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The Grim Life #1
The Grim Life
The Grim Book One
Max Shaw is dead.
Well, sort of.
After dying on prom night, Max was recruited by a mysterious tattooed angel named Slade to join a group of teenage reapers. Cocky and sarcastic, Max thinks he has his afterlife together, but the moment Slade assigns him to his first suicide case, everything changes.
Christian college student Kody Michaels is struggling to make sense of his life and his faith. After a failed suicide attempt at an antigay camp, Kody is determined not to fail again. Tired of disappointing his family and God, he is going to end his life once and for all.
But in a split-second decision, Max saves Kody—defying the rules of a reaper.
Max believes his only concern is convincing Kody that God loves him just the way he is, so he can save him from a hellish afterlife as a shade. Little does Max know, some shades have found a way to walk among the living as wraiths. These evil wraiths know Kody has been slated for death, and they have another, darker purpose for him.
Max has only one night to save Kody before one of Slade's team finishes the job Max lacked the courage to complete.
Max Shaw is dead.
Well, sort of.
After dying on prom night, Max was recruited by a mysterious tattooed angel named Slade to join a group of teenage reapers. Cocky and sarcastic, Max thinks he has his afterlife together, but the moment Slade assigns him to his first suicide case, everything changes.
Christian college student Kody Michaels is struggling to make sense of his life and his faith. After a failed suicide attempt at an antigay camp, Kody is determined not to fail again. Tired of disappointing his family and God, he is going to end his life once and for all.
But in a split-second decision, Max saves Kody—defying the rules of a reaper.
Max believes his only concern is convincing Kody that God loves him just the way he is, so he can save him from a hellish afterlife as a shade. Little does Max know, some shades have found a way to walk among the living as wraiths. These evil wraiths know Kody has been slated for death, and they have another, darker purpose for him.
Max has only one night to save Kody before one of Slade's team finishes the job Max lacked the courage to complete.
182 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 12, 2015
13 people are currently reading
168 people want to read
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November 8, 2017
UPDATE: Now *FREE* with Kindle Unlimited:
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And the long-awaited book 2 is finally out on Dec. 12th, 2017! : )
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
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When I saw The Grim Life on Dreamspinner's list of available ARC's, I was immediately taken with the cover, then with the blurb and I'm extremely glad that I decided to take a chance on this M/M author.
I truly enjoyed the book's take on religion, a topic that I normally hate, but Ms. Worth's writing style and character development made it both enlightening and fun. Instead of the book becoming preachy, it focused on all of us playing a part in God's grand design.
[ GIF inspired by my favorite Swedish House Mafia song, "Don't You Worry Child"
The book begins as 16 y.o. Max's life ends and he's introduced to the afterlife by Slade, a tattooed, biker reaper and possible angel.
Instead of being freaked out, Max's calm, if not smartass, demeanor in the wake of his own death grab's Slade's interest and earns Max a spot as a reaper himself, where he helps the newly-departed cross over into heaven.
Then one night, after 3 years of reaping souls who died due to circumstances beyond their own control, Max is assigned his first suicide. And it's a night that will change his life and who he is forever.
Kody is a gay, 18 y.o. college freshman from a very religious family and he hates the fact that he's attracted to men, but also knows that he can't change who he is.
But after faking straight to be released from Camp Purity, a gay-to-straight conversion center, Kody's very soul is broken and he walks to a bridge close to campus to put an end to his suffering once and for all.
Upon seeing Kody crawl over the railing of the bridge, alone and in so much pain, offering one last prayer to a God in whom he very much believes, Max breaks the first law of being a reaper. "Do not interfere." And pulls Kody back to safety a moment after he takes his leap.
Max knows that as soon as Slade finds out about his slip up, another reaper will be sent to correct Max's transgression. But Max quickly develops feelings for the lovable, pure-of-heart Kody and will do everything within his power to protect him.
As Max sets out to convince Kody that life is worth living, Kody begins developing his own feelings for Max and feels a spark of hope for the first time in several years.
It's an absolute joy to watch Max and Kody's friendship and affection develop, but also heartbreaking at the same time, as Kody's years of hopelessness aren't something that can be overcome in a single night.
The scene where Kody asks Max if he'll pray with him is beyond touching.
“So, God, I have this new friend, Kody. Yeah, you know who he is too. Which means you also know what he tried to do tonight, and that I stopped him.” My tone was soft, more reverent than my casual words, and Kody held very still, listening. “I’m glad I was there, glad that it was me who saw him, not someone else. He said that he’s broken, and I know he is. But not the way he means it. It’s his heart that’s broken, God.”
I heard a sniffle below me, but I kept going, caressing Kody’s back as his shoulders shook.
“So if you’re not too busy, and you got some time, what do you say you help me fix it? I can’t do it all on my own,” I pleaded. “And you can read hearts, so you know Kody’s a great guy. No one should hurt inside like this. And look, I know that I screwed up”— my voice trembled, but I held nothing back — “but you gotta know I did it out of kindness, not selfishness. That’s why I’m asking you to help him. Do what you want to me, but help Kody to see he’s worthy of happiness and love, okay? Please?”
So late into the night, Max and Kody talk, with Max finally starting to convince Kody that his life may not be as hopeless and he may not be as alone as he'd always thought.
I’d asked God so many times to help me stop being gay, but He’d never listened. He’d never made any of those feelings go away. Nothing changed inside no matter what I did.Through Max's reassurances that he would be there for Kody and his amazing choice of words (I was very impressed), the bleak night has passed and Kody has gained some much-needed confidence that his life might indeed get better.
That’s why I’d given up.
Death had seemed easier than constantly fighting with myself. Then in my darkest hour, while I’d prayed fervently to be forgiven, Max had shown up.
Was it merely a coincidence?
Or was Max the help I’d been begging for in all those unanswered prayers? Had he been sent to save me?
And as Kody is confronted by his ex-best friend Jack, who is spying on Kody for Kody's mother, he impressed the hell out of me when he stood up for himself for the first time ever against the small-mindedness of religious zealotry.
"This is Max.” He smiled at me before facing Jack again. “He saved my life, and he’s my friend. Actually he’s more than just a friend, so if I wanna hold his hand and walk through the quad to get coffee, well, I’m gonna do it. If you’re my friend, Jack, you’ll stop trying to fix me, no matter how good you think your intentions are. I don’t have a clue what tomorrow holds, but this morning I woke up really happy. Believe me, that doesn’t happen very often, but I want it to. And the only way that’s going to happen is if I learn how to accept myself for who I really am. I’ll keep praying that you accept me for who I am one day too.”I thoroughly enjoyed how there were no real "bad guys" (among the living, at least) in the story. Although sometimes extremely misguided, all of the characters truly believed that they were doing what was best for Kody.
