Title: School of Deaths
Author: Christopher Mannino
Genre: YA Fantasy
Book Description:
Thrust
into a world of men, can a timid girl find bravery as the first female Death?
Thirteen-year-old
Suzie Sarnio always believed the Grim Reaper was a fairy tale image of a
skeleton with a scythe. Now, forced to enter the College of Deaths, she
finds herself training to bring souls from the Living World to the
Hereafter.
The
task is demanding enough, but as the only female in the all-male College, she
quickly becomes a target. Attacked by both classmates and strangers,
Suzie is alone in a world where even her teachers want her to fail.
Caught
in the middle of a plot to overthrow the World of Deaths, Suzie must uncover
the reason she’s been brought there: the first female Death in a million years.
Author Bio:
Mannino
is currently working on a sequel to “School of Deaths” as
well as an adult science fiction novel.
Purchasing Link:
Excerpt:
“Suzie,
my gawd, you look like death.”
Crystal
hadn’t changed. The smiling redhead with large blue glasses and the
ever-present smell of cherry bubblegum was her best friend. She was grateful
Crystal had spent the summer away. “Did you have a nice summer? How was
Colorado?”
“My
summer was great. Colorado’s cold. Geesh, what happened to you, Suzie?”
“I’ve
been sick,” said Suzie. Not a complete lie, obviously something was wrong with
her, but she didn’t know what.
“Sick?”
Her voice lowered to a whisper. “You look like you’re dying.”
“I’ll
be fine.”
“Crystaaal.
Suzieee,” shouted a voice from across the parking lot.
“Oh
gawd, it’s Monica,” said Crystal. “Let’s go inside quick.”
Suzie
and her friend started to walk away, but the tall, lanky girl with small eyes
caught up to them. Monica. She wasn’t too bad, if you ignored her whiny voice
and her inane stories.
“Hiii
guys,” said Monica. “I missed youuu this summer. Did you lose weight? The
funniest thing happened the other day…”
Suzie
realized the worst of the day was over. She got teasing looks from the kids and
concerned frowns from the teachers, but like Monica, most people were too
wrapped up in their own little world to pay any attention to her. Even Crystal
eventually stopped asking questions.
“Tell
me again, do you like the way you look?”
“I’m
sorry, what?” she asked.
Suzie
snapped to attention. The day had blurred by, and she was sitting in Dr. Fox’s
office, wearing a hospital gown.
“Suzie,
I asked if you like the way you look?”
Suzie
was cold and annoyed. The office smelled of bleach, and the fluorescent light
overhead hummed like a dying fly. Dr. Fox glanced up from her notes and smiled
a dry, lifeless smile she probably practiced in front of a mirror.
“No,
Doctor.” She repeated the same answers she had given last time, and the time
before. “I despise the way I look. I’m a damned skeleton. You can see every
bone. I love to eat, I don’t purge, I hardly exercise, and I actually feel
fine.”
“Yes,
that’s the strangest part,” interrupted Dr. Fox. “Every test seems to indicate
that you’re at the peak of health. No lanugo, no joint issues, no skin
problems, and your stomach and the rest of you are actually functioning fine.
I’ve almost completely ruled out anorexia, but your weight is still drastically
low. It’s like your calories are vanishing into some other dimension.” She
laughed. “My husband wishes that would happen with me.”
“May
I get dressed now?”
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