Denton Little's Deathdate (Denton Little Series)

Denton Little has a date with death. In fact, thanks to AstroThanatoGenetics, Denton knows the exact date of his death. He doesn't know how or what time it will happen, but sometime tomorrow Denton will die. And if that wasn't bad enough he has to attend his own funeral where he will be expected to listen to many people, most of who he doesn't know or doesn't care about, blather on about how much they will miss him, how much he means to them, not to mention the stories and anecdotes. On the plus side when its his turn to eulogize himself he can say everything he's always wanted to say to people with no regrets or repercussions.

But don't expect this to be a morbid book about a teenager coming to terms with death. If you read the synopsis then you will know to expect all kinds of interesting things to happen... in just a very short time. For a book that takes place in less than 48 hours it's a non stop ride of drama, emotion and humor. And when some extra strange things start to happen Denton is rushing to solve a mystery and spent his last hours with family. Maybe there is more to this deathdate thing than he has been told, and who can he trust? Could there be a chance to live past his date?

A unique perspective on life and death, just look past the morbidity and find the humor. Its a great book, I promise!

DENTON LITTLE'S DEATHDATE certainly didn't disappoint. In turns funny and heartfelt, suspenseful and futuristic, this book has it all. Fans of WINGER will love Denton, all of his complex feelings, the people who populate his life, his humor and the fact that he's not perfect but he's the perfect hero for this story. I finished the book in a day and wish it hadn't ended.

Yup, actually sounds the way teenage boys and girls sound. A mix of vulgarity, self-centeredness, and stupidity. And yet, surprisingly heart wrenching. Definitely a good pick for reluctant teen readers, particularly boys.

Imagine a world very similar to ours, except everyone knows the precise date of their death. That's the world Denton Little lives in, and his quiet suburban life is rapidly reaching its predetermined end; as the book begins, his death date is just one day away. Denton is a charming character and his voice is funny, real and sweet. He wakes up on the day before his Death Date hungover, in the bed of his best friend's sister, not quite remember what happened the night before. In just 24 hours he'll have to face the great unknown, but in the meantime, he's got to face attending his own funeral, saying goodbyes, figuring out why he has a weird purple blotch on his leg, and maybe learning a little more about his biological mom, who died when he was born. Although the subject seems morbid, in the hands of Lance Rubin, the narrative is actually quite humorous and fun to read, subtly raising the intiguing question whether it's better to know the exact date of one's demise, or whether it's preferable to not know and try to live each day unsure whether it will be your last.

I didn't expect to enjoy this book so much, but it was really funny and creative. The characters seemed very real, and I loved Denton's voice. The story takes some unexpected twists and the ending wasn't quite what I expected. A quick read that manages to be both touching and laugh-out-loud funny, while it also makes you think a bit.

So, I have mixed feelings about this one. I wanted to love it (it was brought to my attention as a comp title for a book I genuinely did love), but for some reason, I just never truly connected with it. Part of that might be that I picked it up after reading a book that was on the complete opposite side of the spectrum in terms of style, tone, and genre, and part of it might be that I’m simply not the intended audience (this book is most definitely geared toward teens — and I would say male readers — as opposed to some YA titles that also appeal to adults), but whatever the reason, I just didn’t love it as much as I hoped.

That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy it though. I did. Quite a lot. But there was just something that never quite gelled for me. I will say that Rubin has done a phenomenal job at capturing the teen voice. Denton’s narration is clever and spot-on, the dialogue is snappy and flows well, and all of the character reactions felt perfectly in line with the plot, which, I might add, was highly original and intriguing. So what kept me from falling head over heels for this one?

My best guess is that I struggled with the pace. It moves incredibly fast, and while that makes for a quick, fun read, it never seemed to have the substance I was looking for, the quiet moments in between all the shenanigans. It reads very much like a sitcom, and in fact, would make an excellent television show or movie. The rapid-fire dialogue, while excellent, was a tad exhausting at times and often reminded me of a stand-up comedy routine. And there was an awful lot crammed into what is essentially twenty-four hours of Denton’s life.

The concept of the novel is superb though, and I really wish there had been more closure on that front. I spent about 3/4 of the book wondering what the genre actually was, as it seemed to oscillate between science fiction and magical realism, at least until the end, when it became clear that it was definitely science fiction and possibly even a little dystopian. I wanted to know more about the world Denton and friends lived in, about how exactly science had evolved to the point where it could predict someone’s date and manner of death based on DNA. But I suppose those are answers we’ll get later in the series. (At least, I hope we do.)

Yes, it is a series, which is something that isn’t indicated until the very end of the book and the massive cliff-hanger, which further added to the episodic feel of the tale. There is a small teaser for the next one included — as in one page, small — but I don’t recommend reading it. I did, and it ruined the small sense of closure I had from the actual ending. So don’t do it if you can help it. It won’t add anything to your experience, in my opinion.

I enjoyed much of the snarky, first-person present-tense narration, and there were several moments that did genuinely have me laughing out loud. But I found myself wondering things like how quickly the pop culture references would date the story, and why the publisher chose certain punctuation stylings when I should have been invested in the characters.

Overall, I would recommend this book to an upper YA crowd — it does contain swearing, sex, and drug references — and I will continue to read the series. I guess I was just hoping for a little more than the book delivered.

Denton's plans involve time with his friends and girlfriends, some alcohol, smoking pot, sex, but what he ends up with is an increasingly humorous cascading series of events. You wouldn't think this could be funny, but Lance Rubin manages to make a lot of it so.

Then things get weird.

Note: The author is reportedly working on the sequel....

Denton Little’s Deathdate is a fantastic book, with a few very minor problems. The idea of the book is great—everyone knows the day they will die—and most of the book itself is great too. It’s a very funny book full of crude humor, but it still gets you thinking. What would you do if you knew that you were going to die young? Would you live your life differently? This book is full of moments where I thought about things like that. However, although the majority of the book is amazing, the last fifty or so pages begin to get a tad ridiculous, to the point where it’s inconsistent with the rest of the novel, but overall this is not a deal breaker. There are also a few obvious plot holes regarding how people die, if the tradition is for everyone to do the same thing on the day they die. All that aside though, this book is great, and definitely deserves to be read. Overall an extremely well written and clever novel.

The title of this book could very well be: "Denton Little's Death Date: A Cathartic Comedy" ! This novel invites you to explore some of the most fundamental existential questions of mankind... or to put all that aside and just enjoy the ride of this really fun, funny group of friends as they improv their way through one jam-packed, action-filled, omg-what-comes-next day. You'll breeze through this book because the author does such a great job creating a cast of characters you want to hang out with, and he moves the plot right along starting from the opening line. I especially liked the Denton's voice and the banter between characters. I can't wait for the next one!

I absolutely LOVED this book! Very clever concept mixed with nice character development and humor that is both unexpected and fun. I laughed out loud often! I thought it would be morbid but it wasn't. I highly recommend this book!

A genuinely funny YA novel, which is actually rare in the vast ocean of YA options. Most writers seem to forget that teenagers enjoy a narrator who is self-deprecating, sarcastic, and clever. Rubin writes Denton with a wry tone that is truly fun to read.

I can't wait for the sequel!

I absolutely loved this book. It is so incredibly funny while also being seriously thought-provoking. The characters and relationships are so fun and unique and real and rounded. Denton is completely lovable while also screwing up and having flaws. There are great, involved parents, which is nice to see in YA. Just all in all a really terrific read. I can't wait to see more from this author.

LOVED reading Denton!!! This book is clever. There are many twists and turns and my interest was held captive from the beginning to the astonishing end. The author developed the characters so well that I feel like I'm missing a friend now that the book has ended.

The book was intriguing from the first page to the last page, and I literally could not put it down. It is a witty, smart, and thoughtful book and the author does a beautiful job with dealing with death and all of the different emotions that go with it. A MUST READ!!

Read this book! I had so much fun throughout this book but especially enjoyed the last few chapters. The characters are funny, kind and flawed in the best ways and the writing is fantastic. I can't wait to read the next one!

Denton Little's Deathdate is an interesting book with realistic characters. Denton has known since he was five that he would die young, as would his best friend. Now that day is imminent. His funeral goes mostly as expected, with friends and family giving eulogies, and of course Denton wrecks his speech, 'cause dying sucks. But then things get weird. He learns more about his mom, who died when he was born. He meets an old friend of hers, who acts a bit mysterious. He almost gets hit by a car. He gets an odd rash and accidentally gives it to his girlfriend(and some others, oops!) He almost gets killed by his girlfriend's ex. And the cops seem to be stalking him. Denton handles it like we all would, by freaking out. But what really happens on Denton Little's Deathdate could change the world.
Contains sex, drugs and other goofy teenage behavior.

I keep seeing this book every where… at first it was Waiting on Wednesdays… then Top Ten Tuesdays, reviews, spotlights! Come on, give me a break! I wasn’t going to read it until I read Paper Fury’s review, which was enough to convince me to go out and get Denton Little’s Deathdate and I am glad I did :)!
What I Liked

When I first read what this book was about, I put it down. I’ve never read anything like it! I mean, why is the kid turning purple? What is this love triangle deal? Why does he have to die at prom? Okay, all those questions aside, THIS BOOK WAS GREAT! Yup, I said great. I know, I know, I didn’t give it five stars or anything but it was still GREAT! The idea behind knowing when you are going to die is really unique, I think I only know one, or two books sort of like it. Denton Little is supposed to die during the book, he goes to HIS Funeral (yup, his Funeral…) and HIS Sitting! I liked the idea of the Sitting, although it seems kind of morbid. At the sitting, his closest friends and family member comes together to wait until he dies. Yeah… morbid right? It was such an interesting idea, having every person know their death! Would you want to know when you will die?

There is a TON of dialogue, which made this book easy to read and funny. Yes, below in the “Bad” section, I said it wasn’t funny, but the dialogue could be seen as funny. Some of the things the people say was a bit strange/interesting/weird/funny… The dialogue made the book’s voice even better, it showed the main characters wit/sarcasm/etc. I really liked all of the characters, even nutty Phil! Yeah Phil was a nut, a real big nut but I mean come on! All of the characters were strange, and a bit funny. Denton was turning purple for goodness sake :)! It was easy to like them (maybe not Phil or HorribleCop…)

What I Didn’t Like

Denton Little’s Deathdate was supposed to be funny. Supposed to be. I think it was laugh encouraging near the end when he was turning purple and once I got used to his voice. Denton was funny, the dialogue was funny, but it wasn’t enough to make me laugh out loud! The only time I actually did laugh out loud was when he yelled at the Squirrel (long story) that was SO funny to me! I was still disappointed that it wasn’t as funny as I hoped :(

:'(
In a Nutshell

Denton Little’s Deathdate didn’t blow me away but it was FANTASTIC! I still can’t get over the cool idea and the purple main character. The story is funny, interesting and oh so hard to put down! Can’t wait for the next book!

What an original and completely entertaining book. This was my top three of all time, yes, top three. It was original, hilarious, great characters and I always wanted to read more. My Husband doesn’t usually read the type of books I read, he took it and finished it faster than I did. Anyone could like it. Highly recommend!