It was meh.[b:The Deathday Letter|7023081|The Deathday Letter|Shaun Hutchinson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1276457011s/7023081.jpg|7269872] ( )

It was meh.[b:The Deathday Letter|7023081|The Deathday Letter|Shaun Hutchinson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1276457011s/7023081.jpg|7269872] ( )

Wow!
The last page had all the impact the book needed. I'm still reeling, sitting here trying to articulate my emotions. Like, holy crap! I'm happy, in awe, on the verge of tears and completely stunned all at once. This book took me there.
I didn't expect anything less though from this author. I mean, he did write my favorite book of last year, so I was hoping for another whopper. He sure as heck didn't disappoint!
These kids in the story, Oliver, Shane and Veronica, were the kids you could've hung out with. So down to earth, and just general decent kids. The bond they have together is quite strong too, and you see it loud and clear from the outside.
So now I am thinking I need more from Shaun Hutchinson. Like, now! This wasn't as good as Violent Ends, but it's up there.
Seriously people, if you haven't read anything by this guy then get on it!! You will be blown away! ( )

This book is about 15-yr-old Ollie on the day he gets his Deathday Letter. A Deathday Letter is basically a notice sent to you 24 hours before you are scheduled to die. So that sucks. Ollie, however, is your typical teenage boy. All he thinks about are sex, girls, food, and sex. So on his last day, what is there to do? Well, Ollie, his best friend, and his longtimd crush are going to find out.

I did not like Ollie nor did I find his humor funny. As he constantly pointed out and exemplified, guys only think about sex. It was so relentless. I doubt there was one paragrah devoid of any mention of boobs. It wasn't funny or realistic, just tiring. Almost makes me want to be lesbian. I'm not a prude, mind you, but I'm in highschool and get enough of this stuff in my actual life.

It could have just been more deep, ya know? A teenager on his last day, knowing its his last day? Pretty deep stuff. But alas, it was treated as one giant joke.

So maybe I was just in a bad mood when I read this. I'm sure some people will enjoy it and find it absolutely hilarious. But not me. ( )

The Deathday Letter asks the question: What would you do if you knew that you only had 24 hours to live? This is the question fifteen-year- old Oliver (Ollie) Travers must answer when he receives his Deathday Letter, the letter that informs him that he will die early the next morning.

From the beginning, The Deathday Letter wasn’t quite what I was expecting. In fact, I wasn’t sure what was in store after reading the summary. But once the story got started, Ollie’s voice and interaction with his friends drew me in. It was clear from the beginning that Ollie had a better grasp on his death than anyone else in his life. He wanted to have a normal day; go to school, hang out with his best friend, Shane, maybe have his favorite dinner. That was his plan until Shane and Ronnie, Ollie’s ex-girlfriend, convince him that he should have a little fun before he dies.

Hutchinson takes serious subject matter and injects humor and some law breaking to create a story that explores. The funny moments actually outnumber the serious ones, but the serious moments pack a punch. Ollie’s conversations with Shane and his last great gesture towards Ronnie show that he really knows and cares about both of them. And even though I knew how it would end, the author actually gives away the ending in a short prologue; it still managed to take me by surprise - that is excellent storytelling.

While The Deathday Letter probably won’t go on my top ten list of 2010, there are several things that set it apart. The first was Ollie. His voice felt like the voice of a fifteen-year-old, the way he talked, dealt with his friends and reacted to situations made him feel real. The second was the first person point of view which made the book feel like a conversation, like Ollie was speaking to me. And the fact that I disappeared into the story, it didn’t feel like reading because I could visualize everything so clearly.

I would definitely recommend The Deathday Letter to anyone who enjoys reading books with male narrators as well as, readers who like books that take a different approach to difficult topics. I will definitely be recommending this one to the teens at the library. ( )