Where to start with The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker? Where better than the cover and the title? The cover is very striking with the contrast between the leaves and the earth. And that title....such a twist on the established phrase and so fitting for this book!

I've only read one of Kerry Wilkinson's books before but I really enjoyed it so I was intrigued when I read the blurb to The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker. I was totally intrigued why Ellie was still alive and how she could possibly be linked to a death a year previous. Being a teenager is hard enough without being dead!

Mr Wilkinson definitely played his cards close to his chest when he wrote this. Even at half way through, I couldn't settle on a suspect. Everyone close to Ellie had a motive even if Ellie was finding these things out as she went along. Memory loss must be a pain when you're trying to solve your own murder!

I found this rather an addictive read, it helped me escape the real world which had its own problems. Shadowing Ellie as she solved the problems in her life totally captured my imagination. I could see this as a drama on TV, similar to the epic Pretty Little Liars....but not quite as long.

It's murder mystery with a difference, a touch of the paranormal. If you don't like anything of that ilk, I wouldn't suggest you read this. But if you keep an open mind, this is a cracking read. It may be a YA book but this not so young adult really enjoyed it. The YA label is such a wide-ranging genre, it can cover variety of topics so if you're attracted to the blurb but put off by the label, give it a try; you might be surprised!

This is the story about how Eleanor Parker ended up dead in the river. I did not know where this book was going and as much as I tried I could not work it out. This book was well written , easy to read. and descriptive, I thought it was a bit too descriptive at times and much too wordy, however I did enjoy the book a very good whodunnit with a twisted ending. I recommend you read this book.

This is my first Kerry Wilkinson novel, and WOW! This book had me hooked from page one. It is a psychological thriller,that says it all. I didn't expect any of the twists and turns in this book. I couldn't predict where the story would go, I would make a guess and within a chapter or two it would blow my mind. It's a quick read, but totally enthralling. I definitely will be checking out more of her books! THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY FOR PROVIDING THIS ARC FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!

this book is so unique and so original and just funky enough to be a goodreads favorite and i’m so mad that it’s only coming out on kindle because it honestly deserves to be in the NYT bestseller’s list with a huge promo following and book tours and stuff and it deserves to have twitter and goodreads hype behind it and for the hardcover to be sold out in every barnes & noble in the continent. THAT’S how good The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker is.

and then again i think maybe just probably i might have a thing for necromancy as a subgenre. MAYBE.

this book follows—you guessed it—Eleanor Parker. Eleanor wakes up after a night of partying with some friends to find out that she died the night before, almost exactly a year apart from another girl, Sarah, who was killed in the exact same place as Eleanor. even though she knows for a fact that she’s dead—she’s lost her sense of taste, smell and touch, she’s not hungry, she’s not tired, she’s always cold and her fingers are starting to decompose a little—she’s strangely been given another chance at life, so she makes it her mission to find out who murdered her, and if whoever murdered her was also Sarah’s murderer.

so despite the fact that the plot is pretty heavily loaded, (investigating your own murder??!?!??!) this is surprisingly a character driven book, which i personally really liked because the characters were all honestly very compelling and flawlessly fleshed out. i do like me some well developed characters. Eleanor herself never felt like a tedious POV character. she was easy to follow and, for a book written in first person, she was surprisingly not whiny or annoying or boring or dumb, and i hate myself for saying this, but first person POV’s are like that most times and this book wasn’t like that at all. anyway, i loved Eleanor and i especially loved her mom and her brother. the rest of the characters were great, 10/10 would recommend.

this book was equal parts YA contemporary and murder mystery/thriller. (there was also surprisingly a teeny-tiny bit of sci-fi there right at the end and a lowkey religious vibe throughout, especially during some scenes where Eleanor’s talking about belief, and then again with that strange guardian angel thing near the climax of the book.) ANYWAY, i was kept completely at the edge of my seat all through the book and, dare i say, the twist at the end was very unexpected!! kerry wilkinson obviously has some experience in the mystery/thriller field, but i do like books that can take me by surprise in a non-outrageous way and still be completely in tune with the characters and general tone of the book.

ANYWAY so like i said before this book deserves to be a NYT bestseller and you can quote me on that later. even though it took me a really long time to get through because i didn’t have much time to read during the week, i was still holding onto my chest in shock every time i picked it back up because it was SO GOOD. gotta blast.

