I requested this title from NetGalley after reading the premise and was excited to be approved. Unfortunately, my excitement stopped there.

Dead school is decided into around five subdivisions where students are sorted based on their past life. Some subdivisions include Reapers, Spirit guides, Recovery, Suicides, and Crafters. Our main character is sorted into the guides sector, where the remainder of our story takes place. I would have loved to get to see the other sectors and how they worked but sadly the only other sector we get to see(a tiny snapshot at the end) we're the Crafters(which sounded like the least exciting sector to me, but I understand why it would be important to our main character).

Tina Crocker is an overall unlikeable character. She plays a victim role in the story if her life, but is someone who would rather hurt others to lessen her pain than face her inner demons. She's a cronic failure whom only decides to take death school seriously when threatened to be reincarnated as a homeless Thai man who would most likely die from a "chicken disease". Her interaction with other characters is cringe-worthy, and her outlook on the afterlife makes her hard to connect with.

Tina has what I suppose is meant to be a love interest in Alexei, a suicide who has been assigned to the guides section of dead school. While he is likeable enough, we don't get enough of his story(I still have no clue how he killed himself) to want a nurtured romance. In the few glimpses I got into his life, I felt he way WAY to good for Tina. Hold out for better, Alexei; you've got your whole afterlife.

This story just lacked a hook for me. Even the mortal who Tina gets assigned to guide has an overall unlikability. I didn't find myself rooting for anyone at all by the end.

The reason this gets a 2 star from me is the slight redemption Tina gets at the very end of her own will. It showed her growth, but was just too little, too late for me. I will not be picking up any further books if this becomes a series. Thank you to NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dead School started out very slowly for me and I worried it would be a DNF for a bit, but it did pick up.

My main issues with this ARC are the same as with others, in that there are editing, grammatical, and random errors that will hopefully be ironed out before the official copy. I also consider this a mostly non-issue because it is an ARC.

Another of my gripes is also a plus, and for that I applaud West. The teenagers in this are very teenagery. Adult me was annoyed at them but teen me likely would have loved this book. It has the afterlife, a ridiculous school, and some vague Potter-esque elements and I think teens will enjoy it.

Dead School: a place where dead teenagers go to fulfill their souls paths. Sounded so intriguing to me, yet I was left feeling pretty empty and indifferent towards the characters and the story as a whole. I did not make an emotional connection to the book, (which to me, is very important)- so I was pretty disappointed by the end.
This book had so much potential if the characters could be more relatable and likeable. They definiteb ly lacked depth. also, the book doesn't pick up until after about 55% of the way through which made it drag on.
Now for the characters:
Tina- It seemed like EVERYTHING ALWAYS WENT WRONG FOR TINA...The 5 seconds that she had something good going for her- it was instantly ruined. She literally had NO hope 99% of the book - Frustrating to say the least.
Melinda- total B#. Alexei could've had so much more potential - it felt like Laura Gia West barely scratched the surface with him. Anna was not intriguing to me.
The story line could've been great, had the characters been different. It sucks that I didn't make a connection with any of the characters and didn't really bond with the book.
However, this being Laura Gia West's first book, I think that she has great potential to be a successful author if her characters become more elaborate and relatable.

Received ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tina Crocker is finally on the school stage finishing her song that she composed. She has an audience that is standing and clapping when the pink metallic heart above the stage falls and kills her. She finds herself going into the gates of dead school. She wonders what dead school is. When everyone is finished with orientation, she discovers that she has lived 5,768 lives and failing each of them too. So she is assigned to be a spirit guide assistant to a spirit guide who is more concerned about how she looks and orders Tina to do the work. Unfortunately, she and the floozy will have some different ways of doing the spirit guide stuff. Will they succeed or not? Will Tina get to go to heaven or what?

Dead School is a fun novel to read. The author has you seeing through Tina’s eyes and thoughts while trying to understand why, where, and what is happening to her in dead school. The author has written a book that lightly touches on reincarnation. Reading this made me laugh and chuckle at the adventures she has. It is also a novel about bullies and stopping them. There is much more to this novel than just the light hearted story as at the same time there are serious aspects to it. I highly recommend reading this novel!

Dnf at 34%

2 stars

***I received an eArc in exchange for an honest review***

Summary from Goodreads
There is no death... only a change in worlds

It is Valentine's Day at John Hopkin's High, and the disgruntled Tina Crocker is having the best day of her life as she performs at the school's largest talent show. She kills it. Literally. The moment she steps off stage: Tina Crocker croaks and ends up in... Dead School.

