I See You’ve Called in Dead by author John Kenney is so original, so unique, so unusual, so fulfilling and so satisfying that I don’t even know where to begin a review or what to say about it. Except that this is must-read. If you don’t read anything else, read this.

Bud Stanley is a middle-aged obituary writer who has kind of given up on life. His wife left him, his blind date brought her ex, his obituary writing has become cliched and terrible and he doesn’t much care. Through the course of the story we discover he has friends, but at the beginning he just seems alone and lonely, unmotivated, uninspired, not actually a zombie but still the walking dead. And after a night of a little too much drinking he writes and publishes his own obituary. That breaks a lot of rules and angers a lot of people and puts him on the top of the to-be-fired list, except the company can’t fire a dead person. Bud cycles through a lot of emotions after this, but none of them is urgency. Where can he find a job, what will he do with the rest of his life? His friends and some of his coworkers seem more concerned about that than he is. Bud’s attitude: Something will happen. Or not. So what. But as he’s flailing around, Bud starts to look at things differently. To make connections. To realize he already has a lot of worthwhile connections and relationships.

I See You’ve Called in Dead is absurd, hilarious, often laugh-out-loud funny. It’s also touching and poignant and sad, and you’ll need to wipe your eyes from those moments as well as the funny ones. Time with Tim, with Leo, with Clara, “dropping in” on wakes and funerals, block parties. The book is full of references to literature and art and movies and history and current events; you’ll have many “Aha!” moments while reading

It starts out slow, but just when you think maybe it’s a book full of mostly humorous unrelated anecdotes, you suddenly “get” what author John Kenney is trying to tell you and you’re all in. Bud’s story will educate as well as entertain you and leave you thinking. Really, really thinking about the value of life.

Thanks to Zibby Publishing for introducing me to John Kenney’s work via an advanced reader copy from LibraryThing. This is one of the best books I have read so far this year (and is on my all-time favorites list) and I can’t wait to read more by this by this author. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

This was a truly delightful book and I am so glad to have read it! An obituary writer accidentally publishes his own obituary and the results show him how to truly live. Highly recommended.

Much thanks to #netgalley and #zibbypublishing for the advance loan of "I See You've Called in Dead" by John Kenney (on shelves today - 4/1/25). From the title to the book's description, I anticipated a humorous and darkly funny story and was not disappointed. The premise of the novel is described within the synopsis of the book but the actual reading experience held much more depth and emotional punch than expected.

It is obvious that Mr. Kenney has a tremendous sense of humor (replete with sarcasm) and his main character, Bud, is a difficult gentleman to embrace for the first quarter/half of the book. In that sense, I was having some trouble staying invested because I genuinely disliked his over-the-top sarcasm and general negativity. He used humor (and especially biting, sarcasm) as a defense in practically all situations, even with his "closest" friends. The saving factor for me early on was MY love for and investment in these friends and coworkers: Tuan, Tim, Howard, and others (young Leo shows up later on). Someone who maintains these types of friendships can't be the annoying and irresponsible man he presents as early on.

Bud also develops an odd but apt relationship with a woman named Clara who seems to hold his level of sarcasm and pessimism and they begin to share a new "hobby" together that later plays into the plot. The book reminded me of Harold and Maude (with a more age-appropriate romantic duo, lol).

As mentioned, when I found it difficult to "like" Bud, I could not imagine that he could be as frustrating as he seemed IF he had friends like Tim (in particular) and Tuan. Over time the reader gets more backstory about Bud and his family of origin -- the traumatic loss of his mother, his general mistrust and insecurity around people along with a general ambivalence toward life. We see why, to some degree, he is the way he is and can get more empathy flowing. Tim, on the other hand, is a paraplegic who lives life to the fullest. What an incredible character this was.

By the midpoint of the book (and straight to the end) I fell in love with the story AND ALL of the characters (including Bud and Clara). They both became much easier to empathize with and the interactions between the two (and among all of the friends) were laugh out loud funny. There is also some crushing sadness within. The book runs the gamut of emotions and digs deeper and wider as we near the conclusion.

I totally recommend this book and my advice for anyone who has a slower start is to STICK WITH IT -- this novel is about evolving feelings -- gaining maturity and letting go of defenses. It hits deep.

And my condolences to the author in losing his brother, Tom, in 2019 (who was an inspiration for the book). What a JOY is was to read about the love and life and laughter shared, in real life, along the way. Just the real-life cherry atop a wonderful book! Thank you!

(2.5 / 5)

After a failed blind date, obituary writer Bud Stanley gets drunk and publishes an outlandish, completely fictional obituary…for himself. The company he works for suspends him and then finds out they can’t fire him, because the system thinks he’s dead. Meanwhile, Bud starts to attend funerals of strangers, prompted by an intriguing young woman who suggests that it might help him learn how to live.

