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Funeral Crashing #1
Adventures in Funeral Crashing
Sixteen year old Kait Lenox has a reputation as the weird girl in her high school, mostly because of her ex-best friend turned mean popular girl, Ariel, but maybe it has a little to do with the fact that Kait has a hobby crashing funerals. At one of these, Kait is outted by the most popular guy in school, Ethan Ripley. Yet, instead of humiliating her for all the world to see, he asks for her help, and Kait finds herself entangled in a murder mystery. Not only is the thrill of the mystery exciting, but more importantly Ethan knows her name! A little sleuthing is well worth that!
154 pages, Nook
First published June 16, 2011
405 people are currently reading
1885 people want to read
About the author
Milda Harris
26 books298 followersMILDA HARRIS has a dog named after a piece of candy (Licorice), was once hit by a tree (seriously), and wears hot pink sunglasses (why not?). She is the young adult author of Doppelganger, Adventures in Funeral Crashing, Adventures of a Graveyard Girl, The New Girl Who Found A Dead Body, and Connected: A Paranormal Romance. She also works in production on television shows like Austin & Ally, Hannah Montana, and That's So Raven.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 333 reviews
August 20, 2018
Kait Lenox, sixteen (almost seventeen) years old, had a weird hobby. Kait liked “crashing” funerals – attending the funeral of people she didn’t know. The day she attended Ethan Ripley’s sister Liz’s funeral, she unwittingly found herself mixed up in a murder mystery. Although Liz’s death had been deemed on overdose, Ethan wasn’t convinced. And when Kait and Ethan discovered there were other girls who had mysteriously died, they knew they were on to something…
Adventures in Funeral Crashing by Milda Harris (which has been on my TBR since May 2015!) was a lighthearted, entertaining murder mystery which I enjoyed. Lots of fun and a few laugh out loud moments, the antics of Kait would invariably put her, and those around her, in danger. A cosy mystery which I recommend.
Adventures in Funeral Crashing by Milda Harris (which has been on my TBR since May 2015!) was a lighthearted, entertaining murder mystery which I enjoyed. Lots of fun and a few laugh out loud moments, the antics of Kait would invariably put her, and those around her, in danger. A cosy mystery which I recommend.
May 16, 2012
I liked this book, it was very cute and a quick read. Definitively worth it.
Ms. Harris did a great job keeping the dialog modern and events current. This was not my typical Paranormal YA book, in fact there are no paranormal elements to it but I still enjoyed it. I think the characters seemed a bit immature for high School students but it would be a perfect book for junior high school kids and teens. They would enjoy reading something with the older kids in it but also would not me exposed to any situations suited for the older crowd.
It had a mystery surprise at the end and would recommend for anyone looking to share a book with their teen either to read with or give as a gift.
As always thank you to the author and Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics! Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics! read to review program!
Rating - 4 stars
Recommended for - Teens
Follow my blog at http://sharearead.com/?cat=6
Ms. Harris did a great job keeping the dialog modern and events current. This was not my typical Paranormal YA book, in fact there are no paranormal elements to it but I still enjoyed it. I think the characters seemed a bit immature for high School students but it would be a perfect book for junior high school kids and teens. They would enjoy reading something with the older kids in it but also would not me exposed to any situations suited for the older crowd.
It had a mystery surprise at the end and would recommend for anyone looking to share a book with their teen either to read with or give as a gift.
As always thank you to the author and Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics! Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics! read to review program!
Rating - 4 stars
Recommended for - Teens
Follow my blog at http://sharearead.com/?cat=6
December 18, 2011
I received this as part of the Read 2 Review program. (As side note, this book has no paranormal aspects to it.)
I loved this story. I mean it was super cute. For those that have attended a recent funeral for a loved one may not want to read this story. But in no way does this book make light of funerals or the loss of a loved one. I enjoyed the writer’s style and found this to be a super fast read because I liked it so much.
I rate this book 4.5 stars because my only problem was the over the top use of pop culture references that not everyone would get and would lose that bit of the story because of it. And honestly, I wish it was a bit longer because Ethan is so swoon-worthy. Kait was a really great female lead. She wasn’t the most popular girl and made no bones about it. No whining, she was just comfortable in her own skin. Additionally and most important, the budding relationship moved at a believable pace. I thought all the characters were well developed.
I would recommend for all audiences. I am so happy I was privilege to have the opportunity to review this book I might not have otherwise found. I look forward to reading more from this author.
I loved this story. I mean it was super cute. For those that have attended a recent funeral for a loved one may not want to read this story. But in no way does this book make light of funerals or the loss of a loved one. I enjoyed the writer’s style and found this to be a super fast read because I liked it so much.
I rate this book 4.5 stars because my only problem was the over the top use of pop culture references that not everyone would get and would lose that bit of the story because of it. And honestly, I wish it was a bit longer because Ethan is so swoon-worthy. Kait was a really great female lead. She wasn’t the most popular girl and made no bones about it. No whining, she was just comfortable in her own skin. Additionally and most important, the budding relationship moved at a believable pace. I thought all the characters were well developed.
I would recommend for all audiences. I am so happy I was privilege to have the opportunity to review this book I might not have otherwise found. I look forward to reading more from this author.
December 24, 2011
Thanks to the R2R program to give me an opportunity to read and review this book!
This is a fantastic, witty YA mystery with romantic, and almost Scooby-Doo-like elements. I would highly recommend it to anyone.
