Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Dead Rules by Randy Russell

Book Details
Dead Rules by Randy Russell
Hardcover, 384 Pages
2011, HarperTeen
ISBN: 0061986704

Synopsis
Till death

Jana Webster and Michael Haynes were in love. They were destined to be together forever.

Do

But Jana's destiny was fatally flawed. And now she's in Dead School, where Mars Dreamcote lurks in the back of the classroom, with his beguiling blue eyes, mysterious smile, and irresistibly warm touch.

Us

Michael and Jana were incomplete without each other. There was no room for Mars in Jana's life—or death—story. Jana was sure Michael would rush to her side soon.

Part

But things aren't going according to Jana's plan. So Jana decides to do whatever it takes to make her dreams come true—no matter what rules she has to break.

Review
Dead Rules is a fun, fresh life-after-death novel. When Jana dies in a freak bowling accident, she wakes up on a school bus. She's on her way to Dead School, where teens go when they die since they haven't lived enough to prove whether they are heading up or down. Jana's less concerned with being dead than she should be. The only thing that matters to her is the loss of her constantly attached-at-the-hip boyfriend Michael.

Michael's alive. For now. As a riser, Jana is less tethered to the Planet than the sliders. Meaning, she can't effect things on Earth the way the bad kids can. She needs to kill Michael so they can be together again, so she actively tries to get demerits in the hopes of being demoted to slider. Along the way she makes some friends, becomes rather attracted to a slider named Mars, and learns that maybe Romeo and Juliet got it wrong.

Jana is uber annoying in the beginning of Dead Rules. She's obsessed with a capital STALKER when it comes to her boyfriend. She loves him so much she needs to kill him so they can be together forever. And soon, since he'll forget about her and their love if she doesn't get him back immediately. Oh, sweet, completely messed up Jana, how you make me want to strangle you. Mourn your still living boyfriend. Move on with obviously interested Mars. Just stop being a psycho girlfriend already.

Michael is a douche who Jana idolizes for no obvious reason. Super hot Mars clearly cares about her, but since Michael is the be-all-and-end-all of guys, she dismisses him. The school, the other students, the many stories of how each person died, every single thing about Dead Rules is wonderful. Except Jana. Who needs to be kicked in the head for being THAT girl. I even enjoyed her insanity for a while, but it went on for far too long.

Darkly comedic and utterly refreshing, Dead Rules is a wonderful debut novel. I'll be on the look out for more novels like this one from Randy Russell in the future.

Rating

Links
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