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Just Another Dead Boy
Not yet published
Expected 7 Jul 26Regan has two rules: Don’t fall in love. Don’t have hope.
In a world where everyone knows the date they will die, wild-child Regan works at a luxury resort as a “Juliet” for the Romeo & Juliet Service, promising to provide the illusion of star-crossed romance to rich boys on end-of-life retreats. She gets to live life on the edge—skydiving, partying, and doing a host of other people’s bucket-list thrills—then moves on to her next client. But when world-famous Death Date researchers the Dalys arrive, she’s tasked with her hardest client yet, their overachieving, stone-faced son. Jude Daly sees right through the setup—he thinks she’s a parasite, and, frankly, she thinks he’s an entitled jerk. They agree to fake romance for the sake of Jude’s parents and Regan’s job, but as contempt turns into something else, will Regan ignore her ironclad rules so she and Jude can take on Fate together? Or will his impending Death Date catch up with them first? A compelling and heartbreaking twist on Romeo and Juliet, in which Regan realizes she might have to stop living like today is her last—and start living like it isn’t.
In a world where everyone knows the date they will die, wild-child Regan works at a luxury resort as a “Juliet” for the Romeo & Juliet Service, promising to provide the illusion of star-crossed romance to rich boys on end-of-life retreats. She gets to live life on the edge—skydiving, partying, and doing a host of other people’s bucket-list thrills—then moves on to her next client. But when world-famous Death Date researchers the Dalys arrive, she’s tasked with her hardest client yet, their overachieving, stone-faced son. Jude Daly sees right through the setup—he thinks she’s a parasite, and, frankly, she thinks he’s an entitled jerk. They agree to fake romance for the sake of Jude’s parents and Regan’s job, but as contempt turns into something else, will Regan ignore her ironclad rules so she and Jude can take on Fate together? Or will his impending Death Date catch up with them first? A compelling and heartbreaking twist on Romeo and Juliet, in which Regan realizes she might have to stop living like today is her last—and start living like it isn’t.
- GenresRomanceYoung Adult
352 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication July 7, 2026
About the author
Kelly McCaughrain
3 books31 followersKelly was born in Belfast in 1977 and grew up in nineteenth-century Avonlea. She doesn’t remember much about her (probably very nice) childhood and suspects this is because she wasn’t paying attention. She was reading Anne of Green Gables.
She started writing when she was six.
She started hiding her writing when she was seven.
She was forced out of the writing closet when she was 35. One of her favourite activities is talking to teenagers about writing because she was too shy to do this when she was young.
She studied at Queens University Belfast, where she did two degrees. For fun. She currently lives with her husband Michael and their ancient VW campervan Gerda.
Her first novel, Flying Tips for Flightless Birds, has been described by insiders as an elaborate and thinly veiled attempt to make her husband love circuses. She refuses to comment.
She started writing when she was six.
She started hiding her writing when she was seven.
She was forced out of the writing closet when she was 35. One of her favourite activities is talking to teenagers about writing because she was too shy to do this when she was young.
She studied at Queens University Belfast, where she did two degrees. For fun. She currently lives with her husband Michael and their ancient VW campervan Gerda.
Her first novel, Flying Tips for Flightless Birds, has been described by insiders as an elaborate and thinly veiled attempt to make her husband love circuses. She refuses to comment.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 14, 2026
Just Another Dead Boy by Kelly McCaughrain is one of those books that quietly gets under your skin and stays there long after you finish it. Blending dystopian fiction with romance and emotional young adult drama, this story feels both futuristic and painfully real at the same time. From the very first chapter, I was completely pulled into its world.
The novel is set in a society where everyone knows the exact date they are going to die. For the wealthy, their final days are spent in luxury resorts designed to give them unforgettable experiences before the end. Regan works within one of these resorts as part of the Romeo and Juliet Service, where girls are hired to create the illusion of falling in love with boys nearing their death date. It is such a unique and fascinating concept, but what makes the story truly stand out is the way Kelly McCaughrain explores the emotional consequences behind it.
