[simpleazon-image align=”left” asin=”1616951508″ locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51-PRKJ8h4L._SL160_.jpg” width=”111″] As part of a blog tour, I am posting an excerpt of The Sweet Dead Life by Joy Preble. The book was published two days ago, and I’ve included my thoughts on the excerpt that I was given. Not only do I love the cover, I think this book sounds like a promising read. I may have been meant to read the entire book, but I checked my Nook and my Kindle to no avail. I probably forgot to download it, but all I can say is that I’ve more than earned the moniker of the Loopy Librarian. I present this particular lapse as Exhibit A.

My thoughts: The first sentence drew me in immediately. Jenny, the teenage protagonist, thinks she is dying and that her older brother is a pervert. Jenny possesses a sardonic wit and feisty attitude that make me adore her despite her propensity to get in trouble in school and use colorful language. The writing is whip sharp and moves quickly. No words are wasted, and I never felt bored. The brother is a stoner but is relatively honest. The mother hides away in a state of depression. And, the father inexplicably disappeared 5-years earlier. After learning these facts about the family and sensing the strangeness after the car accident, the reader is faced with two intriguing mysteries: 1) Why did the father disappear and leave the family in such a state of dysfunction? and 2) Just what is up with the brother after the car accident? The author manages to leave this on the stage after just 35 pages. I was definitely left wanting more.

Two words of warning: This book contains salty language and is very frank about sexuality. It felt very real to me, but others might not be comfortable with it.

The excerpt from the book (provided to me by the author) is included in this post. Feel free to read it and comment.