Entering a grotesque new world, she is greeted by a furious, hair-wobbling mentor who dispels her into the Spirit Guide division. But, unlike the rest of her class, she becomes the school's first Spirit Guide's Assistant while paired with the biggest floozy in the afterworld. Together, they are assigned to guide a living loser, in order to pass their course.

However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel... a rather long tunnel. Tina also meets a mysterious artist from the Suicide division, Alexei. And, somehow, their different breeds of awkward strangely click. As finals approach, Tina's focus has to switch or else a miserable reincarnated life awaits. Yeah, rest in peace, my ass...


My thoughts

This book has a really interesting premise but, the execution was sloppy. It follows teenage, Tina Crocker who dies and goes on to a world of the dead. This seems like it would be a good book but unfortunately I ran into some conflict with the book.

I dnfed this so as for the plot I cannot say much but I saw enough of the writing to know that this book wasn't for me.

What I liked

The start of the story was a very strong beginning and I was hooked. I liked Tina's humor and the whole idea of the dead school was pretty cool.

What I didn't like

The book was really hard to follow, while some parts were pretty easy to understand I was constantly feeling lost in the book and I wasn't able to follow it. I felt lost, and not in a good way. The story was hard to understand and the deeper into the book I went the worse the book got.

Overall

This just wasn't the book for me, I felt it was messy and hard to understand and I really didn't enjoy it.

2.5 stars.

An interesting concept, death but in the abstract. Dead School promised something original, something that could know no bounds. What is death, after all, but an endless question of what if? We surely cannot define something that has not been experienced, we just know it is the end of this 'mortal coil', and the beginning of something new. Laura Gia West promised a complexity, and intricacy that would bound right past our preconceived notions of death, and into more. But, that is where it begins to fall short.While the world building - or perhaps afterworld building? - was delicately and deliberately weave, the characters and their arcs were undeniably unlikeable. Specifically (although the theme seemed to run throughout), Tina our MC. Sure, she has her conventional ARC throughout. Shy girl dies, throws a tantrum and suddenly is no longer shy. I am sorry, because I really wanted to like this book, but that is a cliche I simply cannot absorb. In her ARC, from shy to well, not. Tina seems to loose any concept of decency - that is - she suddenly becomes snarky, argumentative, and self-absorbed. Okay, she is the MC, and I'm beginning to sound like my Mother, but I was inexplicably rooting against this MC. Other honourable, or dishonourable mentions?Alexei - who lets face it, didn't need to be present at all. What did he really offer to the story line? Was he meant to be a romantic interest? Unsure, and unconvinced. Melinda - eh, I mean, ??????Anna - were we meant to feel sorry for her? Perhaps we were meant to relate. Either way, by the end I was impartial to her outcomeCarl - I just, can't? Look at this book, it's bringing out my inner millennial. Story-line wise again, was promising. But it also lacked in the department of sense. Look through my posts, and you'll find a theme of being impressed, and positive. But this is the most positivity you're going to get from me. 

Wonderful concept, mediocre presentation, annoying MC.

This book is a prime example of never judging a book by its cover. When I first looked at this book I immediately thought it would be something similar to Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina but upon starting it I saw how much of an opposite it was to my original thoughts. It’s not such a bad difference though because unlike its cover it didn’t have any creepy feels to it, it was very much a quirky book that you’d never have thought to actually like once you’re about halfway through.

The main character, Tina is a girl whose apparently been reincarnated thousands of times always essentially failing at life. When she dies again from an unfortunate Valentines Day incident, she is told that if she does not pass Dead School (a quirky after life where school never ends for teens) as an assistant guide then her next life would be all sorts of unpleasant. I honestly didn’t think I would like this book because of how different the plot was but the character of Tina is one that you can’t help but get endeared with after seeing her grow and learn just what it means to have an out of sorts afterlife.

If like me, you like giving a chance to quirky/different books then you’ll definitely enjoy this one.



**eARC provided in exchange for honest review*

I was really excited to read this because it sounded interesting but I left feeling disappointed the characters had no debt to them and it just left me feeling empty

Tina Crocker is a failure at life and dies at her school talent show. The book got into this pretty quick and i was enjoying the story up to her going to dead school. Apart from when she was on the way to dinner and made her parents turn around and take her to her school talent show? for someone who had no friends and hated socializing with people its just too unbelievable that this would happen.
It then just became a bit boring, i didn't connect with any of the characters and they were all so similar i didn't care what happened to them. It felt quite dragged out while she was at dead school, the detail of the classes felt like i was there as well they were so drawn out i wish this time and space had been spent developing the characters.
There was no lift lessons so to speak Tina would just have epiphanies without anything really happening, if it was this easy for her to come to the conclusions on how she should be or act i don't understand how she failed so many times at life, it really didn't seem like a challenge to change her perspective on anything.
I really wanted to love this book, the cover and synopsis drew me in but unfortunately it just didn't really work for me. I was hoping for a mix of scrooge/beetlejuice but it just didn't hit the mark.

Dead School is pretty original. I’ve not seen anything like this on the market. However, it just didn’t come across well to me. Tina, the main character, has no depth to her whatsoever. I couldn’t connect to her, so therefore I really didn’t care about her or what happened to her. I think that’s a major point in my disliking the book.

The writing is well done, though. I really enjoyed the descriptions of Dead School and the imaginative way it runs. It was a version of “Heaven” that I’d be pretty cool with!

3/5 for me.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book for an honest review. Just....wow. I don't know how to let this book down easy. Yikes!

So the cover and title alone made me super interested in this book. I felt like it was going to be something I would enjoy a lot because stories with different takes on the afterlife are usually pretty fun to read about. I honestly couldn't even tell you my thoughts on this take of the afterlife as I didn't even make it there, unfortunately.

Yes, it was that much of a cringe.

I couldn't even get past the first chapter. That's how much I hated this book. This makes me so sad to say but honestly, it's the worst book I've ever picked up. This book had me furrowing my brow on the first two pages. I don't know how others have actually enjoyed this to be blunt.

The writing was extremely juvenile. Annoying characters all around, and I only experienced the parents and Tina. I don't know how to put this nicely but the parents just seem... dumb. Not to mention it said they haven't had a conversation with each other for eight years. ??? What? And told Tina to put the cat's head out of the window of the car??? I honestly am speechless about this and can't explain how just...bad it was from the start.

I can't say for myself as I didn't reach this part, but I heard there was shaming in this as well. All I can say is that I hope the body shaming is challenged and fought against but I have a feeling it's probably not.

This was a huge fail for me. No thanks.

I could not review this book. I really tried to get into it but it was lacking action and adventure. So no rating or review. Maybe, later on, I will try to pick this book up but it was just not working for me. The book sounded like it would be amazing it just lacked the zaz. (Yes, I know zaz isn't a word but it is my word). I couldn't relate to Tina at all even though I tried to understand her being a teenager. I really didn't understand why in the first chapter she all of a sudden wanted to turn the car around and perform at school? Like that was just a random thought it seemed to me. Maybe the author had really good ideas to go with this book but it just didn't feel right for me.

Reading the synopsis of this book, I loved the concept and everything that could potentially come with it. However, this book runs into a serious snag at that point. Tina is unlikable as a character and so frustratingly stubborn (which I understand, plot point). However, due to the way she expresses herself and generally fumbles around - many times I would find myself openly rooting against her. Still, there were many times I had a feeling some scenes were missing between parts or that a better explanation of what happened should have been given.

Dead school is such a fun read I was unable to put it down! Let me just say that the ending leaves you dying ! I really can’t wait for the second installment because I have to find out what happens to Tina, and her new found friend... you will fall in love with every character in here, they are so relatable and outstanding work that puts you right along side Tina. Don’t miss this book, thank you for letting me read this incredible book, learning about love, friendship, integrity and over coming it all !

Another book that has fantastic potential and seems like it could really go somewhere, and just . . . doesn't. The title is cool and the cover seemed intriguing, but I couldn't get on with the protagonist at all

This book was intriguing to me and I enjoyed it.
Our main character, Tina Crocker, was not ready to be dead. (Who is?) And when she finds herself in that state she reacts as expected.

As for the chapter introducing us to Dead School, I found it a bit tedious. Perhaps the beuracray of being dead was intended to be dull, I'm not sure but this was one of the places that gave my rating a hit.

Another sore spot is, while I understand the author wanting to keep the book friendly for the ages intended, I didn't enjoy certain cursing to be allowed and others not. (i.e $_#@-) Most teens these days use damnit all's and worse consistently, and this just makes certain things harder to read.

On an enjoyment scale, this book was very pleasing to read. Gramatically correct most of the time, but hey Tina is a high school student and a teen being gramatically correct would be harder to believe than Dead School actually existing. It flows smoothly, with the aforementioned chapter as the only exception.

I would recommend this book, despite my least favorite parts.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

Dead School by Laura Gia West was described by reviewer David Nora on Goodreads as "Harry Potter meets Beetlejuice". I would not agree completely with the description but it is close.