The premise:
Kait is your average social pariah at school, even the "nerds" would be demoted by asking her out. Her mother passed away from cancer, and ever since then one of her coping mechanisms has been to continue to attend funerals.... for people that she has never met. It comes from a good, innocent place, but she is essentially a funeral crasher. Before her mother had gotten sick, she had the normal "average" teenage life. But once her mother became sick, and her best friend, Airel, suddenly fled to the popular crowd ... Kait had been given the short end of the stick in terms of death and friendship.
She crashed the funeral of a college student found dead of an overdose. She always has certain rules she follows in an attempt to not get caught, but every explanation falls right out of her head when confronted by the hottest guy at school, Ethan. Turns out Liz, the college student, was his half sister. With no idea how to answer for her attendance, she flees, thinking that her status as a social pariah might mean he would forget about her. Instead he confronts her at work, and reveals that he thinks that Liz was murdered instead of an overdose...
An thus begins a social status defying partnership to investigate the circumstances of Liz's, and several other college girls all found dead of heroin overdoses.
What I thought:
This is so witty and refreshing. Parents will not have to worry about sex-crazed teenagers, but with the hottest guy in school and even a murder suspect being very easy on the eyes... there was still fodder for your imagination. It really develops the friendship between Kait and Ethan at a realistic pace. I found it believable- even with teenagers investigating a murder. Everything fell within the realm of believability and was true to their age. It was still enjoyable for me, as an adult reader. I would have no problems recommending this book to a teenager to read. Likely, because of the main character being a female, it would appeal most likely to girls, not boys. It really has some witty moments, and the youthful tenancy to obsess just a little about certain things (for Kait it was peanut butter banana drinks) really added special touches to make this an absolutely enjoyable read. Great YA book!
This is a fantastic, witty YA mystery with romantic, and almost Scooby-Doo-like elements. I would highly recommend it to anyone.
The premise:
Kait is your average social pariah at school, even the "nerds" would be demoted by asking her out. Her mother passed away from cancer, and ever since then one of her coping mechanisms has been to continue to attend funerals.... for people that she has never met. It comes from a good, innocent place, but she is essentially a funeral crasher. Before her mother had gotten sick, she had the normal "average" teenage life. But once her mother became sick, and her best friend, Airel, suddenly fled to the popular crowd ... Kait had been given the short end of the stick in terms of death and friendship.
She crashed the funeral of a college student found dead of an overdose. She always has certain rules she follows in an attempt to not get caught, but every explanation falls right out of her head when confronted by the hottest guy at school, Ethan. Turns out Liz, the college student, was his half sister. With no idea how to answer for her attendance, she flees, thinking that her status as a social pariah might mean he would forget about her. Instead he confronts her at work, and reveals that he thinks that Liz was murdered instead of an overdose...
An thus begins a social status defying partnership to investigate the circumstances of Liz's, and several other college girls all found dead of heroin overdoses.
What I thought:
This is so witty and refreshing. Parents will not have to worry about sex-crazed teenagers, but with the hottest guy in school and even a murder suspect being very easy on the eyes... there was still fodder for your imagination. It really develops the friendship between Kait and Ethan at a realistic pace. I found it believable- even with teenagers investigating a murder. Everything fell within the realm of believability and was true to their age. It was still enjoyable for me, as an adult reader. I would have no problems recommending this book to a teenager to read. Likely, because of the main character being a female, it would appeal most likely to girls, not boys. It really has some witty moments, and the youthful tenancy to obsess just a little about certain things (for Kait it was peanut butter banana drinks) really added special touches to make this an absolutely enjoyable read. Great YA book!
July 18, 2020
This book is funny, cute, and clean YA read.
Kait, the MC is a teen with a weird hobby; crashing funerals (who does that?). In one of her outings, she crashed the funeral of her crush's elder sister. Thereon, sinister things happened. A killer is on the loose and Kait became an amateur detective, finding clues that led to the arrest of the culprit.
Kait, the MC is a teen with a weird hobby; crashing funerals (who does that?). In one of her outings, she crashed the funeral of her crush's elder sister. Thereon, sinister things happened. A killer is on the loose and Kait became an amateur detective, finding clues that led to the arrest of the culprit.
December 13, 2011
I'm a high school English teacher, so I read a lot of young adult books to stay abreast on what's out there, find things to recommend to students, have books for my class library, and look for things to teach that will interest students. Having said that, I found this book completely enjoyable. It's a simple story, unpopular girl likes popular boy and they're flung together (much to her enjoyment)when she crashes his sister's funeral.
Most YA fiction tends to fall into the "tragedy of the week" area dealing with drugs, teen pregnancy, death, sexuality, etc. etc. and ends up being rather dreary. This was refreshing because although it does deal with drugs and death, it's light and funny and doesn't take itself to seriously.
I would recommend this to my students and all YA readers. The only issues I have with it are that it was too short, and the climax was a bit contrived and too soon. The main characters were finally on the right path to find the murderer and BAM! we're thrown into the middle of the climax, everything is revealed and the story is over. However as a light romance and mystery this was a well written and fun little book!
It's a definite read, and I'm glad I got to read and review a copy on R2R (for free) so thanks Goodreads and Milda Harris!
Most YA fiction tends to fall into the "tragedy of the week" area dealing with drugs, teen pregnancy, death, sexuality, etc. etc. and ends up being rather dreary. This was refreshing because although it does deal with drugs and death, it's light and funny and doesn't take itself to seriously.
I would recommend this to my students and all YA readers. The only issues I have with it are that it was too short, and the climax was a bit contrived and too soon. The main characters were finally on the right path to find the murderer and BAM! we're thrown into the middle of the climax, everything is revealed and the story is over. However as a light romance and mystery this was a well written and fun little book!
It's a definite read, and I'm glad I got to read and review a copy on R2R (for free) so thanks Goodreads and Milda Harris!
February 10, 2017
I received this book to read and review from the Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics! The book's based on an intriguing topic and I loved that. It had everything a YA novel requires:
a not-so popular female lead who reads (shocking, I know) and has problems at home which make her weirder
the hottest guy in school
the estranged bitchy mean girl/ex bff
I just had one small issue with it and that was this book is yet another example of the current trend. The trend that divides kids into the popular and not-popular groups. I know that's how it is at school but shouldn't authors try to make girls see their uniqueness, instead of emphasizing that the female lead isn't popular, so she's weird?
Even then, I had a good time reading this book.
Oh and I liked Troy much better than Ethan hehe
a not-so popular female lead who reads (shocking, I know) and has problems at home which make her weirder
the hottest guy in school
the estranged bitchy mean girl/ex bff
I just had one small issue with it and that was this book is yet another example of the current trend. The trend that divides kids into the popular and not-popular groups. I know that's how it is at school but shouldn't authors try to make girls see their uniqueness, instead of emphasizing that the female lead isn't popular, so she's weird?
Even then, I had a good time reading this book.
Oh and I liked Troy much better than Ethan hehe
July 5, 2016
I was fortunate enough to make the cut for reviewing this book for R2R and in no way does this affects my review…
Adventures in Funeral Crashing… Mother verses Daughter, the skirmish for control of the book pursues… need I say much more.
It has certainly been a challenge keeping this book in my possession, as my 11- year old daughter Macy would snatch it away every time I turned my back.
We both were drawn to the book; by what you might ask. Why the cover art of course. No it not some out of this world work of art but, a basic child like sketch of a girl in a skirt wearing tennis shoes. Macy thought it was just cute and it reminded me of a girl stuck in the awkward stage of not a child and not a young woman who has discovered… lawd help us… b.o.y.s.
Not having first read a description of the book the title alone lead me to think it was a paranormal zombie story or a twisted retelling of The Dead Zone… Macy on the other hand thought it was going it was going book version to television’s The Ghost Whisper or Medium. As our guess would have it, we were wrong.
It was defiantly not a paranormal read yet it held not only my attention but that of Macy as well. It was packed full of creepy energetic mystery that was just so downright eatable. Which is why I found myself battling with 11-year old for the right to read.
Milda Harris did an excellent job at bring the teenage character to life. Kids today are just too jaded and are missing out just being kids and experiencing just what that means. Yes, some Macy included may think the kids are immature at time but in my humble opinion… kids need more time being kids and MH delivers that option in Adventures in Funeral Crashing.
Both Macy and I cannot wait to see if the story continues and we expect more from this talented author.
Adventures in Funeral Crashing… Mother verses Daughter, the skirmish for control of the book pursues… need I say much more.
It has certainly been a challenge keeping this book in my possession, as my 11- year old daughter Macy would snatch it away every time I turned my back.
We both were drawn to the book; by what you might ask. Why the cover art of course. No it not some out of this world work of art but, a basic child like sketch of a girl in a skirt wearing tennis shoes. Macy thought it was just cute and it reminded me of a girl stuck in the awkward stage of not a child and not a young woman who has discovered… lawd help us… b.o.y.s.
Not having first read a description of the book the title alone lead me to think it was a paranormal zombie story or a twisted retelling of The Dead Zone… Macy on the other hand thought it was going it was going book version to television’s The Ghost Whisper or Medium. As our guess would have it, we were wrong.
It was defiantly not a paranormal read yet it held not only my attention but that of Macy as well. It was packed full of creepy energetic mystery that was just so downright eatable. Which is why I found myself battling with 11-year old for the right to read.
Milda Harris did an excellent job at bring the teenage character to life. Kids today are just too jaded and are missing out just being kids and experiencing just what that means. Yes, some Macy included may think the kids are immature at time but in my humble opinion… kids need more time being kids and MH delivers that option in Adventures in Funeral Crashing.
Both Macy and I cannot wait to see if the story continues and we expect more from this talented author.
January 3, 2016
This was really fun.
Don't let the weird hobby of our main character Kait make you not want to read this book.It's actually really fun and interesting.The characters are likable,the plot is very interesting and the ending is...
Things I really liked:
1.)Kait.She's a really funny and smart character.And she's always up for an adventure!
2.)Ethan Ripley come to mamma.
Things I didn't liked:
1.) I felt like the story was too short actually.The plot wasn't rushed but I wanted to know more about Kait.
2.)The whole 'murder solving while the police won't even listen to us and check if someone's actually a drug addict' reminded me a lot of Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot ...which is not a good thing to be honest.
Overall,a very fun and short story.
Favourite quotes:
''I knew nothing would ever come of it, that’s why it’s called a crush. They’re totally one sided and they just crush your heart into oblivion.''
''I hoped he wasn’t dating her. He deserved better. Like me, I wanted to add, but come on, that’s still just wishful thinking on my part.''
''By the way, I’d take kissing Ethan over a Wired peanut butter banana milk shake anytime. Just saying, if you wanted to know. ''
Don't let the weird hobby of our main character Kait make you not want to read this book.It's actually really fun and interesting.The characters are likable,the plot is very interesting and the ending is...
Things I really liked:
1.)Kait.She's a really funny and smart character.And she's always up for an adventure!
2.)Ethan Ripley come to mamma.
Things I didn't liked:
1.) I felt like the story was too short actually.The plot wasn't rushed but I wanted to know more about Kait.
