Life After Theft

Life After Theft #1

by Aprilynne Pike

Moving to a new high school sucks. Especially a rich-kid private school. With uniforms. But nothing is worse than finding out the first girl you meet is dead. And a klepto.

No one can see or hear Kimberlee except Jeff, so--in hopes of bringing an end to the snarkiest haunting in history--he agrees to help her complete her "unfinished business." But when the enmity between Kimberlee and Jeff's new crush, Sera, manages to continue posthumously, Jeff wonders if he's made the right choice.

Clash meets sass in this uproarious modern-day retelling of Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel , by #1 New York Times best-selling author Aprilynne Pike.

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Ghosts, Contemporary, Fantasy, Romance, Fiction

352 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2013

About the author

Aprilynne Pike has been spinning faerie stories since she was a child with a hyper-active imagination. At the age of twenty she received her BA in Creative Writing from Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. When not writing, Aprilynne can usually be found at the gym; she also enjoys singing, acting, reading, and working with pregnant moms as a childbirth educator and doula. Aprilynne currently lives with her husband and three kids in Utah, and dreams of warmer climates.

Aprilynne Pike's #1 New York Times best-selling debut, WINGS, is the first of four books about a seemingly ordinary girl with a not-so-ordinary destiny. In this tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever...

Aprilynne's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/aprilynnepike

Reviews

[Fafa's Book Corner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mini review:

DNF

This is the second time that I've read this book. I've realized that my problem with this book is the writing style. Something about it read ridiculous and very dumb. I think this would've made a better movie than a book. Maybe it's better as an audio book. But I can't deal with audio books because I loose focus and feel like sleeping.

I definitely recommend this! The friendship that forms between Kimberlee and Jeff is sweet. And maybe you'll like the writing style better than I did.

[Claude's Bookzone · Rating 3 out of 5]

CW: Suicidal thoughts, death from drowning, outing of boy

Well this is the most misleading cover I have ever seen!

This book is a reimagining of The Scarlet Pimpernel. It is told from the point of view of Jeff, who steps in to help a ghost with her unfinished business. It was actually a surprisingly fun book where stealth and deception are needed to complete the monumental task of helping to make things right. Yes, the ghost is quite an annoying diva, and it oozed high school drama, so go in with the right expectations. I'm pleased to be adding this to the library. I am considering putting a big big sticker over the cover though, as it is very much a book that would be enjoyed by anyone, however the cover may be off putting to a few people.

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5-4 Stars.

What would you do if a ghost asked you for help to move on? I know what I would do (run and scream!) but this isn’t about me.

Jeff has moved from Phoenix to Los Angeles and is starting school at Whitestone, a private and exclusive school in Santa Monica. He quickly runs into Kimberlee, a girl no one else can see. Kimberlee is ecstatic that someone can finally see her after a year of wondering the school hallways. You see, Kimberlee died a year ago and can’t move on. She thinks she knows why but needs help to make amends. After some convincing she gets Jeff to agree to help her return “a few things” to people she stole from while alive. Jeff is shocked, to say the least, that he can see Kimberlee and doubts his sanity or the reality of the situation. But if returning a few items will get Kimberlee, a conceited and abrasive ghost, out of his life, the sooner the better. Two things he doesn’t count on are falling for Sera, who is basically the prime enemy of Kimberlee, and something in regards to the items stolen. I won’t elaborate on that.

Jeff was sweet, smart, and easy going, so it was no trouble being inside of his head for this story. He provided humor with his inner commentary and his male perspective felt authentic. He also provides a wake-up call and conscience to Kimberlee who was quite unlikeable as a ghost, but even more so in real life. When her deeds come to life I couldn’t help but be disgusted with her. Sera was a great contrast to Kimberlee. She was imperfect, as we all are, with mistakes in her past but she’s strived to change for the better. One of the chief reasons Kimberlee hates Sera so much is because her changes show just how deficient Kimberlee’s character was/is.

It’s been hard for me to nail down my thoughts and emotions on this read, but I think I’ve finally figured out why. This story is both light and dark. Light in the parts with Jeff: his growing romance with Sera, his wonderful and open relationship with his parents, and in his sweet and steady personality. The romance was a highlight for me (shocker!). Here’s a swoony quote to sample:

Her mouth was so soft and warm I could hardly believe it was real. But when I got nervous and pulled away, her fingers pressed tight against my back and she ran her other arm up around my neck, pulling my face back down to hers…Her hands gripped my shoulders, almost like she needed help balancing.*

By contrast there is the darker story of Kimberlee. She’s trying to right her wrongs, but mostly for selfish reasons throughout much of the story. I didn’t like her at all, especially when the full extent of her actions is revealed. She really hurt so many people, but Sera and her brother Mikhail in particular, and horribly!

Jeff was the perfect person to finally see Kimberlee because he was just such a good guy. Kimberlee’s past actions and how wrong they were finally started registering to her, but sometimes this is too little, too late. Anyways, my feelings we’re both happy and sad when I finished, and I’m still not sure what I feel exactly, but I did enjoy the story. I was totally invested in seeing how things played out.

This was between 3.5-4 Stars for me. I'm still going back and forth.

*Quote taken from an uncorrected proof and may change in the final copy.

A copy was provided by Harper Teen in exchange for an honest review.

Come visit The Readers Den for a chance to win an ARC copy of Life After Theft.

[Jaime Arkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

First of all let me get this out of the way. This is an example of a book where, in my opinion, the cover alienates an entire group of potential readers. This book SCREAMS female contemporary to me. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the book is told from a male point of view.



No teen boy will ever be caught dead carrying this book around with a cover like that, yet, I think that this is a story that would appeal to many boys!

phew... okay that's out of the way...

In Life After Theft, Jeff is the new kid at a private school for the rich and the first 'person' he encounters isn't even a person at all. She's a ghost. Kimberlee has been trapped in her school uniform haunting the area for the last year and it turns out that Jeff is the only person that can see her.

It turns out that Kimberlee was the 'mean girl' of the school and before her death had done some pretty horrible things. She also thinks she has figured out what her 'unfinished business' is and she needs Jeff's help to complete it so that she can move on to where ever her next stop might be.

Jeff finally agrees to the ginormous task, but when he and Kimberlee clash on just about everything, he wonders if he is really doing the right thing.

This was definitely a cute, light, fun read and if you're looking for some deep dark reasons as to why Jeff could see Kimberlee and others couldn't, or why Kimberlee was such a kleptomaniac in the first place or why she was such a bully, you're not going to get them here.

I truly liked Jeff's character. He was snarky and fun and very very likable. But, in all honesty, I didn't really feel the connection between him and Sera (his love interest). Maybe it was just me, but I just didn't connect with her as a character or get why he liked her so much.

