ARC Book Review | Denton Little's Deathdate by Lance Rubin

Posted on Monday, April 6, 2015 12:00 AM
Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 14, 2015
My Rating: 3 Stars


Fans of John Green and Matthew Quick: Get ready to die laughing.

Denton Little's Deathdate takes place in a world exactly like our own except that everyone knows the day they will die. For 17-year-old Denton Little, that's tomorrow, the day of his senior prom.

Despite his early deathdate, Denton has always wanted to live a normal life, but his final days are filled with dramatic firsts. First hangover. First sex. First love triangle (as the first sex seems to have happened not with his adoring girlfriend, but with his best friend's hostile sister. Though he's not totally sure. See: first hangover.) His anxiety builds when he discovers a strange purple rash making its way up his body. Is this what will kill him? And then a strange man shows up at his funeral, claiming to have known Denton's long-deceased mother, and warning him to beware of suspicious government characters…. Suddenly Denton's life is filled with mysterious questions and precious little time to find the answers.

Debut author Lance Rubin takes us on a fast, furious, and outrageously funny ride through the last hours of a teenager's life as he searches for love, meaning, answers, and (just maybe) a way to live on.

My Review

Something to Note: I received an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Why Did I Want To Read Denton Little's Deathdate: When I first saw this book, it seemed like it would be a really fun read.  You know, despite the whole death stuff.

The Characters: The characters were actually my favorite part of this book.  They all had such a fun sense of humor (except for Phil), and I was constantly laughing. 
 
I liked Denton, he seemed like a really good guy, but I didn't understand some of the things he did, especially regarding the purple rash that it mentions in the summary.  You would think that if you had a strange purple rash covering your lower half, you would be a little more careful regarding some things, but no one seemed to pay it much mind, and of course, there are always consequences. 
 
And Paolo, oh my gosh, I LOVED him.  Whenever he was around, he really stole the limelight, at least for me.  He was quirky and hilarious, and I just adored him. 
 
I also really liked Denton's family, I loved laughing at his stepmom's texts, as this is exactly how my mom texts me, and his father and brother, although seemingly distant at the beginning of the book, really grew on me.

Willis Ellis deserves a paragraph all to himself.  I don't even know what to say about him.  He was always there at the wrong time, but he made me laugh.  Not necessarily because he was trying or funny, but...oh hell, I can't even explain him.  I'll just say...he's something else.
 
 
My Overall Thoughts: In all honesty, I was expecting to be blown away by this book.  However, that wasn't the case.  Now, don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed it.  It was hilarious and with the plot line, it had the potential to be amazing, but ultimately it fell short. 
 
In the end I was left with so many questions, and not enough answers.  With that ending, I'm assuming that there will be a second book, actually I'm hoping for a second book so that all of my lingering questions will hopefully be answered.
 
However, I really did love trying to figure out what Denton and his friends would get into next, and I loved the fact that this book made me laugh out loud several times.  Overall, this was an extremely funny book, but instead of being completely invested in the story line, I fell more for the characters. 
 
One Line Wrap Up: A hilariously funny book that will have you laughing out loud and wondering what crazy scenarios Denton will find himself in next.


I Would Recommend For Fans Of: Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock
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Christy

Christy is a 27 year old wife, mother, nursing student and self proclaimed book addict. When she's not busy spending time with her family or learning to save lives, you can find her with a book in her hands, and a smile on her face.

Comments (10)

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In a way, I'm really glad it wasn't heavy on the death parts of the concept, especially because it's a weird one, the whole thing would've just been...off otherwise, I think. I loved how his stepmother was, especially since usually stepmothers are portrayed more as the evil stepmother, and how over the top everything was at times. Let's just hope we get the answers in the next one! :D
1 reply · active 518 weeks ago
Totally agree about the death parts! Loved the stepmom! Crossing my fingers for answers :)
This book seems really interesting from the synopsis because you don't see many books about someone who knows when they're going to die let alone someone with a purple rash!
I'm glad you said you liked the characters because I hate books that don't have loveable, realistic characters because they really make the book for me!
My recent post Review: Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver
1 reply · active 518 weeks ago
The characters are what made this book for me! This is definitely one with a unique storyline :)
Glad you enjoyed this even if you weren't blown away by it. :0
1 reply · active 518 weeks ago
Me too :) Thanks for stopping by!
I have to admit, I adored this book. My only real issue was the end, like you said. Things were NOT wrapped up as much as I would have hoped. But OMG Paolo! Loved. And the family too. All the characters were really fun. I have to write my review too, but I am not even sure what to say other than "book is fun, read book" (which, let's be honest, is NOT a great review ;) ) I am glad you enjoyed it, even if you weren't exactly blown away by it!
My recent post Where Are They Now? Fiction Edition
i LOVED this book. It actualy wowed me. I am glad you liked it but sad you didn't love it. you are right, the characters make the book. and you are right the ending left many many questions. So hoping for a second book.
My recent post Delightful Discoveries #96
Eep! Books with good characters, especially ones that are funny, are my thing! I may be able to forgive a less than great plot in exchange for characters like that! I'll definitely be picking this one up! Great review!
My recent post Review: Hit by Delilah S. Dawson
I really like this cover a lot more than the other one I have seen.

And this book sounds so completely different to what I thought it would be. I love books that make you fall in love with the characters most of all. And books that make me laugh are extremely special.

It's a shame that you were left with more questions than answers, but it really does sound like it's leaving the ending open for a sequel. I hope you get a second book, Christy! I hate the feeling of not feeling like you really finished their story.
My recent post A Letter To: 12 Year Old Chiara

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