2.)The whole 'murder solving while the police won't even listen to us and check if someone's actually a drug addict' reminded me a lot of Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot ...which is not a good thing to be honest.
Overall,a very fun and short story.
Favourite quotes:
''I knew nothing would ever come of it, that’s why it’s called a crush. They’re totally one sided and they just crush your heart into oblivion.''
''I hoped he wasn’t dating her. He deserved better. Like me, I wanted to add, but come on, that’s still just wishful thinking on my part.''
''By the way, I’d take kissing Ethan over a Wired peanut butter banana milk shake anytime. Just saying, if you wanted to know. ''
November 7, 2014
This book had so much potential and a new plot twist to add to the already overcrowded teen-scene. Unfortunately, the author’s desperate attempt to ride the Twilight fanbased tidal wave caused it to fall flat for me.
CONSTANT references to Twilight. “Kait takes out her favorite book, Twilight…, Kait stays up late reading New Moon under her covers…Kait wonders, maybe he could be my ‘Edward’” All the references were not necessary for the story to move on. You’re not a real author until you can stand on your own two feet!
CONSTANT repetition! I lost track how many times Kait mentioned how much she LOVES peanut butter and banana milkshakes, how much her ex BFF hates her for no reason, how awkward she is, and her odd bodily ailments every time “Ethan” was around, how hot Ethan is, how someone like him will never go for someone like her. (I get that she is still mourning her mother’s death, but this girl is so self-deprecating that it got annoying, quickly.)
The narrator and Kait had a tendency to ramble, paragraph after paragraph after paragraph about stuff that had nothing to do with the story. It was also very predictable: Awkward Girl meets Hot Boy, Awkward Girl wants Hot Boy, and Awkward Girl gets Hot Boy. Sound familiar? How ‘bout…Awkward Girl keeps putting herself in danger, Hot Boy has to keep saving Awkward Girl from danger.
The story was cute, but it could have been so much better. I wouldn’t recommend this book nor will I be reading its sequels.
CONSTANT references to Twilight. “Kait takes out her favorite book, Twilight…, Kait stays up late reading New Moon under her covers…Kait wonders, maybe he could be my ‘Edward’” All the references were not necessary for the story to move on. You’re not a real author until you can stand on your own two feet!
CONSTANT repetition! I lost track how many times Kait mentioned how much she LOVES peanut butter and banana milkshakes, how much her ex BFF hates her for no reason, how awkward she is, and her odd bodily ailments every time “Ethan” was around, how hot Ethan is, how someone like him will never go for someone like her. (I get that she is still mourning her mother’s death, but this girl is so self-deprecating that it got annoying, quickly.)
The narrator and Kait had a tendency to ramble, paragraph after paragraph after paragraph about stuff that had nothing to do with the story. It was also very predictable: Awkward Girl meets Hot Boy, Awkward Girl wants Hot Boy, and Awkward Girl gets Hot Boy. Sound familiar? How ‘bout…Awkward Girl keeps putting herself in danger, Hot Boy has to keep saving Awkward Girl from danger.
The story was cute, but it could have been so much better. I wouldn’t recommend this book nor will I be reading its sequels.
May 10, 2014
Probably 2.5.
I think liked the premise of this book more than the execution. I really liked Kait, and the first 15% of the book, but after that it got a bit weak, and too simplistic. and repetitive. Also, maybe I'm not being realistic, since Kait is really young but her though process was way too simplistic (So-and-so just wasn't the "type" to do heroin. She adopted a puppy- does that sound like a heroin user?)
The book could definitely use some copy editing, too.
I think liked the premise of this book more than the execution. I really liked Kait, and the first 15% of the book, but after that it got a bit weak, and too simplistic. and repetitive. Also, maybe I'm not being realistic, since Kait is really young but her though process was way too simplistic (So-and-so just wasn't the "type" to do heroin. She adopted a puppy- does that sound like a heroin user?)
The book could definitely use some copy editing, too.
December 9, 2011
The story was short, which annoyed me a lot. I think it's very, very, VERY YA. That's okay, I think it was written well (as far as I can tell with english not being me first language). The storyline flowed nicely, the characters could have been likeable. I just think the story is too short. If some things were stetched a bit, or maybe just more character descriptions and more mystery... make it more exciting and scary instead of funny and oh-wow-a-boy, I would have loved it! Now I just liked it. It's a fun and entertaining read.
December 12, 2011
I read this book as part of a R2R with Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics. It's about a girl named Kait Lenox who enjoys crashing funerals and ends up volunteering her efforts to help Ethan (the guy she has a huge crush on) investigate the death of his sister. The book was extremely predictable. Girl helps the guy she has feelings for and the guy ends up falling for her. This happens in about 150 pages. I would not recommend this book to anyone. It felt like I was reading a book written by a middle schooler.
did-not-finish
May 1, 2021DNF - page 50 (24%)
CW: discussion of drug abuse/overdosing
I wanted to read this book when I was 17 because I was 2 edgy 4 life.
I do not want to read this book at 24, lol.
(And so begins the Kindle Cleaning saga! We're going to find some weird stuff on this boi, it hasn't been cleaned out in about 6 years.)
CW: discussion of drug abuse/overdosing
I wanted to read this book when I was 17 because I was 2 edgy 4 life.
I do not want to read this book at 24, lol.
(And so begins the Kindle Cleaning saga! We're going to find some weird stuff on this boi, it hasn't been cleaned out in about 6 years.)
August 8, 2014
Wow Adventures in Funeral Crashing was a really annoying book for me to read. Maybe if I were younger I wouldn't have minded so much, but Kait annoyed me to no end. Really quickly I just wanted her to shut up and stop talking. I know, that is bad, especially since the entire book is just her ramblings. So definitely not the book for me.
Kait is the weird girl at school. Her mom died, and ever since her funeral she has been crashing other peoples funerals. She likes to hear the stories and nice words people say about the person who passed. One night at one funeral she is crashing she sees Ethan. Ethan the super amazingly good looking guy who Kait has a crush on. Cue her freaking out about how gorgeous Ethan is, how he is so amazingly hot, how he would never actually like someone like her, etc. The way it is written is just...way too all over the place and on and on about every little thing and yeah. It is also quite repetitive. I mean I will probably always remember that Kait loves the peanut butter banana milkshakes at Wired. I mean she loves them. She brings it up all the freaking time how amazing the peanut butter banana milkshakes at Wired are. They are so good. She loves them. The peanut butter banana milkshakes at Wired are just so amazing. I get it. It just felt like she went on about them way too much. Maybe it is just me. But everything was like that.
Then Ethan's sister is the one who's funeral Kait is crashing, and Ethan thinks she might have been murdered. So Ethan and Kait team up to solve the case since the cops won't. Yep, they are just amazing it at...not really. They are positive it is this one guy, when even from the beginning it doesn't make sense. It is obvious it will be this other person, but they just kind of blow that off. They really don't think it can be anyone but the guy they think, even though he has no motive. It doesn't make sense! That and they were just kind of stupid kids. They just...at one point Kait is internally complaining about how the cops won't listen to them because they are kids. Haven't the cops every watched Scooby Doo or Veronica Mars? Kids knows stuff and can solve crimes! Then immediately after that she goes on to say how she knows this isn't tv, and how she is no Veronica Mars, but she hopes she can solve the case. Well...I don't know I didn't believe they would be able to. The whole way it was written bugged me. I did not like it. I was so annoyed by Kait's internal ramblings I just didn't enjoy the book.
The other main problem? The overabundance of references to popular things. Books, movies, singers, whatever. It was just like Kait was trying way too hard to include these things. Like she was trying too hard to be like see! I know what is popular now! This book is going to be sooo dated very soon. It's okay to put some references in there, but this was a bit of overkill for me. It was kind of the like Josie and the Pussycats movie where they go way overboard on purpose in a ridiculous way with the product placement. This was similar in the name dropping to the extreme. I didn't like it and ended up rolling my eyes at most of it. It just was not the book for me.
This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland
Kait is the weird girl at school. Her mom died, and ever since her funeral she has been crashing other peoples funerals. She likes to hear the stories and nice words people say about the person who passed. One night at one funeral she is crashing she sees Ethan. Ethan the super amazingly good looking guy who Kait has a crush on. Cue her freaking out about how gorgeous Ethan is, how he is so amazingly hot, how he would never actually like someone like her, etc. The way it is written is just...way too all over the place and on and on about every little thing and yeah. It is also quite repetitive. I mean I will probably always remember that Kait loves the peanut butter banana milkshakes at Wired. I mean she loves them. She brings it up all the freaking time how amazing the peanut butter banana milkshakes at Wired are. They are so good. She loves them. The peanut butter banana milkshakes at Wired are just so amazing. I get it. It just felt like she went on about them way too much. Maybe it is just me. But everything was like that.
Then Ethan's sister is the one who's funeral Kait is crashing, and Ethan thinks she might have been murdered. So Ethan and Kait team up to solve the case since the cops won't. Yep, they are just amazing it at...not really. They are positive it is this one guy, when even from the beginning it doesn't make sense. It is obvious it will be this other person, but they just kind of blow that off. They really don't think it can be anyone but the guy they think, even though he has no motive. It doesn't make sense! That and they were just kind of stupid kids. They just...at one point Kait is internally complaining about how the cops won't listen to them because they are kids. Haven't the cops every watched Scooby Doo or Veronica Mars? Kids knows stuff and can solve crimes! Then immediately after that she goes on to say how she knows this isn't tv, and how she is no Veronica Mars, but she hopes she can solve the case. Well...I don't know I didn't believe they would be able to. The whole way it was written bugged me. I did not like it. I was so annoyed by Kait's internal ramblings I just didn't enjoy the book.
The other main problem? The overabundance of references to popular things. Books, movies, singers, whatever. It was just like Kait was trying way too hard to include these things. Like she was trying too hard to be like see! I know what is popular now! This book is going to be sooo dated very soon. It's okay to put some references in there, but this was a bit of overkill for me. It was kind of the like Josie and the Pussycats movie where they go way overboard on purpose in a ridiculous way with the product placement. This was similar in the name dropping to the extreme. I didn't like it and ended up rolling my eyes at most of it. It just was not the book for me.
This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland
June 12, 2016
Adventures in Funeral Crashing is a young-adult tale about an outcast who has a strange hobby… funeral crashing. At one of these funerals she meets the most popular guy in school, Ethan, who has just lost his sister. From there, Kait finds herself wrapped up in a murder mystery with Ethan by her side.
Although classified as a mystery, there wasn’t any suspense, and the clues left behind didn’t ultimately lead to the conclusion. – At least that’s my opinion which others might not agree with. However, I still enjoyed this story as a young-adult read and I focused more on the budding romance between Kait and Ethan than the mystery aspects of alleged murderers and the overdose deaths of teen girls.
I found the way the author threw Kait and Ethan together to be unique. I liked the whole opposites attract theme between the two of them and their nearly instant chemistry – despite running in different social circles and not having a whole lot in common. Their common goal brought them together in the end.