Kimberlee had me on the fence. I get that I wasn't really supposed to like her character... she was despicable. But I felt her connection with Jeff was a bit more solid than his with Sera, and she was alive! I was able to understand a bit (i.e. teeny tiny bit) why she did some of the things she did, but I don't know if I buy the reason for the extreme bullying. That seemed a bit flimsy to me.

The writing and the pacing of the story were both really well done and for the most part I was pretty engrossed in the story. I think if you're looking for something light, cute and funny - maybe a good summer beach read, Life After Theft might be a perfect choice!

Thanks to HarperTeen/HarperCollins and Edelweiss for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

This review can be found on my blog, Fic Fare:

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

3.5 star

This copy was given to me for review purposes, no compensation was given to alter this review.
Aprilynne Pike strikes again, with a light fun ghost story that caught me from the second I began to read. I've read her 'Wings' series, and wasn't a big fan. However, Ms. Pike really outdid herself with this baby. Magnificent piece of work!

I think I have already stated this but I like to avoid creepy ghost stories, they scare the hell outta me and I get scarred for life. Literally. However, my fellow wimps, this is surprisingly a light read. There is nothing scary about this ghost novel.

Jeff has just moved to a new school, rich and sophisticated. And when he thinks everything will just be fine, the first person he meets happens to be a girl. A girl ghost. He also happens to be the only person who can see Kimberlee so she drags him into her ghostly afterlife to finish some unfinished business.

Life After Theft is one of those books that have exceptionally well defined characters and personalities. The author manages to make a really average, unimportant person, Jeff become the central character in an amazing story. While such Jeff seems like a insignificant person at a glance, his personalities are so likeable and humorous as the story progresses.
I really dont like Sera all that much. Imagine the typical cliche girl who has everything, head cheerleader, rich, messed up family and then has some problems of her own that just take over the entire story. THANKFULLY, Life After Theft is not Sera's life story, she is Jeff's crush with a gravitating role to the plot.
Ahh...Kimberlee. What can I say? Another cliche girl (used to be and still is as a ghost!) but has such a likeable aspect to it that it's kinda hard to get frustrated at her for too long. Yes, sometimes Kimberlee just acts like a 6 year old *cough* like my sister *cough. cough* but there is always an empathetic side of me that resides to her.

Here is one quote from 73% of the way in of why Kimberlee is so awesome. (The following sentence(s) may be altered or removed in the final copy)
She was on this nostalgia-for-childhood-kick so we were on about our tenth episode of My Little Pony. OMG. OMG, that was just seriously awesome. I squealed when I read that. LITERALLY. My little Pony<3 Me and Kimberlee are like Pegasistersss!

One concern when I went into Life After Theft was the romance. Will this be another ghost-human relationship? Is there going to be a stupid love triangle? Fortunately, there is none of that crap. NONE OF IT. The romance was cute between Jeff and Sera--even though it was awkward at the beginning.

One small thing I wasn't one hundred percent happy with was the plot. Sure, it was a great premise but lacked twists and depth. I felt like there was more to the plot than trying to return bags of stolen goods. Sadly, when I turned that last page, it dawned to me that there was no more elaboration, plot wise.

Talking about the ending, it was probably one of the worst ever. Not in the way that it was horribly written, in the way that it was so well concluded that I didn't want it to end. I was so pissed...

All in all, Life After Theft was a refreshing, light ghost story that pleased me well and truly. Aprilynne Pike has officially redeemed her spot in my 'liked' authors list! I am so definitely looking out for more by her! Recommend to anyone in for something quick and humorously intriguing.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars - I liked this book, but I'm a bit disappointed after reading Pike's Wings series. I wasn't expecting more than a cute, fun read, but Life After Theft just felt really ordinary. Maybe it was Sera. Or maybe it was because there were a few things that made me stop and think, "What?"

First of all, it took me a few paragraphs to realize this book was written in a boy's point of view. Actually, it was when it said, "Hi, my name is Jeff." I think it was the cover that threw me off, and after rereading the summary, I thought maybe it was one of those books that had boy's and girl's point of view. Not like it mattered, but it kind of made me stumble a bit.

Life After Theft wasn't a book to analyze, and there were a lot of things that I was wondering about. Why was Jeff able to see Kimberlee when so many couldn't? Kimberlee explained why she picked on Sera, but I couldn't understand why the extreme bullying and strong hatred. And I couldn't figure out the exact timeline of Sera's "past" - if she was a troubled kid before Kimberlee bullied her, which is what made her an easy target or if it was because of Kimberlee's bullying that she decided to become that way.

Also, there were a lot of things in the book that just felt unreal. I mean, yeah, we are talking about a paranormal story, but the rest of it. I mean, Kimberlee stole a LOT of stuff, and it just seems weird that she would have organized everything. And I'm glad that the wrestling team was able to help out, but it seems very unlikely they would do so with little question - especially when they have a lot to lose. And there are other little things like how Jeff's parents treated him after he came home drunk. And don't get me started on the authorities.

The sad thing was, I wasn't a big fan of Sera. I think it was the way her character was written, but I didn't trust her. I kept waiting for her to unveil her big, "Aha! I tricked you! Don't you feel like a fool?" and hurt Jeff. And I understand she has a past, but her good-goody-two-shoes perfect image kind of annoyed me. I almost could understand why Kimberlee didn't like her very much. And yeah, Kimberlee was an evil spoiled brat, but I thought she was more interesting. I really do wish that Pike had written it in a dual POV because Kimberlee's character did show a lot of development.

At the same time, the book was cute with a similar tone to Stacey Kade's "The Ghost and the Goth" although I felt the that book had more of a "personality" than this one. Still, it was heartwarming and conveyed a good message. So yeah, I still don't know how to rate this one. And I'm one of those who will give a cute, cliche book 4 or 5 stars if it's entertainment. It's just that, there were things with this one that just didn't sit well enough for me.

Aprilynne Pike has a new book!!! And it's said to be "Paranormalcy meets Heist Society in this new twist on ghosts from #1 New York Times bestselling author."

[Colleen Fauchelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jeff first day at a new school. His life is about to get crazy when he meets kimberlee who has been dead a year and since Jeff can see her and no one else can she gets him to help her give all the stuff she has stolen from classmates, teachers and shops so she can move on. So poor Jeff not only has get use to a new private school but he also has to help a ghost and he is going to need help because she stole a cave full of stuff.
This has it all, drama, first sexual experience, a ride in a cop car and of course a ghost, what more could a young adult book need.

[Mizuki]

Today I saw this book in the library.

