Book 23 Denton Little’s Deathdate

 

Denton Little’s Deathdate and Denton Little’s Still Not Dead by Lance Rubin fulfilled the category “A Duology” for the PopSugar 2022 Reading Challenge. Yes, again, I read two different duologies. I wanted to save you some zombie posts.

This title was a surprise find. I grabbed it for the “Book about the Afterlife” category. But it didn’t fit because… Spoiler!! Denton is alive for the entire book. The story is about death, not the afterlife.

In Denton’s universe, science has discovered how to calculate your deathdate. (There’s a little magic in there too, but who’s counting?) Denton Little has known since he was five he would die at seventeen, on prom night. His best friend is scheduled to die a few weeks after. The story begins just short of Denton’s deathdate, and the wild adventure begins with a weird rash.

The author uses dark humor to lighten the topic of dead teenagers. One would think a book about kids dying would be morbid and emo. This tale is hilarious. The array of kookie characters brings the humor. Basically, it’s the cast of Spiderman. Denton is Peter—funny, light-hearted. His best friend Paolo is Ned—nerdy, cute, and down-to-earth. They split MJ into two female characters, Veronica and a childhood friend. They were totally MJ, the way they interacted, spoke, everything. I loved it.

After reading and enjoying the story, I discovered it wasn’t about the afterlife, but there was a sequel. So I grabbed the audiobook read by the author. He did a great job, by the way. The second book had a complete and satisfying ending. I didn't think there would be another novel. So, I’m calling it a duology.

The novel threw out some interesting topics for discussion. Is it better to know when you will die? How would it be to attend your own funeral the day before you passed? In the story, the science of how someone dies is unknown or even the exact hour. To know the date and just live your life until then? The author included counselors to deal with the drama, but mostly the book played with the humor.

The main topic of Book Two centered on science fiddling with our lives. I’m a believer in science, but man, sometimes you wonder if it makes the world better or not. (Hubby and I argue over self-driving cars all the time. It scares me to death. So, a no from me!) Do people have the right not to know their deathdate? To live without that ax hanging over them? Or to know the exact date and organize their life for the end? I don’t know the answer, but I’ve been thinking about it since I read this charming book.

I give Denton Little’s Deathdate and Denton Little’s Still Not Dead by Lance Rubin Five Yellow Clunkers. (Watch out!)