When Jude enters the story, everything begins to shift. He is thoughtful, intelligent, and far more perceptive than anyone expects him to be. I loved how clever his character was throughout the novel because he constantly challenged both Regan and the world around him. Their connection develops so naturally through sharp conversations, emotional vulnerability, and growing trust, making their relationship feel authentic rather than rushed.
The Romeo and Juliet inspiration woven throughout the story is incredibly well done. Instead of simply retelling the classic tragedy, McCaughrain takes the idea of star-crossed lovers and reimagines it within a dystopian world where fate is unavoidable and time itself becomes the greatest obstacle. It feels fresh, original, and emotionally powerful all at once.
What really stood out to me was how layered the story felt. Beneath the romance and futuristic setting, the novel explores mortality, class divides, fear, hope, and what it truly means to live when time is limited. There were so many moments that felt deeply emotional without ever becoming overwhelming, and the balance between heartbreak, humour, and tenderness was handled beautifully.
Kelly McCaughrain’s writing flows effortlessly, making the world and characters feel vivid and believable from beginning to end. If I am right in thinking this story took around sixteen years to fully come together, that level of care absolutely shows in every part of the novel. The characters feel fully developed, the pacing is strong, and every detail feels intentional.
And while I will not spoil the ending, I will say that the final part of the book was incredibly clever. The way everything comes together leaves such a lasting impact, and it is the kind of ending that makes you immediately want to go back and rethink certain moments throughout the story.
Just Another Dead Boy is emotional, thought-provoking, beautifully written, and impossible to forget. It is a story about love, life, and learning how to hold onto hope even when the world tells you not to.
Thank you NetGalley, walker books , and the author Kelly McCaughrain for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publishing date: June 4th 2026
The novel is set in a society where everyone knows the exact date they are going to die. For the wealthy, their final days are spent in luxury resorts designed to give them unforgettable experiences before the end. Regan works within one of these resorts as part of the Romeo and Juliet Service, where girls are hired to create the illusion of falling in love with boys nearing their death date. It is such a unique and fascinating concept, but what makes the story truly stand out is the way Kelly McCaughrain explores the emotional consequences behind it.
When Jude enters the story, everything begins to shift. He is thoughtful, intelligent, and far more perceptive than anyone expects him to be. I loved how clever his character was throughout the novel because he constantly challenged both Regan and the world around him. Their connection develops so naturally through sharp conversations, emotional vulnerability, and growing trust, making their relationship feel authentic rather than rushed.
The Romeo and Juliet inspiration woven throughout the story is incredibly well done. Instead of simply retelling the classic tragedy, McCaughrain takes the idea of star-crossed lovers and reimagines it within a dystopian world where fate is unavoidable and time itself becomes the greatest obstacle. It feels fresh, original, and emotionally powerful all at once.
What really stood out to me was how layered the story felt. Beneath the romance and futuristic setting, the novel explores mortality, class divides, fear, hope, and what it truly means to live when time is limited. There were so many moments that felt deeply emotional without ever becoming overwhelming, and the balance between heartbreak, humour, and tenderness was handled beautifully.
Kelly McCaughrain’s writing flows effortlessly, making the world and characters feel vivid and believable from beginning to end. If I am right in thinking this story took around sixteen years to fully come together, that level of care absolutely shows in every part of the novel. The characters feel fully developed, the pacing is strong, and every detail feels intentional.
And while I will not spoil the ending, I will say that the final part of the book was incredibly clever. The way everything comes together leaves such a lasting impact, and it is the kind of ending that makes you immediately want to go back and rethink certain moments throughout the story.
Just Another Dead Boy is emotional, thought-provoking, beautifully written, and impossible to forget. It is a story about love, life, and learning how to hold onto hope even when the world tells you not to.
Thank you NetGalley, walker books , and the author Kelly McCaughrain for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publishing date: June 4th 2026
May 10, 2026
“We know how this ends, right?”
In a self-aware Romeo and Juliet retelling, the above words are enough to instil a sense of foreboding in any reader, let alone when they’re uttered so early in the book and revisited once again close to its conclusion. This YA novel is littered with the same levels of foreshadowing and irony that the source material is famed for, not to mention characters and plot lines that are developed in clear homage to the beloved play. However, this version of the bard’s ultimate tragedy is a refreshing take, that plays with the conventions and characters beautifully, giving the reader just enough moments of ‘oh no, I know what’s going to happen’ and still managing to pack a few surprises along the way. (The unexpected turns were particularly enjoyable, as someone who has taught the original play to teenagers for the last decade!)