I picked it up and read the blurb, I thought: "Okay, the story sounds *almost* interesting. Although it also reeks of Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver."

And then I looked at the cover again, and was reminded who the author of this book is:

Aprilynne Pike.

Aprilynne Pike, who wrote the god-awful Wings series.

Aprilynne Pike, who supplied us with Mary Sues, silly love triangles, anti-feminism, unrealistic love interests, cardboardcut villains, nonexistent plots and meaningless stories.

Aprilynne Pike, whose stories are not even worth the papers they were printed on.

For the sake of my sanity, I put the book back down before I did something foolish.

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

This is my second book by Aprilynne Pike, after reading her book EarthBound, I knew I had to read her other books! I was so happy I did! It definitely did not disappoint me, but it did surprise me. After reading summary of the book, I thought it will be some funny, light read, but it wasn't all that funny or exactly light. Jeff is the narrator of the story, and I love that the story was told from male perspective! Jeff comes to a new rich, private school. On his first day he walks in the hallway and sees a girl laying on the floor in the middle of the hallway, and of course he now thinks that the school doesn't seem that bad anymore (because of the hot girl laying in the middle of the hallway). But he than finds out that he is the only one who can see her, and at first he thinks he is going crazy, but than Kimberlee proves that she is a ghost, and not his imagination. She said she's stuck as a ghost and can't move on because of her unfinished business, and asks him to help her...or if he doesn't she will hunt him for life. You see, she is not really a nice ghost, she is an ex-popular, spoiled, mean girl. He agrees, but not only because of her threat, but also because he feels sorry for her. She said she just needs him to return some things she stole...what he didn't expect is a cave FULL of stolen stuff. He now sees that Kimberlee is a total kleptomaniac, but he still agrees to help her. So the story goes on, on his little adventure trying to get all of the stolen stuff back to people, almost everyone in his new school, and every store in the mall. While on his tasks, he meets a girl Sera, which Kimberlee is enemies with. Than he starts finding out secrets about Kimberlee's and Sera's past, and they are some dark little secrets. Kimberlee is not making his life easy for him, with trying to get him away from Sera and returning her stolen stuff faster. I really liked the book plot, I was glad it was not just light, romance story, but also a little dark. There were only some little parts that were a little bit unbelievable to me, but they were small, and it didn't ruin the story, and anyway its fiction:D
I really liked Jeff's character. I felt like he was a developed character, and really believable. I really liked how he was trying to do the right things through out the book, even if it made his life not easy...at all. I also liked Kimbrelee. I know that she is a total bitch, and mean and you know everything else, but I actually liked her mean character. It made her relationship with Jeff a lot more interesting to follow. What character I didn't really like was Sera. Through out the whole book I thought she was a fake, like everything she did was an act...I don't if that's the expression the author wanted to leave. I did liked her brother though! He was cool, and I liked how protective he was. Oh! I almost forgot! I also liked Jeff's parents, I think a lot of teens would want their parents to be like his...actually I probably like them, because they remind me of my parents, because my parents are also chill like that:D
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast read to me, and Aprilynne Pike is definitely a great writer, now I have to check out her other books. If you are looking for a fast, easy, at times funny and a little dark read, you should definitely read "Life After Theft"!

[Muse-ic ♬ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75
I enjoyed this book. With the constant promise of imminent capture, I was always on the edge of my seat!

Kimberlee is a kleptomaniac asshole who died. Now her ghost is stuck and can't move on. She decides that the new kid, Jeff, has to help her move on because he is the only person who can see her. She figures her ghostly unfinished business is to return that shitload of things she stole.



I liked the whole "Kimberlee learning to accept and regret what a shitty person she was when she was alive" thing. I really did like her, especially at the end.
Jeff's relationship with Sera was cute, although the "I love you's" after a month were a bit of a stretch. But cute all the same :D

My main criticism of this book is that I feel like there were too many loose threads at the end, too many questions left unanswered. Some were obviously on purpose, but I still didn't like them:
What happened when Jeff talk to Sera about all that happened with Kimberlee the next day? We'll never know. Did she believe him? Did she think he was mad?
What happened with Mikhail? And Preston? Did he ever learn that he was caught?
Why is Jeff the only one who can see Kimberlee? Honestly for this one, I kind of have an answer and I think it's because he was meant to get together with Sera, so he was the only one who could have helped Kimberlee somewhat fix her relationship with Sera.
Why did no one question where Jeff got all the stolen stuff from? They should not have been stupid enough to not ask. And had they asked, they would have discovered that he trespassed multiple times on private property, and those are real chargers that could be pressed against him.
What happened with Jeff's parents? We don't see him telling them what happened. How did they react? Was he grounded?

The principal is a jerk face.

I listened to this as an audiobook and it was strange in the beginning because the narrator was Jesse Bernstein, the one who narrated Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I kept associated him with Percy in the beginning.

But yeah. Fun!

[Booknut 101 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well. That did not end as expected!

I felt a little let down. I mean, it's probably a massive cliche, but I wanted to grab Jeff and Kim and just go:



That didn't happen...unfortunately! But great book - very reminiscent of The Ghost and the Goth with a little kleptomania thrown in :)

[Jessica (Odd and Bookish) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I liked it a lot. It had a very unique story and was well written. It's a quick and fun read.

[Ceilidh]

Did not finish.

I almost never DNF. This book beat me. It was just awful in every way. Juvenile prose, irritating characters, banal plot, nothing worked at all.

[Lil · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I'm struggling to properly describe this book. Think...John Tucker Must Die. And please, nobody act like you don't know what movie that is because everyone secretly knows what movie that is. You know how it's based off of a totally ludicrous plot-line that cannot be further from reality, but it's executed in such a spectacularly entertaining manner that you love the movie, the cast, and everything about it? Yeah, this is just like that. The plot is nuts, the characters are nuts, everything is nuts, but it's perfectly nuts. I loved every minute of it (and I'm not ashamed to admit it). It brings about the warm fuzzies and the kind of one-liners equivalent to Mean Girls. And, damn, am I happy to say that it's been a while since a book made me crack up so hard. Then again, this is Mrs. Pike we are talking about. I adored her Wings series, so I've bent over backwards in anticipation for this book, and I jumped with joy when I was able to get my hands on it.

This book is written from a male perspective, which Pike nailed. Jeff''s a genuinely nice guy, but he does have the concerns a-typical for a male teenager. However, they're not overpowering. He's no jerk, but he's no jock. He's a realistic nerdy kid who went from a poor lifestyle to a wealthy one, and he's just trying to fit in. I loved every minute of his characterization, his thoughts, his attempts to fit in only to come full circle and realize he likes himself the way he is without the necessity to drink himself into oblivion. Really, I just loved him. He is perhaps one of the most realistic male protagonists written by a female that I have come across in a while. What a great feat by Pike.

