ARC Review: Denton Little’s Death Date by Lance Rubin

Author:  Lance Rubin
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Science Fiction
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 14, 2015
352 pages, hardcover

Check out the full synopsis on Goodreads.

NOTE: I was provided with an e-ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Knopf Books for Young Readers for letting me read this!

Denton Little wakes up in his best friend’s sister’s bed on the morning of his funeral. But this isn’t one of those “the reader knows he’ll die but he doesn’t” books. Denton Little knows he’s going to die tomorrow, and he’s on his way to his own funeral. Because of AstroThanatoGenetics, practically everyone in Denton Little’s world knows the precise day they’re going to die.

Sounds morbid, right? Think again. Denton Little’s Deathdate is a hilarious, whimsical (that word is stupid most of the time but it really works here), thoughtful, wonderful whirlwind of a book. Could you imagine what your life would be like if you knew you were going to die the day of your senior prom? Will Denton die before or after his prom? Would you get super drunk and/or high or would you allow your parents to make you stay all day at your Sitting (a day long wait for your death)?

This book is so great because it is so obviously for teenagers. These characters are teenagers, as in, you could go to your local high school and meet them. They feel so realistic, in the way they talk, in the way they interact with each other. The plot of this book is just so unusual and absurd and silly (in the best way) that it needed these real characters to balance it out. Rubin has found the perfect balance. Plus, there were so many unexpected occurrences that I never once felt like I had everything figured out.

You guys know how much I love a good friendship in a book. Well, I might’ve found the absolute perfect fictional friendship in Denton Little’s Deathdate. Like, if I die before I have a friend like Denton’s best friend Paolo, I’ll feel cheated. They are perfect for each other – witty, punny, caring, loyal.

I love the message in this book too. Life is happening all the time. We always have these little, seemingly insignificant moments and conversations that we take for granted. We should appreciate life and those minutes. If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do?

The bottom line: If you’re one of those people (like me) with a somewhat weird, morbid sense of humor, Denton Little’s Deathdate is right up your alley. Denton is charming, funny, reckless, dying, and his story is wonderful. Check it out.

Rating: 8 – freaking fantastic