I absolutely loved the concept of this story: a world where everyone knows, from birth, when they’re going to die, where the wealthy can live out their final days in an all-inclusive resort, that has everything from basket weaving to bungee jumping to keep guests and their loved ones entertained, on top of world-class restaurants and bars and clubs that seem entirely free of rules, allowing the world’s most privileged people access to anything they could possibly want in their final days. Naturally, these places require staffing, and that’s where our protagonist, Regan, comes in. She works as a ‘Juliet’: a teenager employed to give wealthy, soon-to-be-dead boys as realistic a love story as possible in their final days. For the duration of the novel, we see her plight against poverty and circumstance warring against her uncertain feelings about her assignment for the week: billionaire prodigy, Jude.
There were moments of this book that reminded me of the similarly tragic ‘Me Before You’, as characters started to question the choices they were making around the ending of lives and as I felt myself rooting for a seemingly impossible ending where everyone lived happily ever after. The writing was extremely well done, with some overt references to Romeo and Juliet (the R&J program, and the section titles) alongside some much more subtle references to lines delivered by characters in Shakespeare’s original dialogue, tweaked to feel thoroughly modern and appropriate, reminding fans of the play of where the novel was going to end up, but without drawing too much attention to the meta-narrative, ensuring the references came off as natural and not like the author saying ‘look how clever I am’. She would be entirely within her rights to say this, by the way. I firmly believe this one will soon become beloved by teen readers, in the way millennial teens will remember John Green’s heart-stomping, tear-jerking novels being!
An easy 5⭐️ rating for me, and one that I would wholeheartedly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and Walker Books for having me as an ARC reader!
In a self-aware Romeo and Juliet retelling, the above words are enough to instil a sense of foreboding in any reader, let alone when they’re uttered so early in the book and revisited once again close to its conclusion. This YA novel is littered with the same levels of foreshadowing and irony that the source material is famed for, not to mention characters and plot lines that are developed in clear homage to the beloved play. However, this version of the bard’s ultimate tragedy is a refreshing take, that plays with the conventions and characters beautifully, giving the reader just enough moments of ‘oh no, I know what’s going to happen’ and still managing to pack a few surprises along the way. (The unexpected turns were particularly enjoyable, as someone who has taught the original play to teenagers for the last decade!)
I absolutely loved the concept of this story: a world where everyone knows, from birth, when they’re going to die, where the wealthy can live out their final days in an all-inclusive resort, that has everything from basket weaving to bungee jumping to keep guests and their loved ones entertained, on top of world-class restaurants and bars and clubs that seem entirely free of rules, allowing the world’s most privileged people access to anything they could possibly want in their final days. Naturally, these places require staffing, and that’s where our protagonist, Regan, comes in. She works as a ‘Juliet’: a teenager employed to give wealthy, soon-to-be-dead boys as realistic a love story as possible in their final days. For the duration of the novel, we see her plight against poverty and circumstance warring against her uncertain feelings about her assignment for the week: billionaire prodigy, Jude.
There were moments of this book that reminded me of the similarly tragic ‘Me Before You’, as characters started to question the choices they were making around the ending of lives and as I felt myself rooting for a seemingly impossible ending where everyone lived happily ever after. The writing was extremely well done, with some overt references to Romeo and Juliet (the R&J program, and the section titles) alongside some much more subtle references to lines delivered by characters in Shakespeare’s original dialogue, tweaked to feel thoroughly modern and appropriate, reminding fans of the play of where the novel was going to end up, but without drawing too much attention to the meta-narrative, ensuring the references came off as natural and not like the author saying ‘look how clever I am’. She would be entirely within her rights to say this, by the way. I firmly believe this one will soon become beloved by teen readers, in the way millennial teens will remember John Green’s heart-stomping, tear-jerking novels being!
An easy 5⭐️ rating for me, and one that I would wholeheartedly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and Walker Books for having me as an ARC reader!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC!
