Denton Little's Death Date by Lance Rubin

Gordon Jack

Plot Summary

Denton Little has always known he was going to die young.  Everyone in the future does, thanks to the group of "doctors, scientists, statisticians, and astrologers...who pioneered the field of Astro-ThanatoGenetics." What Denton didn't expect to happen on his death date is a surprising hook up with his best friend's sister, an attempted murder by his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend, or a strange purple rash to spread across his body.  As he comes to accept his imminent death, he learns some startling truths about his family and the government that may help him survive his last day on earth.

Critical Evaluation

I give this book an 8 out of 10.  Lance Rubin is a really funny writer and makes Denton's observations on his death date both hilarious and moving.  Like a John Green protagonist, Denton knows he's going to die, so he has a unique perspective on teen life and relationships.  The strange things happening to Denton make for an intriguing mystery and build a lot of suspense. When the novel became more about a government conspiracy, rather than Denton's personal story of coming to terms with death, it lost me a little. I was also a little disappointed that the book didn't end (there's a sequel coming in the spring of 2016).