Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree/Holiday House for giving me an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review!

The description for this book calls it “equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking” and I’ve never seen a blurb get it more correct. The writing in this book was raw and real and had me grinning at the page and reading through tears in equal measure. I was sucked into the story from the very beginning and the information that was withheld was just the right amount of frustrating to keep me wanting more. It made sense for information to be withheld from the reader, because the narrator herself was unreliable— a sixteen year old who was grappling with her own death— and if we had been told everything right away the ending would not have been as cathartic. Teagan had to work through her trauma at her own pace, and we had to stay with her at the pace she set— which could be frustrating at times but of course it is! She’s sixteen and she’s dead and the world isn’t fair, she’s frustrated! And that frustration bleeds out of the pages into the reader in a truly masterful breadth of storytelling.

They say in writing that no detail should be extraneous, and this book felt like the epitome of that idea. It felt like everything, down to the pacing, down to each page by page reveal was carefully planned out until it became the incredible story that it is. Plozza truly encapsulated both the feelings of pure love and happiness side-by-side with ripping your still beating heart from your chest. You do not want to miss this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink, and Shivaun Plozza for the eARC! This book releases May 14, 2024.

Synopsis: Following her death, Tegan Master's finds herself at a run-down New Jersey motel from your worst nightmare. For Tegan, according to the stunning (but snarky) angel Zelda, this is Tegan's heaven and is the site of her happiest memory. If dying wasn't traumatic enough, staying in dingy motel for the rest of eternity is. Tegan, convinced Zelda's mathematical equations are wrong, raises some complaints to Management and implicates herself and Zelda in a deadline to understand how this is her eternity. If Zelda fails to convince Tegan this is her eternity, and if Tegan fails to understand how the Marybelle is the place of her happiest memory, they both face dire consequences.

Brief Review Summary:
- Overall Rating: 5/5
- Will I cry?: 100% (Keep the tissues close for this one!)

Review: I'll be honest, the book broke me. I cried several times and was moved to tears more times than I care to admit. This was the first book in almost a month I was able to complete in one sitting. I was not able to put this book down. "The Worst Perfect Moment" by Shivaun Plozza is masterfully crafted and offers a unique insight to growing up, even in death. With the topic matter, I do believe that this is meant for a bit of an older Young Adult reader audience. The topics in this novel are heavy and heart-wrenching, particularly when reading this as a 23-year-old thinking back to my own youth. There are many lessons to be gleamed from this book, even for younger and older YA readers.

Plozza does an excellent job of playing with the concept of Heaven. This seems to be a trend within recent media, but each take is very refreshing. By portraying heaven and death as a place where flaws and emotions beyond happiness and bliss are present, makes death more familiar. Heaven and death is something characterized like our mortal world and it is refreshing. There is space for growth after death and Plozza does a stellar job representing that, particularly capturing the youth that both Tegan and Zelda possess.

This book is heart wrenching as Tegan is forced to explore moments in her life to discover why the Marybelle Motel is considered her happiest moment. This exploration into Tegan's memories and Zelda's urging for her to think about what the lesson or message could be is fascinating. Plozza excellently keeps the reader within Tegan's own frustrations through intrusive and angry exposition. While this angry exposition is bubbling over, you have Zelda's quirky fascination with all thing Earth, even the gross and morbid. Watching this two grow together throughout the book was a treat. I wish there was a bit more time together without the deadline of understanding looming over them.

I think the biggest critique I have with the book is the dialogue and somewhat cringey phrasing, The conversations between Zelda and Tegan, in particular, felt very young even for a permanently 16-year-old. As someone who often spends time in high school classrooms as an educator, I've never heard a teenager use "dickcheese" or "butt-face" when they could opt for just swearing or more crass, creative options.

Overall, Shivaun Plozza does a fantastic job capturing humanity in death and the divine. There are some frustrating moments in the book, but I assure you, for every moment you get frustrated at Barb or Kelvin, or even Zelda and Tegan, the end is worth it. The realizations the characters all come to is rewarding and satisfying and, if you're like me, you will probably cry two or three separate times.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I felt all the emotions in the best way possible while reading this. The concept is so interesting and was written so well, from the plot to Teagan and Zelda’s love hate relationship.

This was such a beautifully written book and I enjoyed every part of it. I really loved learning about Zelda and Teagan and how their relationship went from not quite friends to something much, much more. It was a really sweet book and I enjoyed it a lot.

