralize or make possessive a family's last name (there were two mistakes relating to this). There were also too many irrelevant descriptions of what people were wearing; I was reminded of the author's other book, Dreaming Anastasia, where the main character had to mention the love interest's blue eyes more than 30 times (sadly, I'm not exaggerating). I don't know if that kind of repetitiveness would bother most middle-grade readers, but it bothered me. I just wanted Jenna to stop waxing poetic about her boots and get on with the story.

All in all, The Sweet Dead Life is not a great angel book. Nor it is a good mystery. The tone made me think that it was trying to be something like Wendy Mass's Heaven Looks A Lot Like the Mall, a book which successfully managed to blend humour and the afterlife with a lot more heart. The Sweet Dead Life tried too hard, and came up short in almost every way.

I'm afraid I can't really recommend this one.

http://theladybugreads.blogspot.ca/20... ...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Nicole rated it really liked it

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 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. ...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Tiltedlamp rated it it was amazing

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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Mar 18, 2013 Hulamonkey rated it it was amazing

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.

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Aug 14, 2012 Katie rated it liked it

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

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 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. ...more

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Mar 25, 2014 Beckie rated it liked it · review of another edition

The Sweet Dead Life is a mix between YA and Middle Grade. Forteen year old, sweet and funny (sometimes downright hilarious) Jenna Samuels believes she is dying, and with good reason. Jenna is very very sick. She thinks the worse that she may be dying and without being able to pay to see a real doctor she knows death is inevitable. Her pot-smoking brother is doing everything he can to make money for treatment. While her Mother is lost in her own world is misery, heartbreak, and despair because of The Sweet Dead Life is a mix between YA and Middle Grade. Forteen year old, sweet and funny (sometimes downright hilarious) Jenna Samuels believes she is dying, and with good reason. Jenna is very very sick. She thinks the worse that she may be dying and without being able to pay to see a real doctor she knows death is inevitable. Her pot-smoking brother is doing everything he can to make money for treatment. While her Mother is lost in her own world is misery, heartbreak, and despair because of the disappearance of her husband. Jenna is slowly getting worse. When she passes out abruptly, her brother rushes her to the hospital only to end up getting into a bad car accident. When Jenna wakes up things begin to change. Casey, her brother looks very different, his acne is gone, he smells good, and has an almost "glow" about him. A very pretty paramedic, Amber is weirdly hanging around and Jenna is not sure why. Soon, Jenna finds out she is in fact NOT dying but being poisoned. How, why and by who? Jenna, Casey and Amber need to find out these answers before it's too late. If that wasn't enough, Jenna keeps on wondering why her brother is acting and looks so different. The truth, will blow you away. As this mystery unravels, Jenna may end up getting a lot more than what she bargains for....

Right from the start The Sweet Dead Life had me laughing. Jenna is one of most funniest characters I've read about in a while. She is quirky, sarcastic, and her breezy attitude is everything I love about this book. Even throughout her hardships, she was always making me smile. The mystery side of the book was what I loved most. The author always had me guessing. Now, the paranormal side (angels) I ended up not liking as much. It's not that this aspect was bad or poorly written but more so I wanted more of it in book one. You don't even find out the truth about Cassie until middle-end of the book. Also, once you end up figuring out who's been poisoning Jenna and why the story begins to dry up a bit. I just was not as impressed by the ending.

All in all The Sweet Dead Life was a fun, quirky read with a thrilling mystery entwined with paranormal mix. A great read more so for the middle grade crowd but still quite fun for adults.

3.5 STARS ...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Nafiza rated it liked it

Shelves: source-edelweiss, read-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 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. ...more

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Feb 14, 2017 Anarda rated it it was ok

It's really a 3.5, and it may change over time. Jenna is a smart eighth grader with the mouth of a sailor, courtesy of her long-missing father. She was once a good athlete, daughter and sister, but her mother has spent the last 8 months in bed, her brother Casey quit the football team to carry the financially and emotionally depleted household with two minimum wage parts-time jobs, surviving through grit and pot, and Jenna, well, Jenna thinks she's dying. She can barely walkout of her house, and ...more

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May 13, 2013 Dana Wright rated it it was amazing

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

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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Jun 22, 2013 Cheryl rated it liked it

Jenna is sick all the time. Her mom is no help. She just sleeps all the time. Jenna’s father has disappeared and her brother is a pot head. Things get even odder when Jenna collapses and her brother drives her to the hospital. On the way they get into a car accident. Jenna awakes to find her brother is an “Angel” and he has been sent back to protect Jenna. Someone is poisoning her.