Tears brimmed in my eyes, and I’d never been prouder in all my lives.
But I think Slade best summed up the situation with the following:
"A real Christian preaches with deeds and discussion, not accusations and condemnations. You should never listen to the person shouting the loudest in anything."For the impatient among us, here's a bit of a spoiler...
I was actually very shocked that -- for the subject matter to be one of death and suicide -- the story was written in an uplifting and hopeful manner, so the reader doesn't feel like they're being buried in an avalanche of angst.
The story is laced with a mix of both somber moments and several very humorous ones, which I found to be a true joy to watch unfold as Max and Kody work their way from that bridge to an HEA that they both truly deserved.
Actually, let me rephrase that. I would not consider this a traditional HEA, but an "HFA", since HEA's end when one of the couple passes away. So I think in this instance I'd have to call what Max and Kody end up with as a "Happily *Forever* After".
I suppose the afterlife just might have its advantages after all, huh? : )
4 1/4 very solid *It-REALLY-Does-Get-Better* stars for this one.
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April 13, 2015
So... I finished this book days ago and actually started writing the review and got side tracked and now I think I'm just going to start over from scratch even though I saved what I'd already written because I honestly don't even with this book.
*Sigh.*
OK, so. Let's see how this attempt goes. I'm just going to write and hopefully it comes out better than just stream of consciousness.
So I'll preface this review by saying I was raised Catholic but I was always a doubter, even as a little kid. The obnoxious one the teacher in catechism always hated because I'd raise my hand and question EVERYTHING. "But WHY is it that way?" I'd ask about every rule. I'd question why we had set prayers and why we had to confess to a priest, etc., etc., etc. I imagined my own view of the afterlife, and God, etc., and therefore was never a religious person. So that's where I come from.
I have nothing against religious people who actually practice what they preach (like, if you believe in Jesus, then actually live by his teachings, including loving your fellow man, etc., etc.), but I'm definitely not religious, and overt religion, especially when it gets preachy, can make me uncomfortable.
I do really love stories that explore the afterlife, especially in unconventional ways. I don't necessarily believe in ghosts or psychics, but I love stories about them, and I enjoy reaper stories, too. (Loved Dead Like Me.) So when I saw this one pop up on my rec list, it intrigued me.
However, the religious angle worried me. However, I've read a couple books before that were "Christian" or had some sort of religious bent, including one for a book club I didn't even know was a "Christian" book until after the fact, and the fabulous Between Sinners and Saints, which is a lovely exploration of homosexuality in relation to a character's Mormon upbringing and family. So it wasn't like I'd never done it before. And several reviews said, "don't let the religion scare you off," so after reading the preview, I figured, eh. Why not?
Well.
I generally don't like to pay more than $5 for ebooks that are less than 200 pages. If the book is longer than that, I have no problem paying more, but one reason I don't like to spend a lot on shorter books is that it's generally my experience that shorter books are not better books. In fact, generally when the books are under 200 pages, the author doesn't have enough space to really tell the story. So either we get underdeveloped characters, a rushed plot, a lot of telling, or worse, half a story. When I bought this book it was $6.99, way more than I'd normally pay for the ~175 pages or so that it was. And, shockingly enough, it was essentially half a book. This did not make me a real happy camper. (More on this later.)
Also? I beg to differ with the reviewers on the religious stuff. Unlike some books where the religious aspects are fairly generic, and as long as you believe in some kind of vaguely Judeo-Christian God-like figure, you're probably OK with things, if you're not 100% on the Jesus bus, you will find some of the passages in this book a little squirm worthy here. Granted, that's kind of the point of the book, and it really isn't a reason for me to regret buying it, but I really do feel like it's worth a mention early on before I get any further.
OK, so the book is about these reapers who guide souls to their afterlife. They're all chosen by this guy named Slade, who may or may not be an angel and who looks like a biker and has a habit of not answering questions. He always picks people who die in their teens to work as reapers, and Max is one of them. The gig is you work for him a few years, then you move on. So he has a team of reapers, kinda like in Dead Like Me. Actually, a lot like that, except they're all teens who still dress in the clothes of their decade of death even though they can wear whatever they want, and they meet in a mystical office instead of in a diner. Oh, and we aren't even introduced to them until I think halfway through the book? Maybe later? Or maybe I'm not remembering. It's been a few days, so I could be wrong. I just remember when we finally met the whole "gang" I was like, uh, couldn't this have been introduced sooner?
So Max has been working the reaper gig for three years now, and he still looks sixteen but he's really nineteen, and he's gotten his first suicide assignment, and that happens to be the troubled Kody. Of course, it's instalove, and Max saves Kody from jumping off a bridge (big reaper no-no), and they bond over ice cream, etc., etc., at which point the very loney Max decides he's going to protect Kody from the world. Here's where the religious stuff starts pouring in.
Kody comes from a religious family and is very religious himself. He's also gay (as is Max, and it's one reason he's lonely, since all the other reapers are straight). Kody has been praying to God for years to not be gay, but of course that hasn't worked. It doesn't help that his parents are anything but supportive and care more about whether he's sneaking out to gay bars than whether or not he's suicidal, sadly enough.
Kody is a really sympathetic character, and you soon learn that his family sent him to one of those gay conversion camps, Camp Purity, where things were so bad that he actually attempted suicide and ended up hospitalized. Of course, things haven't gotten better, and if he was on that bridge and Max was sent to collect him, then they definitely weren't better. Obviously, his parents are douches, especially his mom:
What's really sad about the whole situation is how torn up Kody is about everything, how he truly feels he's failed everyone, including his family and God by simply being who he is:
And that's what has made him so desperate. Max is determined to show him that God made him exactly how he needed to be (or something like that, as Slade had put it at one point), and they spend the next day or so together, exploring their sexuality and comforting each other and doing a lot of crying.
Honestly, it's supposed to be a really tender, moving moment, and in some ways it is, but in others . . . damn they just both cry way too much. Don't get me wrong--I have ZERO problem with men crying. And I get that Kody is in a really bad place. But there's just SO MUCH OF IT. The whole pacing of the first, I dunno, 50% or so of the book is off. It's like we never really learn much new information, we just get more of the same, and nothing really happens.
Oh, and we did get introduced to a couple interesting concepts, like teasers that are thrown out there but then never developed. Souls who don't move on are trapped and eventually go crazy/turn evil (? never really made clear) and become shades, and shades can possess bodies under special circumstances and become wraiths. And there's a "war" coming. And the shades/wraiths are stalking Max and/or Kody, and Max has "protector" powers, which means he can shoot lightning out of his hands, but only when he's around Kody. BUT NONE OF THIS IS EVER EXPLAINED. It's kind of brought up a little bit at the end but that's IT.
