Denis Ever After

Denis died when he was 7, and he's getting along just fine in Port Haven--the place where souls hang out while they're still being remembered by the living. Once those on Earth stop thinking about them, the dead souls move on to the next step in their process. Denis's twin brother Matt is doing such a good job of remembering Denis that Denis has even aged while he's been in Port Haven, so now he's 12, and his brother has started "haunting" him--his remembrances of Denis are so strong that they're pulling him back to Matt's world. Why? Because Matt wants to know how Denis died and who murdered him.

DENIS EVER AFTER by Tony Abbott follows Denis, Matt, and Trey (Matt's best friend) as they try to work through the mystery surrounding Denis's death. Unfortunately, the afterlife starts to scrub the details of a person's death from them the minute they arrive, so Denis has vague recollections of what happened to him, but nothing really helpful.

DENIS EVER AFTER is a mystery and a meditation with twists and turns, action and relationships, and plenty of opportunities for the reader to try to guess the truth behind Denis's death and the stories that the living are hiding. The bond that Denis and Matt share is wonderful, and the way the story of Denis's death unfolds is fascinating even while it's confusing. This story pulled me in immediately, and the book's take on the afterlife is great. Matt and Denis make it a worthwhile read, and I'd love to see more books that feature the author's take on death and what comes after.

My thanks to the publisher and YA Books Central for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.