And his wonderful characterization sets us up for Kimberlee's insane characterization and the plot that she brings on. See, Kimberlee's a ghost. She died over a year ago in the riptide on the private beach in her posh mansion, mysteriously ending a ring of thefts that haunted her rich neighborhood for quite a while. To put it's simply, while alive she was a witch with a capital "B." And some of that has translated into her ghostly self. She's controlling, manipulative, rude, and mean. She lies, she schemes, but she has a heart buried somewhere deep. This is her story of redemption. When Jeff moves to town, she realizes that he is the first person ever that can see her. And with him, she believes, comes her freedom. She takes him to a cave hidden on her property and inside that cave, alphabetized, bagged, and dated is every item she has ever stolen. It's his job to return everything to their rightful owners since she can't touch it all. Logic says that if she makes amends and gives it all back, she can move on instead of continuing on in her hellish reality where her only friend is a nerd named Jeff (who I still like very much). Nutty, right?

But the plot gets better when Jeff's attempts to return everything slowly causes the town to question who the original string of thefts belongs to. And at the same time he gains unlikely allies, makes unwanted enemies, and somehow finds true love in Sera, the once-broken cheerleader who cheers for her love of gymnastics. But as Sera shows signs of lying and deception, Jeff worries if all women in his life, aside form his Mom, cannot be trusted. Kimberlee, then Sera, who next?

I have to say that I find every aspect of this novel compelling. And I really liked his parents as well. They were there some times and weren't there other times, so they don't exactly fall into the cliche of having missing parents, but I did have a few issues with them. See, Jeff's parents had him while they were still in high school and they got married on the night of their high school graduation. They're young and still in love, so they're naturally laid back. The times they are not in the house are chalked up to their romantic weekend getaways they take to keep their romance going. So, yes, I liked that their disappearances were explained. And I liked how they were laid back, they trusted Jeff and his true intentions even when there was a small issue where a Cop was wrongfully called. But they're perhaps a little too laid back. When it comes to the topic of losing one's virginity, his Mom was content and even smiled at the mention of his girlfriend having condoms. And this is where there believability went completely out the window for me. They seemed okay accepting. He mentioned that they had him young, so they can't have a problem. They needed to put an iron fist down in this scenario instead of being so laid back, you know? They accepted the entire "I love her and it's the right time and place thing." Even if I gave my parents that spiel and they approved of the guy I was dating, if they caught me red-handed I'd be grounded for life. I was so thankful to have a set of parents that I found to be real, only to realize that they weren't really strict parents. To me, in that instant, I realized their ideals were slightly screwy and they had me rolling my eyes a little. Really, the only plot point I had issues with, but it led the way for some unbelievable interactions between parents and son that made my nose scrunch up enough to dock half a star.

All in all, I highly recommend this book. However, it is to slightly mature young adult readers. There's mentions of homosexuality and drugs. There's death, the mention of suicidal thoughts, and one instance of partying and getting drunk. And from the above paragraph you can infer there's one instance of sex, though not detailed at all. I loved this book, and I can't imagine anyone else disliking it. I have never read a book with a klepto in it before and Pike's great detail in regards to Kimberlee's weakness makes me curious about what other amazing and unique stories she can turn out. Once again, Pike has managed to blow me away.

[Dark Faerie Tales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: A fun, witty YA contemporary read with a paranormal twist and a good message.

Opening Sentence: I HATE THIS SCHOOL.

The Review:

Jeff has just recently moved to Santa Monica and has to start a new school. His family moved to Hollywood so his mom could pursue her dreams of being an actress. He is going to a private school full of rich kids, and horrible uniforms. On his first day things start to look up when he sees a very hot girl laying on the floor blowing a bubble. Then he finds out that the girl is dead and only he can see her, so much for things looking up.

Kimberlee drowned in an accident about a year and a half ago and she has been stuck as a ghost ever since. No one has ever been able to see or hear her until Jeff. Kimberlee had a pretty big stealing problem while she was alive, and if she ever wants to move on she needs Jeff to help her return everything she took. Jeff, being the nice guy he is, agrees to help her, but when he sees how much stuff she took the task becomes pretty daunting. Then Jeff starts to fall for a girl at his new school, but it turns out her and Kimberlee didn’t get along very well while she was alive. Death hasn’t changed their disdain for each other and Jeff is wondering if he made the right decision to help Kimberlee.

The book is all told from Jeff’s point of view, and I have to say that it was refreshing to read from a male POV. Jeff is funny and a little nerdy, but he is a really good person. He is pretty laid back and likes who he is. He really wants to help Kimberlee, but he also likes that he is helping all the people she stole from as well. Jeff tries to always see the best in people even when there aren’t a whole lot of good things to see. I really loved Jeff, he has a great personality and it was fun to get inside his head.

Kimberlee was your typical beautiful rich girl. She was mean and unhappy for most of her human life, and she hasn’t really changed much since becoming a ghost. She had a serious problem when it came to stealing, she tried to stop but it would make her physically ill when she did. That resulted in a cave full of things that belonged to other people, and she had no way to give it back until she meets Jeff. Kimberlee hates being a ghost, so she swallows her pride and asks Jeff for his help. Kimberlee is snarky and annoying at times, but she has a few redeeming moments throughout the book. She was a good contradiction to Jeff’s good boy persona, and I enjoyed learning her story.

This was a really fun read for me. There is witty banter, laugh out loud moments, memorable characters, and a good story. The plot was a little predictable, but there were a few fun surprises. This was a fast read and I enjoyed it the whole way through. The highlight of the book was the message Pike was trying to communicate to the readers. Everyone has made mistakes, but we always have a choice to become what type of person we want to be. I have been a fan of Pike’s work for a while now; her writing style is very entertaining and fun. I would highly recommend this to anyone that likes a good laugh, but also appreciates an underlining good message.

Notable Scene:

She tilted her head to the back of the cave. I turned and blinked, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness. When they finally did, my jaw dropped.

There must have been a hundred boxes stacked in the back of the cave, which was way deeper than I’d expected. “A few things? A few things! Are you insane?” My voice echoed through the cave, repeating my words back to me.

“Jeff. . .” Her voice was uncharacteristically quiet.

“This is ridiculous. You lied to me.”

“I did not.”

“No one in their right mind would ever classify this as ‘a few things. You lied to get me up here and hoped you could just flutter your eyes and it would be all better. Well, it’s not.” I backed away from the massive pile of boxes. “I’m not doing this.”

“Jeff. . .”