ALL THE STARS! 5 across the board!
Wow. I wasn't sure where this plot was heading at all through the entire book which made it that more intriguing and mysterious and thrilling. I was getting "Riverdale", "Twin Peaks", "The Lovely Bones" and "The Sixth Sense" vibes from the very beginning.
Kerry Wilkinson has done a really phenomenal job of NOT making this a cheesy horror/slasher/ghost plot which it could have easily become.
Instead, the writing is beautiful and somewhat poetic. The scenes, the feelings, the emotions were so full of emotion. The scenes at the river i could picture so vividly because of how well Mr. Wilkinson described them.
I realized at about 55% through what the author was trying to do with the main character and it made the plot even that much more addicting. I couldn't put this book down. And yes, what I thought, was what it was and it was so real and so believable, to me anyway.
And OMG the ending! WHOA! That was a huge "What the what??!!" moment!

This book comes out Jul 26 - I can't say enough good things about it.

Thank you to the Publisher and the author and #NetGalley for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I LOVED IT LOVED IT LOVED IT!!!!

You should read this if:
-You like books by E. Lockhart, because I feel like We Were Liars is a decent enough comparison.
-If you’re cool with some paranormal elements.
-If, unlike me, you’re actually a Young Adult.

Eleanor Parker wakes up dead with no memory of how she got there. Inconvenient, but she’s still walking, talking, and is mostly corporeal, so off we go on a journey to figure out who left her drowned in a river. It happens to be the same river where a body of her classmate was found one year ago -- a crime that remains unsolved.

The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker definitely felt as if you were reading a YA book (which is valid, because it is a YA book). As an adult, the book felt lacking in areas of character development and intrigue. The plot rolled out quite slowly in the beginning, and failed to ever really rope me in. The amnesia plot device was a little too convenient for me, and I wasn’t thrilled with the ending.

Here’s what good: our protagonist, Eleanor Parker, has some of the witty charm of a Veronica Mars type. Kerry Wilkinson writes clever prose, and it’s a quick enough read that it certainly didn’t feel like a terrible use of my time.

Wow, you cant beat Kerry Wilkinson for keeping your heart thumping, loads of twists and turns, another brilliant stand alone book, keeps you guessing all the way through.

my 15 year old daughter read this book and her review follows below:

i adored this book as it’s a psychological thriller with so many sharp turns that shape every sentence that follows.

i would definitely read a novel by this author again. the ending is quite possibly one of the best i’ve ever read and i read a lot!

many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I felt that this was very cliché and I couldn't finish it for that reason. There were too many tropes and phrases I've felt that I've read a hundred times before. I think the actual mystery was intriguing but I wasn't compelled enough to finish reading.

This book started off great, and I enjoyed the beginning a lot. The writing was smart and witty, and I kept trying to copy certain phrases and send them to my friends lol. Ellie is a great character and narrator, and I didn't have a problem reading from her point of view (something I do struggle with a lot if the character is boring/annoying). I liked her relationship with her mum, it was sweet and I liked that her mum was an actual parent. Her friendship with Naomi is great, even though I wish we had more interactions between the two of them. But while the book started off strong, it fell flat after the first fifty pages or so, and only slightly picked up again towards the end.

The title of the book is pretty much the plot, we follow Ellie from the moment of her death, and relive the moments leading up to it, as well as the week after it. <spoiler>Except it is a total cop out, because she isn't actually dead. Great. This is the most frustrating part of the book. It is implied that she was saved by Sarah, but if that was the case, why was Ellie "dead" for the whole week?</spoiler>

I guessed who the culprit was, but only towards the end, so it wasn't glaringly obvious. But it did feel rushed and not well thought out at all. A lot of the characters and their relationships with each other were not explored properly, even though there was more than enough time to do it, and there was a whole lot of unnecessary high school drama.

This book could have been improved by cutting out huge chunks in the middle, explaining the murderer's motives better and keeping <spoiler>Ellie dead</spoiler>

This was such a unique, chilling story! I felt like I was on the edge of my seat throughout, and I never really knew what to expect next nor who to trust! The mystery element was so enthralling and atmospheric, I felt like I could visualise everything that was being described!

The book starts with Ellie, or Eleanor, waking, unaware of what happened the night before, but despite this, she believes she has drowned, and yet she is still seemingly alive and well?