I LOVED LOVED LOVED it when Ethan asked Kait if she would… (not gonna say because it is a huge spoiler). It made me smile and was a great way to end the story on a happy note.
FULL REVIEW: https://awellreadwomanblog.wordpress....
Although classified as a mystery, there wasn’t any suspense, and the clues left behind didn’t ultimately lead to the conclusion. – At least that’s my opinion which others might not agree with. However, I still enjoyed this story as a young-adult read and I focused more on the budding romance between Kait and Ethan than the mystery aspects of alleged murderers and the overdose deaths of teen girls.
I found the way the author threw Kait and Ethan together to be unique. I liked the whole opposites attract theme between the two of them and their nearly instant chemistry – despite running in different social circles and not having a whole lot in common. Their common goal brought them together in the end.
I LOVED LOVED LOVED it when Ethan asked Kait if she would… (not gonna say because it is a huge spoiler). It made me smile and was a great way to end the story on a happy note.
FULL REVIEW: https://awellreadwomanblog.wordpress....
April 9, 2016
Quote my 11-year-old: 'You can tell it's by somone who works on Hannah Montana. It's the same kind of awful. It's really babyish.'
I love my children. They are the best kids in the world.
So, for my offspring who hate that kind of American tween tosh, it's a no-go. But if your daughter is a Hanna Montana, I Carly etc loving type of preteen (and despite the protagonists' ages, this is firmly a prepubescent book) go get it, they'll love it.
I love my children. They are the best kids in the world.
So, for my offspring who hate that kind of American tween tosh, it's a no-go. But if your daughter is a Hanna Montana, I Carly etc loving type of preteen (and despite the protagonists' ages, this is firmly a prepubescent book) go get it, they'll love it.
October 25, 2014
This girl is too obsessed with Peanut butter banana milkshake for my liking.
September 11, 2017
The second star is just because I managed to finish the thing. This was dreadful, and the romance so cliché! I think this has as many "Ethan's hair is so silky" as Fifty Shades has "Holy Cows".
May 28, 2018
I enjoyed this book.
July 27, 2019
Very cute book! I will definitely be reading more in the series.
December 10, 2011
"Sixteen year old Kait Lenox has a reputation as the weird girl in her high school, mostly because of her ex-best friend turned mean popular girl, Ariel, but maybe it has a little to do with the fact that Kait has a hobby crashing funerals. At one of these, Kait is outted by the most popular guy in school, Ethan Ripley. Yet, instead of humiliating her for all the world to see, he asks for her help, and Kait finds herself entangled in a murder mystery. Not only is the thrill of the mystery exciting, but more importantly Ethan knows her name! A little sleuthing is well worth that!"
Anyone who reads this should remember its young adult. If you do that, you can't fail to like it. I thought it was great, a real breath of fresh air. Since the heroine is a fan of films (and books) there are references to films like "Sixteen Candles," and "She's all that," throughout. This story really reminded me of all of those films where the unpopular nerdy, slightly odd girl lust after the school hunk and he goes on a journey of discovery and realises she is what he was looking for all along. Even being slightly older than our heroine, I found it all completely believable and was transported back to my school days very easily. The language is young and fun and I really really enjoyed it. The murder mystery part of the story was plausible and believable and made the book a real page turner. It kept me guessing right till the end.
Good fun and well written for it's audience. A great read. My only criticisms are that I wouldn't really class it as PNR or UF. The funeral crashing thing - which is explained, and actually for a 16 year old girl kind of makes sense - is the only vague reference to paranormal things. The rest is just a great teen story. Since I reviewed this as part of a PNR/UF forum I was a little bit disappointed in that, but honestly, its still a good book and I thoroughly recommend it to young adults and the young at heart looking for a fun and easy read. My other point is that it was WAY to short and I was sad to see it finish so quickly!
Anyone who reads this should remember its young adult. If you do that, you can't fail to like it. I thought it was great, a real breath of fresh air. Since the heroine is a fan of films (and books) there are references to films like "Sixteen Candles," and "She's all that," throughout. This story really reminded me of all of those films where the unpopular nerdy, slightly odd girl lust after the school hunk and he goes on a journey of discovery and realises she is what he was looking for all along. Even being slightly older than our heroine, I found it all completely believable and was transported back to my school days very easily. The language is young and fun and I really really enjoyed it. The murder mystery part of the story was plausible and believable and made the book a real page turner. It kept me guessing right till the end.
Good fun and well written for it's audience. A great read. My only criticisms are that I wouldn't really class it as PNR or UF. The funeral crashing thing - which is explained, and actually for a 16 year old girl kind of makes sense - is the only vague reference to paranormal things. The rest is just a great teen story. Since I reviewed this as part of a PNR/UF forum I was a little bit disappointed in that, but honestly, its still a good book and I thoroughly recommend it to young adults and the young at heart looking for a fun and easy read. My other point is that it was WAY to short and I was sad to see it finish so quickly!
July 13, 2017
Reviewed on Lili Lost in a Book
This book, you guys. At first, it sounded kind of weird--I mean, a girl who likes to go funeral crashing? What?? But I gotta admit, this book was fantastic! The quirkiness is actually what called to me (that and the fact that is was an Amazon freebie!) and I am so glad I decided to pick it up!
So, you all know I’m a huge fan of murder mysteries, and the one in this book was pretty darn good! The handsome and popular Ethan wants to find out who and if someone actually killed his sister. Ethan suspects she was murdered, though no one else thinks so. That’s where Kait comes in. She and Ethan set out to find what actually happened to his sister.
