Scan barcode
ang0521's review against another edition
5.0
This book has a ridiculous title and that is what grabbed my attention when I found it on BookOutlet. I expected this book to be funny and stupid. It has some funny parts but it’s certainly not stupid. Ya a well written young adult book about life and the choices we make. It gives the afterlife a sort of light hearted feel and it’s so easy to like and enjoy each character. I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did and I definitely wasn’t expecting to cry like I did.
missgrangerr's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
If you are a fan of romances and predictability this book is for you.
I thought the premise was funny which is why I picked it up, and I liked the narrator enough to keep me interested when I normally would have put the book down. The story was a little unimaginative for me, she is dead yet she still can do everything a normal alive teenager could? I mean who writes about ghosts who can eat, have sex, and shop? Yes, they are all guilt free activities however it seemed like a lack on imagination. The book was incredibly predicable, but it was still enjoyable. If you are looking for a quick, light read this is it.
I thought the premise was funny which is why I picked it up, and I liked the narrator enough to keep me interested when I normally would have put the book down. The story was a little unimaginative for me, she is dead yet she still can do everything a normal alive teenager could? I mean who writes about ghosts who can eat, have sex, and shop? Yes, they are all guilt free activities however it seemed like a lack on imagination. The book was incredibly predicable, but it was still enjoyable. If you are looking for a quick, light read this is it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
asunnybooknook's review against another edition
2.0
This book has annoying YA contemporary vibes all over it. The magical realism was a bit cringey, as were a lot of the characters (who all were very flat and archetypical), and the love subplot was kind of stupid. However, the humor and little "stories" it was interjected with made it BEARABLE to read. It wasn't necessarily an AWFUL book, just a bit less than mediocre. I'm definitely going to make a review video on it soon, so that'll be moron-depth than this.
madisenmc's review against another edition
2.0
This story was fine, but it could have been better. There was only one plot line and it kinda got old after a while, but the story was very unique.
saidtheraina's review against another edition
3.0
I was underwhelmed by some things, but pulled through by things I wasn't expecting.
I picked this up thinking it might be a good readalike for the show "The Good Place," which is trending in my friend-group. I'm not sure how many teens, much less middle schoolers, are into that show, but it fits in the snarky niche of my middle school booktalk lineup.
The title/cover doesn't lie - Sarah wakes up dead in the mall. In a giant bridesmaid's dress.
I was looking forward to enjoying exploring the mall-as-afterlife, but turns out, it's more complicated than that. I won't spoil the details, but the Mall isn't a universal afterlife in this story.
I also wasn't as charmed by the writing/character as I thought I might be after hearing others review it. Sarah is a privileged white girl, and I've been trying to read fewer stories about people who have been the stars of media for all of modern life. There's also a fairly run-of-the-mill instalove hetero romance, and these days it takes a lot for a heteroromance to actually interest me. But I recognize that that's a personal lens issue I have.
All that said, I was feeling underwhelmed, and then the hook totally surprised me. In a really good way. And the book turns into a different kind of story. A mystery, actiony thing that the parts of me that read hundreds of Nancy Drew stories really really liked.
So yeah, there are people who will like the writing here more than I did.
There are people who will like the setting more than I did.
I ended up liking this for the plot.
I'll be taking this out to middle schools in winter 2018.
--
Edit to add: I ended up splicing together many of Bertha's lines from the first chapter or so. It took a bit for things to gel, but it ended up being the runaway hit of the last two schools I performed this set of booktalks at. Great concept!
I picked this up thinking it might be a good readalike for the show "The Good Place," which is trending in my friend-group. I'm not sure how many teens, much less middle schoolers, are into that show, but it fits in the snarky niche of my middle school booktalk lineup.
The title/cover doesn't lie - Sarah wakes up dead in the mall. In a giant bridesmaid's dress.
I was looking forward to enjoying exploring the mall-as-afterlife, but turns out, it's more complicated than that. I won't spoil the details, but the Mall isn't a universal afterlife in this story.
I also wasn't as charmed by the writing/character as I thought I might be after hearing others review it. Sarah is a privileged white girl, and I've been trying to read fewer stories about people who have been the stars of media for all of modern life. There's also a fairly run-of-the-mill instalove hetero romance, and these days it takes a lot for a heteroromance to actually interest me. But I recognize that that's a personal lens issue I have.
All that said, I was feeling underwhelmed, and then the hook totally surprised me. In a really good way.
Spoiler
All of the people in the mall were murdered.So yeah, there are people who will like the writing here more than I did.
There are people who will like the setting more than I did.
I ended up liking this for the plot.
I'll be taking this out to middle schools in winter 2018.
--
Edit to add: I ended up splicing together many of Bertha's lines from the first chapter or so. It took a bit for things to gel, but it ended up being the runaway hit of the last two schools I performed this set of booktalks at. Great concept!
dhils_g's review against another edition
3.0
⭐⭐⭐/5
In a word #judysheehan I woke up dead at the mall is real.
Even though the title is a dead giveaway of what the story is centered around, there is more to the tale than what it seems. The textbook definition of don't judge a book by it's cover.
I woke up dead at the mall has such a deep meaning and deep understanding of the world encompassed to a bittersweet light story.
It has everything! Starting from a murder mystery, a scheming two timing character who no one suspected all the way to finding friendship, love and most of all hope in the most unlikeliest of places.
It's a story about helping people beyond death and having their back always.
It's all kinds of funny from how the characters are shaped all the way to several dialogues (and the master of the universe being well..... Adorable.)
I woke up dead at the mall is the perfect read for those of you who love post-death comedy movies like #teenspiritmovie and #afterlifeoftheparty
In a word #judysheehan I woke up dead at the mall is real.
Even though the title is a dead giveaway of what the story is centered around, there is more to the tale than what it seems. The textbook definition of don't judge a book by it's cover.
I woke up dead at the mall has such a deep meaning and deep understanding of the world encompassed to a bittersweet light story.
It has everything! Starting from a murder mystery, a scheming two timing character who no one suspected all the way to finding friendship, love and most of all hope in the most unlikeliest of places.
It's a story about helping people beyond death and having their back always.
It's all kinds of funny from how the characters are shaped all the way to several dialogues (and the master of the universe being well..... Adorable.)
I woke up dead at the mall is the perfect read for those of you who love post-death comedy movies like #teenspiritmovie and #afterlifeoftheparty
ang0521's review
5.0
This book has a ridiculous title and that is what grabbed my attention when I found it on BookOutlet. I expected this book to be funny and stupid. It has some funny parts but it’s certainly not stupid. Ya a well written young adult book about life and the choices we make. It gives the afterlife a sort of light hearted feel and it’s so easy to like and enjoy each character. I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did and I definitely wasn’t expecting to cry like I did.
alyssamarie822's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
simplythebesty's review against another edition
2.0
The idea was interesting, but the whole thing was just too immature. The only way the heroine completed anything is because a boy helped her.