“I should call the cops,” I said as I backed away. No way could I return all this stuff on my own, not in any reasonable amount of time. “I’ll bet they could—”

“No!” Kimberlee shouted, running after me. “They’d just confiscate it all. Then I’d be stuck here forever! Jeff, please.”

“No. I’m leaving,” I said, as much to myself as to Kimberlee, “and I am not coming back.”

FTC Advisory: Harper Collins provided me with a copy of Life After Theft. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[Darla · Rating 1 out of 5]

(Genre:Teen Fiction) Okay, I really didn't read this book, but I did start it. I was not a huge fan of Aprilynne Pike's first book/series "Wings" (it was okay, but not terribly compelling and I got tired) but when I heard about this book, I was intrigued. Here is the premise: Teenage boy (Jeff) moves to new school and finds that he is the only person that can see Kimberlee, a former student at the school. Kimberlee died a year ago but is unable for some reason to move on. She decides that she needs Jeff's help in returning all the items that she stole while alive, hoping that this will release her spirit to move on. It sounded fun and very different than Pike's previous offerings. But I didn't get very far into the story (maybe a chapter or two) before I was worried about content due to some profanity & sexual innuendo, so I skimmed ahead and definitely decided that this was not a book I wanted to read. I understand that some writers feel like they have to use profanity to be 'realistic' since many teens speak like that, but I think that it is overused and there are other (and better) ways to bring 'realism' to your writing.

Everything from here on out will contain spoilers (and me ranting) so do not read any further if you don't want to know. You have been warned. Because there were several sexually-toned remarks so early on in the story, I was worried about content. And sure enough, the main character/hero has sex with his girlfriend towards the end of the book with the attitude that "its okay because I really love her, I used protection, and my parent's were sexually active in high school and it all worked out okay for them." So not the message that I would want to give to one of my teenagers (or anyone else's). I have ranted about this topic before in other reviews, so I will try to keep this brief. The teenage years are not a good time for sexual relationships (evidenced by how few of those relationships work out long term). I believe that they are a time to discover who you really are as a person and to learn basic relationship skills (like being a good friend, thinking of others, etc.) that will enable you to form a lasting, meaningful (and at the right time, sexual) relationship later on. Teen dating should be focused on the friendship aspect--what qualities do I like in others and what qualities should I develop to be a better friend, partner, and person? Sex isn't love and I really hate it when teen books (and adults books for that matter) imply that it is or has to happen in order for the feelings to be 'real'. Grrr. Anyway, I was disappointed and chose to not read this book after all.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read anything by Aprilynne Pike so when I saw Life After Theft at the library and read the blurb I thought I would give it ago and I really enjoyed it. However I must say I really don't like this cover! :(

On to the review, I thought Life After Theft was a fun, funny, quirky read with a serious side thrown in to make for an good read.

Life After Theft's protagonist is a male called Jeff and I usually struggle with male voices leading the story but in Aprilynne Pike's Life After Theft I really got into the story right away and I really liked Jeff's character.

The story itself was a good one where Jeff starts at a new school and meets Kimberlee with two "ee's" who happens to be a ghost. Jeff is the only one that can see her and he has to help her so she can cross over. Kimberlee was a great character who started of as I someone I didn't like to one who changed and turned my whole thoughts on them around, she also injected some funny humor into the story with Jeff.

Life After Theft had a serious side and I think it shows people really can change. I know the saying a leopard can't change its spots but I think people can change if they are willing.

Overall Life After Theft was a good read it had a little bit of everything in it, fun, comedy, romance, high school drama and a lesson to be learned. I look forward to the next book in the series!

Overall Life After Theft was a good read it had a little bit of everything in it, fun, comdey, romance, high school drama and a lesson to be learned. I look forward to the next book in the series!

[Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten)]

Sounds awesome. Reminds me of Stacey Kade's Ghost and the Goth series (which I love) so I'm eager to see what Pike does with this!

[Skye (Skye's Scribblings) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Due to copy/paste, some formatting has been lost. You can find the entire review on Skye’s Scribblings here.

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Rating: Older Teen (language, sensuality bordering on sexuality, sexual innuendo)
Told: First Person (Jeff), Past Tense

Cover: I originally didn't like it, but it grew on me and now I hate to get rid of my ARC because I love it so much.

Writing: The voice was very realistic, which made for slow and sluggish pacing for me - I like every sentence to have a reason, and I didn't feel that with this book. The story was also heavily dialogue-driven, and since it was so realistic, prattling and stuttering were common. These factors did make it easy for me to breeze-read the book, though.

Setting: The location felt very organic and natural - he moved from Arizona to California, so the differences weren't enough to stand out to him most of the time. It simply was - never center stage, just the stage itself.

Story: Don't let the summary fool you - this story is about how Jeff gets in Sera's pants. Sure, there's a witchy klepto ghost (and by "witchy," I mean the "b" kind), and to get rid of her Jeff has to return all the stuff she stole. But, mainly, the book is just about how Jeff gets in Sera's pants. That's it. When Jeff is with Sera, it's all thoughts of her and sex. When Jeff is away from Sera, it's all thoughts of her and sex. Oh, and yeah, the whole ghost thing. The second half of the book seemed better than the first, but not by much and only because the returning of the items had to escalate into a few pretty sweet stunts. Overall it had its bright moments (aka when Jeff wasn't thinking about Sera), but they were few and far between.

Characters: Jeff was the cliché "all boys think about is sex all the time" male, and disgusted me for most of the book. When he was away from Sera, though, (and not thinking about her), he felt realistic enough. Sera had a bit of depth, in my opinion, (some reviews have said she had none at all), but as she was mostly just a sex image to Jeff I had a hard time thinking of her as much more than an easy girl. Kimberlee was witchy and a Popular to the extreme, but she was also interesting and quirky and the only one with real depth and an actual personality. Needless to say, given the pickings, she was my favorite character.

Conclusion: I almost didn't finish this book - I got 1/3 through and, frustrated by Jeff's Sera-obsession, declared it DNF. But I had yet to finish a Pike novel, and since she's local I was determined to do or die. With this attitude, I was able to push through it. Considering how much others are enjoying this novel, I'm willing to offer that perhaps this book is simply not my kind of read. I tend to shy away from the realistic unless it promises paranormal tendencies (which this did, but nowhere near enough to satisfy me) or to be light and fluffy (like Anna and the French Kiss). Not that this wasn't on the lighter side of realistic fiction - even though it handled some pretty heavy teen issues, I never felt weighed down by them. Overall though, I was put off by the "stereotypical" male perspective - not all boys are constantly consumed by thoughts of sex. And because of his obsession with Sera, I just couldn't like Jeff - and therefore the book as a whole.

