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I Woke Up Dead at the Mall
by
When Sarah wakes up dead at the Mall of America, she learns that not only was she murdered, her killer is still on the loose.
When you’re sixteen, you have your whole life ahead of you. Unless you’re Sarah. Not to give anything away, but . . . she’s dead. Murdered, in fact. Sarah’s murder is shocking because she couldn’t be any more average. No enemies. No risky beha ...more
When you’re sixteen, you have your whole life ahead of you. Unless you’re Sarah. Not to give anything away, but . . . she’s dead. Murdered, in fact. Sarah’s murder is shocking because she couldn’t be any more average. No enemies. No risky beha ...more
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Judy Sheehan
About 65,000. All of them chosen very carefully and lovingly. :-D
Grace Hernandez
It's not a series, just one book.
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Upon seeing this title, I thought I Woke Up Dead at the Mall would be a silly read that would be "entertaining enough". Boy, was I surprised! 😲
First of all, I thought the premise was unique. Instead of Sarah becoming a zombie or a vampire, which is what I thought was going to happen, she's a ghost—dressed in the same mango chiffon bridesmaid gown she was wearing when she died. Oh, and she's at the Mall of America, the place, she learns, where all murdered New Yorkers end up. Before they can move ...more
First of all, I thought the premise was unique. Instead of Sarah becoming a zombie or a vampire, which is what I thought was going to happen, she's a ghost—dressed in the same mango chiffon bridesmaid gown she was wearing when she died. Oh, and she's at the Mall of America, the place, she learns, where all murdered New Yorkers end up. Before they can move ...more
This book is a lot of fun. Vivid and believable narrative voice, great premise, and a fantastic sense of humor throughout. I do not personally want to end up in a Mall of America afterlife (though I guess there are worse places, ha), but I so enjoyed following Sarah's journey and the cast of (dead) characters she met. There's a dash of zany murder mystery here, which adds to the fun, and an interesting examination of how we humans deal with dying. Highly recommended.
1.5 Stars
Picked this up because I wanted something more lightweight before starting reading my next book... and I sure got it. -_-
The writing is juvenile. The characters are undeveloped clichés. Nothing is properly developed, not even the cheesy teen romance.
By now some of you are probably saying, "oh, you're being too harsh just because this isn't for you."
Thing is, I would never in a million years give this book to a middle grader, or even a teen. And that is because this is one of those book ...more
This book started strong and I really loved the premise, but then the instalove and totally bland storyline really ruined it for me. I did not get a sense that the main character was "special" in any way, but she broke rules of the afterlife over and over again. Disappointing.
I Woke Up Dead at the Mall is a fun, creative, and very engaging read. With the opening sentence I was drawn into this world, or should I say "Mall," of the living dead. Not only is the plot/storyline intriguing, the living dead need to attend to the unfinished business of their lives, but I loved the characters that Judy created to tell this story. They became real "living" people to me because they are so thoughtfully developed. There is humor, drama, mystery and philosophical elements found i
...more
Jun 30, 2018
Eilonwy
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Eilonwy by:
Bonnie Shores
The title describes this book perfectly! And the cover is exactly right, too. Sarah does just what it promises, awaking in the mango bridesmaid's dress she was wearing at her father's wedding, only to be informed that she is, sadly, very dead. However, dead teens get to spend a few days at the Mall of America, adjusting to their new status, attending their own funeral, and reliving one day of their lives of their choice.
This was a very fast-paced blend of mystery, romance, and teen movie, as Sa ...more
This was a very fast-paced blend of mystery, romance, and teen movie, as Sa ...more
I woke up dead at the mall is a totally new approach to the ten ghost genre. It's cute, sweet, heartfelt and has an ending that makes you feel complete and satisfied. A quick and enjoyable read.
This review is based of an ARC that I found at a goodwill.
It was a 3.5 book that I rounded down. I did really enjoy it. There was nothing new or profound and I never really felt worried for any of the characters. It was light, simple, and fun.