This is a really quick read. This book did have some comedic humor to it. This was nice. I am always in the mood fo ...more

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Oct 15, 2019 Alexis rated it it was ok

Shelves: 7d-l-a

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 29, 2014 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: rad, personal-library

I enjoyed this book from cover to cover. I did not read the synopsis so I wasn't quite sure what to think of Amber or what became of Casey but it doesn't take too long to find out. That's part of why I liked this book so much. It was written in the form of a journal and its fast pace kept the story going. So, let me get to what this book is about.

It's the story of Jenna, an 8th grade Texas girl from Houston and her family. Her dad mysteriously disappears, her mom has fallen ill, her brother Case ...more

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Jul 16, 2019 Jodi Pomerleau rated it liked it

I didn't read the blurb at all so had no expectations of the story..no hint of what was to come. I was really enjoying the story, and then, the car crashes and the story goes from engaging and cute to something else....Whoa....Casey is an "a-word". Maybe I should have expected it from the title of the book, but I thought it was going to be more of a coming of age story. I was wrong. From there, I felt it went downhill and became pretty implausible. The "bad guy" was pretty easy to figure out, an ...more

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May 29, 2020 Brianna rated it really liked it

Jenna Samuels is just a teenager trying to get through 8th grade and keep her family together. Her dad up and left them years ago, and their mother has started to become more and more detached and brainless lately. Even Jenna has started to become sicker and one night had a seizure that makes her older brother rush them off to the hospital. Along the way they get in an accident and her brother doesn’t make it, and Jenna starts finding out she might be poisoned.
It’s a wild mystery that’s kinda ha ...more

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Sep 17, 2018 Cheryl rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Good supernatural YA

I enjoyed this book. It was really more of a YA-lite read, more froth than depth, but I enjoy the light read on occasion. The heroine was a likable teen girl. I wanted to bop her pot-head brother upside the head a lot. I thought Amber was a cool character. There wasn’t a lot of time spent on the peripheral characters, like Mom, Dad, BFF, etc, so I thought they all came out slightly card-board cut-outish. I liked the concept. I don’t know that I will continue the series, but I ...more

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Sep 11, 2018 Jessica Pratt rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, 2018

Good story, good twist. Could have cut back on the same 2 vocab words being used over and over and over.

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Apr 08, 2019 Harry Delong rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Strange

A world of lost memory, angels, drug experiments, missing people and during characters. Can't get much more unusual than this. It works. ...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Dayla rated it liked it

Shelves: family, good-character-development, not-perfect-but-fun, edelweiss, fun-read, coming-of-age, young-adult, death, great-pacing, arc

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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Feb 26, 2013 Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) rated it really liked it

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 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. ...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Tabitha (Bows & Bullets Reviews) rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed, want-to-own-physical-copy

The review is also available on my blog, Bows & Bullets Reviews

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. The review is also available on my blog, Bows & Bullets Reviews

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**** ...more

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Jun 06, 2013 Melissa rated it liked it

Shelves: teen-action-adventure, teen-paranormal-fiction, with-reviews, teen-mystery, read-in-2013

Summary:
Five years ago, Jenna Samuel’s father disappeared without a trace, and for the past five years she, her brother, and her mother have just barely been getting by. Her mother won’t get out of bed and her brother becomes dependent on marijuana to get through the day. Jenna has a hard time holding it together. Not to mention the fact, she believes she is dying. When a car accident changes her life drastically, and her brother becomes her guardian angel, they begin to unravel the mystery surr ...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Jennifer Clausen-greene rated it liked it

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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Mar 19, 2013 Judyth (Geeky Reading) rated it liked it

Shelves: own, first-reads-won

~3-3.5/5

This was a rather pleasant read, and it surprised me by how much.

Jenna believes she’s dying, although she has no idea why, has been to the doctor several times with no results, and is sure of several things that it’s not. Her brother is an angel, literally, because he died when they were in a car crash (on the way to the hospital, actually). Her mother is depressed and is practically not around, hiding in her room all the time. Her father disappeared several years ago, with no trace of h ~3-3.5/5

This was a rather pleasant read, and it surprised me by how much.

Jenna believes she’s dying, although she has no idea why, has been to the doctor several times with no results, and is sure of several things that it’s not. Her brother is an angel, literally, because he died when they were in a car crash (on the way to the hospital, actually). Her mother is depressed and is practically not around, hiding in her room all the time. Her father disappeared several years ago, with no trace of him left behind, no idea where he went.

Firstly, this is a rather funny book. Jenna is always going off about things in her head, overthinking things, and just having odd, comedic little thoughts; and this is told in her journal entries, so that helps. This helped me like Jenna, and helped make this book a rather quick read, which is was.

I liked her relationship with her brother. And I liked her brother. He’s a stoner, and he’s a bit of a dumb guy at times, but he’s also sweet and loyal and trying hard to take care of his sister, so I liked him.