This was so cute! A few tears there, a few cringes there, the overall message was great. I originally requested it because I wanted a light, queer read but this has much more substance to it. It’s not light all the time, but it’s balanced very well with all of the dark parts. It’s not just a romance, it reminded me of what life is about. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was so incredibly emotionally. I don't have a lot of expectations of what I would like out of YA books when I pick them up, but if I did, this one would have blown everything else out of the water. It's hard to explain what exactly about this book made it so great. There are a ton of small aspects that come together to make one great experience that left being bawling my eyes out for the entirety of the final one hundred pages.

Tegan Masters is such a relatable character even for someone who is no longer sixteen. She is going through this emotional journey to learn what is important to her all while being dead and in heaven. She's a messy human in a place where she's expected to be perfect and she's learning what happiness means for her now that she's dead. Zelda is an amazing foil/love-interest for Tegan as well. Zelda is remarkably human in a world where everyone else that Tegan encounters isn't. Zelda, while not human, manages to capture all the parts of being human that will Heaven wants to erase from the world.

Again, I sobbed the last hundred or so pages of this book, because everything is so relatable, such an emotional journey, and the book is so well written.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6355054485?book_show_action=false

i thought this book was so cute and with such fresh new ideas i'd never read before! i can't wait to see what this author writes next!

thank you netgalley for the e arc!

final rating: 3.5/5☆ (would have rated it a 4, but it just didn't strike a chord with me)

thanks to netgalley and the publisher Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink!

i don't know how to describe this book other than that it's atmospheric, but written in a way that takes you out of it in its incongruity. a motel as your heaven at the end of your life. except all you notice is the green and the dead wasp and tampon floating in the pool and it's the worst memory of your life. that's exactly how i felt going into the book too. it had all the makings of something emotional and impactful and introspective but it fell a little flat for me.

(spoilers ahead)

i'm gonna be frank. i hate exposition, word vomit and all similar things. this book has a lot of that, especially near the end. throughout most of it, we inch ever so slightly closer to it because the protagonist Tegan is so emotionally constipated that she doesn't get what is literally shown right in her face to her, everything she doesn't have so she realises what she does have. i don't like that she suddenly gains so much emotional insight when she realises Zelda's life hangs in the balance, and suddenly she is trying, emotionally available and understanding everything she needs to so that Zelda lives. while meaningful, it is a lesson that is a little cliched and the execution of this needed to be more gradual, not a steep curve right at the end.

the emotional word vomit, from Ms Chiu, Tegan and even Kelvin who has to 'diagnose' everything that we already know, Tegan isn't progressing and is hoarding her pain. yes, we get it, we don't need it spelled out for us over and over. and god, as if the fluffy flashback to the blanket fort scene wasn't enough, we had Tegan explain beat by beat its emotional significance and, god, it felt almost unbearable at points.

still, the romance was cute, if not a little unrealistic. too many uses of 'dickcheese' and 'butt-face' in this book as well.

What a touching, wonderful story!

It might sound cheesy, but I feel I’ve been needing a story like this.

I felt Tegan and Zelda went on significant character journeys and I found a lot of the side characters to be distinct and lovable too. I felt empathy for everyone - Tegan, her father and sister, her friend, Zelda, even her mother. I loved the integration of Mrs Chiu as Tegan’s safe, motherly figure.

There were a couple of things I didn’t like as much.
I felt some of the insults were too juvenile even for 16s old.

It also did take me a while to warm up to Zelda - I felt her initial attitude was dismissive and lacking in empathy, but she grew on me and as the story progressed, she acknowledged she is just flawed, as anybody else. And what better story for this - where we acknowledge the human existence is made of complicated happy/sad/overwhelming moments, where we fall in love with life and even it’s miserable moments?

Overall, I feel this novel is so important and it may even be one of my favourite for the year.

An exciting new release! I’d highly recommend it!

Oh My God! As an avid fan for both The Good Place and Good Omens, “The Worst Perfect Moment” was an incredible journey about learning what makes life worth living and how what we think may make us happiest can end up hurting us the most.

dnf at 40% because this book is not good for my mental health, so I am not going to finish it. not any particular triggers that i can think of other than death, but the overall air of mundane hopelessness is not good for me

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC.

I just want to preface this review by saying I'm not religious at all and this is my point of view. I didn't expect it to have as much religious themes as it did. And that's a me thing. I have nothing against this book for including all of it but it is just something I am not into. Otherwise I did enjoy this book a lot. I found it to be really heartwarming in the end. But damn were there some deep moments in there. Towards the end I felt very targeted during the conversation between Tegan and Ms.Chiu! That part really hit home. I genuinely did enjoy this book and found it t0 be inspiring.

(3.5 stars)

What is a ture happy ending? The Worst Perfect Moment explores what causes true happiness. Filled with angels, cats and ketchup mushrooms, this book is a wholesome YA queer supernatural? romance. Teagan is dead and is forever stuck in her "best" memory, the only problem being, the memory sucks.

{My thoughts}

While I really enjoyed the premise and plot of this book, I did have some issues with the writing style. It definitely reads on the younger end of young adult, with phrases likie "emo mccreepoid" and "butt-face" being used. The descriptive text especially of colour was quite strange with things being listed as, noun (colour). Personally I didn't mind this, but I can definitely see it irking some people.

The main characters are reasonably fleshed out, but as it is single P.O.V it is a little hard in places to understand characters motivations and feelings. Our main characters back story is reasonably felshed out even if a little confusing at times. The relationship was cute for the most part, even if most of the bickering was rather juvenille for a sixteen year old and a ??? year old.

I don’t think words can describe how much I loved this book, the storyline was phenomenal and I loved Tegan and Zelda. The character development was fantastic and I was hooked into the book from page one, I will definitely be reading more books that this author writes. This is a book I would 100% recommendation.

Thank you Netgalley and Holiday House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"The Worst Perfect Moment" by Shivaun Plozza offers a unique and emotionally resonant exploration of memory, death, and happiness within the framework of an original afterlife concept. When you think of a book discussing the afterlife of a teenager, you would assume the book would be completely heart-wrenching, and while this book definitely does tug at the heart strings, it’s also very fun and thought-provoking. I especially loved the humor and the banter throughout, though younger YA readers would probably enjoy this humor and connect with the characters more throughout the book.

The novel follows Tegan, a sixteen-year-old who finds herself in heaven, only to discover that her personal heaven is constructed from her worst memory. As she grapples with this unsettling realization, Tegan embarks on a journey guided by her angel, Zelda, to uncover the significance of her chosen memory. Plozza's inventive portrayal of heaven as a bureaucratic institution adds depth to the story, showcasing how even in the afterlife, flaws and imperfections persist, which made this fictional afterlife feel very realistic.

I really enjoyed the engaging premise as well as the character development shown throughout the book. The relationship between Tegan and Zelda evolves from initial antagonism to a touching bond characterized by mutual support and understanding. Tegan's growth as she revisits pivotal moments in her life resonates with you, offering a beautiful exploration of self-discovery, and acceptance. Younger readers may be able to think about their own current experiences in comparison to Tegan’s while older readers may be able to reflect on their past experiences; overall, this book allows for a lot of self-introspection. As mentioned earlier, despite its serious themes, the book is interspersed with moments of humor and warmth, creating a rich and accessible reading experience.

I will say that some of the language in the book was a bit juvenile, specifically the banter; I do think this book works better with a younger audience due to this accessibility and relatability in the language. The characters did feel like authentic teenagers, though maybe a bit younger than 16.

Overall, "The Worst Perfect Moment" captivates with its original premise, well-crafted characters, and the exploration of life and death. Whether you're drawn to its inventive afterlife concept or its heartfelt portrayal of relationships, this book offers a compelling and rewarding read that will stay with you after you finish the book. I will definitely be thinking about Tegan and what she learned about life/death for awhile.

The Worst Perfect Moment explores memory, death, and happiness through a queer sixteen year old. Tegan is dead, and her heaven is her worst memory. When she complains, her angel Zelda takes her through moments of her life, trying to prove why she picked that specific memory.

I loved how original the premise of the book was, especially concerning such a difficult concept such as the afterlife. While it initially seemed to have a very low-climax plot, this later changed. The emotions the book presents are extremely relatable and perfectly presented in a way that keeps you reading. It is written in simple language, intended for lower YA, in a way that is completely accessible to all.

The characters were lovable, despite there only really being four characters. While grief is a difficult topic to write, especially when concerning the afterlife, I felt that Tegan didn’t really have enough closure with her family. I also would have loved to see more of Zelda’s emotions towards Tegan showed—her backstory was only showed through a single piece of dialogue. I also would have loved more expiation surrounding the different angels, since they’re basically just presented as magical humans with wings.

Overall, this was a great book! I think I felt a little bit too old for it, but it didn’t stop me from crying (multiple times) throughout its course.

This book had upsetting and enjoyable moments for me, overall I loved the characters and this made me love the book even more.