Nick and Sarah's relationship wasn't 100% believable with how "in love" they were supposed to be, but it was cute. Nick, though adorable, was a bit (in my opinion) skeezy in how fast he moved on to Sarah.
There are a couple of things that bothered me - ster ...more
It was a 3.5 book that I rounded down. I did really enjoy it. There was nothing new or profound and I never really felt worried for any of the characters. It was light, simple, and fun.
Nick and Sarah's relationship wasn't 100% believable with how "in love" they were supposed to be, but it was cute. Nick, though adorable, was a bit (in my opinion) skeezy in how fast he moved on to Sarah.
There are a couple of things that bothered me - ster ...more
I absolutely love this book!!! It had the perfect balance between comedy and drama... But more on the comedy! Judy Sheehan will make you stay up until the crack of dawn reading!
What a fun little book.
Favorite laugh-out-loud quotes:
I recommend: The Afterlife of Holly Chase
Favorite laugh-out-loud quotes:
"Get ready for your funeral"
"Hey, did you know that Mexican words and Spanish words sound a lot alike? I wonder how they tell them apart"
I recommend: The Afterlife of Holly Chase
So this was a nice, light, teen read with some fun and interesting ideas on the afterlife. The lead character Sarah was mildly annoying at times, primarily because she was written quite well and often acted like a real 16 year old would probably act. Ugh, youths.
Also, there was a decent message in the book about not wasting your time or letting life pass you by which I can totally get behind.
Also, there was a decent message in the book about not wasting your time or letting life pass you by which I can totally get behind.
Witty and funny. Pub recommended it since I enjoyed Denton Little's Death Date. Great read for my first of 2016!
Funny, snarky, sweet. A bit silly, but still fun.
16 year old Sarah wakes up dead. At the Mall of America. She must take steps to let go of her mortal life so she can move on. Once she tackles her unfinished business she can be free from the mall, and her own sadness.
Despite the title and the topic, there is so much joy in this book. I loved this particular line: "So it turns out the at when dead people sleep, they sleep reeeeeeeeeeally deep. That first night at the mall I slept like someone had drugged me, then clubbed me, then made me watch ...more
Despite the title and the topic, there is so much joy in this book. I loved this particular line: "So it turns out the at when dead people sleep, they sleep reeeeeeeeeeally deep. That first night at the mall I slept like someone had drugged me, then clubbed me, then made me watch ...more
"A little bit underwhelmed." This is probably the best way to describe my initial thoughts about this book.
To be perfectly honest, there was nothing particular about this book that spoke to me or got me so excited and anxious to know what's going to happen next. I must admit there were moments and scenes that got me intrigued to some extent, but overall, I felt the ending a bit too convenient and contrived, not to mention anticlimactic. I was a bit disappointed to say the least. I was expecting ...more
To be perfectly honest, there was nothing particular about this book that spoke to me or got me so excited and anxious to know what's going to happen next. I must admit there were moments and scenes that got me intrigued to some extent, but overall, I felt the ending a bit too convenient and contrived, not to mention anticlimactic. I was a bit disappointed to say the least. I was expecting ...more
I was underwhelmed by some things, but pulled through by things I wasn't expecting.
I picked this up thinking it might be a good readalike for the show "The Good Place," which is trending in my friend-group. I'm not sure how many teens, much less middle schoolers, are into that show, but it fits in the snarky niche of my middle school booktalk lineup.
The title/cover doesn't lie - Sarah wakes up dead in the mall. In a giant bridesmaid's dress.
I was looking forward to enjoying exploring the mall-a ...more
I picked this up thinking it might be a good readalike for the show "The Good Place," which is trending in my friend-group. I'm not sure how many teens, much less middle schoolers, are into that show, but it fits in the snarky niche of my middle school booktalk lineup.
The title/cover doesn't lie - Sarah wakes up dead in the mall. In a giant bridesmaid's dress.
I was looking forward to enjoying exploring the mall-a ...more
This book was one of the most creative and interesting books I have ever read. It wasn't your normal go right to heaven when you die type of book. This book has a different view on that, if your murdered you go to a mall, and if you’re a New Yorker you go to the Mall of America. At the mall you have to forget about your past life to be able to go on to your next life. Which Sarah has a hard time doing.
Sarah was sixteen years old when she was murdered. She woke up at the mall of America in her ma ...more
Sarah was sixteen years old when she was murdered. She woke up at the mall of America in her ma ...more
I thought this would be a funny, sarcastic look at life after death - and it was - but it was also equal parts poignant and uplifting. And even though that's not what I was expecting or even looking for with this book, I found it endearing.
A really good mix of funny and poignant, and the ending was wonderful.
![[Shai] Bibliophage](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1517936499p2/11854153.jpg)
This is one of the best books of I've read so far this year. I love the characters, setting and the phasing of the story. This book also made me ponder if there's a truth on life after death. Or if we will also have a chance to choose whether we want to reborn again or to protect once we are ready to move on, just like what happened to the characters in this book.
I really enjoyed reading this and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves light reading and a fast phasing story. If you are looking ...more
I really enjoyed reading this and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves light reading and a fast phasing story. If you are looking ...more
If I had to sum this up in a line, I would say it's cute and clever. In I Woke Up Dead at the Mall, Sarah wakes up dead. In a mall. The Mall of America acts as a sort of purgatory for teens in NYC who have been murdered. While they're there, they can eat at the ghosts' only cafeteria, shop the specialty stores, and attend group therapy sessions to help them move on.
They get to choose one day of their life to "re-live" and they get to attend their funeral. But Sarah's murderer is trying to kill ...more
They get to choose one day of their life to "re-live" and they get to attend their funeral. But Sarah's murderer is trying to kill ...more
This one had been on my TBR pile for a bit, until one day I decided to try something different - beyond my usual fare of nonfiction and murder mystery. I'm a fan of well-done YA, which fits here, mostly.
I put this one on my library ebook watch list as I really liked another title with a dead-teen-in-the-afterlife plot Elsewhere. I confess I liked that one a bit more, probably as I found it less . . . distracting. My loyal fans know of my dislike of plot re-hashing, so here's a basic plot summary ...more
I put this one on my library ebook watch list as I really liked another title with a dead-teen-in-the-afterlife plot Elsewhere. I confess I liked that one a bit more, probably as I found it less . . . distracting. My loyal fans know of my dislike of plot re-hashing, so here's a basic plot summary ...more
What an interesting look at the afterlife. This was fun and funny, but also touching and sweet. I really enjoyed getting to meet all these dead teens and was rooting for them to figure out their unfinished business and move on. I was also pleasantly surprised by a few things Sheehan wrote into the ending. These things made me very happy, and one of them was worthy of a few tears.
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The synopsis to this book sounded so interesting, despite the cover not being all that appealing, I just had to give this one a try. I’m so glad I did. I Woke Up Dead surprised me with how entertaining, funny, and relatable it is. I easily connected with all the characters, loved the aferlife world that Sheehan created, and I definitely wanted to see Sarah get her justice and find peace. Right away, Sheehan captured my attention with her engaging main character, Sarah, and I just loved being ins
...more
An irreverent and compellingly unique story about death, grieving, and moving on, I Woke Up Dead at the Mall by Judy Sheehan successfully mixes the macabre and morose with a lighthearted twist on the afterlife.
Most books that deal with death and grieving tend to be on the dark, serious side. I Woke Up Dead at the Mall is a unique — and quite frankly, brilliant — combination of that dark, serious side with an uplifting, lighthearted twist. The result is an optimistic outlook on this macabre theme ...more
Most books that deal with death and grieving tend to be on the dark, serious side. I Woke Up Dead at the Mall is a unique — and quite frankly, brilliant — combination of that dark, serious side with an uplifting, lighthearted twist. The result is an optimistic outlook on this macabre theme ...more
Aug 08, 2018
Brittany (The Book Addict's Guide/Novelly Yours)
rated it
it was ok
Shelves:
paranormal,
alamw16,
arc-physical-copy,
ya,
read-in-one-day,
currently-own-arc,
to-review,
audiobook
Initial Impressions 8/8/18: 2.5 stars
This wasn't a BAD book but it really could have been so much better in so many ways, so that's where my feelings and review end up. I was hoping for dark comedy, black humor, ghostly sort of story. It turned out to be a little too cheesy, a little too immature, and I didn't like the ending. It just felt very typical YA and too tropey.