What follows is easily one of the most chilling and perplexing books that I’ve ever read! Instantly, I adored Ellie and I felt like I was drawn into her story throughout, her relationship with her mum and her brother, albeit strained, were very natural and they all felt like everyday people that I could relate to. I enjoyed Ellie’s relationship with her mum, the scenes were very well written and throughout I definitely felt emotional for them both, Ellie’s mum had her own grief she was still coming to terms with (it’s mentioned that Ellie and Ollie’s dad died when they were younger), and given what Ollie had gone through (having dated Sarah, who was murdered prior to this story, a murder that is still yet to be solved), there was not a moment in this story where I felt bored!

I love the mystery elements woven throughout! I mean, some mystery books feel like they’re seemingly leading up to the end on a clear path, but this was just so interesting and mysterious throughout! I felt like I was right there with Ellie, trying to piece together what had happened to her. Was she still alive? Dead? Oh reader, if you’re looking for a fabulous, chilling mystery, this is for you!

The mystery aspect was just too good! Eleanor noticed early after returning home that she has lost some of her senses; taste, for food tastes earthy and non flavorful to her and touch, when her mum tries to comfort her, noticing that she doesn’t seem too well, Ellie can’t feel her presence. I hadn’t read anything where the narrator had gone through this before, and it was just such a chilling and unique reading experience! The book is told in first person point of view, so throughout this book, I felt like I was easily in Ellie’s shoes, feeling as she felt, thinking as she thought! Who could we trust, who are our real friends? What is Ollie up to? What really happened to Sarah all those years ago? This book grabbed me from the start and I was wholly intrigued!

I felt like the twists and turns throughout this book were aplenty, I never really knew what was going to come next nor did I know who to trust, and by the end I was so desperate to know who the culprit was, and why everything tied together, I was shook when the book reached its penultimate conclusion!

I feel incredibly excited that I had an opportunity to read this book before release, and thanks again to NetGalley and the Publishers for an eARC in exchange for review.

This is a very strange sort of novel. For starters, the concept is extremely odd to say the least, although I am pretty sure I have heard of it being used before in other titles - that's nothing new though. We all know it's nigh on impossible to produce a completely original idea for a book as everything has been done to death by this point.

"The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker" skirts the line between the young adult and mystery/thriller genres - equal parts coming-of-age novel and murder mystery and one that I found challenging to begin with but once I became accustomed to the storyline and what the author was trying to achieve it all clicked into place. As a result, that was the time I began to enjoy it more, too.

Eleanor (Ellie) Parker wakes up cold, wet and alone in the river that runs through her small village. She has no idea how she got there but she does remember that another girl was drowned in that same river last summer. Her killer was never caught and still noone knows exactly who carried out this shocking murder. Ellie cannot think of who would wish to inflict harm upon her, she's just a normal teenager who delights in doing all the things young girls enjoy doing. She begins to wonder if something links her assault and the drowning the year before. Can she find out the truth before it's too late?

What I loved about this was the ease at which I got into the story once I grasped what it was all about and the direction it was heading in. It starts off quite pedestrian in order to build up the tension and the various layers of the mystery but soon picks up and pushes forward at a strnger pace until the conclusion arrives.

All in all, a perfect summer read which will appeal to youngsters and adults alike. I have came across the name Kerry Wilkinson before but this is my first book by him that I have taken te plunge with. I will be placing the rest of his past works on my rather mountainous to-be-read pile and will no doubt pick them up in the future. Recommended.

Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This is a slow burn mystery. It starts with Ellie waking up in a river, where she was drowned? She’s not sure, but she can feel/remember someone pushing her head under water and nothing else. Who killed or tried to kill her? She has a list of suspects and with her spotty memory she can’t be sure who to trust. I couldn’t put this book down and wanted to know what happened to Eleanor.

This is my first Kerry Wilkinson book and probably won’t be my last. I received a free ARC of this book on NetGalley.

While I don't read many mystery novels this one definitely caught my attention, from the get-go the writing is beautiful and plot enthralling. I've never read anything from Kerry Wilkinson before, but his writing beautiful and interesting leaving me willing to try more of his works. I particularly love the small village vibe and the different relationships we see explored. Eleanor and her mother's relationship I found especially realistic and relatable, without being to cliche, however, her boyfriend, Robbie's relationship felt rather flat and unnecessary. While I didn't see the ending coming I did find it rather implausible with several loose ends left untied.

