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A review by nerdybookbabe
The Worst Perfect Moment by Shivaun Plozza
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I have conflicting thoughts about this book. We follow a main character who has died at age 16 and when she arrives to heaven, it is a ratty motel where she spent a long weekend with her dad and sister while her dad kind of falls apart. There is an angel, Zelda, in heaven who is excited and pleased that she made such a perfect replica of the hotel, and quickly becomes devastated when our main character files a complaint that her heaven is wrong. Heaven is supposed to be a replica of your happiest moment while alive. Zelda and the MC have 30 days for an investigation to occur to see if either Zelda's calculations were wrong or if the MC needs to go to purgatory instead of the fast track to heaven.
This was a unique story for sure. But the writing was inconsistent. Sometimes I felt it was snappy, but other times it felt very repetitive and overly young. So many "maybe breaths" and so much calling each other "butt face" and "dickcheese". There's also some teenage "trauma" with friends using each other to get closer to other people, and the MCs mom abandons them (which is definitely rough). I think this overall fell flat for me. Maybe I wasn't in the mood for it? Maybe I'm too old of a reader for it? The MC and Zelda felt more like 13 to me than 16, and maybe it would have worked better as a middle grade book than a YA book? I dunno. I could see teen readers enjoying it but the themes might not resonate with them. Interesting idea, mediocre execution.
I have conflicting thoughts about this book. We follow a main character who has died at age 16 and when she arrives to heaven, it is a ratty motel where she spent a long weekend with her dad and sister while her dad kind of falls apart. There is an angel, Zelda, in heaven who is excited and pleased that she made such a perfect replica of the hotel, and quickly becomes devastated when our main character files a complaint that her heaven is wrong. Heaven is supposed to be a replica of your happiest moment while alive. Zelda and the MC have 30 days for an investigation to occur to see if either Zelda's calculations were wrong or if the MC needs to go to purgatory instead of the fast track to heaven.
This was a unique story for sure. But the writing was inconsistent. Sometimes I felt it was snappy, but other times it felt very repetitive and overly young. So many "maybe breaths" and so much calling each other "butt face" and "dickcheese". There's also some teenage "trauma" with friends using each other to get closer to other people, and the MCs mom abandons them (which is definitely rough). I think this overall fell flat for me. Maybe I wasn't in the mood for it? Maybe I'm too old of a reader for it? The MC and Zelda felt more like 13 to me than 16, and maybe it would have worked better as a middle grade book than a YA book? I dunno. I could see teen readers enjoying it but the themes might not resonate with them. Interesting idea, mediocre execution.