Hey you guys. I’m Sydney and you’re watching Sydney’s Shelves. Today I’m going to be doing a book review for The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker by Kerry Wilkinson. It came out on July 26th. I got my copy for free from Netgalley for an honest review. That being said my thoughts are my own. Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for this opportunity. Let’s do this.

Plot: The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker is a YA murder mystery thriller that verges on magical realism. It’s about a girl who wakes up in a lake not knowing who or where she is but certain of one thing: She died tonight. Or to be more specific was murdered. The story follows Eleanor as she uncovers her hidden memories and tries to figure out who had it in for her. As Mystery thriller plots go this one isn’t super unique. But I was excited because I love stuff where the characters come back from the dead. I can honestly say that I was invested in this plot and eagerly anticipating the big reveal. Following Eleanor around as she did day to day things could be mundane at times but this was neccsary for Eleanor to recover her memories. I’m not usually a fan of the “lost memories” trope but I thought it was used well in this instance. It made sense what with her coming back from the dead. I gave plot 4.5 out of 5 Stars.

Characters: The main character in this story is Eleanor Parker. To tell you how just okay she was, when I was writing this review I forgot her name…. Um it’s in the title Sydney. She was just your average teenager finding out she wasn’t really this sweet and innocent thing that she would have preferred. Like every character who has ever lost their memory they find out their real self can be a jerk. I did like Eleanor I just don’t remember much about her now that the book is over.

The side characters weren’t much different. They lack character building to make them strong independent characters. Like their whole description depends on Eleanor. Ie,,, Eleanor’s best friend, Eleanor’s Mum, Eleanor’s Brother, etc. I would have liked a little more character building. But I know the author was trying to keep them vague in order to build the suspense of who dun it. I gave characters a 3.5 out of 5 Stars.

World Building. You really get a taste of the small british village in this book. The atmosphere was really tense. I felt like the author did a mostly good job or putting you in the moment and keeping you hanging by the seat of your pants. I liked how the author protrayed small town gossip . Yes its frustrating but you grew up with these people. And everyone knows everyone. It’s a whole thing. And I just thought the author showed it well. Something I was meh about was the lack of world buildling concerning the whole coming back from the dead thing. I thought this would be a paranormal thriller. But the how, why, ect were never answered. We are just supposed to understand that she came back from the dead and is struggling with things bodies would suffer from if they’d died like temperature drop and lack of hunger or need for sleep. I guess what I mean is there is no real magic system. It’s just like “here’s a splash of something fantastical.” I gave World Building 4 out of 5 stars.

Writing Style. This book is written in first person POV. We really get into Eleanor’s head as she deconstructs her memories and puts together the puzzle before her. I thought the author did a good job with showing us new information instead of just telling us every new thing. We discover the story along with Eleanor which was fun. I do think the story was more suspensful then straight up thrillery. I was never scared for Eleanor’s Life or so anxious for what was gonna happen next. More like I just wanted to know what really happened. Which was fine. The Wilkinson did do a good job of keeping you wanting more and setting a good pace. Was I super impressed by the writing style and could read this forever, no. But was it better than most YA thrillers? Yes. I gave Writing Style a 4 out of 5 stars.

Personal Experience. I did really enjoy reading this book for the most part. Actually for all the parts that count I couldn’t put this book down. Why do I say the parts that count? Because I did this awful thing about halfway through the book I figured out who the murderer was so of course I stopped and had to check the ending to make sure I was right… Yeah I’m the literal worst. Well after this plunder, I didn’t want to pick the book up for days. Yes plural. Almost a week. I finally had to force myself to just do it and read the second half of the book in one sitting. But I’m not holding this against the book because its honestly my own dang fault. So for what actually counts, I gave personal experience a 4 out of 5 Stars.

Overall I gave The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker 4 out of 5 stars. It’s pretty good for a YA mystery thriller. The characters aren’t amazing but the story is captivating. I think if you’re looking to branch out into the fantastical world but not too much then this story is the perfect amount of paranormal for you. I hope you guys check this one out. Let me know in the comments if you plan to pick this up. I hope you guys are having a great day! I’ll see you in the stacks.

Wilkinson has quickly become a favorite of mine because of his Jessica Daniel series. This book sounded similarly suspenseful, but with a bit of a supernatural twist, so I picked it up.

Eleanor wakes up one morning in a river, not sure how she got there or what happened to her the night before. The one thing she is sure of is that she’s dead. She can’t get warm, all food makes her nauseous, and she has no need to sleep. Her skin looks sallow, to the point where others recognize it. She begins to do a mini investigation into her own murder, trying to figure out who she can trust and who she absolutely can’t.

I enjoyed this book. Wilkinson took an interesting view by having Ellie investigate her own death, and by having memories slowly start to creep up as time passes. The ending is a surprise, although I do feel like it was a bit weak. The whodunnit didn’t work for me as well as some other books that Wilkinson has written.

If you’re a fan of suspense novels or of Wilkinson, definitely pick this one up!

Eleanor wakes up in the river after a night out. She goes home and when questioning herself what’s happened, there are a few things not adding up. There also seems to be something wrong with her sense, she can’t feel or smell anything really and the little she ate, makes her sick. Eleanor begins to panic and think that she might be dead, a zombie even, maybe murdered. It wouldn’t be the first murder in town. A year ago, Eleanor’s brother Ollie’s girlfriend was murdered and the killer was never caught. Could Eleanor have been fallen pray to the same person, the mysterious Hitcher?
The story moved slowly and sometimes I wished for more explanation in the supernatural part. But my curiosity wouldn’t let me stop reading and in the end I liked the book.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture!

I really enjoyed the concept of his novel - the mixture of YA and paranormal thriller was great.
I didn’t feel like I got to know the protagonist that well. The whole story was quite traumatic for her which maybe deflected away from personality development, but I don’t feel like I know her at all.
The other characters were good but I didn’t have a favourite because again I didn’t feel like I got to know them very well.
The scene setting was brilliant and the ideas behind the story were great.
I didn’t feel as satisfied as I’d have hoped by he ending, I felt like it was left a bit unsure about a few things but I suppose that’s how the main character felt too.


I’d recommend it to others and if you enjoy YA suspense/paranormal then you’ll enjoy it.

I really liked the story. Normally I can figure out who the killer is rather early, but this one kept me guessing right up until the end. I do feel that some of the details in the story were dropped a bit to quickly, like the necklace. I had actually completely forgotten about that piece of the puzzle since it was only mentioned once and never again until the very end of the book.

When they say this is gripping, they are not messing about.

The story of Eleanor, who wakes up realising someone has attempted to kill her, The Death And Life Of Eleanor Parker certainly keeps you gripped from the moment it starts and with characters that feel like you know. Eleanor is a great character and as the story unfolds really grows.

The plot is pretty good and keeps giving until the end, the suspense builds as the story goes on and even when it was bit too much for me and I sneaked ahead and read the end, I still couldn’t stop myself reading the whole of the story and still found this book just as attention grabbing.

A really enjoyable books that kept me pulled in, The Death And Life Of Eleanor Parker is just such a treat!

(I received an ARC from Netgalley for a honest review).

This is definitely a hype-generating book. Eerie and wild with imagination.

I like a good mystery within a mystery as in the borders of reality are stretched.

I tend to go through books in two ways - devour them overnight, highlighting most of the pages and falling so madly in love with at least some of the characters that I redefine parts of my life by them. Or read the Prologue (1 chapter), put it down to think about it, come back...keep reading...jump to the last chapter not being able to stand the building suspense.

This fell somewhere in the middle.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was sent an e arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I really did not like this one. Unfortunately paranormal books just aren’t my thing. I didn’t realize that this book would have those elements.

Really enjoyed this book. The twists and turns were great and just what I'm was looking for in a thriller. Did not see the ending coming. Will definitely be reading more from this author. Highly recommend.

This book had a great start - sort of similar to Sarah Pinborough’s Thirteen Minutes. The overall story was good but the pacing a little slow for me. Unfortunately I also guessed who the guilty party was from the first time they were introduced (no spoilers here). I found this a really quick read

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for my honest review.

This book was a fantastic read. I started not so sure, but as the story progressed, I was hooked. When Ellie came to and started to realize she might be dead, as she made her list of her potential killers, and tried to put what happened together, it was spellbinding. In fact, I finished the whole book in one day, I had to find out what happened to Ellie. A unique story line, I like when I read something that’s a little different from everything else that I’ve read, this book definitely hit that mark. I have read a few books by this author and I have enjoyed those as well I will definitely continue reading books from this author. The characters were well written and enjoyable.

I seem to be on a roll with these kinds of stories lately. Stories so far outside of the norm that it's hard to wrap your brain around them. But so good that you can't pull yourself away...
When seventeen-year-old Eleanor wakes up in the river, she's not quite sure what happened. A strong sense of choking, water filling her lungs, being held down, all these things soon add up to the realization that she was drowned. And that she died. But, inexplicably, she's not completely dead. Sure, there are some annoying things she can no longer do. Like eat. Or sleep. Or feel anything. Oh and she's always cold, even though it's the middle of the summer. Still, she's determined to find out what happened to her that night in the river. All the while knowing that not everyone wants her to discover the truth.
I loved this story. It's much easier to follow than it may seem. It's very intriguing and twisty, one I couldn't put down!

This book has a very interesting premise - it's told by a girl who was drowned to death and doesn't remember who did it. She tries to put together what happened that night and hide her decaying condition from friends and family in the process, hoping to find sole sort of closure.

I love the premise, and the parts of the book where she has to deal with trying to hide that she's a walking corpse was so interesting to read! But. The main character is bland, and so are the other characters. Some of them I can barely keep apart. There's lots of girl hate, and it got exhausting pretty quickly.

I also disliked the ending very much. For the right audience I think this book will be brilliant, as it's a nicely done whodunit with paranormal and small village creepy feel, but it was not for me.

Eleanor Parker wakes up on the river bed in the early hours of the morning and has no idea how she got there. She has vague memory flashes from the night before but nothing substantial enough to piece together what happened. Someone tried to harm her...and maybe they did because things aren't quite as they should be. Eleanor can't seem to get warm despite the warm weather and layers of clothing and her skin has taken on an alarmingly gray hue. Did she actually drown in the river that night? Almost exactly a year ago, another girl suffered the same fate. Eleanor is determined to find out what happened as she talks to her friends and family in hopes of connecting someone to the crime. Someone has got to be hiding something and she's going to find out the truth.

This was an interesting and rather original read. I wavered between a rating of 3 and 4 for this one and eventually settled on a 4 star rating because as the pieces of the puzzle started to connect, I found myself more invested in the story. This is an intriguing mystery with an ending that's definitely worth the wait.

I received this book through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley.com, to Bookouture, and to Kerry Wilkinson for this opportunity.

Eleanor wakes up on the bank of a river with no memory how she got there. The question is, is she dead? Readers get to go right along the mystery with her, investigating what happened to her.
This book has a bit of a paranormal aspect to it, as how can you investigate your own death?
I enjoyed the ride. It was full of unique twists and turns and the author really portrayed his teenage mc well.
This way my first book by author, but definitely look.forward to reading more. A YA thriller for all ages.

I have read quite a few of this author’s books now and I have to say he does write some excellent psychological thrillers and whilst this book is deemed to be a coming of age novel, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it was a brilliant read!!

I was completely gripped by the book right from the start through to the fantastic ending – I will say that this is one of those books that you need to read with an open mind and you will enjoy it even more – the characters are great and I thoroughly enjoyed the interaction as the story unravelled.

No hesitation in giving this story 5 stars – really looking forward to seeing what he releases next!! Very highly recommended!!

In a very small town, Eleanor awakens with the realization that she’s dead, and that someone murdered her. She doesn’t remember who or why, so everyone is a suspect. It also seems highly coincidental (or not?) that this happened on the anniversary of another girl’s death.

This novel is edged with paranormal elements that I had to suspend my disbelief over, but it’s not nearly as dark and gritty as I thought it would be. Eleanor takes everything in stride, including her own death, and her snarky observations are what makes this book fun to read. More snark, please!

I was a teensy bit disappointed with the ending, but that’s just me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc.

A gripping YA novel that I could not put down, ‘The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker’ by Kerry Wilkinson is a psychological thriller with a difference. What happened to seventeen year old Eleanor Parker that night, is it possible that she really could have drowned? And what, if anything, does what happened to her have to do with the death of her brother’s girlfriend, Sarah, a year ago?

Eleanor wakes up at the side of the river with no memory of what has happened to her. All she knows is that she thinks she died last night. And so begins a coming of age tale like no other, that once started I found impossible to put down. With an added paranormal element that keeps you guessing throughout, this is a book that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Although ‘The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker’ is a young adult novel, there is no reason at all why it shouldn’t appeal to readers of all ages. A thrilling 4 star read that I highly recommend.

This was an interesting read with an ending that wasn't completely predictable. Some parts were a bit slow but overall it was a good read.

I never knew what I let myself in for when agreeing to read The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker by Kerry Wilkinson, a Teen & Young Adult Mystery Novel. Did I have the illusion that I would be transported back to my teenage years, stop sniggering I can hear you saying don’t be daft, but really there could have been that teeny tiny smidgeon of maybe so in my mind. Realistically the only thing I got was a sense of WoW, I don’t remember a Young Adult book being this good……. just a pity I’m not a teenager any more.

The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker is based around a seventeen year old girl. Eleanor Parker finds herself in the river which passes through the village she lives in, with the sense that someone had tried to kill her, but with no memory of how or why. Things have changed, Eleanor has strong premonitions of a past incident which claimed the life her brother’s girlfriend in the very same river, the previous summer. Eleanor battles to discover the truth, to link all the tragic consequences of the previous summer before its too late.

Eleanor as a character is like any typical teenager, that thinks they know it all, can do it all with no consequences, the usual fights with sibling, the obstinate nature and attitude with parent. Gawd it sounds just like my kids…..aah we were all young once, are the words you are typically reminded of by your own parents.

The premise of what Kerry Wilkinson was trying to convey came through loud and clear, fulfilling my need for a thrilling suspenseful read, each string pulled, a link to the paranormal, a twist in criminality, a pinch of supernatural elements and the ultimate who dunnit, each and every piece gelled well together producing a very enjoyable read.

The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker is an easy read, which flows naturally and coherently, fleeting your eyes through the book at a steady pace, with every new piece of information unfolding in the appropriate place, preventing the need to back track and circumnavigate the red herrings.

WoW can’t wait to hear from Kerry again soon.

Thanks to Bookouture, Kerry Wilkinson and Noelle Holten for an advanced readers copy of The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thanks for the spot on the Blog Tour Noelle xx