Adventures in Funeral Crashing was so much fun! I loved Kait and Ethan! *swoon* I also actually really liked Troy, one of the suspects. I felt kind of bad that Kait was using him to get info =/ As for Kait’s ex-BFF, what’s the deal with her? She is so unnecessarily rude! But I am intrigued...
There was a little bit of rambling in the beginning, explaining things and whatnot, that kind of annoyed me but I got over it quickly because the writing itself just pulled me in. This book is too great to stay annoyed at for too long ;) And that twist ending... it was crazy! It totally pulled a Pretty Little Liars !
Adventures in Funeral Crashing was a very fun story with an interesting mystery, sweet blooming romance, great characters, and a quirky and likable MC! I highly recommend this one!
This book, you guys. At first, it sounded kind of weird--I mean, a girl who likes to go funeral crashing? What?? But I gotta admit, this book was fantastic! The quirkiness is actually what called to me (that and the fact that is was an Amazon freebie!) and I am so glad I decided to pick it up!
So, you all know I’m a huge fan of murder mysteries, and the one in this book was pretty darn good! The handsome and popular Ethan wants to find out who and if someone actually killed his sister. Ethan suspects she was murdered, though no one else thinks so. That’s where Kait comes in. She and Ethan set out to find what actually happened to his sister.
Adventures in Funeral Crashing was so much fun! I loved Kait and Ethan! *swoon* I also actually really liked Troy, one of the suspects. I felt kind of bad that Kait was using him to get info =/ As for Kait’s ex-BFF, what’s the deal with her? She is so unnecessarily rude! But I am intrigued...
There was a little bit of rambling in the beginning, explaining things and whatnot, that kind of annoyed me but I got over it quickly because the writing itself just pulled me in. This book is too great to stay annoyed at for too long ;) And that twist ending... it was crazy! It totally pulled a Pretty Little Liars !
Adventures in Funeral Crashing was a very fun story with an interesting mystery, sweet blooming romance, great characters, and a quirky and likable MC! I highly recommend this one!
January 9, 2012
This is the story of Kait Lenox who is a junior and a social outcast at her highschool. She works at a video store, reads, and crashes funerals. Her mother passed away and since then she has loved going to funerals of any person, mostly because she likes how friends and family come together to celebrate peoples lives. While crashing a funeral she runs into the hottest guy in school, Ethan, whom she has a crush on. Come to find out it is his half sister's funeral who died from an overdose of drugs. From there they start an investigation on their own to find out if his sister's death was indeed accidental or if there was some foul play involved.
I really liked this book. I liked that Kait was someone who I have things in common with and could relate to. Ethan sounds like a great guy. A guy that most people would want to be friends with. There are some interesting plot twists and good humor. Just a few things were a little predictable. It is a very well written, fun book. I would recommend it to all ages.
I would also like to say thanks to Milda Harris and Kay for the opportunity to read this through Read 2 Review.
I really liked this book. I liked that Kait was someone who I have things in common with and could relate to. Ethan sounds like a great guy. A guy that most people would want to be friends with. There are some interesting plot twists and good humor. Just a few things were a little predictable. It is a very well written, fun book. I would recommend it to all ages.
I would also like to say thanks to Milda Harris and Kay for the opportunity to read this through Read 2 Review.
September 18, 2012
I received a free copy of this in exchange for my honest review.
I really enjoyed this one! It was such a fun read, a wonderful YA mystery that that was quite an adventure.
Kait is a wonderful positive strong female character. She's not the most popular girl in school and she's ok with that. She is also dealing with the grief of losing her mother and does so by crashing funerals of people she doesn't know. On one such occasion she crashes the funeral of the sister of the most popular boy in school, Ethan, and finds herself embroiled in a mystery.
This was a mystery that kept me interested from the very begining. I barely put this one down all day and managed to read it in one day. The characters were great and believable and the romance as well was believable. I loved the chemistry between Kait and Ethan, as well as between some of the secondary characters like Suzie and Kyle. And all of it woven within the search for clues to the identity of the killer.
This is a great YA mystery thats great for anyone that likes a good mystery. I loved it and am looking forward to the next in this series.
I really enjoyed this one! It was such a fun read, a wonderful YA mystery that that was quite an adventure.
Kait is a wonderful positive strong female character. She's not the most popular girl in school and she's ok with that. She is also dealing with the grief of losing her mother and does so by crashing funerals of people she doesn't know. On one such occasion she crashes the funeral of the sister of the most popular boy in school, Ethan, and finds herself embroiled in a mystery.
This was a mystery that kept me interested from the very begining. I barely put this one down all day and managed to read it in one day. The characters were great and believable and the romance as well was believable. I loved the chemistry between Kait and Ethan, as well as between some of the secondary characters like Suzie and Kyle. And all of it woven within the search for clues to the identity of the killer.
This is a great YA mystery thats great for anyone that likes a good mystery. I loved it and am looking forward to the next in this series.
September 2, 2014
I really hate giving bad reviews , but I do feel like two stars is rather generous. So, I got pretty excited to read this book mostly because of the intriguing title, and also because of all the good reviews, but I have to say I was very disappointed. I couldn't even get through the first chapter it kept jumping around so much! It seemed to me that the author was attempting to sound like a young, teenage girl, which may have been part of the problem.
The story begins with a young girl basically just introducing us to her life: her favorite pastimes, her ex-bff, ect. The reason I couldn't get past this point was, as I mentioned before, it just skipped around so much.
