The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried

(Hardback)

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A Hypable Most Anticipated Queer YA Book of 2019
A Book Riot YA Book to Add to Your Winter TBR and Most Anticipated 2019 LGBTQ Read
A BookBub Best Teen Book Coming Out in 2019
A YALSA 2020 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
A fearless and brutal look at friendships...you will laugh, rage, and mourn its loss when its over. Justina Ireland, New York Times bestselling author of Dread Nation
Simultaneously hilarious and moving, weird and wonderful. Jeff Zentner, Morris Awardwinning author of The Serpent King

Six Feet Under meets Pushing Daisies in this quirky, heartfelt story about two teens who are granted extra time to resolve what was left unfinished after one of them suddenly dies.

A good friend will bury your body, a best friend will dig you back up.

Dino doesnt mind spending time with the dead. His parents own a funeral home, and death is literally the family business. Hes just not used to them talking back. Until Dinos ex-best friend July dies suddenlyand then comes back to life. Except not exactly. Somehow July is not quite alive, and not quite dead.

As Dino and July attempt to figure out whats happening, they must also confront why and how their friendship ended so badly, and what they have left to understand about themselves, each other, and all those grand mysteries of life.

Critically acclaimed author Shaun Hutchinson delivers another wholly unique novel blending the real and surreal while reminding all of us what it is to love someone through and around our faults.

Reviews

"Biting, hopeful, and laugh-out-loud funny, Dino and Julys story is a heartfelt exploration of how ourfriendships shape us, even after theyre dead and gone."

-- Francesca Zappia, ward-winning author of Eliza and Her Monsters and Made You Up
A fearless and brutal look at friendships and the emotional autopsies we all do when they die. Like a real relationship you will laugh, rage, and mourn its loss when its over. If you havent been reading Hutchinson, this is a brilliant place to start. -- Justina Ireland, New York Times bestselling author of DREAD NATION
"Only Shaun David Hutchinson couldtake on love, family, friendship, life, anddeath so deftly, hilariously, poignantly,and thoughtfully. I loved every second ofthis book. THE PAST AND OTHERTHINGS THAT SHOULD STAY BURIEDsomehow manages to be wholly originalyet familiar, simultaneously hilarious andmoving, weird and wonderful. This is abook you cant put down even if youwanted to. Have you been looking for azombie book that will make you laughand cry Look no further than this one,by one of young adult literaturessharpest talents. -- Jeff Zentner, Morris Award-winning author of The Serpent King
Get ready, because Hutchinson (The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza, 2018) is going to knock your socks off with this new, deliciously bizarre novel. Dino's parents own a funeral home, so being around dead bodies isn't exactly unusual for him. But when his exbest friend July dies suddenly and shows up in his basement, it isn't the fact that she's dead that shocks him, but rather the fact that she suddenly wakes up! As the two do their best to figure out what is going on, they embark on a journey to confront their combined past, and their future apart. However, the longer they spend trying to uncover the mystery of July's reanimation, the more fishy things begin to smellliterally. Readers will find themselves captivated both by Dino and July's complicated history and even more complex present, as well as Dino's own journey of self-discovery. In the midst of everything else, Dino and his boyfrienda sweet, funny, and supportive trans guynavigate their own relationship against the backdrop of chaos July has brought down into their lives. Gender, sexuality, friendship, life, and death are all sensitively explored in Hutchinson's surreal, new narrative. His intelligent writing will seduce readers with its complex and spunky characters, lively dialogue, offbeat humor, and emotional depth. Rob Bittner -- Booklist *STARRED REVIEW* * Oct 15, 2018 *
Shaun David Hutchinson has delivered another unique young adult novel. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of former best friends, Dino and July. What makes this different from other novels with alternating narration is the fact that July died and has come back from the deadnot as a zombie per se, but she is a decomposing, yet still functioning (except for normal physiological functions like a heartbeat) corpse. Throughout the course of the novel the two work through the issues in their friendship, accept some of their own insecurities, and come to terms with Julys death. As Dino and July work through the mystery of Julys return from the dead, they realize not only is she undead, but death seems to have ceased to exist around the world. The discussion of the larger impact the end of death would have worldwide contrasts with the personal story of Dino and July and is one of the novels greatest strengths. Strong, well-developed characters will have readers feeling like they, too, are friends with Dino and July. The novel addresses sexuality, grief, and occasionally references our current political leaders. Comedic relief is provided through Julys progressing physical decomposition. Purchase for most collections serving teens, especially where magical realism is popular. Give to fans of A.S. King and Andrew Smith. Kimberly Hillary, Librarian, Mount Horeb (Wisconsin) High School

Recommended -- School Library Connection * March April 2019 *
Gr 8 UpA brain aneurysm killed July Cooper, but it cant destroy her bond with Dino DeLuca. July rises from the dead at the funeral home owned by Dinos family, and though the two teens had been on the outs for the past year, they are drawn together as they attempt to conceal Julys reanimation. What ensues is messy. Julys body is slowly rotting, and the two trade barbed words while untangling why their friendship ended after Dino met his boyfriend, Rafi. Once again, Hutchinson defies genres. This isnt a ghost story, and July isnt a zombie, as she frequently points out. But she cant eat, she has no heartbeat, and until shes finally laid to rest, nobody else can die. This inventive take on the life-after-death narrative ponders profound truths. Its the ones who love us the most who can inflict the deepest wounds and hold us back, but even bitter fights cant extinguish some connections. Like typical adolescents, uncertain Dino and snarky July seem wise beyond their years one moment and maddeningly immature the next, and their journeys to self-discovery will resonate with readers. VERDICT A grotesque, mordantly funny, and tender look at friendship, for fans of Aaron Starmers Spontaneous and Adam Silveras They Both Die at the End.Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal -- School Library Journal STARRED REVIEW * February 2019 *

Author Bio

Shaun David Hutchinson is the author of numerous books for young adults, includingThe Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried,The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza,At the Edge of the Universe,andWe Are the Ants. He alsoeditedthe anthologiesViolent EndsandFeral Youthand wrote the memoirBrave Face, which chronicles his struggles with depression and coming out during his teenage years. He lives in Seattle, where he enjoys drinkingcoffee, yelling at the TV, andeatingcake. Visit him atShaunDavidHutchinson.comor on Twitter @ShaunieDarko.