I requested this book on NetGalley because it was listed as humor/satire. Between that and the premise, I thought it would be somewhat lighthearted (or at least darkly humorous) and involve a lot more of what would happen in a situation where his job wanted to fire him but couldn’t. Neither of these things is true. There are a few witty or snarky comments here and there, and I did note at least one scene with satire, but overall, the book is mostly slow and depressing. And his job is so in the background that he only goes there a few times throughout the book. I know that I am the absolutely wrong audience for this, though, so I am not going to spend a lot of time describing what I didn’t like about it. Bud is reeling from a nasty divorce (his wife cheated on him in a particularly bad way), which explains his mental state. However, he’s surrounded by pretty good friends who are giving him some great advice. Yet he mostly just floats through life, not really taking charge at all. His mom died when he was a teenager, which is also something he doesn’t seem to have fully processed and dealt with, even though he went to therapy for a while. Maybe he stopped too soon.

The book is full of introspection and discussion about deep topics, during which Bud often responds flippantly and makes me want to smack him. There’s also a lot of description, which I tended to skim. Overall, the book is about someone halfheartedly trying to find the meaning to life, so if that interests you, you might like this book a lot more than I did. I know, though, that looking for the meaning of life without God (not that there’s never any mention of God in this book, but He certainly isn’t seen as the answer to Bud’s problems) is completely pointless. And, though there were a few decent moments, “pointless” pretty well sums up how this book felt to me.

Thank you Zibby Publishing for access to this book.

Yes, okay this book goes over familiar territory in familiar ways. But it’s so entertaining that I enjoyed the trip anyway. It’s funny, it’s sad, it’s profound in places but I didn’t get the feeling that it was reaching too obviously for any of that. It all just flowed out without being too overworked or sentimental. The office management HR meetings are comedy gold although also stereotype these soulless workplace characters at times.

As various characters are introduced and interact with Bud, I kept waiting for the Message each was supposed to convey and help Bud realize. Instead, the characters felt individual and fully fledged even if some of them weren’t on page for a long time. But let me be honest. At times though Bud is a challenge, Tim is too perfect despite efforts to make him not be so, Clara is a bit of a manic pixie dream girl, and young Leo (whom I love anyway along with his Rottweiler Muffin) is a little bit too quirky and wise. I still enjoyed them anyway.

As they attend various funerals and visiting hours, their own pasts and issues slowly seep out. Each has got issues but these are handled lightly – maybe too lightly at times – rather than being played for cheap tears and tugged heartstrings. Sometimes humor is used to avoid facing things that need to be looked at but don’t we all do that. Those things are still there and gradually get pulled out and examined. Occasionally issues will be gently set aside, or tossed hard, and in some cases are still works in progress by the end of the book. Life is messy.

What really worked for me as well is that the book is pretty much a love letter to New York City. I’ve never lived there but I could feel the love that these people have for it. The story is really about relationships and these sing. Bud has wonderful friendships with his boss Howard (even if Bud drives Howard crazy at times), coworker Tuan (theirs is complicated but the little touches show that it’s real), and of course Tim who has the presence to wait for answers and let pauses do heavy lifting in getting Bud to examine his life. Bud needs this as for a long time he strongly resists digging deeper. Fair warning, Bud also has moments of cis-het-white-male privilege.

The end is not quite what I was expecting. I think maybe Bud gets off a touch lightly. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that some things work out better for him and he seems to be in a good place mentally as well as materially but I was hoping he would strike out and find himself more through his own efforts instead of being given some perks that perhaps he still hasn’t quite earned yet. B

I loved the dark humor of this one. It was right up my alley. The character's dry and witty sense of humor is my favorite type narration. I also enjoyed that it was a comingof age story, but in middle aged. These are my new favorite type of reads.

I See You Called in Dead by John Kenney ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I requested this book because I felt that it would be funny. And it was so funny. But what I didn’t expect was the heart and brilliance that it turned into. From the embellishments to his own “life story” to the reactions of friends and colleagues about his “death,” laugh out loud moments were plenty. But tucked carefully into the pages of this story was friendship, love, loss, grief, and living. This book turned heavy at times, but it always expertly threw in humor to lighten the load. The characters were all amazing, and I loved every single one of them.

Books that earn 5-stars from me typically make me feel something, and feel I did. For readers looking for stories about life, they should check out this moving novel quite literally about life and death.

I picked up I SEE YOU’VE CALLED IN DEAD expecting a humorous, lighthearted read, and while it certainly delivered on the laughs, it turned out to be much more. John Kenney’s novel is a sharp and thoughtful exploration of love, loss, friendship, and redemption, all wrapped in witty storytelling.