For example: one moment she'll be talking about her ex-best friend, Ariel, then all of a sudden she'll mention her mom who died two years ago and how much she misses her, then it's right back to Ariel. I feel like a pretty patient person with books, and who knows? maybe I'll pick this one up again in the future, but for now I'm going to find another one to occupy my time.
The story begins with a young girl basically just introducing us to her life: her favorite pastimes, her ex-bff, ect. The reason I couldn't get past this point was, as I mentioned before, it just skipped around so much.
For example: one moment she'll be talking about her ex-best friend, Ariel, then all of a sudden she'll mention her mom who died two years ago and how much she misses her, then it's right back to Ariel. I feel like a pretty patient person with books, and who knows? maybe I'll pick this one up again in the future, but for now I'm going to find another one to occupy my time.
January 20, 2012
I got this book through R2R so thank you so much!!
I loved loved loved loved this book so freaking much!! And I would totally read this again once I am done with the other R2R (:
I'm not sure exactly what Enthralled me about this book. Whether it was gorgeous Ethan or her whole funeral crashing thing or the whole mystery behind it. Maybe it was all 3?? Anyway, it was defo one of my favorite books this year!!
I think I actually love book like this that lightish even tho there was a mystery and killing, it had a happy ending(: I'm so sick of sequel books where the first book is awesome but the rest are love triangles and really crappy so it was really refreshing :D
I would never have guessed who the killer actually was so shocker :O Not predictable at all...
I just LOVED Ethan's jealous side. *sigh* I need to find more books like this to read :D
I loved loved loved loved this book so freaking much!! And I would totally read this again once I am done with the other R2R (:
I'm not sure exactly what Enthralled me about this book. Whether it was gorgeous Ethan or her whole funeral crashing thing or the whole mystery behind it. Maybe it was all 3?? Anyway, it was defo one of my favorite books this year!!
I think I actually love book like this that lightish even tho there was a mystery and killing, it had a happy ending(: I'm so sick of sequel books where the first book is awesome but the rest are love triangles and really crappy so it was really refreshing :D
I would never have guessed who the killer actually was so shocker :O Not predictable at all...
I just LOVED Ethan's jealous side. *sigh* I need to find more books like this to read :D
December 14, 2011
I really liked this book. It read really easy and I liked that it actually felt like a teen was talking. Sometimes, especially in the beginning you got that feeling that Kait was rambling, like she would just talk about what ever popped into her head which I found very endearing reminding me of my almost teen niece and her speak.
The story itself was interesting, a girl crashing furnerals after her mother's death leads her to Ethan's sisters funeral and off on a murder mystery adventure with the hottest guy from school. It was a little unbelievable but it worked. It def. kept me entertained and I liked the subtle way that Ethan came around and fell for Kait. Those "meddling kids" sure got lucky in the end and Kait got her Homecoming wish.
I look forward to reading the 2nd installment to the series, hope it's as entertaining as the first.
The story itself was interesting, a girl crashing furnerals after her mother's death leads her to Ethan's sisters funeral and off on a murder mystery adventure with the hottest guy from school. It was a little unbelievable but it worked. It def. kept me entertained and I liked the subtle way that Ethan came around and fell for Kait. Those "meddling kids" sure got lucky in the end and Kait got her Homecoming wish.
I look forward to reading the 2nd installment to the series, hope it's as entertaining as the first.
June 16, 2016
I never expect much from a Wattpad book, considering their target audience and the fact that Wattpad is a place for teens/amateurs, not professionals. So here, I was seeking a juvenile romp through morbid mystery and romance. Which is approximately what I got.
I didn't ship any of the characters, thought nearly everyone was bland and boring, and was slightly disturbed by how focused it was on romance when there were people dying-including the male lead's half sister. But one thing I can say is that it did have some interesting twists and turns, and I enjoyed the light hearted side of it. You can tell the author had fun.
So...I enjoyed it. But I do not recommend. And I'm a little bit embarrassed. :)
I didn't ship any of the characters, thought nearly everyone was bland and boring, and was slightly disturbed by how focused it was on romance when there were people dying-including the male lead's half sister. But one thing I can say is that it did have some interesting twists and turns, and I enjoyed the light hearted side of it. You can tell the author had fun.
So...I enjoyed it. But I do not recommend. And I'm a little bit embarrassed. :)
June 21, 2018
Not at all what I expected.
Completely superficial, Adventures in Funeral Crashing was written like a middle schooler wrote it. Yes, I understand that this was probably due to the author's chosen style of writing, but I just hated it.
I expected more of a comedy with humorous anecdotes about crashing funerals, but it was superficial twitlight fan fiction. There are only so many times I can stand "he was so hot" or "sexy" before I find myself gagging. Oh and don' forget the "silky hair" overuse! Blech!
Grammar was pretty horrendous at times too. Once again, due to stylized writing, but it dragged me from the story far too many times.
For my clean readers:
Consistent use of the Lord's name in vain. Sexual innuendos.
Completely superficial, Adventures in Funeral Crashing was written like a middle schooler wrote it. Yes, I understand that this was probably due to the author's chosen style of writing, but I just hated it.
I expected more of a comedy with humorous anecdotes about crashing funerals, but it was superficial twitlight fan fiction. There are only so many times I can stand "he was so hot" or "sexy" before I find myself gagging. Oh and don' forget the "silky hair" overuse! Blech!
Grammar was pretty horrendous at times too. Once again, due to stylized writing, but it dragged me from the story far too many times.
For my clean readers:
Consistent use of the Lord's name in vain. Sexual innuendos.
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