I liked the plot of the book. The angel reveal was slow, and it bothered me how slow it was at first, but overall I didn’t mind, and later the wait was made understandable. The reveal of what is happening to Jenna is also a bit slow, but that added to the suspense, the curiosity, of it, and I liked that. Why what is happening to her is happening to her was the big mystery, and that was done pretty well. The reasoning is kind of similar to what would happen in a lifetime movie (a B-movie? is that what I mean?), or something, but that doesn’t really bother me much.

(Also, just to make sure you know this, there is no romance in this book. I think a big reason for this is that, one, a lot of it focuses on Jenna’s brother, and, two, because Jenna isn’t very old. I think she’s early high school or late middle school, I can’t remember; not that that’s too young for romance, but still. And I think it was just fine without a romance—Jenna’s focus is her brother and her dying, and she doesn’t need to add romance to the mix. Although she does think about this one guy at her school, like, twice. An opening for something, but nothing develops from it, and that’s fine.)

The very end left me a little confused, making me wonder if that’s supposed to be an opening to more books, or maybe if I just read it wrong, or what. I don’t really think there needs to be another book, as this one was just fine, although I see how there could be more books, and it could expand on the angel plot. But I do think that it’s just fine as a stand-alone.

I don’t really have a whole lot else to say about this, I suppose. This book wasn’t amazing to me, but it was definitely enjoyable, and funny, and I liked it.

Thank you so much to Soho Teen and I Heart Daily for sending me a copy!

[This review is also available on my blog, with extras.] ...more

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Dec 14, 2014 Marie rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, i-read-like-a-teen, mysterious, laugh-out-loud-funny, paranormal

I was literally laughing out loud by the end of page 1 of this book! It has a really strong start, with a main character who has that snark that I love so much. However, I finished the book slightly conflicted.

The Sweet Dead Life reads as a series of journal entries by the main character, Jenna. She's 14, in 8th grade, and possibly dying. This journal (this book) is her way of recounting events that transpire. Jenna has been sick and getting sicker for a few weeks now. Unfortunately, her mom is I was literally laughing out loud by the end of page 1 of this book! It has a really strong start, with a main character who has that snark that I love so much. However, I finished the book slightly conflicted.

The Sweet Dead Life reads as a series of journal entries by the main character, Jenna. She's 14, in 8th grade, and possibly dying. This journal (this book) is her way of recounting events that transpire. Jenna has been sick and getting sicker for a few weeks now. Unfortunately, her mom is deeply depressed and her older teen brother is always high and she's only in 8th grade and unable to take herself to the doctor. One afternoon, Jenna passes out and her brother decides it's time to go to the hospital. When Jenna wakes up in the hospital after surviving a major car wreck, her brother is suddenly beatified. His skin has cleared up and he's standing up straighter. And he's being nice to her. How weird. Turns out: he didn't survive the car wreck with her, and he's now an angel. (This isn't a spoiler; it's in the summary on the back of the book.)

Things that I love about The Sweet Dead Life: Jenna's dry sense of humor. I'm talking Sahara Desert dry here. I love it! As I mentioned before, I was literally chuckling out loud. I also love the sibling/family dynamic in the book. Joy Preble manages to show how much the siblings love each other and their mom while still keeping it all real. They occasionally get frustrated with each other, but they always have each other's backs and will do whatever it takes to keep the family together and afloat. I also love that this book shows teens dealing with a parent with mental illness. Jenna and Casey's mom is so depressed that she literally cannot get out of bed some days. She's stopped cooking and cleaning and working. This is, unfortunately, a reality that some teens are living. It's nice to have books that reflect that.

Some things that turned me off just a little: Jenna's language and independence. She's only 14 and in 8th grade, but I kept picturing her closer to 16 or 17. She has the mouth of a sailor! Realistically, I don't see myself recommending this book to many middle schoolers. So I kind of wish the main character was solidly high school to more closely match her personality and language. I also got a little weary of the drug references. Jenna repeatedly references Casey's affinity for marijuana. Like, every other page. This was another reason why I thought Jenna should maybe be a little older; she was very aware of the weed smoking, and knowledgeable as to when and where Casey got his weed from. Weed is the only drug named in the book, so there's none of the hard stuff. But still... it was a little heavy-handed for my taste.