The story follows Bud Stanley, a middle-aged obituary writer from Brooklyn who drunkenly writes and accidentally publishes his own obituary. His employer, a news service akin to the Associated Press, wants to fire him but can't because their system lists him as deceased. Suspended from work, Bud meets Clara, who finds meaning in attending strangers' funerals. Encouraged by her, Bud embarks on a journey of self-discovery with his best friend and landlord, Tim, who is movie-star handsome and confined to a wheelchair.

While the book is packed with humor, it also delivers deeper reflections on life and mortality. Kenney’s writing is engaging and sharp, with a deep appreciation for New York City’s quirks. Though the pacing lags in parts, the story ultimately delivers a rewarding, life-affirming experience.

I See You've Called in Dead is funny, poignant, and beautifully written. It makes you reflect, appreciate life’s absurdities, and embrace the unexpected ways in which we find meaning.

Thank you to Netgalley and Zibby Publishing for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I love a book that can make you smile and laugh while also taking on the most serious subject of grief. Thanks Zibby for the ARC!

I enjoyed this book. It was funny and sad and so true. I laughed out so loud that other family members joined me to read this book.

I had high hopes for this but i couldnt relate to the MC and it was a chore to just finish the story.

I wanted to read this book because I was intrigued by the title, and I found the rest of it to be equally wonderful. After obituary writer Bud Stanley is more or less fired from his job for accidentally publishing his own obituary while drunk, he finds an interest in attending the funerals of strangers and joy through his friendship with his paraplegic landlord. Although the book is a lot about death, it's even more about life, as all good obituaries should be. It's in turn funny, philosophical, poignant, filled with interesting and well drawn vignettes, and just a total delight. I highly recommend it! Many thanks to Zibby Publishing and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this really fantastic book.

Thank you #NetGalley and #zibbypublishing for the ARC of #iseeyouvecalledindead. What a fantastic read!! I fell in love with the characters immediately and the relationships they build. It is such an interesting take on life as Bud who is an obituary writer embarks on an unexpected detour in his life. I found #johnkenney to be a wonderful writer with engaging characters. The book made me feel all sorts of emotions and I am grateful for the journey.

Well written, multi-faceted and thoroughly enjoyable, John Kennedy has written another excellent novel. Pick it up, you won’t be sorry.

Wow. A truly incredible piece of writing, with so much heart. Oh, Bud! Sweet Bud.

This novel was driven by the characters, all of them well developed and uniquely written. Bud’s journey of love and loss was at once tragic and hopeful… and his wit was untouchable. I laughed and cried.

Incredible! One to recommend to almost anyone.

Thank you to Zibby Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I really wanted to like this. I thought the premise was funny, but I never connected with the characters. Bud comes across as a privileged middle aged divorced white man looking for “what it all means” after a massive misstep in which he posts his own obituary to the news wire. (High Fidelity did the whole searching for life’s big meaning better, honestly.) Perhaps I’m not the target audience for this book, though. It’s not badly written, it’s just not for me.

I received an ARC of this book, in the interest of being honest I wouldn't normally pick up a book that I know will be sad, however, the description from the publisher makes this seem more lighthearted than it is, imho. This is a solid 3.5 for me. I enjoyed the book but I did grow tired of Bud's lack of growth no matter how realistic the portrayal of depression is. I really just wanted him to commit to therapy. The cast of characters is lovely, sweet Leo's story left me with more questions than answers-I could have read a whole book based on him. If you can make it to the end, this is a book that gives you a gift of a message.

Bud Stanley is an obituary writer who one evening has one too many glasses on scotch and writes his own obituary which he sends in for publication. This sets the stage for Bud to attend funerals and wakes in this uniquely humorous story of what it means to want to be alive.

Funny, emotional, relatable - totally unexpected. Everyone interested in life, the whys and the why nots should read this book!

Put a disclaimer on it for those of us over 40! Thanks for that existential crisis y'all! Call your therapist because you are gonna need it after reading this one. It's beautifully written. Laugh out loud funny in so many parts! It is a love letter to NYC in the way that those of us who lived there for so long and have embraced it's sheer NYC-ness appreciate and love (shout out to the "not that Pret with the half-man/half-penguin) It makes you think. It makes you reflect. It makes you stare into the void that is life and aging and death and loss and yeah you're gonna need an extra therapy session after reading it.

I'm giving it a 3 because I do think that the Claire plot-line flirted a little too heavy on the "Manic-Pixie Dreamgirl" trope and that included the interesting outfits and the quirky out of season swimming. I fully expected Zoey Deschnel to appear as Claire in the movie on Netflix.