Really, 80% of the book is just one or two teenage boys crying about how hard their life is. And while I really did sympathize with Kody, I disliked Max. He felt immature and selfish, and really dislikable, and I honestly didn't care that much for him. Yeah, I get that he's young, so eh. (One reason I avoid YA I guess.) But I dunno. There just wasn't a lot of substance here. And while I appreciate the message of the book, that God loves everyone just as they are, because God is love and he wouldn't make someone if he didn't love them, etc., etc., I just never felt like it was all that successful.
I also couldn't buy Kody's mother's transformation. I get that people grieve in different ways. And I've seen For the Bible Tells Me So (an excellent documentary you should check out if you haven't already) in which there was a woman who actually lost her daughter to suicide because she disowned her for being gay. Later, she did change her ways, but it was only much later, and after much regret and soul searching. Obviously, the circumstances in the book are different. Still, I just didn't buy it. It was another part of the book that felt false.
Oh, like the way the teens talked. Maybe it was my imagination, but it felt like the author had simply thrown in a couple slang words here and there to try to make it feel like these were actual teenagers, but it just never felt that way to me at all. Instead, the slang stood out to me like it had been highlighted.
So... where was I. OK, so obviously, you realize that Kody ends up dying anyway (yeah that's not a spoiler), and Max is all sad face for eight months stalking Kody's family but finally they are reunited and yay of course, shocker, Kody has finally gotten over everything thanks to Slade and it's all rainbows and sunshine because we can forget about all that scary stuff with the shades and things because we were just kidding about all that stuff, right? Right.
So. Long story short, There really is nothing particularly unique or engaging about this book. While I like Kody and felt he was a sympathetic character, overall the book felt a little too artificial and preachy, and worse, like it was part one of a two-part book, with this part being the set up for the actual real action in which we fight the beasties in whatever this war is that Kody is apparently going to be a part of and Max is going to be protecting him from the badness.
Long story short, I'd give this one a pass. I hate to be the first really negative review, but other than liking Kody, there's not much here to really go on, especially since it really feels like for $7, we're getting half a book.
*Sigh.*
OK, so. Let's see how this attempt goes. I'm just going to write and hopefully it comes out better than just stream of consciousness.
So I'll preface this review by saying I was raised Catholic but I was always a doubter, even as a little kid. The obnoxious one the teacher in catechism always hated because I'd raise my hand and question EVERYTHING. "But WHY is it that way?" I'd ask about every rule. I'd question why we had set prayers and why we had to confess to a priest, etc., etc., etc. I imagined my own view of the afterlife, and God, etc., and therefore was never a religious person. So that's where I come from.
I have nothing against religious people who actually practice what they preach (like, if you believe in Jesus, then actually live by his teachings, including loving your fellow man, etc., etc.), but I'm definitely not religious, and overt religion, especially when it gets preachy, can make me uncomfortable.
I do really love stories that explore the afterlife, especially in unconventional ways. I don't necessarily believe in ghosts or psychics, but I love stories about them, and I enjoy reaper stories, too. (Loved Dead Like Me.) So when I saw this one pop up on my rec list, it intrigued me.
However, the religious angle worried me. However, I've read a couple books before that were "Christian" or had some sort of religious bent, including one for a book club I didn't even know was a "Christian" book until after the fact, and the fabulous Between Sinners and Saints, which is a lovely exploration of homosexuality in relation to a character's Mormon upbringing and family. So it wasn't like I'd never done it before. And several reviews said, "don't let the religion scare you off," so after reading the preview, I figured, eh. Why not?
Well.
I generally don't like to pay more than $5 for ebooks that are less than 200 pages. If the book is longer than that, I have no problem paying more, but one reason I don't like to spend a lot on shorter books is that it's generally my experience that shorter books are not better books. In fact, generally when the books are under 200 pages, the author doesn't have enough space to really tell the story. So either we get underdeveloped characters, a rushed plot, a lot of telling, or worse, half a story. When I bought this book it was $6.99, way more than I'd normally pay for the ~175 pages or so that it was. And, shockingly enough, it was essentially half a book. This did not make me a real happy camper. (More on this later.)
Also? I beg to differ with the reviewers on the religious stuff. Unlike some books where the religious aspects are fairly generic, and as long as you believe in some kind of vaguely Judeo-Christian God-like figure, you're probably OK with things, if you're not 100% on the Jesus bus, you will find some of the passages in this book a little squirm worthy here. Granted, that's kind of the point of the book, and it really isn't a reason for me to regret buying it, but I really do feel like it's worth a mention early on before I get any further.
OK, so the book is about these reapers who guide souls to their afterlife. They're all chosen by this guy named Slade, who may or may not be an angel and who looks like a biker and has a habit of not answering questions. He always picks people who die in their teens to work as reapers, and Max is one of them. The gig is you work for him a few years, then you move on. So he has a team of reapers, kinda like in Dead Like Me. Actually, a lot like that, except they're all teens who still dress in the clothes of their decade of death even though they can wear whatever they want, and they meet in a mystical office instead of in a diner. Oh, and we aren't even introduced to them until I think halfway through the book? Maybe later? Or maybe I'm not remembering. It's been a few days, so I could be wrong. I just remember when we finally met the whole "gang" I was like, uh, couldn't this have been introduced sooner?
So Max has been working the reaper gig for three years now, and he still looks sixteen but he's really nineteen, and he's gotten his first suicide assignment, and that happens to be the troubled Kody. Of course, it's instalove, and Max saves Kody from jumping off a bridge (big reaper no-no), and they bond over ice cream, etc., etc., at which point the very loney Max decides he's going to protect Kody from the world. Here's where the religious stuff starts pouring in.
Kody comes from a religious family and is very religious himself. He's also gay (as is Max, and it's one reason he's lonely, since all the other reapers are straight). Kody has been praying to God for years to not be gay, but of course that hasn't worked. It doesn't help that his parents are anything but supportive and care more about whether he's sneaking out to gay bars than whether or not he's suicidal, sadly enough.
Kody is a really sympathetic character, and you soon learn that his family sent him to one of those gay conversion camps, Camp Purity, where things were so bad that he actually attempted suicide and ended up hospitalized. Of course, things haven't gotten better, and if he was on that bridge and Max was sent to collect him, then they definitely weren't better. Obviously, his parents are douches, especially his mom:
"If you had cancer, Kody, your father and I would have let the doctor give you medicine to make you sick before you could get better. They might even have to do surgery. But no matter how afraid I am and how hard this will be for you, I have to do what's needed to save your life. You'll see when it's all over and you're cured, that it was all worth it."
I think having cancer would've been easier on all of them.
Maybe even me.
What's really sad about the whole situation is how torn up Kody is about everything, how he truly feels he's failed everyone, including his family and God by simply being who he is:
I was so very tired of disappointing everyone I cared about, including God.
And that's what has made him so desperate. Max is determined to show him that God made him exactly how he needed to be (or something like that, as Slade had put it at one point), and they spend the next day or so together, exploring their sexuality and comforting each other and doing a lot of crying.
Honestly, it's supposed to be a really tender, moving moment, and in some ways it is, but in others . . . damn they just both cry way too much. Don't get me wrong--I have ZERO problem with men crying. And I get that Kody is in a really bad place. But there's just SO MUCH OF IT. The whole pacing of the first, I dunno, 50% or so of the book is off. It's like we never really learn much new information, we just get more of the same, and nothing really happens.
Oh, and we did get introduced to a couple interesting concepts, like teasers that are thrown out there but then never developed. Souls who don't move on are trapped and eventually go crazy/turn evil (? never really made clear) and become shades, and shades can possess bodies under special circumstances and become wraiths. And there's a "war" coming. And the shades/wraiths are stalking Max and/or Kody, and Max has "protector" powers, which means he can shoot lightning out of his hands, but only when he's around Kody. BUT NONE OF THIS IS EVER EXPLAINED. It's kind of brought up a little bit at the end but that's IT.
Really, 80% of the book is just one or two teenage boys crying about how hard their life is. And while I really did sympathize with Kody, I disliked Max. He felt immature and selfish, and really dislikable, and I honestly didn't care that much for him. Yeah, I get that he's young, so eh. (One reason I avoid YA I guess.) But I dunno. There just wasn't a lot of substance here. And while I appreciate the message of the book, that God loves everyone just as they are, because God is love and he wouldn't make someone if he didn't love them, etc., etc., I just never felt like it was all that successful.
I also couldn't buy Kody's mother's transformation. I get that people grieve in different ways. And I've seen For the Bible Tells Me So (an excellent documentary you should check out if you haven't already) in which there was a woman who actually lost her daughter to suicide because she disowned her for being gay. Later, she did change her ways, but it was only much later, and after much regret and soul searching. Obviously, the circumstances in the book are different. Still, I just didn't buy it. It was another part of the book that felt false.
Oh, like the way the teens talked. Maybe it was my imagination, but it felt like the author had simply thrown in a couple slang words here and there to try to make it feel like these were actual teenagers, but it just never felt that way to me at all. Instead, the slang stood out to me like it had been highlighted.
So... where was I. OK, so obviously, you realize that Kody ends up dying anyway (yeah that's not a spoiler), and Max is all sad face for eight months stalking Kody's family but finally they are reunited and yay of course, shocker, Kody has finally gotten over everything thanks to Slade and it's all rainbows and sunshine because we can forget about all that scary stuff with the shades and things because we were just kidding about all that stuff, right? Right.
So. Long story short, There really is nothing particularly unique or engaging about this book. While I like Kody and felt he was a sympathetic character, overall the book felt a little too artificial and preachy, and worse, like it was part one of a two-part book, with this part being the set up for the actual real action in which we fight the beasties in whatever this war is that Kody is apparently going to be a part of and Max is going to be protecting him from the badness.
Long story short, I'd give this one a pass. I hate to be the first really negative review, but other than liking Kody, there's not much here to really go on, especially since it really feels like for $7, we're getting half a book.
July 16, 2015
LOVE, LOVE, LOVED it!! =)
March 13, 2015
3.5 stars
I think my reading experience with this book is what I call "a case of wrong expectations”.
You see, when I asked for an ARC of this book, I was intrigued by the idea of “teenage reapers” and “evil wraiths”. I am a huge fan of urban fantasy/paranormal series, although most of them are from the non MM variety. I thought stories about harbingers of Death were far and between. I was expecting an action-driven supernatural/fantasy story with gay young adult lead. Unfortunately, THAT I didn’t get.
This book was more about Max and Kody and the message about “loving yourself for who you are”. Max is a young Grim reaper who gets his first suicide case when he is assigned with Kody, an eighteen year old young man who is so conflicted with his sexuality that he wants to jump from the bridge to end his life. In those short moments, however, Max can’t do what he needs to do and he ends up saving Kody instead.
Okay, let me get through the ‘dislike’ portion of my review first...
Like I said, I was expecting a supernatural/fantasy book. Here, the supernatural element – the ‘mysterious’ wraiths, Max’s newfound supernatural ability, Max being called “the protector” as well as clues about “war coming” was set aside to the background. It was mentioned but never really fleshed out. I honestly got bored in the middle.
I don’t know if there is a second book – maybe there is, but at this moment, there is no information whatsoever from the publishers or the Goodreads book page that it is the start of a series – so I admit that I was disappointed. I was expecting a stand alone story, and not somehow a set-up of a series ... and if it IS a set-up of a new series, I can’t help to think that the supernatural element is a bit flimsy.
In addition, this book is quite heavy in the PSA message as well. The thing is, while I appreciate the message behind this book, I can’t help to think that the hard-sell approach is like preaching to the wrong choir. I mean, the readers of this book – or any MM romance from MM romance publishers – are already those who are accepting homosexuality somewhat. I don’t see bigots and anti-gay reading this book anytime soon. So the readers will already figure out the message somehow – that being gay is not an option, that God loves all of His creations, and so on. Thus, reading this message over and over again, from both Max and his boss-angel Slade, made me feel like I was being lectured about a topic that I already know by heart. This is why, if a book is talking about religion, I tend to avoid it, or I prefer a more subtle approach.
Now on to what I enjoyed ...
Overall, I did like this book. I especially loved Max as a character. I fell for him that first moment where he realized that he was dead and then Slade came to him. I loved his voice – he was quite funny and charming and special. I loved his determination to help Kody, to reassure Kody that his life is worthy, and that there is nothing wrong with his beautiful self, that he is not broken.
And of course, despite my preference about the approach of the PSA factor, this book does carry an important message. I especially liked how Slade compared the Bible with a cookbook (I thought, that was new! *lol*)
The ending might not be a traditional HEA, but I honestly couldn’t think of any other way to end it without making it unrealistically right for this kind of story. Now, with this ending, I could see that the author might intend to make this a series. I can go for that – it can be developed to an interesting young adult fantasy series with gay lead characters.
Note: considering this is marketed as Teen Fiction, despite the romance between Max and Kody, the steam level of this book is quite low. Oh, and K.D. Worth is not exactly a new author in this genre, she has written several MM adult titles under the name Deanna Wadsworth...
The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
I think my reading experience with this book is what I call "a case of wrong expectations”.
You see, when I asked for an ARC of this book, I was intrigued by the idea of “teenage reapers” and “evil wraiths”. I am a huge fan of urban fantasy/paranormal series, although most of them are from the non MM variety. I thought stories about harbingers of Death were far and between. I was expecting an action-driven supernatural/fantasy story with gay young adult lead. Unfortunately, THAT I didn’t get.
This book was more about Max and Kody and the message about “loving yourself for who you are”. Max is a young Grim reaper who gets his first suicide case when he is assigned with Kody, an eighteen year old young man who is so conflicted with his sexuality that he wants to jump from the bridge to end his life. In those short moments, however, Max can’t do what he needs to do and he ends up saving Kody instead.
Okay, let me get through the ‘dislike’ portion of my review first...
Like I said, I was expecting a supernatural/fantasy book. Here, the supernatural element – the ‘mysterious’ wraiths, Max’s newfound supernatural ability, Max being called “the protector” as well as clues about “war coming” was set aside to the background. It was mentioned but never really fleshed out. I honestly got bored in the middle.
I don’t know if there is a second book – maybe there is, but at this moment, there is no information whatsoever from the publishers or the Goodreads book page that it is the start of a series – so I admit that I was disappointed. I was expecting a stand alone story, and not somehow a set-up of a series ... and if it IS a set-up of a new series, I can’t help to think that the supernatural element is a bit flimsy.
In addition, this book is quite heavy in the PSA message as well. The thing is, while I appreciate the message behind this book, I can’t help to think that the hard-sell approach is like preaching to the wrong choir. I mean, the readers of this book – or any MM romance from MM romance publishers – are already those who are accepting homosexuality somewhat. I don’t see bigots and anti-gay reading this book anytime soon. So the readers will already figure out the message somehow – that being gay is not an option, that God loves all of His creations, and so on. Thus, reading this message over and over again, from both Max and his boss-angel Slade, made me feel like I was being lectured about a topic that I already know by heart. This is why, if a book is talking about religion, I tend to avoid it, or I prefer a more subtle approach.
Now on to what I enjoyed ...
Overall, I did like this book. I especially loved Max as a character. I fell for him that first moment where he realized that he was dead and then Slade came to him. I loved his voice – he was quite funny and charming and special. I loved his determination to help Kody, to reassure Kody that his life is worthy, and that there is nothing wrong with his beautiful self, that he is not broken.
And of course, despite my preference about the approach of the PSA factor, this book does carry an important message. I especially liked how Slade compared the Bible with a cookbook (I thought, that was new! *lol*)
We are all made in His image. If you have it in your heart to forgive your parents for what they did to you, what makes you think God is so vengeful that He would despise you for how you were born? What makes you think He didn’t want you to be this way? …. A real Christian preaches with deeds and discussion, not accusations and condemnations. You should never listen to the person shouting the loudest in anything.
The ending might not be a traditional HEA, but I honestly couldn’t think of any other way to end it without making it unrealistically right for this kind of story. Now, with this ending, I could see that the author might intend to make this a series. I can go for that – it can be developed to an interesting young adult fantasy series with gay lead characters.
Note: considering this is marketed as Teen Fiction, despite the romance between Max and Kody, the steam level of this book is quite low. Oh, and K.D. Worth is not exactly a new author in this genre, she has written several MM adult titles under the name Deanna Wadsworth...
The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
November 28, 2017
I abso-freakin’-lutely loved this story! It started when Max lost his life on prom night and he was recruited as a ‘reaper’ by a very mysterious ‘angel’ named Slade. Three years after joining the group of teenage reapers, he was assigned his very first suicide case and that’s when he defied the number one rule of his job – saving a life!
After failing his first suicide attempt, Kody is determine to end it all by jumping off a bridge. Until Max intervened and made him realized that there’s got to be more to life.
I had so much fun reading this one because it’s an interesting premise with charming characters. I loved Max’s character the most because he was very likable and relatable. I loved that he wears his heart on his sleeve.
I also want to give poor Kody the tighest hug ever and let him know that it’s gonna be alright. Such a darling boy. I’m excited to learn more about the mystery of his character.
It’s interesting how the author tackled sensitive topics like suicide, gay conversion therapy, religion and bigotry. These are issues you’d rather avoid in a book but the author was able to breeze through it in a way that doesn’t sound preachy and all that shit.
It was a well-built world where we get to see “reapers” differently. Although there’s still the usual bad guys ala-Dementors which are equally interesting as well. We get to see the mindset of people all too real in this world. And we also get this message in the book that makes you wonder why it’s so hard for people to accept other people’s differences.
This is a really good book and I thought a lot of people should give it a go. It’s all worth it!
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
After failing his first suicide attempt, Kody is determine to end it all by jumping off a bridge. Until Max intervened and made him realized that there’s got to be more to life.
I had so much fun reading this one because it’s an interesting premise with charming characters. I loved Max’s character the most because he was very likable and relatable. I loved that he wears his heart on his sleeve.
I also want to give poor Kody the tighest hug ever and let him know that it’s gonna be alright. Such a darling boy. I’m excited to learn more about the mystery of his character.
It’s interesting how the author tackled sensitive topics like suicide, gay conversion therapy, religion and bigotry. These are issues you’d rather avoid in a book but the author was able to breeze through it in a way that doesn’t sound preachy and all that shit.
It was a well-built world where we get to see “reapers” differently. Although there’s still the usual bad guys ala-Dementors which are equally interesting as well. We get to see the mindset of people all too real in this world. And we also get this message in the book that makes you wonder why it’s so hard for people to accept other people’s differences.
This is a really good book and I thought a lot of people should give it a go. It’s all worth it!
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
November 16, 2017
Ohhhhhhhh......
***4.25 stars***
Warning: Suicide attempt.
I really enjoyed this book And it’s interesting take on the afterlife. Not to mention, the chemistry between Kody and Max was so sweet. I understood and enjoyed the writer’s insights on religion. I thought it was a nice change from some of the books I have read that seem to beat the subject to death. I do see that other reviewers feel that it is a bit too preachy. I however will have to agree to disagree.
See, both boys come from varying degrees of a religious background. Unfortunately, our sweet loving Kody got the sh*t end of the stick here. However, with everything he has endured, his heart is still kind and thoughtful. Yet, he no longer has the will to live. Max tries to give him reason to live; by opening him up to the truth. That God loves all. I found this very wonderfully awesome.
I am invested in the story itself and the special connection between the two MCs. What their purpose is in this upcoming war. I do love the authors description of the reapers world/way of life. Not to mention Max’s death scene in the being was done quite nicely.
***4.25 stars***
Warning: Suicide attempt.
I really enjoyed this book And it’s interesting take on the afterlife. Not to mention, the chemistry between Kody and Max was so sweet. I understood and enjoyed the writer’s insights on religion. I thought it was a nice change from some of the books I have read that seem to beat the subject to death. I do see that other reviewers feel that it is a bit too preachy. I however will have to agree to disagree.
See, both boys come from varying degrees of a religious background. Unfortunately, our sweet loving Kody got the sh*t end of the stick here. However, with everything he has endured, his heart is still kind and thoughtful. Yet, he no longer has the will to live. Max tries to give him reason to live; by opening him up to the truth. That God loves all. I found this very wonderfully awesome.
I am invested in the story itself and the special connection between the two MCs. What their purpose is in this upcoming war. I do love the authors description of the reapers world/way of life. Not to mention Max’s death scene in the being was done quite nicely.
March 12, 2015
Max Shaw is frozen in time having died at the age of sixteen, on prom night of all nights, he now lives his afterlife as a reaper, collecting souls at the time of their death. The job has always been simple enough and Max has never broken any of the rules, but his latest charge changes everything. When Max finds a guy, not a boy but not quite yet a man, about to jump off a bridge, something inside him shifts. Instead of leading Kody into his afterlife, Max saves his life and puts them both in danger.
After coming out to his ultra conservative parent's, Kody was sent to a "camp" that was supposed to get his head on "straight". All it did was screw his mind up and make him think there was something wrong with him, that he is bad because he is gay. This was not his first suicide attempt, but Max is determined to make sure it is his last. That is if he can keep Kody safe from his boss, the Grim Reaper Slade, and the evil Shades that posses bodies at the time of their death to elongate their own miserable existence.
This book deals with a few dark and dangerous aspects of young, gay life. Parents that fail at their number one job, to love their child unconditionally. Suicide, dying before your time, the darker side of the spirit and coming to terms with who you are. Worth did an amazing job of balancing every negative in the story with something positive though, which gave the story as well as the characters depth. While Max's life was far different from Kody's, Max kept the truth about his sexuality to himself. Now he will stop at nothing to protect Kody, keep him alive, and convince him that it is okay to be attracted to someone of the same sex.
I was very intrigued with this story, there was a huge spiritual aspect to it, sometimes fanatical, but it was ever present throughout the story. Yet, I only felt like I was being preached at once, with Kody's neighbor who I wanted to "fix" Kody. And then there was the life, death and afterlife trifecta of the story. Who is the mysterious Slade that governs over the Reapers? And why is he so hell bent on delivering Kody to his afterlife when Max feels that him saving Kody was the right thing to do. Is Slade really on God's side, or are his machinations starting to run darker?
Well written, intriguing and while this is a YA story, I never lost interest or felt the content was immature or lacking. The characters are young and face real problems other teenagers there age and in their similar situations face. They just don't usually face their death by being offered a job as a Reaper. If you are a fan of stories that are raw with a fantastical kind of reality behind them, then I think you'll enjoy this light read.
*I received a copy of this book from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review through MM Good Book Reviews*
After coming out to his ultra conservative parent's, Kody was sent to a "camp" that was supposed to get his head on "straight". All it did was screw his mind up and make him think there was something wrong with him, that he is bad because he is gay. This was not his first suicide attempt, but Max is determined to make sure it is his last. That is if he can keep Kody safe from his boss, the Grim Reaper Slade, and the evil Shades that posses bodies at the time of their death to elongate their own miserable existence.
This book deals with a few dark and dangerous aspects of young, gay life. Parents that fail at their number one job, to love their child unconditionally. Suicide, dying before your time, the darker side of the spirit and coming to terms with who you are. Worth did an amazing job of balancing every negative in the story with something positive though, which gave the story as well as the characters depth. While Max's life was far different from Kody's, Max kept the truth about his sexuality to himself. Now he will stop at nothing to protect Kody, keep him alive, and convince him that it is okay to be attracted to someone of the same sex.
I was very intrigued with this story, there was a huge spiritual aspect to it, sometimes fanatical, but it was ever present throughout the story. Yet, I only felt like I was being preached at once, with Kody's neighbor who I wanted to "fix" Kody. And then there was the life, death and afterlife trifecta of the story. Who is the mysterious Slade that governs over the Reapers? And why is he so hell bent on delivering Kody to his afterlife when Max feels that him saving Kody was the right thing to do. Is Slade really on God's side, or are his machinations starting to run darker?
Well written, intriguing and while this is a YA story, I never lost interest or felt the content was immature or lacking. The characters are young and face real problems other teenagers there age and in their similar situations face. They just don't usually face their death by being offered a job as a Reaper. If you are a fan of stories that are raw with a fantastical kind of reality behind them, then I think you'll enjoy this light read.
*I received a copy of this book from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review through MM Good Book Reviews*
March 15, 2015
Review can be read at It's About The Book
I’m not religious or typically that fond of YA stories so it’s kind of a surprise how much I liked this book. I was intrigued by the reaper aspect and I like the author’s work under her other name so I decided to snatch this one up when offered up for review. DO NOT let the religious aspect scare you away. It is a very big part of this book but also it’s sweet and funny. The angels curse and joke, which I of course love. There’s also a beautiful romance and friendship that blossoms between the two MCs when they both need it most.
Max is a reaper. It’s something he chose soon after his death. Lucky for him Slade found him and saw the potential in him. Max just wasn’t quite ready to head over to heaven yet. So now he works as someone who ushers people along after their death. One night his assignment sends him to a bridge where he sees a guy about his age standing on the ledge. The utter sadness he sees in the lovely young man’s face stirs something in him he hasn’t felt before. He needs to save him. Reapers are not allowed to intervene. It’s not their place but Max is compelled to break the rules for Kody.
Poor Kody is in a really low place in his life. His family sent him away to a pray away the gay camp to “cure” him of his urges. Of course that didn’t work but faking it to come home came with a high cost. Kody is miserable. So sure he’s wrong somehow because the bible, his parents and his preacher says so. He’s the type of guy who wholeheartedly believes in his religion despite it making him feel guilty for his desire for other guys. He’s young and innocent. Very confused and all alone. Feels like he’s an utter disappoint to his family. Right when he’s about to end it Max appears and talks to him. An understanding and kind friend is exactly what Kody seems to need. It’s not long before the attraction between the two becomes apparent. Now keep in mind these are both young guys who are virgins and fairly inexperienced. Max is already in trouble for saving Kody and it’s maybe not a good idea to make out with a guy who was just about to kill himself BUT he also knows he’s attracted to Kody. Max is also convinced he needs to help unburden Kody about his struggle of being gay and having his very strong faith in God.
There’s more to this book than religion and romance. There’s also an impending battle of good vs evil coming and that hints at another book to come because it didn’t happen in this one. Which I’m looking forward to. There are Shades roaming the earth for eternity and they have discovered that if they take over a body at the time of death, they can live for a short while enjoying all the pleasures humans do. This only lasts for a short time so the Shades have to keep finding new bodies to commandeer. Even forcing the persons death to get the body if needed. I liked Slade the biker reaper boss guy. He’s frustrating because he never gives you the entire story but he’s an Angel (kind of) that cusses and I can’t help but love that.
So maybe this book won’t be for everyone but I liked it. There’s a really strong message of hope and acceptance in this book. For being a good person and true to yourself. The romance was sweet and there’s some smexy going on in a briefly part of the book. The couple is so adorable together. Max is so wise beyond his years but still very young. Kody is set free in this book and though his struggle was hard, him finding happiness made me feel happy.
I’m not religious or typically that fond of YA stories so it’s kind of a surprise how much I liked this book. I was intrigued by the reaper aspect and I like the author’s work under her other name so I decided to snatch this one up when offered up for review. DO NOT let the religious aspect scare you away. It is a very big part of this book but also it’s sweet and funny. The angels curse and joke, which I of course love. There’s also a beautiful romance and friendship that blossoms between the two MCs when they both need it most.
Max is a reaper. It’s something he chose soon after his death. Lucky for him Slade found him and saw the potential in him. Max just wasn’t quite ready to head over to heaven yet. So now he works as someone who ushers people along after their death. One night his assignment sends him to a bridge where he sees a guy about his age standing on the ledge. The utter sadness he sees in the lovely young man’s face stirs something in him he hasn’t felt before. He needs to save him. Reapers are not allowed to intervene. It’s not their place but Max is compelled to break the rules for Kody.
Poor Kody is in a really low place in his life. His family sent him away to a pray away the gay camp to “cure” him of his urges. Of course that didn’t work but faking it to come home came with a high cost. Kody is miserable. So sure he’s wrong somehow because the bible, his parents and his preacher says so. He’s the type of guy who wholeheartedly believes in his religion despite it making him feel guilty for his desire for other guys. He’s young and innocent. Very confused and all alone. Feels like he’s an utter disappoint to his family. Right when he’s about to end it Max appears and talks to him. An understanding and kind friend is exactly what Kody seems to need. It’s not long before the attraction between the two becomes apparent. Now keep in mind these are both young guys who are virgins and fairly inexperienced. Max is already in trouble for saving Kody and it’s maybe not a good idea to make out with a guy who was just about to kill himself BUT he also knows he’s attracted to Kody. Max is also convinced he needs to help unburden Kody about his struggle of being gay and having his very strong faith in God.
There’s more to this book than religion and romance. There’s also an impending battle of good vs evil coming and that hints at another book to come because it didn’t happen in this one. Which I’m looking forward to. There are Shades roaming the earth for eternity and they have discovered that if they take over a body at the time of death, they can live for a short while enjoying all the pleasures humans do. This only lasts for a short time so the Shades have to keep finding new bodies to commandeer. Even forcing the persons death to get the body if needed. I liked Slade the biker reaper boss guy. He’s frustrating because he never gives you the entire story but he’s an Angel (kind of) that cusses and I can’t help but love that.
So maybe this book won’t be for everyone but I liked it. There’s a really strong message of hope and acceptance in this book. For being a good person and true to yourself. The romance was sweet and there’s some smexy going on in a briefly part of the book. The couple is so adorable together. Max is so wise beyond his years but still very young. Kody is set free in this book and though his struggle was hard, him finding happiness made me feel happy.
Read
May 31, 2015Because of my work on the Stonewall Book Award Committee, I cannot publicize my opinions regarding any book with LGBT themes. I may update these reviews after the announcement of the 2016 Stonewall Book Awards.
November 24, 2015
A fun read with a great story line. Fun characters.
I hope there is a second volume which continues the story of the fight of good versus evil.
I hope there is a second volume which continues the story of the fight of good versus evil.
February 10, 2018
**3.5 stars**
It was difficult to rate this. It was shorter than I normally read. And, as suggested by the title, it's not an entirely happy little story.
First, I admire authors who take on somewhat controversial topics. Religion is one of those topics.
I'm relatively new to the MM genre and in my experience, when religion is brought up, it's quite negative. And I understand why this is. In society, the bible is brought up to make a point as to why homosexuality is EVIL. Fire and Brimestone and blah blah.
As a Christian, I really liked how the author reconciled religion and homosexuality; how one doesn't have to either be a Christian OR supportive of the LGBT community. You can be both! Shocking, I know. So that was refreshing.
Now that I got that off my chest lol....lets get to the crux of the story.
Grim reapers, death, heaven, etc. Very different and interesting type of story. It involves young adults, sexuality, and the pain of growing up when you don't fit in with the norm (whatever that is).
I really enjoyed how the MCs related with each other and even though they spent a VERY small amount of time together (but most of the on page story), there was a real connection. The supportive and comforting way Max interacted with Kody was so sweet.
“Life might be full of disappointments, Kody, but it’s also triumph. It’s laughter and tears. It’s first kisses and broken hearts. Life is hope..."
The secondary characters were intriguing.
What I didn't like was how the main part of the story took place over less than 24 hours. It felt like a prologue to the next book. Not much can happen between the MCs in that amount of time, so it's a HFN.
I'm interested in seeing what happens in the next installment.
It was difficult to rate this. It was shorter than I normally read. And, as suggested by the title, it's not an entirely happy little story.
First, I admire authors who take on somewhat controversial topics. Religion is one of those topics.
I'm relatively new to the MM genre and in my experience, when religion is brought up, it's quite negative. And I understand why this is. In society, the bible is brought up to make a point as to why homosexuality is EVIL. Fire and Brimestone and blah blah.
As a Christian, I really liked how the author reconciled religion and homosexuality; how one doesn't have to either be a Christian OR supportive of the LGBT community. You can be both! Shocking, I know. So that was refreshing.
Now that I got that off my chest lol....lets get to the crux of the story.
Grim reapers, death, heaven, etc. Very different and interesting type of story. It involves young adults, sexuality, and the pain of growing up when you don't fit in with the norm (whatever that is).
I really enjoyed how the MCs related with each other and even though they spent a VERY small amount of time together (but most of the on page story), there was a real connection. The supportive and comforting way Max interacted with Kody was so sweet.
“Life might be full of disappointments, Kody, but it’s also triumph. It’s laughter and tears. It’s first kisses and broken hearts. Life is hope..."
The secondary characters were intriguing.
What I didn't like was how the main part of the story took place over less than 24 hours. It felt like a prologue to the next book. Not much can happen between the MCs in that amount of time, so it's a HFN.
I'm interested in seeing what happens in the next installment.
April 7, 2016
Title: Grim Life
Author: K. D. Worth
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
ISBN: 978-1-63216-890-0
Buy Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/stor...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
Max Shaw is dead.
Well, sort of.
After dying on prom night, Max was recruited by a mysterious tattooed angel named Slade to join a group of teenage reapers. Cocky and sarcastic, Max thinks he has his afterlife together, but the moment Slade assigns him to his first suicide case, everything changes.
Christian college student Kody Michaels is struggling to make sense of his life and his faith. After a failed suicide attempt at an antigay camp, Kody is determined not to fail again. Tired of disappointing his family and God, he is going to end his life once and for all.
But in a split-second decision, Max saves Kody—defying the rules of a reaper.
Max believes his only concern is convincing Kody that God loves him just the way he is, so he can save him from a hellish afterlife as a shade. Little does Max know, some shades have found a way to walk among the living as wraiths. These evil wraiths know Kody has been slated for death, and they have another, darker purpose for him.
Max has only one night to save Kody before one of Slade's team finishes the job Max lacked the courage to complete.
Summary:
This story began with a bang when Max lost his life in a tragic car accident, but that was just the beginning of his story. Max's life took a fascinating turn as he began his new life as a reaper for heaven. It was interesting how their leader, Slade, looked like biker, but looks can be deceiving leaving the reader to wonder what he isn't saying. Max had much to learn, but as he began his latest assignment everything was about to change. Kody believed that the only thing he could do was end his life until Max intervened. Max saw something special in Kody, not just his beautiful appearance, and was determined to give him the will to live. Max knew that he was breaking the most important rule that reapers live by and as their friendship turns into something much more will they find a way overcome fate itself? I loved every moment of the book and hope that their story isn't over.
Author: K. D. Worth
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
ISBN: 978-1-63216-890-0
Buy Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/stor...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
Max Shaw is dead.
Well, sort of.
After dying on prom night, Max was recruited by a mysterious tattooed angel named Slade to join a group of teenage reapers. Cocky and sarcastic, Max thinks he has his afterlife together, but the moment Slade assigns him to his first suicide case, everything changes.
Christian college student Kody Michaels is struggling to make sense of his life and his faith. After a failed suicide attempt at an antigay camp, Kody is determined not to fail again. Tired of disappointing his family and God, he is going to end his life once and for all.
But in a split-second decision, Max saves Kody—defying the rules of a reaper.
Max believes his only concern is convincing Kody that God loves him just the way he is, so he can save him from a hellish afterlife as a shade. Little does Max know, some shades have found a way to walk among the living as wraiths. These evil wraiths know Kody has been slated for death, and they have another, darker purpose for him.
Max has only one night to save Kody before one of Slade's team finishes the job Max lacked the courage to complete.
Summary:
This story began with a bang when Max lost his life in a tragic car accident, but that was just the beginning of his story. Max's life took a fascinating turn as he began his new life as a reaper for heaven. It was interesting how their leader, Slade, looked like biker, but looks can be deceiving leaving the reader to wonder what he isn't saying. Max had much to learn, but as he began his latest assignment everything was about to change. Kody believed that the only thing he could do was end his life until Max intervened. Max saw something special in Kody, not just his beautiful appearance, and was determined to give him the will to live. Max knew that he was breaking the most important rule that reapers live by and as their friendship turns into something much more will they find a way overcome fate itself? I loved every moment of the book and hope that their story isn't over.
December 20, 2017
While I was completing this short paranormal tale with a gay twist, memories of the egregious Z-grade movie The Frigthening by David de Coteau kept pestering me (teen reapers bending the rule of their function by taking on a charge from the same age class in your generic high school environment, yeah right !). In so many words, this is neither a good paranormal book nor a great new adult romance. Sweet as the two main characters are, reapers mimicking guardian angels amount to nothing more than a trite contrivance; the entire mythology about Reapers and Wraiths demanded as a consequence to be fleshed out with enough energy, originality and conviction to be palatable. Unfortunately, Mrs Worth's interests went in another direction entirely; she decided to strike a liberal Christian line towards gay kids tempted by the lure of suicide, heavily skewing the narrative balance by preaching a message of love and tolerance that is all fine and dandy yet which jars with the lack of moral authority of the very character who delivers it - teen reaper Max, he who has but very little experience of the Otherworld (three years amount to nothing in the face of eternity), on his first mission as a soul collector to boot. Not only does the book fail because of the latent conflict, or at the very least tension, one can feel between the rampant christianity and the paranormal mythology, low-key as it is (we only get treated to a little display of power by Max near the end); Kody and Max, who by the way still thinks and behaves like the 16 y.o. he was when he died, spend so many pages bonding over their issues and harsh life that their love did not feel real to me. Finally, the writing is neither lush nor evocative, with dialogues that do not reflect in the least the lingo of present-day teenagers apart from a few colloquialisms, resulting in a rather bland read.
January 10, 2016
Reviewed for Prism Book alliance
I don't know that I am the right person to be reviewing this title. There is an awful lot of religious dogma in this story. If that offends, you might want to stay away. However, I found it all fascinating. Worth took a much-loved mythos and built her story. That story centers around two points. First, what happens after you die? Second, does God really care if you are gay?
March 22, 2018
3.5 rounded up. This one starts out a little slow for me but by the end I was crying. All through the book I kept thinking what Max was doing was hopeless and a little bit cruel. There was no way the Max could stay with Kody forever or even long enough to truly help him through his issues. I was fairly sure I knew how this was going to end but I still ended up crying. I do wish there was a little bit more work with the world building and Max's relationship with Slade at the beginning of the book. But I'm hoping the next book in the series will provide that.
July 3, 2019
This one hits you right in the feelings. For a novel that starts with the main character dying, you would think I would have been a bit better prepared for the setting of the book. I wasn't. I'm not going to spoil anything, but there was a scene where I found myself bawling my eyes out.
Thank you K.D. Worth for making this an emotional journey! I'll be sure to read the next installment.
Thank you K.D. Worth for making this an emotional journey! I'll be sure to read the next installment.
January 1, 2020
A fantasy featuring god revoling around a guy with huge religious issues. It falls short on the urban fantasy aspect; will try the second book to see if the fantasy gets more pages. I don't think it would be a nice read if someone was facing religiousness issues himself, but it kind of works as fantasy.
October 22, 2019
A take on religion, God and gay mixed with the supernatural realm breaking through. Positive in outlook and with some affirmative depth around being who you are, it makes a good read without preachiness.
Want to read
October 14, 201910/14/19 Currently FREE via Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HLORZXC/...
May 15, 2022
Too much of the story is just preachy. I wanted to read more about the grim and their life.
March 11, 2015
Review coming soon to It's About the Book.
March 23, 2015
Thank you to the author and publisher for the Twitter giveaway. I enjoyed this story, it really picked up pace when we got to the first of Kodys POV. Definitely leaves room for a sequel.
ebooks-sent-to-kindle
September 14, 2016$1 @ harmony ink.
https://www.harmonyinkpress.com/books...
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews