This book gave me the creeps! I don't love it but I definitely don't hate it. The book was rather long in my opinion. There were parts I felt could be left out. All in all, it was a good who done it book. Kept me hooked!

To say this is a departure for Kerry Wilkinson is somewhat of an understatement! Best known for the Jessica Daniel series and some really fan standalone thrillers this is instead a YA thriller with its roots firmly set in the paranormal.

The main character is 17 years old Ellie, who after a night out wakes up cold in a river, where a year before her brother's girlfriend was found murdered. She hasn't a recollection of how she got there, only a sense that she shouldn't be alive. As she tries to work out what happened another girl goes missing and suspicion falls on her brother Ollie.

If you come to this expecting a Jessica Daniels type novel you'll be disappointed. But if you expect a well written YA thriller you'll be very happy. This is tense and spooky but not so much that I'd worry about my own daughter reading this in a few years time. Kerry Wilkinson has once again proved what a fantastic and adaptable author he is.

I loved the concept for this book, the whole waking up dead thing was fascinating! I really enjoyed that this was a teen thriller, it was like nothing I've read before.

The characters were all great and I loved all of their interactions. I really enjoyed how different suspects were hinted at and found myself second-guessing everything. The diner sounded epic! I loved the sound of the music wall and they were great about picky customers.

The only letdown was that while the reveal was great and I wouldn't have guessed who is was, the whole thing went down a little too quick. The ending on the whole was a little abrupt.

I wasn't able to finish this. The writing was good, but the story didn't grip me enough to care about anything that was happening.

A very interesting and well written book that kept me completely enthralled throughout. I loved the characters and everything to do with the story!

I devoured this book in almost one sitting(the dogs needed to be walked!) I enjoyed every minute of my reading experience with this novel. The writing was simple and flowed right off the pages. The main character was very likable, as were the secondary characters, including Eleanor's big brother. I had such a soft spot for him. The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker will keep you in suspense for the entire ride!

I will never forget the night I drowned…’
A village with something to hide.

Seventeen-year-old Eleanor Parker wakes up cold and alone in the river that twists through her quiet village. She has no memory of how she got there. But she does know that another girl was drowned in the same river the summer before, held under the water by an unknown killer…

A community torn apart.

Eleanor is a normal, every day teenager. She argues with her mum, spends her days with her best friend, and is looking forward to a carefree summer of sunshine and music. Who would want to hurt her?

A shocking secret.

Determined to unlock the mystery of what really happened to her, Eleanor can't escape the feeling that something awful links her to the previous summer's murder. But will she find out the truth before it’s too late?

My Thoughts
Rating:5 stars
Thriller with a paranormal fell, everyone seems to have secrets, keeps you guessing on who would want Eleanor dead, for a while I thought she came back as a zombie ( but you have to read the book to find out why I thought out), also it keeps you guessing on who Eleanor can trust , and how does her almost death content to the murder girl's from the summer before. What can I say but I loved it . With that said I would love to say thanks to Netgalley for letting me read and review it in change for my honest opinion.

In the tradition of “The Heathers,” and other black, teenage comedies, “The Life and Death of Eleanor Parker,” not only brings an intriguing mystery with a touch of the paranormal, but I seriously laughed out loud at some of Eleanor’s one-liners.

Note for my fellow Americans about some terminology that confused me slightly - British friends, please correct me if I’m missing something: Eleanor talks about going to “college,” which in the British education system is similar to the American junior and senior years of high school, for students that decide they want to go on the University at age 18. Colleges are where they study for the entrance exams and is slightly more relaxed, schedule-wise, than American high schools.

OK, now that that’s sorted:

Eleanor Parker is a typical 17-year-old until one morning, when she wakes up literally in the middle of the river running through her small village with no memory of the previous evening. She also can’t sleep or eat. Basically, she died, except fo the fact that she woke up in the end. And it just so happens that her “death” coincides with the one-year anniversary of the drowning of her brother’s girlfriend in the same river. But who killed her? And are they going to try again?

Like I said, this book is not only a great mystery, but pretty good teen comedy. I really liked Eleanor and her friends, who reminded me for sure of people I knew in high school. The author does a great job of really developing these characters and their relationships in a relatively short period of time, so that the reader is on Eleanor’s team from the beginning.

Plus, there’s the weird paranormal element with her “dying” and experiencing weird symptoms throughout the novel. It’s just enough to make the book creepier and better, without going full sci-if or unbelievable. I enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on.

Speaking of which, the ending is perfect. It makes sense and it’s not overly complicated. I thought it was really fitting for the book.

Anyone looking for a good book to make you shiver as well as chuckle, pick up this book. You won’t regret it.

So it’s October... everyone is doing their spooky Halloween reads and I didn’t want to miss out on the fun. Only problem is...I scare easily, and have to tip-toe through all the spookiness!
This was the perfect pseudo-scary read for me!

