It's a Wonderful Death

Seventeen-year-old Rowena Joy Jones is a victim of "accidental collection" by a grim reaper named Gideon, resulting in her untimely death, decades ahead of schedule. Not long after arriving in the afterlife, R.J. meets everyone from Buddha and Saint Peter (who looks "like Ryan Reynolds's doppelganger") to Cerberus and Death Himself, who debut author Schmitt casts as a Hawaiian shirt%E2%80%93wearing surfer. Intent on returning to the world of the living, R.J. meets with the Tribunal, a jury of three angels who will decide her fate, and a reluctant deal is struck: R.J. must fix three key moments in her life to prove her worth, or she risks remaining in limbo until the time when she should have died. Schmitt's smart, funny novel will keep readers entertained as they follow R.J. on her redemptive path from "self-absorbed princess" to someone more capable of kindness, while perhaps contemplating their own actions and choices. R.J.'s sarcastic sense of humor sharply counterbalances touching moments as she learns how to live more generously. Ages 12%E2%80%93up. Agent: Liza Fleissig, Liza Royce Agency. (Oct.)