Regan Blythe works as a "Juliet". In her world, everyone is born with the date of their death etched on their skin. That's the date they'll die and nothing can change it. She provides a "Romeo and Juliet" experience for dying young men. Their parents hire her to pretend to fall in love with their child, giving them a last hurrah of love and happiness before their life ends. Regan floats through her jobs, doing them brilliantly, not letting the constant loss get to her. At least not on the surface. But then, Jude Daly shows up, and everything changes.
I'm writing this immediately upon finishing, so I'm still in a total state. What a beautiful book. What a beautiful, beautiful book. That absolutely tore my heart out. Not to say more, I don't want to spoil, but GOD.
The strongest aspects of Just Another Dead Boy:
The characters. All the characters felt real and fleshed out and engaging. I fell completely in love with Regan and Jude. They balance each other perfectly and their romance worked wonderfully. It swept me away. Micah was loveable and heart-breaking as Regan's BFF. Even the tertiary characters like Naomi and the Daly's were beautifully realised.
The story: It's been a while since I've had such a strong "I need to get back and keep reading" feeling. I zoomed through the book in three days, but each morning I'd wake up and open it first thing. The twists and turns kept me hooked and the story played out in both surprising ways and the only way it could. I was gripped, I was held hostage.
The thematic elements were woven perfectly into the story. It made me want to grab life with both hands, it made me think about all I have to appreciate right now. It's deep stuff for the intended age group, but presented with care and respect for the readers' intelligence.
I loved this book and I'm going to remember it, and I'm going to plunder everything else Kelly McCaughrain writes.
Regan Blythe works as a "Juliet". In her world, everyone is born with the date of their death etched on their skin. That's the date they'll die and nothing can change it. She provides a "Romeo and Juliet" experience for dying young men. Their parents hire her to pretend to fall in love with their child, giving them a last hurrah of love and happiness before their life ends. Regan floats through her jobs, doing them brilliantly, not letting the constant loss get to her. At least not on the surface. But then, Jude Daly shows up, and everything changes.
I'm writing this immediately upon finishing, so I'm still in a total state. What a beautiful book. What a beautiful, beautiful book. That absolutely tore my heart out. Not to say more, I don't want to spoil, but GOD.
The strongest aspects of Just Another Dead Boy:
The characters. All the characters felt real and fleshed out and engaging. I fell completely in love with Regan and Jude. They balance each other perfectly and their romance worked wonderfully. It swept me away. Micah was loveable and heart-breaking as Regan's BFF. Even the tertiary characters like Naomi and the Daly's were beautifully realised.
The story: It's been a while since I've had such a strong "I need to get back and keep reading" feeling. I zoomed through the book in three days, but each morning I'd wake up and open it first thing. The twists and turns kept me hooked and the story played out in both surprising ways and the only way it could. I was gripped, I was held hostage.
The thematic elements were woven perfectly into the story. It made me want to grab life with both hands, it made me think about all I have to appreciate right now. It's deep stuff for the intended age group, but presented with care and respect for the readers' intelligence.
I loved this book and I'm going to remember it, and I'm going to plunder everything else Kelly McCaughrain writes.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I was SO EXCITED to get my hands on an early copy of Just Another Dead Boy by Kelly McCaughrain. Thank you Walker Books for this ARC!
When I say I INHALED this...
The premise alone had me hooked: a world where everyone knows their death date, a Romeo and Juliet service for last-chance romance at a luxury end-of-life resort, and an enemies-to-lovers duo? Yes please! And Kelly absolutely delivered.
Jude is the wealthy teen checking into the luxury resort. With time running out, he’s lived fully and intentionally, but is he really ready? Regan is the local girl hired to play his Juliet. With all the time in the world, why not live wild and free?
Kelly’s writing is seamless: high-concept yet easy to fall into, and layered with so many great tropes and twists that made it impossible to put down. This book had me gasping, giggling, and hoping the whole way through because, just when you think you know how the tale goes, Kelly turns it all on its head.
This story will truly stay with me for a long time. Just Another Dead Boy will hit shelves June 2026, but pre-orders are now open!
When I say I INHALED this...
