Denis Ever After audiobook

Stunned. No string of words I could put together would do this book justice. Denis died when he was 7-years-old under mysterious circumstances. For the last 5 years, he has been in an after-life limbo place called Port Haven. Dead people arrive on boats and stay until they are forgotten. Then they move on to eternal peace. Back in the real world, his twin Matt has discovered a file on Denis’s death, which has caused his grief to resurface. Denis must go back and help his family move on so that Denis can move on. One chapter in and my heart was already being crushed by the sadness of it all. As if I wasn’t suffering enough, I had to deal with paragraphs like this in chapter 2. “You keep forgetting and forgetting until your whole self fades peacefully, like mist in the sun. Unless you try not to leave, or you remember too much, or you visit the living too often. Then you get ripped away from here. And it hurts. They scream, those souls do, who remain too long. You feel them getting pulled apart. Ripped right down the center.” Slow. Exhale. I feel the knot in my stomach returning just thinking about it. This kind of language is standard fare for the entire book. I was literally a mess. This is not for the middle grade faint of heart. Trust me on this. What you’ll be dealing with is a 7-year-old lifeless body propped up against the Georgia monument at the Gettysburg Battlefield Park. Not kidding. You’ll also have to deal with Denis retracing his steps back from where he was found, to where he was kidnapped, to where he died. He has forgotten all of it. Now he must relive it, so his family will know what happened to him and have peace.I have left out mega amounts of detail, but here are my final thoughts. The plot is amazing, like branches of a tree converging at the trunk. No linear garbage here. The details are deep. Every character is developed down to their toenails. The prose will leave you staring with your mouth open. I don’t know where this Tony Abbott came from, but he needs to get the Newbery medal today. There is, and will be, no competition.

I have so much to say about this book, about its humanity, about its humor, about the magical realism, about the way it transcended the very tragedy and sadness of its plot, and brings the reader to a place of hope and love and joy. There, I said it. I read the first line in the morning and sat on my deck until dark, because I just HAD to know what happened ( BTW the ending is extremely satisfying) and because I absolutely loved believing in, and inhabiting, the other-worldly world Tony Abbott created so completely.

What an unusual read that I fear will not be a hit with its intended audience, but rather a hit with a somewhat older crowd.There are so many themes going on in this book, with a plot that swirls around dealing with loss and the fragility of memory and the effects of violence and familial misunderstandings and kidnappings and... has your head started to spin yet?... Regardless, the writing is swell and I love the inclusion of a LGBTQ+ relationship. Although, unfortunately, it may go over the heads of the young ones... I wonder why it is never addressed more directly. It is a beautiful relationship, but feels like a lost opportunity for fully embracing the topic.All in all, Debis Ever After is highly recommended to readers of ALL ages and not just the MG crowd.

Matt's twin Denis is driven to help find the cause of his death from the grave. Not just a mystery well written for middle grades, but a tale of a family overcoming the loss of a son/brother and what it can do from the persecutive of a young survivor. Matt has not only lost his twin, but his parents are disintegrating on a delay basis. Matt is bolstered by a friend and is haunted by his brother, Denis. Together thy work to solve the reason Denis was found dead.This is a truly wonderful book unfolding a provacative vision of life beyond the grave, the ties of family and the drive to resolve the important issues of our lives at all cost. I think this is a potential award-winning book, or should be. I recommend it to readers of all ages.

Full disclosure: I’m an identical twin, so I have more background knowledge on the twin thing than most. In this MG mystery, Denis, returns to Earth to help his twin brother, Matt, figure out what happened when Denis died five years ago. That’s all I chose to put in the summary because anything else would be a spoiler. I read Abbott’s The Summer of Owen Todd and, after reading Denis Ever After, it is clear that the author has a very special ability to tackle delicate subject matter in a way that speaks to kids (and will - no doubt - help that kid who needs to feel not so alone.) Denis is so empathic to his brother, his parents, and even to himself. He is a brave soul who tries always - regardless of his unique situation - to do the right thing. Matt is beautifully crafted in his struggle, and Trey, his best friend (and maybe more) adds joy and buoyancy to the heaviness of the family’s situation. I also LOVE LOVE LOVE that Trey’s gender was never revealed because, really, it doesn’t matter. Matt needs Trey and that’s what’s important. Further, the family’s backstory (going all the way back to the Civil War) adds to the mystery. I found myself both DESPERATELY wanting answers and not wanting the story to end. The thing that astounded me the most was how Abbott wrote the relationship between twins Denis and Matt. The back and forth between the boys was so truely twin-like, so authentic, that I wondered if he is a twin himself (he is not but has twin sisters and cousins.) I could FEEL their joy, their irritation, their pain like nothing I’ve read before. I loved this book from the first line to the last. It won’t be for everyone in my class, but for those readers looking for a book that will make them feel hard, think hard, and understand what letting go really means, I will share this book with them.

