Six Feet Under meets Pushing Daisies in this quirky, heartfelt story about two teens who are granted extra time to resolve what was left unfinished after one of them suddenly dies.
A good friend will bury your body, a best friend will dig you back up.
Dino doesn’t mind spending time with the dead. His parents own a funeral home, and death is literally the family business. He’s just not used to them talking back. Until Dino’s ex-best friend July dies suddenly—and then comes back to life. Except not exactly. Somehow July is not quite alive, and not quite dead.
As Dino and July attempt to figure out what’s happening, they must also confront why and how their friendship ended so badly, and what they have left to understand about themselves, each other, and all those grand mysteries of life.
Critically acclaimed author Shaun Hutchinson delivers another wholly unique novel blending the real and surreal while reminding all of us what it is to love someone through and around our faults.
A Junior Library Guild Selection
“A fearless and brutal look at friendships…you will laugh, rage, and mourn its loss when it’s over.
–Justina Ireland, New York Times bestselling author of Dread Nation
“Simultaneously hilarious and moving, weird and wonderful.”
–—Jeff Zentner, Morris Award–winning author of The Serpent King
“Biting, hopeful, and laugh-out-loud funny, Dino and July’s story is a heartfelt exploration of how our friendships shape us, even after they’re dead and gone.”
– Francesca Zappia, ward-winning author of Eliza and Her Monsters and Made You Up
★ “Gender, sexuality, friendship, life, and death are all sensitively explored in Hutchinson’s surreal, new narrative. His intelligent writing will seduce readers with its complex and spunky characters, lively dialogue, offbeat humor, and emotional depth.”
–Booklist starred review
★ “Like typical adolescents, uncertain Dino and snarky July seem wise beyond their years one moment and maddeningly immature the next, and their journeys to self-discovery will resonate with readers. VERDICT A grotesque, mordantly funny, and tender look at friendship,”
–School Library Journal starred review
“Strong, well-developed characters will have readers feeling like they, too, are friends with Dino and July. Recommended.”
–School Library Connection
“Dino and July are complex characters, and their easy banter is witty, philosophical, and engaging.”
–Horn Book Magazine