**I have received an ARC from netgalley, in exchange for an honest review**

Different genres, combined very well in this book i believe!! Especially the combination of YA with mystery/thriller which i dont read a lot.., but this..., i liked!! :)

Very interesting characters and the way the plot was unfolded had me intrigued from the beginning, until the end!!

You will love this book, as it is not your usual book and the way that it combines the genres is so interesting and refreshing!! You will not feel bored at all!! :)

Eleanor Parker has, as the oxymoronic phrase goes, woken up dead. She comes to in a river in the wee hours of the morning and has no recollection of the events that put her there. She embarks on a mission to uncover the events that led to her watery death and, more importantly, solve the mystery of who drowned her.

The following week is very lonely for Ellie. She is unable to confide in any of her friends or family about her death and a few of them end up on her list of viable suspects. In order to solve the mystery of her own murder, she may have to solve another murder as well as a kidnapping. A year earlier, Sarah Lipski was found dead in the same river where Ellie woke up. At the time of her death, Sarah was dating Ellie’s brother, Ollie. Ollie quickly became the prime suspect and his reputation still has not recovered. Then, when Helen James goes missing several days after Ellie’s death, Ollie is arrested.

Throughout her investigation, Ellie has to come to terms with mistakes that she and the people around her have made. She also has to reject the insider mentality of the small village she lives in and seek the help of a couple of outcasts. The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker is a coming-of-age story of growth and acceptance combined with a suspenseful murder mystery… but I guess you have no choice but to come of age when you’re trying to solve your own murder.

The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker is for fans of Lily Anderson's Undead Girl Gang and Karen McManus' One of Us is Lying. I've added the title to my favorites list on Goodreads and while this is the first novel I have read by Kerry Wilkinson, I look forward to reading others.

Eleanor Parker wakes up cold and without memory in her village's river. She's covered in bruises and most importantly - she's dead. But who could have killed her? And why? Just a year earlier, her brother's girlfriend, Sarah, was murdered in the same way. Her brother, Oliver, is the only connection between Eleanor and Sarah - could he have murdered his own sister? Or was it Eleanor's best friend? Or boyfriend? Her list of suspects only grows as she seeks the answers to her own murder.

I love a good mystery. And for a while, this book delivered. I've never read a book from the perspective of a dead girl trying to solve her own murder, brought back to "life" by some unknown force. Although the secondary characters weren't really well-developed, I thought they all served a good purpose in the story. I liked following Eleanor as she drifts through her life - or what remains of it - and discovers secrets involving the night she was murdered and the people she thought she knew.

My only qualms with the story were random asides that had nothing to do with the story (i.e. how someone eats a gingerbread is some indication of them being psycho) and that it dragged a bit. Also, the murderer was super obvious. I'm not saying that because I'm a super Sherlock Holmesian sleuth. I usually never see the answer until it's presented to me. But seriously, I saw Eleanor's murderer from a mile away. And when the murderer's reason was revealed, I honestly wanted to roll my eyes because this is the second book I've read within the last month using a specific trope as motivation for murder, and it's not cool. And the ending didn't make much sense, even with a supernatural backbone to the story.

Overall, if you're looking for a light mystery with a clique of teenagers and an interesting supernatural premise, then I recommend this book to you!

This book moved slowly but did not bore me. Eleanor narrates throughout and we learn about the death of her brother Ollie’s girlfriend a year prior. The town is on edge because the killer was never caught. Eleanor thinks someone killed her, and another girl has gone missing. Is Ollie responsible? Is it the mysterious Hitcher? Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to be an early reader in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Part ‘whodunnit’, part thriller, The Life and Death of Eleanor Parker will delight fans of the Jessica Daniels series. In many ways it reminded me strongly of After the Woods by Kim Savage with a twist of E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars. Waking up to drag herself marked with bruises from a river, the MC must work out what exactly happened to her since she has no memory of the event. In a fast paced, page turning narrative we follow the heroine in a race to find out the truth, but few people can be trusted. Could the town be hiding a secret? Thoroughly enjoyable. Highly recommend.

How do you cope when you wake up dead? How does a seventeen year old cope? I wondered when I first saw the title of this book whether it was going to be a ghost mystery, but it isn't. She wakes up - well - dead. It's imaginative, intriguing and, I found it, compelling. I couldn't put it down. Every page drew me on. Loved it.