The premise alone had me hooked: a world where everyone knows their death date, a Romeo and Juliet service for last-chance romance at a luxury end-of-life resort, and an enemies-to-lovers duo? Yes please! And Kelly absolutely delivered.
Jude is the wealthy teen checking into the luxury resort. With time running out, he’s lived fully and intentionally, but is he really ready? Regan is the local girl hired to play his Juliet. With all the time in the world, why not live wild and free?
Kelly’s writing is seamless: high-concept yet easy to fall into, and layered with so many great tropes and twists that made it impossible to put down. This book had me gasping, giggling, and hoping the whole way through because, just when you think you know how the tale goes, Kelly turns it all on its head.
This story will truly stay with me for a long time. Just Another Dead Boy will hit shelves June 2026, but pre-orders are now open!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC! It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to discover authors like this.
I loved the idea of this book, knowing your death date and if you are rich enough, being able to go to resorts that take the pain away before that date comes around.
The fact that it’s YA made me want to read it for my girls, test it out and see if it’s something they’d be interested in.
It is a wonderful story about a rich boy that is brought to such a resort by his very wealthy and yet sensibke parents, and a very poor but brave girl. The week they spend together (I won’t divulge under what circumstances) is filled with things that seem like “wasting time” for someone who’s countdown is 3-4 days. However, that seems to be exactly what was needed and what brings everyone’s walls down.
We get a little bit of french philosophy, some symbolism through Dante’s Inferno and a bit of romance (the innocent, loving kind - nothing explicit).
I really enjoyed it and will definitely get it fot my girls. I think it opens a lot of conversations and that’s exactly what I’m looking for❤️
I loved the idea of this book, knowing your death date and if you are rich enough, being able to go to resorts that take the pain away before that date comes around.
The fact that it’s YA made me want to read it for my girls, test it out and see if it’s something they’d be interested in.
It is a wonderful story about a rich boy that is brought to such a resort by his very wealthy and yet sensibke parents, and a very poor but brave girl. The week they spend together (I won’t divulge under what circumstances) is filled with things that seem like “wasting time” for someone who’s countdown is 3-4 days. However, that seems to be exactly what was needed and what brings everyone’s walls down.
We get a little bit of french philosophy, some symbolism through Dante’s Inferno and a bit of romance (the innocent, loving kind - nothing explicit).
I really enjoyed it and will definitely get it fot my girls. I think it opens a lot of conversations and that’s exactly what I’m looking for❤️
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
2.5.
I was kindly given a publisher copy to read which i'm grateful for but I'm torn on this book, I was never hooked in enough to not want to put it down and at times had no urge to pick it back up. It's all extremely surface level and (for me) had an incredibly obvious story line. I felt like I kept reflecting back and thinking how little I knew about the characters (particularly FMC) and their descriptions which I felt made me not connect with them. I think there were just too many "issues" that were resolved incredibly easily but looking at the back its for 14+ years old. Not sure if it's going to be marketed as YA, (or if it's more of a content warning for the topics discussed) but if so then I'd give it 3 stars. If its going to be New Adult and above I'd be giving it 2 stars. I think the jaded attitudes of "you can't do this job forever" didn't seem true and impact full as she was 18 so clearly hadn't been doing it even a year. I think had the characters been slightly older it would have been more believable but then for other characters their plot line wouldn't have worked.
I was kindly given a publisher copy to read which i'm grateful for but I'm torn on this book, I was never hooked in enough to not want to put it down and at times had no urge to pick it back up. It's all extremely surface level and (for me) had an incredibly obvious story line. I felt like I kept reflecting back and thinking how little I knew about the characters (particularly FMC) and their descriptions which I felt made me not connect with them. I think there were just too many "issues" that were resolved incredibly easily but looking at the back its for 14+ years old. Not sure if it's going to be marketed as YA, (or if it's more of a content warning for the topics discussed) but if so then I'd give it 3 stars. If its going to be New Adult and above I'd be giving it 2 stars. I think the jaded attitudes of "you can't do this job forever" didn't seem true and impact full as she was 18 so clearly hadn't been doing it even a year. I think had the characters been slightly older it would have been more believable but then for other characters their plot line wouldn't have worked.