Eleanor wakes up on the bank of a river. No memory of what happened or how she got there. In a fog of confusion she slowly makes her way home. She can’t fight the deep-seeded chill welling up inside her.
Then the awful reality sets in as she realizes… she’s dead...Or maybe not?
She can still interact with her family and friends. But the strangest things are happening. She can’t quite feel...or smell for that matter. And the thought of food just makes her wretch!

If indeed she was killed, Ellie is determined to find her killer before he strikes again!

This was a perfectly executed thriller in that all the clues were cleverly placed throughout, helping to piece this one together. Well, maybe with one unexpected twist. And as Kerry Wilkinson laid out the clues, I realized I missed each one! Oh well...that’s part of the fun of reading a thriller!
This book reads super-easy with maybe a slight YA feeling to it! But held my interest throughout, leading to an electrifying ending! It even left chills running up my arms.

I’ve been enjoying Kerry Wilkinson’s books and sadly that was the last on my shelf. But I’m on the lookout for more as he quickly becoming a new go to author for me!

Now I can say I’ve completed my scary fall read.👻 That was easy(whew!) Maybe I’m up for one more?!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Kerry Wilkinson for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This one was middle of the road for me...I neither disliked it, nor did I love it. It's very much in the vein of "The Lovely Bones" (which might be why I didn't love it, because that book, to me, was overrated). The overarching mystery was intriguing, and I definitely wanted to see how it would play out, but it didn't have me up way past my bedtime trying to finish it, either. So if you're a fan of "The Lovely Bones", this one will be right up your alley.

What an entertaining read! Imagine being dead, but also being alive at the same time. This was really an entertaining read, something else than the normal blood and gore - sort off anyways! Recommended!

A little departure for Wilkinson, who usually writes adult fiction detective mysteries. And here's a YA murder mystery with a little bit of a paranormal slant. Which is just up my alley. I've seen people compare it to The Lovely Bones, and while I haven't read it (or seen its film), I'm aware of it, and this is a little different in that Ellie is actively trying to solve it herself and not guiding or helping family through their grief.
Like most of Wilkinson's books, it's paced well, information is doled out as it pertains to the main character.

I'd like to see more like this from Wilkinson in the future.

Supernatural fiction doesn’t normally appeal to me but I did enjoy this. If you can suspend your belief far enough to get past the premise then it’s a really deep and quite chilling novel. I liked the narrative voice and the main characters and the ending was just as good as the rest of the novel, an aspect that I think sometimes falls a little flat in young adult fiction.

I loved this book! Such a unique take on a murder mystery, and being told through the eyes of the deceased gives the reader a great perspective on the events that take place.

Whilst the main character is not exactly likeable, she is relateable and you find yourself rooting for her as you go on. Would definitely recommend to YA mystery fans

This novel was...interesting, different but I'm not totally sure how I feel about it. Truthfully, I am a fan of Kerry Wilkinson and his writing and I think I enjoyed this book, just a bit too quirky here and there and the ending was not what I was expecting.

Eleanor, 17, wakes up abandoned in a river. She has no memory of the events leading up to this moment. The difference between this and Justin’s story – Eleanor is dead. Coincidently, in the same location as her brother’s former girlfriend the previous summer.

Throughout the novel, Eleanor goes over her current state as the undead. She does not allow this to take her off the path of finding out the truth behind her and the other girl’s murder. Then when another girl disappears, it’s go time in trying to get down to the bottom of everything.

It’s a quick, engaging read and definitely one to pick up and devour during the Fall season!

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It had a bit of a different spin on a murder mystery with some paranormal influence. It’s a story about a young girl who was murdered in a small town that doesn’t seem to see much action in England. Our main characters brother has been pegged as the murderer since he was her boyfriend but there wasn’t enough evidence to convict him. It’s been a year to the day where this story starts and Ellie wakes up in the river exactly where Sarah’s body was found. She doesn’t remember how she got there, only that she died and that she’s now somehow, alive. Ellie feels she was brought back to solve this murder and that’s exactly what she does.

The story is good, quick,and it keeps you guessing until the very end. Speaking of endings, this was also surprising, not so much the who, but rather, the why.
I’m planning on checking out more by this author in the future.

Hey you guys. I’m Sydney and you’re watching Sydney’s Shelves. Today I’m going to be doing a book review for The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker by Kerry Wilkinson. It came out on July 26th. I got my copy for free from Netgalley for an honest review. That being said my thoughts are my own. Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for this opportunity. Let’s do this.

Plot: The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker is a YA murder mystery thriller that verges on magical realism. It’s about a girl who wakes up in a lake not knowing who or where she is but certain of one thing: She died tonight. Or to be more specific was murdered. The story follows Eleanor as she uncovers her hidden memories and tries to figure out who had it in for her. As Mystery thriller plots go this one isn’t super unique. But I was excited because I love stuff where the characters come back from the dead. I can honestly say that I was invested in this plot and eagerly anticipating the big reveal. Following Eleanor around as she did day to day things could be mundane at times but this was neccsary for Eleanor to recover her memories. I’m not usually a fan of the “lost memories” trope but I thought it was used well in this instance. It made sense what with her coming back from the dead. I gave plot 4.5 out of 5 Stars.

