*Today I have the wonderful Lance Rubin on the blog to talk about his debut Denton Little's Deathdate*
Hi! My debut YA novel is called Denton Little’s Deathdate. It takes place in a world where everyone knows the day they’re going to die. 17-year-old Denton Little is going to die tomorrow, the same day as his senior prom. Bummer. It’s a dark comedy, with influences including Back to the Future, Harry Potter, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I think YOU, the human being reading this blog right now, will enjoy it.
But, in case the description above wasn’t enough to whet your appetite, here’s some more about the characters in the book:
Denton Little.
As you may have already inferred, Denton is the book’s main character. In spite of the fact that he’s an Early (anyone whose deathdate is before the age of twenty-one), he’s always wanted to live a normal life. He didn’t want special treatment just because he was going to die young. But, now that his deathdate is almost here, he realizes that maybe he’s been living his life in the entirely wrong way. Oops.
Paolo Diaz.
Paolo has been Denton’s best friend since he was six years old, when they bonded over the fact that they’re both Earlies. Paolo’s deathdate is exactly twenty-six days after Denton’s, which has formed the foundation for a beautiful friendship. Paolo is goofy, sweet, and loyal.
Taryn Brandt.
Taryn and Denton have been dating for seven months now. She genuinely cares about Denton but also can be a bit self-involved. “I wish you were at least going to make it through prom,” she tells him.
Veronica Diaz.
Veronica is Paolo’s older sister (but only by a year). She is a generally sarcastic person. When the book starts, Denton wakes up in Veronica’s bed with no memory of what happened the night before. Yipes.
Raquel Little.
Raquel is Denton’s loving, at times overbearing, stepmom. She’s understandably bent out of shape that Denton is going to die, and whether it’s because she’s in denial or just trying to maintain some control in the situation, she continues to mother Denton, refusing to let him drink alcohol and reminding him to wear bug spray when he goes outside.
Lyle Little.
Denton’s dad is not a big talker. He also doesn’t show his emotions much. So, even though it’s almost Denton’s deathdate, he’s still trying to keep up appearances, like it’s just another regular day.
Felix Little. Denton’s older brother Felix cares about Denton, but they don’t have a very close relationship. Since Felix is nine years older, he and Denton haven’t spent much time living in the same place.
Millie Pfefferkorn.
Millie and Denton used to be good friends when they were in elementary school but have since drifted apart. She’s odd, with a bizarre, dry sense of humor. She comes back into Denton’s life when she gives a eulogy at his funeral (which happens the day before his deathdate) about a frog she and Denton once knew.
Phil Lechman.
Phil is Taryn’s fedora-wearing ex-boyfriend. He and Denton used to be on the cross-country team together. He’s not very happy that Taryn is dating Denton.
If you enjoyed those character descriptions, I think you’ll enjoy this book! If you hated those character descriptions, well…you shouldn’t judge a book by its character descriptions. (Isn’t that what they say?) Either way, thanks for reading, and thanks for having me, Uncorked Thoughts! Have a lovely day!
Title: Denton Little's Deathdate
Author: Lance Rubin
Series: None
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 26th March 2015
Fans of John Green and Matthew Quick: Get ready to die laughing.
Denton Little's Deathdate takes place in a world exactly like our own except that everyone knows the day they will die. For 17-year-old Denton Little, that's tomorrow, the day of his senior prom.
Despite his early deathdate, Denton has always wanted to live a normal life, but his final days are filled with dramatic firsts. First hangover. First sex. First love triangle (as the first sex seems to have happened not with his adoring girlfriend, but with his best friend's hostile sister. Though he's not totally sure. See: first hangover.) His anxiety builds when he discovers a strange purple rash making its way up his body. Is this what will kill him? And then a strange man shows up at his funeral, claiming to have known Denton's long-deceased mother, and warning him to beware of suspicious government characters…. Suddenly Denton's life is filled with mysterious questions and precious little time to find the answers.
Debut author Lance Rubin takes us on a fast, furious, and outrageously funny ride through the last hours of a teenager's life as he searches for love, meaning, answers, and (just maybe) a way to live on.
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