April 28, 2026
Thank you so much to the author and #NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book!
Romeos and Juliet’s are hired to fall in love with rich people at the end of their lives - what could go wrong?
I really enjoyed the entire idea of this book and the execution - Regan is humanly flawed as she navigates a difficult career in order to pay bills, never believing in love until Jude.
Who complicates things in the best way.
This was a sweet and cute book that deals with grief and falling hard and fast. I’ve never read anything like it.
4/5 ⭐️ definitely recommend to anyone who loves a tragic romance.
Romeos and Juliet’s are hired to fall in love with rich people at the end of their lives - what could go wrong?
I really enjoyed the entire idea of this book and the execution - Regan is humanly flawed as she navigates a difficult career in order to pay bills, never believing in love until Jude.
Who complicates things in the best way.
This was a sweet and cute book that deals with grief and falling hard and fast. I’ve never read anything like it.
4/5 ⭐️ definitely recommend to anyone who loves a tragic romance.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received a proof copy from the publisher and I'm very grateful for it as this was my first read of 2026 and it did not disappoint.
In a world where you know the date of your death, Just Another Dead Boy delivers a sharp, funny and heart breaking enemies to lovers tale that will stay with you a long time.
As a school librarian, I'm forever trying to find books that slightly older teens will sink their teeth into and this is the perfect remedy for this. I loved it, very excited to see it out there in the world in the summer!
In a world where you know the date of your death, Just Another Dead Boy delivers a sharp, funny and heart breaking enemies to lovers tale that will stay with you a long time.
As a school librarian, I'm forever trying to find books that slightly older teens will sink their teeth into and this is the perfect remedy for this. I loved it, very excited to see it out there in the world in the summer!
May 20, 2026
*ARC received in exchange for an honest review*
I feel a bit conflicted with this book. I enjoyed it as it was a really easy read despite what it entailed but felt like it was missing something. When I first started reading I thought this was an adult novel but after finishing I realised it’s YA. I think that may be why it feels like it’s missing something.
The second half (particularly part 3) really gave the book what it needed to become more interesting and exciting.
Overall, it was a good easy read
4⭐️
I feel a bit conflicted with this book. I enjoyed it as it was a really easy read despite what it entailed but felt like it was missing something. When I first started reading I thought this was an adult novel but after finishing I realised it’s YA. I think that may be why it feels like it’s missing something.
The second half (particularly part 3) really gave the book what it needed to become more interesting and exciting.
Overall, it was a good easy read
4⭐️
October 27, 2025
I received an early proof of this book and I loved it. Just Another Dead Boy hit me right in the heart. Kelly McCaughrain has again created characters that feel like friends, friends facing the biggest of challenges. In a world in which the day of your death is known from the moment you are born, how to you live your life?
With Romeo and Juliet at is centre, the book looks not just at the tragedy of someone dying young, but how capitalism and class difference play out when an end of life can be commodified. Food for the head and the heart, this book is about connection, hope and how hard it can be to have hope, when your cast in a role that can’t afford to. With gut punches that had me crying, and a world that I felt I could step into, I can’t recommend this book enough.
With Romeo and Juliet at is centre, the book looks not just at the tragedy of someone dying young, but how capitalism and class difference play out when an end of life can be commodified. Food for the head and the heart, this book is about connection, hope and how hard it can be to have hope, when your cast in a role that can’t afford to. With gut punches that had me crying, and a world that I felt I could step into, I can’t recommend this book enough.
November 5, 2025
The absurdity of life. Albert Camus. Just another dead boy is a beautifully written book about life and hope. I did not expect to love the book as much as I did, but it even brought me to some tears at one point.
With the Romeo and Juliet theme combined with the existence of Death Dates causing people being born with early death dates marked on their skin. The book really makes you start to reflect your own life choices and what meaning you give life, just like Regan and Micah do in the story.
With the Romeo and Juliet theme combined with the existence of Death Dates causing people being born with early death dates marked on their skin. The book really makes you start to reflect your own life choices and what meaning you give life, just like Regan and Micah do in the story.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Dystopian romance. Reminded me of the declaration by Gemma Malley. One to think about and discuss
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews