The sweet dead life : The sweet dead life series, book 1

The angel book gets a Texas makeover from the author of the Dreaming Anastasia series. ''I found out two things today: One, I think I'm dying. And two, my brother is a perv.'' So begins the diary of Jenna Samuels, who is having a very bad year. Her mother spends all day in bed. Dad vanished when she was nine. Her older brother, Casey, tries to hold together what’s left of the family by working two after-school jobs—difficult, as he’s stoned all the time. To make matters worse, Jenna is sick. Really sick. When she collapses one day, Casey tries to race her to the hospital in their beat-up Prius and crashes instead. Jenna wakes up in the ER to find Casey beside her, looking pretty good. Better than ever, in fact. Downright... angelic. The flab and zits? Gone. Before long, Jenna figures out that her brother didn’t survive the accident at all, and she isn’t just sick; she’s being poisoned. Casey has been sent back to help Jenna find out who’s got it out for her, a mystery that leads to more questions about their mother’s depression and their father’s disappearance. From the Hardcover edition. Review Praise for *The Sweet Dead Life * “A smart, sassy, supernatural mystery chock-full of heart, hope and fun.” — New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith '' The Sweet Dead Life is mischief and mayhem, zippy one-liners, mystery and a tiny bit of tragedy. A-word: Awesome.'' —E. Lockhart, author of The Boyfriend List and *The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks * “There’s a whole lot going on here: poisonings, blackmail, sibling relationships, romance, and abandonment, in addition to angels, but the unifying thread is Jenna’s clever, bitter, self-aware, and loving voice ... Preble’s lively descriptions and unusually well-drawn, caring sibling relationship (a topic not usually explored in teen fiction) are especially noteworthy.” —Booklist “Bizarre? Yes, very. Fun to read? Yes, very.” —The Examiner “Hallelujah! A paranormal tale of angels that’s not a romance, making it a novel that breaks the mold.” —*Kirkus * Praise for *Dreaming Anastasia * ''A ride of paranormal fantasy, contemporary and historical fiction, with a little bit of romance. It's the perfect blend.'' ─ Examiner.com '' Dreaming Anastasia *is a story of love and loss on many different levels. It was a wild, fun, and sweetly romantic ride.'' ─ Galleysmith.com * ''A roller-coaster ride'' ─Kirkus Reviews About the Author Joy Preble is the author of the popular and highly acclaimed Dreaming Anastasia series. A former English teacher, Joy grew up in Chicago and is a graduate of Northwestern University. She is now a full time writer and lives with her family in Texas, where she has learned to say ''y'all'' without any hint of irony. A tireless advocate for literacy and great books, she is at the center of the all-important Texas YA scene. The angel book gets a Texas makeover from the author of the Dreaming Anastasia series. "I found out two things today: One, I think I'm dying. And two, my brother is a perv." So begins the diary of Jenna Samuels, who is having a very bad year. Her mother spends all day in bed. Dad #160;vanished when she was nine. Her older brother, Casey, tries to hold together whats left of the family by working two after-school jobsdifficult, as hes stoned all the time. To make matters worse, Jenna is sick. Really sick. When she collapses one day, Casey tries to race her to the hospital in their beat-up Prius and crashes instead. #160; Jenna wakes up in the ER to find Casey beside her, looking pretty good. Better than ever, in fact. Downright... angelic. The flab and zits? Gone. Before long, Jenna figures out that her brother didnt survive the accident at all, and she isnt just sick; shes being poisoned. Casey has been sent back to help Jenna find out whos got it out for her, a mystery that leads to more questions about their mothers depression and their fathers disappearance After dying in a car accident, fourteen-year-old Jenna's older brother returns as an angel to help Jenna solve a mystery that not only holds the key to her survival, but also to their mother's mysterious depression and their father's disappearance.