Franlkin Ripp has died prematurely and isn't too happy about it. He pleads for a second chance and is granted one. If he can get his love, Lilly Weezbrock, to kiss him by the end of the school year, he can stay among the living.

Sounds easy, right? Not exactly. Franklin returns undead and decomposing and is now faced with a multitude of problems in a town where questions are forbidden.

Teens and pre-teens who have a taste for the macabre.

The Narrator is pretty clever and is an active part of the book.

I found inconsistencies in the plot and illustrations. Also, I think this book is best for teens, not necessarily adults. What seemed clever and cute at first soon became irritating and the "lessons" provided in the book are fairly simple ones.

Read something meant for my own age group.

a little angry. The book seems to be perpetuating stereotypes children are often faced with. Jocks are shown as bullies, goths are annoying and can't think for themselves. Everyone seems rather one-dimensional in the first book of this series. Perhaps that will change later in the series, but the opening book didn't impress me.

Chris P. Flesh. A pseudonym, I'm assuming. The book is published by the Penguin Group and copyrighted under American Greeting Card, Inc.

For me, this book tries a little too hard and doesn't quite pull anything off. I'd say this book is probably written for 10-14 year olds.

Not only was I surprised at the near-profanity in the title (a play on words, "Freekin" becomes Franklin's nickname as a bully jokes his death was caused by "freaking out"), but the book also contains a very non-serious attitude toward death and the word "pissed" appears once in this book.

If you're a parent, you may want to read this book first before allowing your child to read it.

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Created Oct 21, 2007 at 3:07pm • Submit your own review...