Characters: The main character in this story is Eleanor Parker. To tell you how just okay she was, when I was writing this review I forgot her name…. Um it’s in the title Sydney. She was just your average teenager finding out she wasn’t really this sweet and innocent thing that she would have preferred. Like every character who has ever lost their memory they find out their real self can be a jerk. I did like Eleanor I just don’t remember much about her now that the book is over.

The side characters weren’t much different. They lack character building to make them strong independent characters. Like their whole description depends on Eleanor. Ie,,, Eleanor’s best friend, Eleanor’s Mum, Eleanor’s Brother, etc. I would have liked a little more character building. But I know the author was trying to keep them vague in order to build the suspense of who dun it. I gave characters a 3.5 out of 5 Stars.

World Building. You really get a taste of the small british village in this book. The atmosphere was really tense. I felt like the author did a mostly good job or putting you in the moment and keeping you hanging by the seat of your pants. I liked how the author protrayed small town gossip . Yes its frustrating but you grew up with these people. And everyone knows everyone. It’s a whole thing. And I just thought the author showed it well. Something I was meh about was the lack of world buildling concerning the whole coming back from the dead thing. I thought this would be a paranormal thriller. But the how, why, ect were never answered. We are just supposed to understand that she came back from the dead and is struggling with things bodies would suffer from if they’d died like temperature drop and lack of hunger or need for sleep. I guess what I mean is there is no real magic system. It’s just like “here’s a splash of something fantastical.” I gave World Building 4 out of 5 stars.

Writing Style. This book is written in first person POV. We really get into Eleanor’s head as she deconstructs her memories and puts together the puzzle before her. I thought the author did a good job with showing us new information instead of just telling us every new thing. We discover the story along with Eleanor which was fun. I do think the story was more suspensful then straight up thrillery. I was never scared for Eleanor’s Life or so anxious for what was gonna happen next. More like I just wanted to know what really happened. Which was fine. The Wilkinson did do a good job of keeping you wanting more and setting a good pace. Was I super impressed by the writing style and could read this forever, no. But was it better than most YA thrillers? Yes. I gave Writing Style a 4 out of 5 stars.

Personal Experience. I did really enjoy reading this book for the most part. Actually for all the parts that count I couldn’t put this book down. Why do I say the parts that count? Because I did this awful thing about halfway through the book I figured out who the murderer was so of course I stopped and had to check the ending to make sure I was right… Yeah I’m the literal worst. Well after this plunder, I didn’t want to pick the book up for days. Yes plural. Almost a week. I finally had to force myself to just do it and read the second half of the book in one sitting. But I’m not holding this against the book because its honestly my own dang fault. So for what actually counts, I gave personal experience a 4 out of 5 Stars.

Overall I gave The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker 4 out of 5 stars. It’s pretty good for a YA mystery thriller. The characters aren’t amazing but the story is captivating. I think if you’re looking to branch out into the fantastical world but not too much then this story is the perfect amount of paranormal for you. I hope you guys check this one out. Let me know in the comments if you plan to pick this up. I hope you guys are having a great day! I’ll see you in the stacks.

Wilkinson has quickly become a favorite of mine because of his Jessica Daniel series. This book sounded similarly suspenseful, but with a bit of a supernatural twist, so I picked it up.

Eleanor wakes up one morning in a river, not sure how she got there or what happened to her the night before. The one thing she is sure of is that she’s dead. She can’t get warm, all food makes her nauseous, and she has no need to sleep. Her skin looks sallow, to the point where others recognize it. She begins to do a mini investigation into her own murder, trying to figure out who she can trust and who she absolutely can’t.

I enjoyed this book. Wilkinson took an interesting view by having Ellie investigate her own death, and by having memories slowly start to creep up as time passes. The ending is a surprise, although I do feel like it was a bit weak. The whodunnit didn’t work for me as well as some other books that Wilkinson has written.

If you’re a fan of suspense novels or of Wilkinson, definitely pick this one up!

Eleanor wakes up in the river after a night out. She goes home and when questioning herself what’s happened, there are a few things not adding up. There also seems to be something wrong with her sense, she can’t feel or smell anything really and the little she ate, makes her sick. Eleanor begins to panic and think that she might be dead, a zombie even, maybe murdered. It wouldn’t be the first murder in town. A year ago, Eleanor’s brother Ollie’s girlfriend was murdered and the killer was never caught. Could Eleanor have been fallen pray to the same person, the mysterious Hitcher?
The story moved slowly and sometimes I wished for more explanation in the supernatural part. But my curiosity wouldn’t let me stop reading and in the end I liked the book.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture!