Some of the funny parts are very funny, and there are some sly and clever throwaway lines and asides. Supporting characters and second bananas were often more fun and engaging that the main heroine. For me, Alexis wore out her welcome fairly early on. This book could have been tighter and shorter, and been the better for it. That said, if you want a quick hoot this would be a fun skimmable choice.

I originally wanted to try this because the name of the book and the cover. As I started it I had a hard time getting into it and eventually just got bored and had to DNF. Just wasnt for me. Was not the intended audience for this book.

The cover definitely got me to try this one out, but alas I had to DNF this at roughly 20%. Not my kind of humor, not my cup of tea, not my kind of characters that I can root for or connect with. I have to pass on this.

Thanks Netgalley for providing me with an eARC.

Drawn in by the cover and description, I was really hoping to love this.

But, well, Alexis is crazy unlikable. Kept trying, but it's just not doing it for me. Tapped out at Chapter 5.

Digital review copy provided by NetGalley and the publisher.

dnf at roughly a third of the book, page 107 in my edition.

Alexis McRiott dies in a ridiculous freak-accident the evening before she is supposed to sign a music record deal she dreamed of her whole life. Feeling she has some unfinished business to attend to, she escapes the grim reaper and realises the nonsense she babbled as a child star in a paranormal teenage series is real magic, and she can do spells.

It basically boils down to this: Either it fits your humor or it doesn't.
I am annoyed by everything: The characterisation, the feeling of a non-edited book, the freak accidents, the technobabble and mumble-jumble spells. The author adds ridiculous detail ond absurd puzzle piece, and when you think it's unbelieveable in the beginning, the further devolepements annoy you only further.

[- the way she got this role in the series in the first place feels constructed; one would assume that if casting is in progress there is no way to enter the room unasked
- put a hot girl in front of Alexis and all she can thing about is to get to know them
- Alexis solves a years-old murder with one random theft and a google search
- the supposed-murderer proposes to Alexis minutes after that (hide spoiler)]

If I read her one more time say that she is metal to the core, I scream.
Then, on the other hand, a friend I've ranted to finds all of this hilarious and sounds like she now wants to get her hands on a copy of this book.

Which reminds me: I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and am sorry that it didn't work out.

If punk/pop paranormal teenage angst is your thing this is the book for you. Funny, clever and well written with excellent world building. I liked Alexis, but wished for a bit more personality from her sidekicks. Ultimately this was a great book for my teenage self.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ever wonder what happens to child stars of kids shows? Well this is one story. Alexis is a nineteen year old girl who has been squatting in various places since her stardom went down the drain. She's in a one man metal band, and she's going to rock the world one day. Or at least, that's what she wants. She plays a set in a dive bar, and a man named Epic Tom gives her a recording deal under one condition: she joins a teen pop band. She would be crazy to say no, right?

Unfortunately, this is not the life that the universe has planned for her. That night, she decides not to celebrate, but to throw the expensive bottle of champagne off the roof to prove to herself that she's going to change her ways. What she doesn't see coming, however, is the cork.

This is a supernatural story of ghosts, grim reapers, poltergeists, and ancient magic. Though it's not something I would usually pick up, the cover and the description really pulled me into it and forced me to give it a chance. Am I glad I did? Absolutely. Was it my new favourite book? No, but it was still a wild ride. If you're looking for something hilarious and silly, grown up and yet still childish at the same time, than this is the book for you. Alexis is a strong female lead for the story, and I couldn't have seen anyone else taking her place. The world that she lives in is a little out there at times, but I could easily imagine it. If this is something you think you'd like, I'd say definitely give it a shot!

Thanks for reading!
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)

This was such a fun read! I didn't really know what to expect from this, but the premise was so ridiculous that it piqued my curiosity. Former child star Alexis dies in a freak accident right before she's supposed to get a big break and in her afterlife she teams up with a medieval kid and an Asian cowgirl to defeat a bunch of poltergeists ravaging the living world - however, it requires her to revisit her child star past. This was a hilarious, quick and enjoying read. If you need a break from dramatic, serious fiction, this is an great palate cleanser. I'm looking forward to the next installment in this series!

If "We Sold Our Souls" by Grady Hendrix was made into a straight to tv movie on the Disney channel this is what would happen. I loved it!

I went into this with low expectations as the reviews I had seen weren't that great. So glad I was proved wrong, though!

The author has some imagination! The poltergeists and villains in this book are quite something. I definitely wouldn't be able to come up with these things.

Certain things seemed a bit far fetched (the protagonist having either really good luck by being in a teen show or very bad luck judging by the way she died), but most of it makes sense in the end.

All in all, a rather fun and imaginative story with plenty of twists and turns and fun characters. I think I'd mostly recommend it to teenage boys of certain age as it has plenty of that kind of humour.

DNF @ 20%. Sorry, just couldn't get into it. Couldn't connect to the characters. It seemed juvenile.

I read a quarter of this book and decided not to finish it. The humor just didn’t work for me. I was initially intrigued by the premise, but the book ended up relying too much on tropes and flat characters for me to like it. I found myself cringing at a lot of the dialogue, even when it was supposed to be affecting Alexis emotionally. I can see teenagers and tweens liking this book, but for me, it was just a little too immature. Thank you for the ARC, anyway.

I'm not gonna lie, the cover drew me to this book, the bright colors, the off-beat feel all made me want to check it out. I read the blurb and thought this might work for me.

Alexis was a hot mess at the start of this one, but really, she'd been screwed over by so many people you can see how she got where she was. But there was hope, hope that maybe she caught a break and could pull herself out of her crappy life. It was here that things got a bit weird for me after Alexis died. I was pissed that she lost her chance to change her life. The whole afterlife thing was odd for me and often times it didn't make sense. I did like the connection to the show she was on as a kid. But overall things seemed a bit disjointed and it was hard for me to keep reading, yet something was there that didn't make me want to dnf the book.

By the end of the book I was blah about things, mostly I was just glad to be done, even if Alexis was happy in her new life.

DNF'd @ 10%

Alexis vs. the Afterlife by Marcus Alexander Hart initially sounded like it could have been an urban fantasy exactly up my alley especially considering that in the blurb that it's compared to My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland. Unfortunately, I ended up DNF'ing it at only 10%. Tonally, the sense of humor just didn't work for me because it felt too forced. Plus, Alexis herself grated on me right from the beginning. Usually, I would try to keep going for a review book, but this lost my interest too early to keep going. Thanks anyway, NetGalley.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review. This will be available on July 9th.

Alexis was a child star on a show that is basically a rip-off of any paranormal show on the CW. She hated it and was only doing it because she was promised a music deal…which never happened. Instead, the show was cancelled, and she becomes a cynical has-been.

Then, in a weird accident, Alexis finds herself suddenly deceased. Not wanting to join the Great Beyond just yet, Alexis runs from the reaper, and straight into a fight with a poltergeist. Somehow she’s able to destroy it, launching herself rather reluctantly into a quest to stop a Big Bad.

She’s joined by Wycock, a ghost who’s sole purpose is to avenge the destruction of his kingdom, and Yin, who Alexis has a major crush on. Together, they have to cobble together a vanquishing. Not a one of them knows what they’re doing. Oh, dear.

This book was fun, but nothing to write home about. It was full of puns and sarcasm, which I usually love, but about half of it sort of felt forced. The funny was really funny, though, and Wycock cracked me up. He was so earnest, and so completely unprepared.
The pacing was good, although cutting out a few of the action beats could have helped a little. About halfway through, it started to feel a little redundant, and I found my attention wandering. I was pulled back in by the ending, however. The final showdown was entertaining and creative.

This is a fun, fast read. Check it out if you’re looking for a bit of a giggle.