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Layoverland
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Two teens, one stuck atoning for her sins and one destined for heaven, fall in love in purgatory in this darkly hilarious and heartfelt rom-com, perfect for fans of The Good Place.
Beatrice Fox deserves to go straight to hell. At least, that's what she thinks. On her last day on Earth, she ruined the life of the person she loves most--her little sister, Emmy. So when Bea aw ...more
Beatrice Fox deserves to go straight to hell. At least, that's what she thinks. On her last day on Earth, she ruined the life of the person she loves most--her little sister, Emmy. So when Bea aw ...more
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Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
January 21st 2020
by Razorbill
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Angela
No - nothing explicit. Light romance and a few kisses.
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this book takes place in purgatory, which is also where i have existed in a tragic half-life ever since i finished this. anyway, this was one of my favorite reads of 2020. find the full collection here: https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co...
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I have exactly one criticism of this book, and I will get it out of the way immediately:
This takes place in purgatory (awesome). Purgatory is set up as an airport terminal in which everyone has to figure their sh*t out in order to catch their fl ...more
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I have exactly one criticism of this book, and I will get it out of the way immediately:
This takes place in purgatory (awesome). Purgatory is set up as an airport terminal in which everyone has to figure their sh*t out in order to catch their fl ...more

There's a phrase that several of my writer friends and I use--that sometimes a book is so much better than it needs to be.
This book is so much better than it needs to be.
I laughed, I cried, I contemplated making coffee jello. ...more
This book is so much better than it needs to be.
I laughed, I cried, I contemplated making coffee jello. ...more

First anticipated book of 2020: Read ✅
The minute I read the synopsis of this book I knew I was going to read it ASAP. And the reason was because I always find it fascinating when books are about afterlife or purgatory. My obsession toward those themes began when I read The Afterlife of Holly Chase over 2 years ago and ever since I’ve been obsessed with them.
Either way this was such a cute debut novel by the author. I say cute but it was kind of depressing if you start to think deep about it. And ...more
The minute I read the synopsis of this book I knew I was going to read it ASAP. And the reason was because I always find it fascinating when books are about afterlife or purgatory. My obsession toward those themes began when I read The Afterlife of Holly Chase over 2 years ago and ever since I’ve been obsessed with them.
Either way this was such a cute debut novel by the author. I say cute but it was kind of depressing if you start to think deep about it. And ...more

Well, that when downhill quickly.
2 stars // review to come (possibly?) once I get over the never-ending disappointment that is 2020
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It says "for fans of the Good Place" so I'm basically required to add it to my TBR ...more
2 stars // review to come (possibly?) once I get over the never-ending disappointment that is 2020
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It says "for fans of the Good Place" so I'm basically required to add it to my TBR ...more
![Namera [The Literary Invertebrate]](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1587154687p2/31792110.jpg)
It’s true what they say: the best-sounding books have the worst executions.
Okay, maybe they don’t actually say that, but they should. Because in my experience, it’s true 95% of the time (at a conservative estimate) and this book is one of those times. It was a boring, underdeveloped snoozefest.
Seventeen-year-old Beatrice ‘Bea’ Fox has just died in a car crash. She had a very emotional last day on Earth, which featured the rupturing of her relationship with her younger sister Emmy, but th ...more
Okay, maybe they don’t actually say that, but they should. Because in my experience, it’s true 95% of the time (at a conservative estimate) and this book is one of those times. It was a boring, underdeveloped snoozefest.
Seventeen-year-old Beatrice ‘Bea’ Fox has just died in a car crash. She had a very emotional last day on Earth, which featured the rupturing of her relationship with her younger sister Emmy, but th ...more

"If there’s one thing I’ve learned from watching too many romcoms, it’s that if you love someone, you should always tell them before it’s too late."
"That doesn’t apply to real life."
"Well, this isn’t real life, Bea. We’re dead!"
Oh wow.
This was my most anticipated book of the year and my greatest disappointment.
I'm not calling it bad, it's just that...it sounded so good in theory! An airport purgatory! A main character who almost got sent to Hell, but given a chance to make up for being a hor ...more
"That doesn’t apply to real life."
"Well, this isn’t real life, Bea. We’re dead!"
Oh wow.
This was my most anticipated book of the year and my greatest disappointment.
I'm not calling it bad, it's just that...it sounded so good in theory! An airport purgatory! A main character who almost got sent to Hell, but given a chance to make up for being a hor ...more

This book kind of touts itself as a book for fan of The Good Place, and while I think there are some similarities in terms of plot, it is lacking the same depth and strong emotions that the latter has.
Layoverland tells the story of Beatrice Fox, or Bea as she is known. The story begins with her having "ruined" the life of her younger sister and after that, in tears, she gets in a car accident and is killed. Instead of heaven/hell, she is sent to purgatory (which here, resembles an airport) and ...more
Layoverland tells the story of Beatrice Fox, or Bea as she is known. The story begins with her having "ruined" the life of her younger sister and after that, in tears, she gets in a car accident and is killed. Instead of heaven/hell, she is sent to purgatory (which here, resembles an airport) and ...more

