I Woke Up Dead at the Mall

Judy Sheehan’s debut young-adult novel is a terrifically fun read that also tackles some of life’s—and the afterlife’s—big questions.

Last night Sarah was a bridesmaid, dressed in a hideous mango chiffon. Today she wakes up dead at the Mall of America. This is where the universe sends teenagers who were murdered. In fact, most malls are haunted. The living don’t notice it, what with all the bright lights, sales, and free samples. The dead just pass through them while finishing up the business of their former lives. As Sarah and her fellow dead teenagers work together to move on, she hits just a few complications: Sarah discovers an uncanny ability to haunt the living, and while she has no idea who killed her, she knows the one person she loves back on earth is in grave (yes, grave) danger. Meanwhile, she’s falling madly and badly for Nick, who died heroically saving his girlfriend. Sarah can’t let these distractions put her at risk of being doomed to relive her final moments again and again. But how can she stop her killer from killing again?