Tina Crocker hates Valentine's Day and school. She failed at life, love, and everything else she has tried except for playing her guitar. She decides to participate in the school's talent school, kills it, and dies on stage. She is transported to Dead School where she finds out just how much of a failure she has been. Can she pass Dead School or will she fail at this too?

Dead School is not a dark novel and many reviewers did not like the book because they expected it to be. Reading the description shows it is not. In her debut novel, West takes a different look at being dead. Her main character is a failure, sarcastic, flawed person in life and the hereafter but she is likeable.

Dead School is a quick, enjoyable, quirky read that does not fit into the usual slots for describing a book. Go into this with an open mind and just enjoy it.

I am looking forward to reading more from Laura Gia West.

Review published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on 3/2/19.
https://philomathinphila.com/2019/03/02/dead-school-laura-gia-west/

I wanted to love this book because it is right in my wheel house and I did find some really great scenes and spurts of writing but all in all the characters are not fully realized and the plot has a lot of hiccups for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for sending me a free advanced reader copy of this book for an honest review.

I requested this book on NetGalley in large part due to the beautiful cover and the title. Dead School? How cool of a concept is that?

Unfortunately, I didn’t even make it to Dead School. This book reads like a rough first draft; I’m a bit confused about how this is considered to be a manuscript in finished form. There are punctuation and verb agreement errors aplenty, as well as some exceedingly strange word usage. Characters “waver” papers in the MC’s face and “clog” down the stairs. (And I don’t believe this is referring to clog dance, but in this book, anything is possible, I suppose.)

All this can be forgiven if the story is good. For example, I have been extremely forgiving in the past of translated works. Metro 2033, which is shoddily translated but utterly fantastic, is one example that springs to mind.

Yet there is nothing to redeem the story in terms of substance. The MC is unlikable and acts nonsensically, as do all the characters flitting around her. We start the opening chapter with the MC in the car with her parents on Valentine’s Day. They are heading to Red Lobster to eat dinner, toting along their cat. With a bit of handwavium, we’re led to believe that the local Red Lobster manager is super cool with animals and will allow such nonsense at the table.

Okay. Fine. Second page of the book, my fingers are already starting to desperately tighten around my suspension of disbelief, which has grown oddly slippery… But let’s press on.

Wait, stop! Fuck Valentine’s Day and turn the car around, Dad—we have to go back to school! The MC suddenly has a blinding desire to beat her stage fright and perform in the school talent show, which is taking place LITERALLY RIGHT NOW. The MC’s parents oblige her, because… you know… the author wants them to.

And then our MC nails her performance, even though she hasn’t gone to any of the rehearsals. (Not joking.) The students in the audience, all of whom the MC despises, are moved to tears—she’s just that amazing. All is looking up—soon the MC will be the school’s new Queen Bee. Because she attends a prestigious performing arts school, our intrepid MC knows that there are talent scouts in the audience, pens at the ready to sign her for a record deal. Too bad a stage decoration then falls on her and kills her.

All this ridiculousness happens in the first chapter. I read a bit of it aloud to my husband, and his assessment is that the book has an uncanny valley feel. The characters just all act so bizarrely, as if a thousand YA novels got mixed together in a blender and an algorithm spit out the common elements it thought define human behavior. Needless to say, I only made it a few chapters in before I had to call it quits.

Let me be clear: I normally try to find the positive in things—sandwich method, etc.—but I cannot be charitable with this book. There is nothing to be charitable about. Even the famous quotes from historic figures attached to each chapter heading are cringey; what does Shakespeare have to do with any of this? I’m reminded a bit of how the infamous indie game Crying Is Not Enough (epic Let’s Play right here) stuck famous quotes on its interminable loading screens… But that game was bad yet had heart, and this book is just terrible.

Nice cover, though.

DNF @ 30%
I had pretty high hopes going into this, I have a kind of ghost thing going on this month for some reason so I was looking forward to starting this. The cover was really pretty and I had high hopes.
Unfortunately I so far haven't been able to connect with the story and the thought of forcing myself through another 70% gives me hives.
Of course I'm only judging this off of the small amount I read but I felt like the beginning could have been developed more, maybe gotten to know the character more when she was alive, that might have helped me connect and care more instead of BAM she dead.
Also the "dead school" aspect I wasn't understanding and didn't like the writing.
Super sad to DNF, possibly in the future I might pick this back up to read a few pages of to see if I like this but at this current moment there's so many other things I want to read and prioritise over this book.