The Book of Living and Dying
***Part mystery, part horror novel and part human drama, this is a gritty and powerful novel that will draw its readers in and take them on a thrilling ride right through to the amazing climax.--BkCvr*** Sarah Wagner can tell her brother is there before she even sees him. There is the lingering odour of earth and rain, and then he appears, standing beside her bed, as if everything was perfectly normal. Except John is dead. ***Sarah is grieving -- and scared.*** Desperately seeking help, she turn to her best friend, Donna, an angry girl on the fringe of society, and Michael, the dark and mysterious boy in her class, and is thrust on a journey into the mystical realm of the occult. But plagued by headaches and falling int a deepening chasm of drugs and alcohol, ***Sarah no longer knows what is real and what isn't.*** ***goodreads REVIEWS*** **Rebecca McNutt: Aug. 30, 2019 / 5 of 5 Stars / it was amazing / fiction, paranormal, young-adult, fantasy, supernatural** This book doesn't have the best reputation in the world, but honestly after reading it for myself, I'm not sure why. Yes, the ending was unexpected and I found Michael a little confusing as a character, but these things weren't necessarily bad or detrimental to me. Instead, they gave Book of Living and Dying more depth. While marketed as an occult fantasy, this is more-so a book about a spiritual journey and a girl relying on numerous vices to cope with her grief. **Jc: Aug 23, 2008 / 5 of 5 Stars / it was amazing / teen fiction /** One of the shortlisted titles for the CLA Young Adult Book Award in 2006. **Red Rover: June 17, 2007 / liked it / Recommends it for: Teens** Very confusing. I read this while I was away on a trip where we were constantly busy, and didn't have much time to really try to get into it. It's very strange, but very interesting.
Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Fiction, Fantasy, Mental Health. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.
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What the reading experience may hold
A fuller profile for choosing with more confidence—not just another copy of the preview.
Fiction · Fantasy · Mental Health
Use these as starting points rather than limits; the most memorable books often stretch beyond their catalog labels.
Catalog signals suggest warfare and conflict, grief and loss, mental-health concerns, disturbing or confinement-related situations. These notes may not be complete; consult a publisher or reader-supplied guide when detailed warnings matter.
These notes are inferred from available catalog information and may not be complete. Check a publisher or reader-supplied guide if you need comprehensive warnings.
Dark tone · Urgent pace
Works well for a focused weekend or a few concentrated sittings.
A good fit if…
Readers who want a thoughtful experience and enjoy noticing the connections beneath a book’s surface story.
This book's DNA
A visual estimate based on this edition's categories, description, and length. Select a star to explore the signals.
This signal is descriptive, not a rating. It helps compare the kind of reading experience this edition may offer.
Spoiler-Free Emotional Arc
A broad estimate of the book’s emotional rhythm, shown without story events or outcomes.
This visualization is an interpretive estimate based on catalog description, categories, tone, pace, and content signals. It does not describe specific scenes.
A quick reading snapshot
Edition facts and catalog signals to help you decide whether this book fits what you want to read next.
- ISBN-13
- 978-0-0063-9349-8
- Language
- English
- Edition record
- OL9213728M
A more thoughtful way into this book
This guide uses the edition details and category signals above to help you choose deliberately. It does not replace the author's work or a full review.
Works well for a focused weekend or a few concentrated sittings.
Begin with its place in Fiction, then notice where the book resists that label.
Read for connection, not completion.
Mark one passage that sharpens the book's central concern and one that complicates it. That tension often reveals more than a quick summary.
Three questions to carry with you
- What does the central character want, and what do they misunderstand about that desire?
- Which detail or relationship changes how you interpret the story?
- What feeling or question does the book leave with you after the plot moves on?
Editorial framework by Wesley Bryan, BookenDeX Founder and Editor.
More Fiction books
These matches combine shared categories with author, publication-era, and reading-length signals.
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Why it fits: shares Fantasy and Fiction, a similar reading length, a similar publication era.
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Why it fits: shares Fantasy and Fiction, a similar reading length, a similar publication era.
Trauma Surgeon
by M Clement Hall
Why it fits: shares Mental Health and Fiction, a similar reading length, a similar publication era.
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Why it fits: shares Fiction and Mental Health, a similar publication era.
Undine (Illustrated Edition) (Dodo Press)
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Why it fits: shares Fiction and Fantasy, a similar publication era.