While the middle got just a little bogged down, the start and finish of The Sweet Dead Life were strong enough and entertaining enough for me to add the sequel to my to-read list. It's a quick read; a mystery; some of the characters are angels; most of the characters are teens. ...more

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May 08, 2013 Cat rated it liked it

'm not really sure what I was expecting when I picked up this book. I haven't read a ton of angel books and most of the ones I've heard of are romances. This novel is about a brother and a sister so romance really wasn't part of the equation. After finishing it I'm still not really sure about this one. It centers around Jenna, an eighth grader with a world of problems. Her father is missing, her mother doesn't leave the house and her older brother is a pot head. When she and her brother are in a 'm not really sure what I was expecting when I picked up this book. I haven't read a ton of angel books and most of the ones I've heard of are romances. This novel is about a brother and a sister so romance really wasn't part of the equation. After finishing it I'm still not really sure about this one. It centers around Jenna, an eighth grader with a world of problems. Her father is missing, her mother doesn't leave the house and her older brother is a pot head. When she and her brother are in a car accident and he becomes an angel things get even more complicated. There were definitely things I loved about it, but there was plenty that fell flat as well.

LIKES:
The writing style: The style of the book was really cool. Jenna definitely had a unique voice and the author did a great job of bringing that across. The colloquialisms in the writing added to the charm and really pulled me in.
Jenna's got spunk: I just loved Jenna. She was so full of life and laughter despite her dire circumstances and that really got me attached to her. Throw in her impressive and growing vocabulary and her sense of humor and I was sold on Jenna. Her relationship with her brother was also really genuine and sweet.

DISLIKES:
Amber: I just didn't see the point of Amber, and I don't just mean her character. I also didn't get why Jenna hated her so much or why Amber was such a pill. With fun, lovable characters like Jenna and her brother I was hoping that Amber would have been developed a little more.
Where's the magic?: This book reads more like a mystery than a paranormal story. There isn't a lot of angel-ish stuff going on except for Casey's physical changes and some little tricks that go by practically without notice. I would have liked to see more of the paranormal/angel element.
No surprises: Everything is sort of laid out for you in the synopsis. The reader already knows the big twist (cough Casey's an angel) before the book even begins. So when Jenna finally comes to that conclusion it's not very exciting for the reader. This could have been avoided completely with a different title and description. The other big revelation, that Jenna is being poisoned, is also right there in the blurb.
I started out really loving this book. Unfortunately, by the time I finished it I wasn't as excited about it. That being said, the writing style alone is enough for me to want to pick up the author's other work. I'm excited to see what she what else is out there. If you're looking for something heavy on the paranormal this book might not be for you. But if you want a cute younger mystery give it a shot. ...more

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May 08, 2013 Melissa rated it it was amazing

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 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! ...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Margie rated it really liked it

Shelves: own-hardback, young-adult, ya-contemporary

Such an original, funny and sad, mysterious story - a take on angels like no other!

Jenna has a lot going on in her life right now - her father has abandoned the family, her mother seems to be in a depression and hardly ever leaves her bed, and her older brother, Casey, is your typical teenage boy that tries to keep things together the best way that a teenage boy can. Which can be pretty difficult at times since Jenna is always sick with some sort of mystery illness that the doctors can never f Such an original, funny and sad, mysterious story - a take on angels like no other!

Jenna has a lot going on in her life right now - her father has abandoned the family, her mother seems to be in a depression and hardly ever leaves her bed, and her older brother, Casey, is your typical teenage boy that tries to keep things together the best way that a teenage boy can. Which can be pretty difficult at times since Jenna is always sick with some sort of mystery illness that the doctors can never figure out. When Jenna gets extremely ill, Casey attempts to rush her to the hospital and unfortunately gets into a bad car accident on the way there. Jenna tries to keep alert, but now with a few injuries on top of being so very sick, she can hardly hang on and keep track as to what has happened to her brother.
When she wakes up, things get very, very interesting...

The book does start with a 'middle grade' sort of feel, but once things start moving along it definitely takes a good 'young adult' turn. We see spunky 13 year old Jenna mature and take responsibility like no other teen should have to. With creativity, humor and sass, Jenna is able to deal with whatever life throws her way - her absence from school, her medical care, having no adult supervision, taking care of her mother and to top it all off - a brother who is now an angel?! And that's not all! With the help of Casey's 'angel-ism', they soon discover that Jenna's illness and their mothers forgetfulness and supposed depression are related and someone is purposefully making them sick, maybe even trying to kill them! And all of this may be the reason why their father has disappeared...

The relationship between Jenna and Casey is so realistic and amazing - every time they are together you get some really great sister and brother moments that leave you chuckling and, if you have a sibling, completely relating to them. They have their ups and downs, but under the circumstances that have come to light, they need each other more than ever. And absolutely nothing can keep these two apart. Not even a pair of angel wings.

A fast-paced novel for ages 12 and up. There is something for everyone in this book. Joy Preble has wowed me with her writing and realistic story. She really knows how to create a realistic family dynamic.
I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the series called THE A-WORD, which is expected to be released in May 2014. ...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Stephanie Redwine rated it really liked it

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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