Death of a Kleptomaniac by Kristen Tracy is reminiscent of Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall in that it is told from the perspective of a dead teen. I wouldn't say though that it is a rip-off or copy, because books differ quite a bit. In Before I Fall, the main character must relive her last day on Earth until she gets it right. In Death of a Kleptomaniac, the newly deceased, Molly, isn't able to change anything about her last day. Instead, Molly must look back on her entire life and try to figure out how she became the person she was at the time of her death. Namely, she needs to figure out why she felt the need to steal from friends, family and strangers.
The book sheds light onto the subject of kleptomania and contemplates how the choices we make impact others and the future. There is a lot of humor in the book and although Molly isn't particularly endearing, she is real. To me it is far more important that a character be real, and multi-dimensional, rather than a saintly, jolly hero. I liked that about this book. The characters are complicated. They are real.
DOAK makes the reader think about life choices and their impact, it reminds us that we aren't going to be here on Earth forever, and we never know when we'll be gone.
I will definitely purchase this book for our library's collection and it will be an easy one to recommend.
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