Edition: ARC

[Kris-10 · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of my reviews at The Cozy Reading Corner

Wow! Life After Theft was really amazing in a totally unexpected way. After seeing the cover and reading the synopsis, I was expecting a light-hearted, slightly funny read about a klepto ghost. And I while I still got a slightly funny read about a klepto ghost, it was in no way light-hearted..... and I loved it! The story is told from Jeff's point of view- he's the new kid who just moved to Santa Monica from Phoenix. I absolutely loved Jeff! He was one of those very special people who's just naturally good. He was always willing to do the right thing, even if it wasn't to his advantage or something he necessarily wanted to do. On Jeff's first day to this super fancy private school, he meets Kimberlee Schaffer. She's hot, popular, rich, and a ghost. I loved how much Jeff needed convincing that Kimberlee was real and not some figment of his imagination or a result of some long-hidden craziness. Sometimes in books characters can believe the supernatural stuff too easily (Ex. Boy:"Yeah, I'm a vampire. I drink blood and stuff....." Girl: "Oh..... okay." **kisses**). Kimberlee is convinced that the reason she's a ghost and hasn't moved on is because she needs to return all the stuff she's ever stolen...... and trust me, she's stolen a lot. Since Jeff is the only one who can see her, she asks him to help with her redemption mission and Jeff being well, Jeff, agrees. Jeff eventually enlists the help of Khail, starts crushing on his sister, Sera, and thus their adventure unfolds..... I adored Jeff! I liked Khail. And Sera I had mixed feelings about. During the beginning and a huge portion the middle, I wasn't completely sold on Sera. But toward the end, she kind of redeemed herself and I found myself liking her. Now, for the most complicated character of the bunch: Kimberlee. When this girl was alive she was a bad person, like, a really bad person. It wasn't just the klepto stealing- she was a spoiled brat who always expected things to go her way and whey they didn't, she took it out on others. Now, with that little tidbit, you'd expect the reader to hate her! But, I just couldn't. Maybe it was because she was so pitiful, but I found myself feeling sorry for her and rooting for her happy ending. I think this is proof of the pure genius that is Aprilynne Pike, that she could make me feel this was toward a character who so obviously doesn't deserve it. But yet, in the end even Kimberlee manages to redeem herself and speaking of the end..... that ending! Some people might not go for it because of some loose ends that never get tied up, but I personally loved it! I can't imagine the story ending any other way, it felt right and was just sort of perfect. In conclusion, I really, really enjoyed this book and I totally recommend that you read it! I promise, you won't regret it. :))

Actual Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

An ARC was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.

[Yodamom · Rating 3 out of 5]

It all started with a ghost, a nerd and a cheerleader.
This was an audiobook I picked up from the library, just exploring the shelves. I had no expectations, I'd never heard of it but I have read this author and enjoyed her work.
So we begin with a geek, Jeff, who moved from the out lands known as Arizona to Los Angeles, California. He comes from humble poor-ish roots but now after his father made a deal is on of the rich with a shinny new car. His transition is not so great, the kids at his new school are not so welcoming. Yeah, snobby. He trudges along till he notices this girl lying in the middle of the aisle. At this point his life changes. She id not like the other students, she is dead and has been for over a year and he is the first person that has been able to see her. She is obnoxious, loud and nags him to help her. He slowly comes to grip with this and walks into a twisted life, that ended too soon. He also has a eye blink, heart thump, I'm in love second. (Not an intsa love fan.)
Kimberlee, our ghost with an attitude drowned while swimming alone over a year ago. She has been wandering, listening, hating her classmates and family for the entire time. She hates everyone. She was also a major kleptomaniac. She has this cave on her parents property that is filled with treasure from, friends, teachers, stores and almost everyone. She thinks she is trapped in this lonely nightmare because she has to return all of it. Big problem, she's dead, no body. She bullies till she drags Jeff into her web of lies and secrets, forcing him to help her, endangering him. This is not the only baggage this girl is dragging along on the other side and when it comes out it is ugly.
The story was interesting, but not as emotional as I thought it should have been. it had a very light darkness to it when the back story was very dark. I understand it is YA and it was well placed there. I still would have liked more backlash from the happenings. The ugly feelings were detailed and drawn out but I did not feel the heartbreaking moments that should have been. I never got to care for these people, much. it just didn't click "winner " for this reader.

[Emily D · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I started Life After Theft I thought it was going to be a light beachy sort of read. It was not what I expected and upon finishing something felt off to me. I later found out Life After Theft was meant to be a modern retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel, a story I’ve never read, and that may be one of the reasons I didn’t enjoy this more.

Jeff moves from Phoenix to a new school in California, on his first day he sees the ghost of Kimberlee, the girl who used to rule the school and was universally regarded as a “bitch”. He is the first person who has been able to see her and after some coaxing Kimberlee cons Jeff in to helping her with some unfinished business so that she can move on.

I wanted so badly to like Jeff, mainly because I really like male POV in YA novels but his voice never felt natural. Jeff also never truly came off at male, At times Jeff’s and Kimberlee’s voices could have been interchangeable. I did like that throughout the novel Jeff was an overall good sort of guy even when Kimberlee and everyone else were making things truly hard for him to do the right thing.

That brings us to Kimberlee, she was a terrible person in life and a terrible person in the afterlife. At the least she was consistent even if I couldn’t stand the girl. I kept waiting for her to change but she stays the same bitchy secretive person right until the last few pages of the novel. Her conniving and unreasonable actions irked me.

Overall, this story was just all right. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t really enjoy it either. I think if I had been better able to connect to the characters and they had gone through more of a transformation then I would have really enjoyed it but unfortunately these things never happen.

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again I am finding myself loving the male point of view. I say this every time I find a good YA book with a male voice and I will probably continue to say it but, there just aren't enough out there right now so when I come across one (especially one I really enjoyed) I have to give it praise and mention it.

I read a lot of books each year so when I find one that is different from a lot of what it out there right now, it is always refreshing. Because let's face it, sometimes it hard to find something new and fresh.

I liked Jeff, he was such a great guy and he was funny. I liked being inside his head. He made the story fun. I don't know how else to describe him really other than he tried to do the right thing and always for purely unselfish reasons.

Kimberlee. Hmm. I didn't like Kimberlee. I tried to, I really did but I just couldn't get past her mean girl persona. Even in the end, when she tried to redeem herself, I just felt sorry for her more than anything else. Maybe that is somewhat cold hearted of me but, there you have it.

Even though this was a great read and I really did enjoy it, the ending wasn't everything I hoped it would be. I don't know what I was hoping for but it fell a little flat somehow. Like there should have been more maybe.

Regardless I would recommend this to anyone looking for an easy fast and fun read.

http://myguiltyobsession.blogspot.com...

[LuAnn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted so much to love this book, but there were so many issues that made me uncomfortable as a reader, school librarian, and even as a writer, that I couldn't. Of course, as with many books, I was drawn to the cover. The girl is fun-looking and the shadow in her glasses intriguing, so I was immediately disappointed to find the story told from a boy's point of view (albeit, most of the time he sounded like a girl, and had waaay to much internal dialogue to be believable as a boy) and to find that both girls in the story were so whiny that they were completely unlikable. In all honestly, I didn't like the boy either, and I was disgusted by his actions at the end, including his justifications and the lack of consequences for any of the things he has done. Characters should not simply get away with the things they do that are wrong. I won't spoil the story for others, and I'm sure many reviewers will love this book, but the strong language only really worked in one scene for me toward the end of the novel, and the explicitness of the sex was completely unnecessary. Readers, even teen readers, can figure out what is going on without being told the intimate details. The few points where the story flowed were great, but too many pages of irritating characters with no redeeming qualities left a bad taste in my mouth.

[Colleen Houck]

Totally unexpected. I loved the voice of the narrator. It was different being in a guy's head and I found it really fun. The characters were all very likable, which was surprising since they would not be the types that I would have been friends with in high school. It proves that everyone has a story and deserves a little bit of sympathy.

[Karla Mae (Reads and Thoughts) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"When people get stolen from, they don’t just lose their stuff. They lose a piece of their security, their ability to believe things are right in the world. But for a very few times when their belongings are returned It’s amazing. They get their confidence back and sometimes more than they had before."

What is Life After Theft is all about?
A new Guy at a new school.
The Ghost of the school's former Queen B.
And a cave of stolen stuffs.

On the first few chapters of reading I thought it greatly reminds me of The Ghost and The Goth Trilogy but the similarities ended with the ghost being stranded on Earth needing help. Life After Theft offers another unique and very much different story filled with secrets, action and of course fun.

The set of characters here all have a certain depth that is not really typical for they’re all still on their Junior High. I didn’t expect them to harbor such great depth within them.

Jeff, what could I say about you? Well, he's really an awesome protagonist of the story. He's smart, funny and always sees the good in people - dead or alive. Being inside his head was really fun.

Kimberlee suffered a severe case of Kleptomania when she's still alive. Her sassy and smart-assy attitude is what I admire most about her. I can't help but feel sorry for her throughout the course of the story. Though she acted like a bitch with Jeff - she tried her best to still finish the task at hand. I really do love her as much as I love Alona Dare from The Ghost and The Goth Trilogy.

Sera on the other hand, carry this certain guilt over an incident that happened a few years ago. She cannot let go of that guilt and that eats her up. But despite that certain event she tried her best to get along with her life make things better and also do better for her own self. But to be honest I really didn’t like her. I never had the chance to have this certain ’character bond with her maybe because I spend a great amount of time doubting her actions and intentions.

I'm not on the stage of keeping my fingers crossed with Jeff and Kimberlee’s romance but I did hope that somehow they would build a sweet relationship or stuff like that. As to Sera and Jeff's relationship, it honestly didn't kick off well for me but as the story unfolds I guess I found they they're okay together.

My little critique on the story was that the character build up really did confuse me! I always have this certain need to know and differentiate the good guys from the bad ones but from this story I doubt every character. I don’t know who tells the truth and who lies. One person would tell a thing but the other will contradict it. Bah! I'm literally confused because of that and I don't like it.

Another thing is Sera's background story. Throughout the story I saw how big deal her story was to the whole story itself but once it was revealed I don’t think it was that big thing - From Kimberlee's excuse for starting it to Sera's action after it. I find it abrupt and underplayed.

The ending was very fitting! Kimberlee found her redemption but I'll be lying if I told you I didn’t have that "Awwwwww" moment by the end of the story. An epilogue would’ve been a great addition to the story though. ;)

In all it was one funny, unputdonwable and good read!

Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for providing a copy for review.

[Zoel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Release Date: 30th April 2013

Moving to a new high school sucks. Especially a rich-kid private school. With uniforms. But nothing is worse than finding out the first girl you meet is dead. And a klepto.

No one can see or hear Kimberlee except Jeff, so--in hopes of bringing an end to the snarkiest haunting in history--he agrees to help her complete her "unfinished business." But when the enmity between Kimberlee and Jeff's new crush, Sera, manages to continue posthumously, Jeff wonders if he's made the right choice

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

About the Characters

I didn't enjoy any character in this book besides Kimberly, despite her spiteful and down right sometimes bitchy personality I felt bad for her, extremely bad especially towards the end of the book. I found she grew alot from page 1 down to the end plus we saw her breakdown those walls she had kept up for herself. The ones that were vulnerable and terrified of looking at just the girl she was while she was alive and the one who had regrets about ultimately what had happened. We all often times are scared to look at who we really are which include excepting our faults and learning to change them. She had a genuine problem that stemmed from real issues that she had within her. I loved her dialogue the most especially her little teasing sprees with Jeff. Jeff on the other hand I didn't like that much. I couldn't relate to him at all, I found he was outright rude, gullible and ungrateful sometimes and his little insta love relationship with Sera didn't interest me. He had it way too easy too, he didn't really suffer any consequences of his actions which to me didn't exactly make him an interesting character to follow. The other characters such as Sera or Khail I didn't care for either because once again I couldn't relate to them.

About the Plot

The plot was what drew me into the story in the first place. I had to admit I do not typical enjoy ghost stories that well with a few exceptions though like the Ghost element in Vampire Academy however the thought of someone having unfinished business in the sense of returning stolen items seemed so fun I couldn't pass up on reading it. However the returning and the plot went down hill for me, there were no consequences, no surprises and even when there were I had figured them out before hand. It wasn't slow paced at all it was really fast just the actual events that happened weren't as interesting as I thought they were going to be. The ending was a huge disappointment on top of it all.

The Writing style

Simple and very easy to understand, the dialogue was amazing throughout the book though which was one of the elements that made it such a great fast read. Even when I was bored I couldn't put it down because i felt like I was flying through it just anxiously waiting to find out what happened to Kimberly and how it would all turn out in the end.

Overall I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would have. Which is sad because this had so much potential and the cover is absolutely gorgeous and actually relates to the book.

[usagi ☆ミ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh boy. This one was...difficult to say the least. As I love retellings of any sort, I was really looking forward to "Life After Theft". I didn't have much luck with any of Pike's previous works, really - nothing earthshattering, at least, so I was hoping this work would change my mind. Unfortunately, "Life After Theft" just wasn't for me (to put it lightly).

While the cross-gender narration wasn't too terrible (Pike makes for a semi-convincing boy in terms of 1st person POV voice, which was a real surprise for me), what one of the larger issues with this book aside from my largest one (which will be discussed in a moment) was the prose itself. The conversations felt like the author was imagining what teenagers were saying, not realistically what they would be saying. The conversations between Jeff and Kimberlee at first, even with the shock of omg I can see ghosts was incredibly stilted and just felt...wrong. Not quite ringing true to the age group. And it just kind of went downhill from there.

Then there was the portrayal of Santa Monica as a place where only the rich live. Wrong. Depending on where you go (Santa Monica is a pretty big city within the City of LA as a whole), yeah, you do have a somewhat big portion of concentration of the wealthy, but it's not the entire city. It doesn't define the entire the city. I should know - I lived there for awhile as a child. I was born there. I feel like Pike was reaching just a little too far for a rich place for a rich kid to live - if she wanted a more accurate "rich person colony", she should have gone for Malibu, really.

And what broke the camel's back - the racial/ethnic slurs used as comedy by not by one but both characters very early on in the book. I mean, before even page 60. Jeff naming his car after Halle Berry - and I won't go any further, because I think you guys can figure out the rest. And while I can understand why one character can/would do it (we all need unlikeable characters to make a book whole), I find it pretty intolerable that this was used for both characters. Not even kidding. And this was even before page 60.

And with that (and with the poor character construction and the pretty much non-existent worldbuilding), I was done with "Life After Theft".

I wish it could have been different, as I loved "The Scarlet Pimpernel", and I was really looking forward to this retelling of it. But when all of those things happen...yeah. Not gonna happen. I still plan on reading "Earthbound", so I'm not entirely done with Pike's work as of yet, but I'm getting there.

But that's just how I feel about it. "Life After Theft" is out today from HarperTeen, so go ahead and check it out when you get a chance and see how you feel about it.

(posted to goodreads, shelfari, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)

[Arely · Rating 5 out of 5]

We start out with typical teenager thoughts from a typical teenage boy. Jeff, the main character (though it could be argued that Kimberlee is the main character, but we’ll get to that later) has just moved from Phoenix, Arizona to California. His dad recently became pretty rich so he is now enrolled in a private school where hoodies and jeans are traded for uniforms. These are all pretty standard teenager problems.

And then he meets Kimberlee. A ghost. A kleptomaniac ghost. Yep, those exist.

I absolutely loved the way Jeff reacted to the fact that he could see Kimberlee. He’s agnostic, so he isn’t sure what to believe in and naturally thinks he’s just going crazy. His response was so realistic—I probably would have done the same thing. Jeff is more than just a decent human being. He tries to see the best in people and helps out even when he doesn’t have to. He definitely was my favorite character in this book.

Kimberlee isn’t the best person in the world. She’s done a lot of bad things. And I’m not even talking about the kleptomania—that really can’t be helped. I’m talking about the bullying, the lying, the general being-a-jerk parts of her. But the way that Aprilynne portrayed her had me sympathizing for her and actually liking her. Now before, when I was saying that it could be argued that she’s the main character—that’s because she sort of is. This book is about her. But it’s also about Jeff. It’s told in Jeff’s point of view, but most of the plot surrounds Kimberlee. So it’s about both of them.

And Khail? At first I thought he was just a jock and didn’t think he’d be important to the story, but I was wrong. I actually really liked what he did and thought he was a pretty decent human being. I loved how protective he was of his sister and the lengths he’d go to to help her out.

And then there’s Sera. Her, I couldn’t connect with as much as the other characters. Though Jeff really likes her, I actually felt like she was pushed into the background for most of the book. There were more important things going on—like returning everything Kimberlee stole (and it’s a LOT). I didn’t have a chance to really know her, so I was a bit shocked when Jeff did something (yes, I’m being vague—no spoilers for you!) towards the end to redeem himself with her.

I loved the plot, I loved the characters—I loved everything about this book. It had me laughing, crying, and everything in between. This story is not only about Kimberlee, but about Jeff as well. They both make a lot of mistakes, but in the end they learn from them and they understand themselves—and others—better.

This book exceeded my expectations in more ways than one and I really, truly recommend this for everyone who likes stories that will touch your heart and make you laugh while doing it—with a dash of teen angst sprinkled in. ;)

[Emily Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life After Theft is only 1.99 on Amazon & B&N as of today!

My mind is officially blown. To set the record clean, I have never been a fan of books with ghosts in them. Only in books such as Harry Potter do I make an exception, and even then Nearly Headless Nick doesn't exactly play an essential part in the story, unlike the ghost, Kimberlee, in Life After Theft. So, needless to say, my expectation weren't incredibly high. And yet, I loved this book entirely too much. I even loved the ghost aspect.

The first thing that I immediately noticed, was that this book was narrated by Jeff. This is refreshing as boys are rarely the main characters in the YA genre. Also, Pike writes in a boy's first person voice expertly. I applaud her for making Jeff so vivid, with a clear personality. He was so sweet and awesome! He is also funny and snarky, which is plus. The second thing I found refreshing was that Kimberlee, a kleptomaniac ghost. She wasn't a creepy "haunter" or a love interest, which I find is most often the case. No, she was a vibrant character. I also loved the way Pike handled Kimberlee's kleptomania.

Other characters I enjoyed were Sera, Jeff's love interest. She was different. I'm not totally sure what I thought of her, but she had been through a lot. However, I was definitely rooting for her and Jeff to end up together. The plot, of course, was something I find genius. Who's the bad guy? Kimberlee for stealing? Jeff for returning the things, yet damaging property while doing it? The principal for trying to catch Jeff? Also, I loved how the plot(s) resolved. Especially the one with Kimberlee and the stealing, and Sera and "the secret".

I found that Life After Theft was also a very addicting read. Every chance I got, I picked up my e-reader to to continue Jeff and Kimberlee's story. By the way, I loved how the author spelled Kimberlee's name. Sorry, that is off topic. Anyway, I found the pacing and length perfect. Another thing I always try to mention in reviews is the setting. I found the ridiculously posh high school a perfect setting for the characters.

Overall, Life After Theft threw me onto a much needed rollercoaster. One with different twists and refreshing spirals. (I remembered something! Just the other day I noticed the roller coaster metaphors are common in reviews, blurbs, taglines etc. I should come up with a more original one for future reviews.) This original stand-alone is definitely reccomended. Also, stand-alones are rare, so I was delighted to find this one.

4.8/5 bookcases

Little Note: This is different than Pike's other novels. Thankfully, I already had some heads up from various reviews. I think having this knowledge made the reading experience better. Go in with no expectations!