All of the main characters in this book ended up at the Mall of America after their death, all came from New York. But... why? ...more
This wasn't a BAD book but it really could have been so much better in so many ways, so that's where my feelings and review end up. I was hoping for dark comedy, black humor, ghostly sort of story. It turned out to be a little too cheesy, a little too immature, and I didn't like the ending. It just felt very typical YA and too tropey.
All of the main characters in this book ended up at the Mall of America after their death, all came from New York. But... why? ...more
"Most malls are haunted. Did you know that? The Boy saves the extra-big one for New Yorkers."
I was immediately attracted to the cool cover and intrigued by the title. After reading a sample chapter, I knew I wanted to read this novel.
Sixteen-year-old Manhattan girl Sarah Evans wakes up dead at the Mall of America in Minnesota in her bridesmaid dress, the apparent victim of murder by poisoning. "I had actually kept my mouth shut, opting not to tell the bride that I'd never be caught dead in mango ...more
I was immediately attracted to the cool cover and intrigued by the title. After reading a sample chapter, I knew I wanted to read this novel.
Sixteen-year-old Manhattan girl Sarah Evans wakes up dead at the Mall of America in Minnesota in her bridesmaid dress, the apparent victim of murder by poisoning. "I had actually kept my mouth shut, opting not to tell the bride that I'd never be caught dead in mango ...more
New York native Sarah Evans was suffering from a terrible stomach ache at her father's wedding when she passes out. She wakes up across the country in the Mall of America...dead. And still wearing the horrible mango chiffon bridesmaid dress she was wearing during her demise. Now, she must figure out who murdered her and why, so that she might be able to save her father's life back in the land of the living.
I was really excited by this book's title and summary, but the writing fell flat. At first ...more
I was really excited by this book's title and summary, but the writing fell flat. At first ...more
I hate being a hater.
Some book article I read recommended it, I picked it up, I read ten pages, I put it down. It's so self-referential, my eyes ached from rolling into the back of my skull. The blurb, "From the creator of 'Tony N' Tina's Wedding'" should have been a tip off.
There are people who are inherently funny (usually formed as a coping mechanism for something bad that happened to them). Then there are people who think they know the formula for funny, and are so proud that they are super ...more
Some book article I read recommended it, I picked it up, I read ten pages, I put it down. It's so self-referential, my eyes ached from rolling into the back of my skull. The blurb, "From the creator of 'Tony N' Tina's Wedding'" should have been a tip off.
There are people who are inherently funny (usually formed as a coping mechanism for something bad that happened to them). Then there are people who think they know the formula for funny, and are so proud that they are super ...more
THE REVIEW
Why this book?
It seemed like a book for me
What I thought
This was a fun and light look of the afterlife. Sarah wakes up dead at the Mall of America, and she makes it her mission to save her dad from her murderer. There were some funny moments, sad moments, and some romantic moments. Sarah is a great protagonist! She's witty and determined. I also loved the other main characters. They all had interesting stories to tell, and were entertaining. The characters were also very realistic. Th ...more
Why this book?
It seemed like a book for me
What I thought
This was a fun and light look of the afterlife. Sarah wakes up dead at the Mall of America, and she makes it her mission to save her dad from her murderer. There were some funny moments, sad moments, and some romantic moments. Sarah is a great protagonist! She's witty and determined. I also loved the other main characters. They all had interesting stories to tell, and were entertaining. The characters were also very realistic. Th ...more
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“Most malls are haunted. Did you know that?”
—
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“Our lives, and even our afterlives, are made from the stories we tell each other. We are the stories we tell ourselves.”
—
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