Tegan is a rebellious strong headed teenager like any other. But she’s dead and navigating morality and the detention of happiness while in a place she immediately decides is not actually her heaven. And this is done in an extremely fun way with some comedy for relief. Her angel and her start off hating about her but there are so many plot twists and u expected unpredictable moments in this it keeps you hooked, I devoured this book, and enjoyed every page.

| SUMMARY |
Tegan is dead. She is sixteen years old and she is dead. When she wakes up in heaven, everything is wrong: the angel in charge of creating her personal heaven out of her happiest memory has recreated the motel where she spent the worst weekend of her short life. So she makes a complaint to the angel’s manager, and suddenly they have one month to prove that Tegan is ready for happiness and Zelda, her angel, didn’t make a mistake. The consequences they could otherwise face are unthinkable.

| MY THOUGHTS |
It’s so hard to organize my thoughts on this because it was so good I just want to shove it in everyone’s face and force feed it to them. First, you have to know that this is a book that made me both cry and laugh, which is a hard feat.

The book reads as pretty young YA. It can be immature at times (the amount of time the word “butt” is said in this book…), but it also deals with pretty serious topics, and I think anyone could get something out of it.

I really liked the premise and I think it was extremely well done. The way heaven (or just the afterlife in general) was represented was very original. In The Worst Perfect Moment, heaven is a bureaucracy, and it isn’t necessarily better than the ones on earth. Mistakes happen, everything is slow, there are angels with preconceived ideas, and to be honest most of them do not understand what it’s like to be human, or what is really needed to achieve happiness. I found that interesting and it added a lot to this story.

In the end, I enjoyed the plot, but what really made this book great is the characters. They were all really well made, they were complex people and extremely realistic. First I’m going to talk about the two main characters, and then I want to fangirl on their relationship 😊

Tegan: Tegan is my pookie <3 I want to give her a hug and a forehead kiss. She has been through so much, and she is such a people pleaser, it was heartbreaking. I could definitely see parts of myself in her, especially her need to be seen, to be loved, for someone to pick her. She was pretty immature sometimes, but considering all that she’s been through, it’s more than ok. She has so much emotions, but they scare her, so she bottles them up and tries to pretend them away. Also I’m not an expert but I’m pretty sure she has OCD. Overall I think she was my favourite character.

Zelda: oh my goddddd zeldaaaa <3 she was so funny and cute and weird and bubbly, but she also has been through a lot, and she tries her best to prove that she can do this, that she didn’t make a mistake, that she is good at her job. She does a great work of helping Tegan through it all. She is an angel akdksjajdjdalaks (literally tho. she has a wings and all and it is SO cute)

Their relationship was so cute, they were enemies to lovers in the best/cutest way possible, and their banter was just perfect. Especially Zelda, my girl is an underrated pro at flirting omggg. They are there for each other through their hardest moments, and even when they aren’t on the best terms, they care about each other so much it makes my heart flutter. They simply had the best fluff.

I also really loved the portrayals of Tegan’s love for her sister and dad. These three have been through it, but they stick together and I loved seeing the flashbacks of interactions between them. Especially with her little sister, she was so cute I wanted to give her the biggest hug every single time I saw her name.

Favourite quote: The scariest thing is that when I brush aside the guilt and shame, I’m left with one single fact: I like Zelda. I don’t want her to go because I like her.
She makes me laugh. She confuses me in the best way. She keeps me on my toes, like a never ending turn on Dance Dance Revolution. She surprises me. She makes my heart feel too big for my chest. She makes me feel sort of okay about being dead. She makes me feel like hope isn’t such a sucky emotion after all.
She can’t leave.

I have a million and one feelings about this book. All of them are good. Stellar even. I cried a lot. Books don't often make me cry, but this one made me cry in that achey chest pain sort of way, not the gutteral sobbing way, but the way that you've realized something deeply profound and suddenly find you can't stop the tears from coming. This book was messy, it was gritty, but it was funny, and it was loving, and it was pain.

Teagan was a very messy kid. As much as she tried to act like she was an adult, and could handle anything, she was anything but. She loved stuffed animals, her little sister, and she constantly talked in her head to her favorite teacher about her feelings. At heart she was just a scared child who didn't want to face the fact that she might not have been good enough for anyone in her life. That she may not have been enough to make them stay, for them to love her.

But then a stubborn, sarcastic, idiotic but loveable angel showed her that she was worthy. That she could be picked first. And she realized that there were people in her life, before she died, that would always pick her first. That had picked her first. Even through their own grief and troubles, there was someone who would love her no matter what.

Her heaven may not have been perfect, but she came to realize in the end that it was hers, and she didn't want to be scrubbed of all the emotions she was so lucky to be able to feel.

It's something so raw and human to be able to live, to be able to feel. To be able to recognize the ways we feel and how others make us feel. To be dead and have to come to terms not only with that, but with feelings we ran from our whole lives... would be devastating.

I'd read this book again and again with no hesitation.