{"id":33061,"date":"2018-09-03T22:20:05","date_gmt":"2018-09-04T02:20:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=33061"},"modified":"2018-09-03T22:20:05","modified_gmt":"2018-09-04T02:20:05","slug":"review-of-i-woke-up-dead-at-the-mall-by-judy-sheehan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=33061","title":{"rendered":"Review of I Woke Up Dead at the Mall, by Judy Sheehan"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>I Woke Up Dead at the Mall<\/em><\/p>\n

by Judy Sheehan<\/p>\n

Delacorte Press, 2016. 278 pages.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how this book begins:<\/p>\n

I woke up dead. At the mall. Still dressed in the (hideous) mango chiffon bridesmaid gown I was wearing when I died. My hair was still pulled back in an elaborate ponytail that was meant to look windswept, but trust me, it would have survived a tsunami. This proves that if you use enough product, your hair can endure things the rest of you can\u2019t. My shoes sparkled in the light. My French manicure was unchipped. I was surrounded by waves and waves of mango chiffon.<\/p>\n

Isn\u2019t this perfect? I had actually kept my mouth shut, opting not to tell the bride that I\u2019d never be caught dead in mango. Now here I was. Dead. In mango.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It turns out that the place where Sarah woke up dead is the Mall of America in Minnesota. She was from New York City. Most of the people can\u2019t see her, but then she meets Bertha, her Death Coach. Bertha informs Sarah that she was murdered. (How can this be? Sarah didn\u2019t know enough people to have enemies.) Bertha puts Sarah into a support group with other murdered teens from New York who need to move on. If they don\u2019t move on, they\u2019ll become mall walkers, walking through the mall reliving their deaths.<\/p>\n

The teens in the group, one of whom is amazingly attractive, get to visit their own funerals and one day out of their past lives. All with the hope that this will help them let go and move on.<\/p>\n

But when Sarah learns who killed her and that her father is in danger, she doesn\u2019t want to move on without helping her father first. That little problem of falling in love isn\u2019t going to help her move on, either.<\/p>\n

Do I have to mention that I don\u2019t think for a moment any of this will happen after anyone dies? Do I have to mention I don\u2019t agree with the theology here? But this is a tremendously fun novel. I binge-read it in one sitting and enjoyed myself greatly. There\u2019s mystery \u2013 who killed Sarah? There are fun characters and creative world-building. (How does this whole death thing work?) The characters are great, and they all have interesting back stories (which ended up getting them killed).<\/p>\n

This is a fun read that leaves you smiling \u2013 about death. Sure, maybe you\u2019ll think a little harder about how you live your life. But mostly you\u2019ll enjoy watching a good kid named Sarah navigate a difficult and unfamiliar situation by not necessarily following the rules, but doing the best she can.<\/p>\n

judysheehan.com<\/a>
\nrandomhouseteens.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Teens\/i_woke_up_dead_at_the_mall.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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