"'Jenna, do you understand where we are? This isn’t sleep-away camp. This isn’t high school. This isn’t some prom with an ironic theme of ‘crappy airport’. Now is not the time for meeting boys and having fun. This is some serious existential stuff, okay? We’re dead.'"
3.5/5
Some things I love: unique books about the afterlife, airports. Yep that's a good list.
So Layoverland was perfect for me. Purgatory is an airport and people must confront their pasts to move on to Heaven, or whatever glorious ...more
3.5/5
Some things I love: unique books about the afterlife, airports. Yep that's a good list.
So Layoverland was perfect for me. Purgatory is an airport and people must confront their pasts to move on to Heaven, or whatever glorious ...more

I'm also a book blogger: Vee_Bookish
Layoverland was a book I really couldn't put down. It's an old cliche but compared with other recent read, I couldn't stop thinking about it and went out of my way to read it, finishing it way faster than I expected. I love stories about people trapped in places and seeing how they cope with the unfamiliar surroundings and the choices they make.
Bea finds herself stranded in an airport with other people who have died and are passing through, after a brutal car ...more
Layoverland was a book I really couldn't put down. It's an old cliche but compared with other recent read, I couldn't stop thinking about it and went out of my way to read it, finishing it way faster than I expected. I love stories about people trapped in places and seeing how they cope with the unfamiliar surroundings and the choices they make.
Bea finds herself stranded in an airport with other people who have died and are passing through, after a brutal car ...more

I was intrigued by the cover and sucked in by the synopsis and I couldn’t wait to read this one.
I really liked Bea and Caleb. She’s aggressive and maybe a bit hard hearted, but I truly loved reading her unravel her emotions and grow as a character. He seems sweet and unassuming and the conversation between the two of them was interesting. I also really liked Sadie and Jenna and how they tried to make the best of everything.
Plot wise, it was super unique to me. I loved this idea and the executi ...more
I really liked Bea and Caleb. She’s aggressive and maybe a bit hard hearted, but I truly loved reading her unravel her emotions and grow as a character. He seems sweet and unassuming and the conversation between the two of them was interesting. I also really liked Sadie and Jenna and how they tried to make the best of everything.
Plot wise, it was super unique to me. I loved this idea and the executi ...more

It seems odd to call a book about the afterlife "light" and "easy to read" and "delightful," but Layoverland was all of those things. I can't remember a book actually made me laugh out loud (twice!), but this one did with its a-hole with a heart of gold protagonist Bea and a motley crew of side characters populating this airport purgatory. I loved Bea's character development and the evolution of her relationships with the people around her, and the setting was fun to explore for a little bit. It
...more


layoverland was actually a really fun book! i think it's best described as a mix between the good place , soul (the disney movie) and a nice little dash of the afterlife of holly chase .
the idea and execution were spot-on, and i was hesitant about this book that it would ultimately flop but it did a really good job! it was funny, entertaining, and ultimately heartwarming and the messages shone through beautifully.
i think bea was kind of an annoying character, and as much as her considerabl ...more
the idea and execution were spot-on, and i was hesitant about this book that it would ultimately flop but it did a really good job! it was funny, entertaining, and ultimately heartwarming and the messages shone through beautifully.
i think bea was kind of an annoying character, and as much as her considerabl ...more

This book was an absolute delightful surprise.
I finished it in a day. I am going to be honest I downloaded it when I read about it being one of the main books of January or something like that... but I was a little unsure about the life after death aspect.
MAN. This book was so good. I loved the character development.
I loved the characters. I love how real they felt, cause let's face it... most people are okay...but die with unresolved crap... so what if you died and you needed to help people ...more
I finished it in a day. I am going to be honest I downloaded it when I read about it being one of the main books of January or something like that... but I was a little unsure about the life after death aspect.
MAN. This book was so good. I loved the character development.
I loved the characters. I love how real they felt, cause let's face it... most people are okay...but die with unresolved crap... so what if you died and you needed to help people ...more

This was weird? And good. A good weird. Bea is definitely a character who might be tough to read at first, but you see very quickly what really matters to get and how someone like her develops into being.
The food was disgustingly interesting - Jell-O-cased everything. And the side characters were interesting and flashed out.
My only wish would be for a bit more action in the middle - certain things have to be set up but things dragged a bit during that time.
Laugh out loud funny and deep all at ...more
The food was disgustingly interesting - Jell-O-cased everything. And the side characters were interesting and flashed out.
My only wish would be for a bit more action in the middle - certain things have to be set up but things dragged a bit during that time.
Laugh out loud funny and deep all at ...more

Oct 23, 2019
CC the Great is Not Okay
marked it as to-borrow
THIS IS FOR FANS OF THE GOOD PLACE??
*SCREAMS FOR ETERNITY*
*SCREAMS FOR ETERNITY*

Bea is dead. It pretty much sucks. Especially considering the fact that angry lifestyle led to her nearly being sent straight to hell.
But she's got a shot to make things right in purgatory. All she has to do is help 5,000 lost souls find their way to heaven.
Purgatory is 70s style airport where everything is orange and the food is all in jello molds. It's gonna be a great couple of decades. No books, no TV, no internet, just a bunch of semi-good people.
One of her first cases is Caleb. He looks ...more
But she's got a shot to make things right in purgatory. All she has to do is help 5,000 lost souls find their way to heaven.
Purgatory is 70s style airport where everything is orange and the food is all in jello molds. It's gonna be a great couple of decades. No books, no TV, no internet, just a bunch of semi-good people.
One of her first cases is Caleb. He looks ...more

This book was so fun and funny while also being about, well, death. I couldn't put it down and I LOVED IT. If "a recurring joke about Train's 'Hey Soul Sister'" speaks to you (it does to me), then hopefully you'll find this book as hilarious as I did.
...more

I was struggling to read anything during this time in quarantine but I found myself actually going to bed on time so I could read 'Layoverland' so how's that for a big thumbs up?
This book was far better than it had any right to be - full of humor and heart. That same humor about death and the afterlife of shows like 'Dead Like Me' and 'The Good Place' but with a young adult twist that I think works better since being 18 and being self-centered and a little awful is par for the course?
Really qu ...more
This book was far better than it had any right to be - full of humor and heart. That same humor about death and the afterlife of shows like 'Dead Like Me' and 'The Good Place' but with a young adult twist that I think works better since being 18 and being self-centered and a little awful is par for the course?
Really qu ...more

Ahh I had a lot of fun with this one. Loved the flawed, sarcastic main character and her growth, love the originality of it all. Definitely will be looking forward to reading more from the author :)
Full review coming soon!
Thank you to Penguin Random House International for the e-ARC of this book. This did not, in any way, influenced my thoughts and rating.
My Blog - Drizzle & Hurricane Books - Twitter - Bloglovin' ...more
Full review coming soon!
Thank you to Penguin Random House International for the e-ARC of this book. This did not, in any way, influenced my thoughts and rating.
My Blog - Drizzle & Hurricane Books - Twitter - Bloglovin' ...more

This was a wacky concept. Although a bit repetitive. Which of course, its purgatory.
So we follow Bea, a majorly imperfect person who could be described as guarded and skeptical towards others. Overall negative. It's only after she dies and lands in the airport/purgatory that she evolves into a better person.
We get to meet a bunch of characters in the airport as Bea becomes a Memory-Experience agent who basically helps people admit to their life's regrets and move on from purgatory to heaven. Th ...more
So we follow Bea, a majorly imperfect person who could be described as guarded and skeptical towards others. Overall negative. It's only after she dies and lands in the airport/purgatory that she evolves into a better person.
We get to meet a bunch of characters in the airport as Bea becomes a Memory-Experience agent who basically helps people admit to their life's regrets and move on from purgatory to heaven. Th ...more

Looks like someone's been watching The Good Place! But like, sleeping through all the best parts and not really paying attention. This is such a fantastic concept for a book, but I gotta say, I'm pretty disappointed at the execution. I'm leaning towards a 2.5 rating.
Beatrice was pretty fucking annoying and was written as a caricature of a teenage SJW, but then again, maybe that was the point? She's definitely meant to be a bitch since she almost got sent to hell, but she's pushing it, man. I wou ...more
Beatrice was pretty fucking annoying and was written as a caricature of a teenage SJW, but then again, maybe that was the point? She's definitely meant to be a bitch since she almost got sent to hell, but she's pushing it, man. I wou ...more

Who do I have to bribe to get an epilogue?
“Layoverland” follows Bea as she tries to navigate her new reality following a car crash that left her in purgatory that takes the shape of an airport terminal and a new job helping souls cross over to make up for her misdeeds when one such soul is someone she recognizes as the person who killed her and she’ll stop at nothing to make his life hell before he has the chance to reach Heaven.
It’s not lost on me that I finish the book on the very day I will ...more
“Layoverland” follows Bea as she tries to navigate her new reality following a car crash that left her in purgatory that takes the shape of an airport terminal and a new job helping souls cross over to make up for her misdeeds when one such soul is someone she recognizes as the person who killed her and she’ll stop at nothing to make his life hell before he has the chance to reach Heaven.
It’s not lost on me that I finish the book on the very day I will ...more

I don't even know where to start! I've been wanting to read this book for so long and when I got it I was sooooo excited, and I was not let down. As soon as I began reading it was easy to see the sarcastic humor, but it was also a note that recognized how important it is to reflect, if you know what I mean. As a 16 year-old myself, this book was relatable and I understood every reference, which was freaking fantastic; sometimes I read YA books and I can tell an old person wrote it, but Layoverla
...more

I've been following Gabby since the Rookie days (RIP and also I miss Rookie) so I should have know that she'd come up with such a weird concept - purgatory in the form of an airport - and turn it into A DELIGHT!! Who else could make quips about self-care in late capitalism and vampiric periods in Twilight and have them seem so natural coming out of the mouths of dead teens? I read this novel in one singular day and it was just so nice.
...more
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