Supernatural "Whodunnit?" for young adults.Denis was killed five years ago. At least he thinks he was. He definitely died - he's currently roaming the afterlife with his grandfather, and vaguely remembers his death... possibly his murder.He decides he needs to return to help his suffering family, his 12-year-old twin brother and father who are having trouble letting go and moving on, his silently pained mother. Can he communicate with Matt and work out just how he died and why?I was reminded of The Lovely Bones listening to this - a story about a dead child, possibly killed, the identity of the killer unknown, and the victim trying to help his grieving family move on. Like that book, this is not for young children, despite being narrated by a pre-teen. Denis delves into his own death, moving back to the night of his murder and works with his twin to solve it and put himself and his family at peace. Denis's voice is well-created by the narrator, he sounds young, keen and quite accustomed to his situation. The audio format suits the telling, and it is easy to follow.The story itself is sad, though I found the plot a little convoluted at times to follow. I was worried about graphic death/murder scenes, but there is nothing that means a mature child/teenage reader couldn't enjoy this, despite the genre and content. The portrayal of a grieving family is quite heart-rending, and even for someone more than dubious about an afterlife, the rules and vision of Denis's are intriguing and don't detract.Personally, I think a 9 year old will find this a little much, I would say 11-14 year olds and even adults will connect best with the subject matter and twins.With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.

The Egan family has had a great big ole hole in their hearts and their lives. Five years ago the lifeless body of Denis Egan was found lying at the base of a monument at Gettysburg. Denis was Matt’s twin brother and best friend. Mom, Dad and especially Matt are having trouble moving on and it’s destroying their family. Can Denis and Matt work together to solve the mystery surrounding Denis’s death?Denis is the narrator of this story. He moves back and forth between Heaven and Earth as he pieces all the threads together. The author’s concept of the afterlife is an interesting one. I like the idea that we exist as long as someone remembers us. Denis works with his brother Matt and Matt’s bestie Trey to save his family. The characters persistence, determination and problem solving skills are put to the test as they uncover family secrets and discover the truth about how Denis died. An original plot and suspenseful mystery that will hold middle grade readers interest.

This is a wonderful mystery book. Matt’s twin brother Denis was murdered 5 years ago. The readers follow Denis as he travels between the afterlife and the human world to help Matt solve his murder. I loved the author’s creative take on the afterlife and how ghosts communicate with human loved ones. The characters -(mom, dad, and surviving twin)- were realistic and well-done. How the plot unfolded and how they solved the murder was original. And the ending was satisfying. I recommend this book and I think this book will be nominated for some awards.

I've never been into mysteries. As a younger person, I was not drawn even to Scooby Doo mysteries other than they were on and usually presented comic elements. These kept me. Tony Abbott knows how to write the parts of the story that keep the hard-to-sell-to-mystery, reader me into DENIS EVER AFTER. As my tendency in review is to connect books to the larger culture, I can tell you that this new book (which releases soon) is part THE LOVELY BONES, part ELSEWHERE, and part GHOST. And everything that the book might draw by way of connection from these familiar works is also what makes DENIS EVER AFTER a unique look at loss and grief and the threads to hold families together in the midst of tragedy. Dead for five years, Denis Egan spends his time in a place called Port Haven where he keeps the company of other spirits around him who help him to put together the details of his experiences on earth and the plan for the next step in the afterlife. There are lessons here about what we remember and what we forget (and which memories go first). "Gee Gee" becomes a sort of maternal "spiritual guide" as does a somewhat absent-minded writer named "Russell" who takes down notes on the new arrivals to the Port. While he died at the age of seven, Denis continues to grow older because his twin brother, Matt, keeps his memories alive on Earth (which makes for an interesting stretch into the middle grade/upper middle grade reading category here). The combination of his own curiosity surrounding his death with the witnessing of his brother's pain on Earth draw Denis in the rules for exploring the life that was from the position of the "life" that is now. Abbott does not disappoint in balancing the rules of the after world with the responses of the real world and how Denis is able to cross the barrier between these worlds is a tense, descriptive element of the book that will have readers imagining the scene as it might play out on the screen (reminiscent of scenes like those in Shusterman's UNWIND). Present, too, are notions of what happens when spirits are forgotten or the disposition of those who stay too long "mingling" in the affairs of the "real world."Abbott is able to draw out the responses from Denis's family as they get drawn into Matt's invitation to go on "one more tour" of the places and clues of his brother's death. These are complicated familial issues that are sure to draw out conversations among readers. Readers will sympathize with the mother and father who are working out their own memories of family and of the loss of their child.One of my biggest takeaways from DENIS EVER AFTER is the father's openness and willingness to listen to Matt when he comes to him with his share. Even if his ear is bent toward grief and closure to the mystery of his son's death, this is an important inclusion within the work. This is an important message for readers at this age that what they bring to us is credible and worthy of our consideration and our belief. Abbott keeps the suspense moving right up to the final pages of the book that will be most satisfying to the reader. Chapter lengths ranging from five to seven pages will keep the pages turning and provide stopping points for readers who respond well to these shorter installations. Classroom teachers looking for that book to hook mystery readers will want to have this one available in the fall.

I could not put down Denis Ever After from best-selling author Tony Abbott! (Katherine Tegen Books an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers) Denis Egan is dead and wants to die permanently. Well, he needs to die permanently because that’s what you do when you live in Port Haven. When you ‘live’ there, you only stay for a period of time. The period of time lasts as long as the memories of others keep you ‘alive.’ The period of time lasts as long as it takes you, the dead, to forget your life. The time in Port Haven lasts as long as it takes the living to forget you and cut the ‘thousands of threads’ that tether your soul to the world below. The purpose of death is to die and crossover out of Port Haven. Denis can’t. His twin brother Matt keeps calling to him. His parents are struggling to hold their marriage and family together. His community is still trying to solve his murder and now Denis must help. For Denis, now twelve he was seven when he died the first time, to find his rest he must solve his five-year-old, now cold, case. With several trips back and forth through The Razor, Denis returns to his home town and by ‘haunting’ his brother he helps to solve the mystery of the circumstances surrounding his death. What is discovered is beyond anyone’s imagination. This incredibly moving story, funny, heartfelt, filled with suspense is the latest novel from Tony Abbott. ‘Denis’ will grab you by the heart and will not let you go until you read the last page. This mystery of family, friendship, and the ties that bind will leave you speechless. With honesty and clarity Abbott shows readers and idea of the ways in which those we have loved can possibly let us know they are okay after all. In the best way possible the ending will leave you looking for Kleenex and filled with hope.

Summary (book jacket)Dennis Egan is dead. He’s okay with that. Port Haven, the place where souls go, is actually pretty nice. Sure, there are some things about his life and how it ended he can’t quite recall, but that’s how it’s supposed to be. Remembering could prevent Denis from moving on to whatever’s next.However, something is standing in his way. His twin brother, Matt, can’t let go of him, and as long as the living are holding on to his memory, Denis can’t rest in peace. So he returns home to find out why, only to realize that the circumstances surrounding his death are not at all what he imagined.To uncover the truth about what happened, Denis teams up with Matt. But leaving Port Haven for too long has painful consequences for Denis, and Matt’s obsession with his brother’s passing is driving a wedge between his still-grieving parents. Can the boys solve the mystery without breaking apart the family Denis left behind?Comments (Mine)A murder mystery for kids? What a unique idea, and this is a unique, powerful and amazing book. Be prepared to experience a roller coaster of emotions as Denis and Matt work together to discover the truth about Denis’s death. Abbott keeps the tension high and the mystery dark and unsettling, tweaking it with several flashes of humor and intriguing imaginative speculation about the dead. You will not be able to put this book down.Denis Ever After reminded me very much of The Lovely Bones. Best for grades 6 and up. There is some brutality here and a kidnapping situation that might cause distress in younger readers.

I had no idea what to really expect from this book, but after remembering how much I enjoyed The Summer of Owen Todd , I decided to give another Tony Abbott book a try. And man am I glad thatI did. Abbott has a way of writing middle grade fiction with an edge that is sorely lacking in some other titles. He takes real events, real tragedies, and writes them in a completely age-appropriate way for middle school readers. I would say this book is appropriate for grades 6 through 9. I have already added it to my next book order for my collection.Denis is dead. And for the most part, he has accepted that. He hangs out in Port Haven with GeeGee (his great-grandmother) waiting to get fully cleansed from his life (read: forget the details of living) in order to move on to Garden City. That is what you're supposed to do after you die. And getting clean means forgetting the details of your life. AND that the others you've left behind forget about you. But Denis's twin brother isn't forgetting him. He's still thinking about him and what happened to Denis. Because Denis was murdered and Matt hasn't been the same since. No one in their family has. So now Denis has to choose if he wants to stay in Port Haven or if he is going to go through the Razor (maybe more than once) to appear to Matt and try to solve the mystery of his death. But the more he goes back, the more he shows himself, the more he learns, the harder it is to move on. Like I said, highly recommend this one.

Thank you to the author for sharing an ARC with #collabookation. Denis died five years ago, and he's been doing well in Port Haven with the GeeGee he never got to know in real life. But recently his twin brother, in the land of the living, has been haunting him. While Denis should be fading away, he isn't. And he has to go back to his family to figure out why. This is an intriguing, albeit dark, tale of a dead young boy who wants to fix his family by solving his murder. Denis and his twin, Matt, team up to solve the mystery of who killed Denis, but in the process they discover many family secrets. Secrets that predate the tradegy, but manage to add to the grief. This book is perfect for those kids who will enter your classroom looking for the creepiest books. It brought me back to the eerieness of The Lovely Bones, but for middle grade readers. Finally, I cannot finish this review without mentioning what I found completely new and amazing: a non-gendered character. Denis admits that he doesn't know Trey's gender, but he decides it's not a defining characteristic, and calls Trey, Trey. It's lovely, great, and not what the central story is at all about. I absolutely love the way gender doesn't make one bit of difference in who Trey is- and Trey is a wonderful character. I can't wait to see more characters in middle grade who aren't defined by gender. This is the first I've read, and it was wonderfully done.