Death of a Kleptomaniac [Hardcover]

Kristen Tracy (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 30, 2012 | Age Range: 10 and up

At sixteen, Molly is a girl who’s just started living—at last she’s popular. But for a girl who has everything, Molly feels like she never has enough. So she steals. At least there’s plenty of time to fix this last little problem.

 

Except Fate has other plans for Molly. Like death.

 

Suddenly dead and in denial, how can Molly move on when life was just looking up?  Can she abandon her earthly ties or will she jeopardize her soul to stay close to her loved ones?

 

From critically acclaimed author Kristen Tracy, Death of a Kleptomaniac is the heartfelt story of one girl’s search for redemption, a family’s encounter with grief, and love’s power to rise above even the most final of boundaries.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kristen Tracy (www.kristentracy.com) lives in a fog bank in San Francisco. She is the acclaimed author of the young adult novels Lost It, Crimes of the Sarahs, A Field Guide for Heartbreakers, and Sharks and Boys; as well as the middle grade novels Camille McPhee Fell Under the Bus, The Reinvention of Bessica Lefter and Bessica Lefter Bites Back. When not writing, she tutors at 826 Valencia and volunteers as a gardener on Alcatraz.

Product Details

• Age Range: 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (October 30, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423127528
• ISBN-13: 978-1423127529
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,390,304 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My name is Kristen Tracy and I write books for teens and tweens and people younger than that. I also write poetry for adults. I grew up in a small town in Idaho, but left there to go to Los Angeles where I earned my B.A. in English from Loyola Marymount University. I also have an M.F.A in poetry from Vermont College, an M.A. in American Literature from Brigham Young University, and a Ph.D. in English from Western Michigan University, where I was an All-University Creative Scholar. In addition to writing books, and volunteering as a gardener on Alcatraz, I've spent a lot of my life teaching at places like Johnson State College, Western Michigan University, BYU, and Stanford University. I also taught aerobics, but that's a different story. Currently, I make my home in Rhode Island with my husband, Brian Evenson.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars an intriguing character, likable despite her kleptomania November 4, 2012

By Medeia Sharif

Format:Hardcover

Molly has the itch to steal. In her possession are small things that she's picked up over the years. No one suspects her kleptomaniac streak, or if they do they're not saying anything. Things still seem to be going good, although she's conflicted with friends and possible boyfriends. While she's out with one of her crushes, she gets into an accident and passes away.

She's a spirit waiting to pass to the other side, which will happen after her funeral. With the help of two spirits, one malicious and one beneficial, she tries to make amends and make sense of went wrong when she was alive. Time is running out the closer it gets to the funeral, and one of the spirits is misguiding her in the worst way.

This was an interesting book in that the first half was contemporary, occurring while Molly was alive, and midway it turned paranormal/fantasy. Molly's an intriguing character, likable despite her kleptomania. This is a great read with both light and serious moments. I received the galley from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing Read November 1, 2012

By Laura A. Jackson

Format:Hardcover

This is one of the most intriguing books I've read in a long time, and I'm not sure how to describe it other than this: it's a coming of age story that takes place after death. Molly is a popular girl who struggles with the "typical" teenage drama: boys, friends, and the urge to steal. When she dies in a freak accident, Molly has to confront what caused her to steal and somehow provide comfort to her family before she can fully cross over.

Molly is an interesting character. I've never read anything by Kristen Tracy, but I love how she wrote the characters. Each one is well-developed and somehow can't be put into a box in terms of describing them. The only thing that detracted from Molly being fully developed was I didn't ever really understand why she took things. Not understanding her motive annoyed me while reading.

I found Tracy's description of a soul's emotions after death. Molly has to go through the stages of grief along with her parents, and despite a few loose threads (what decisions did Molly make in life that would give her a chance to her last words?), the plot runs quickly and makes this a book a quick but thought provoking read.

What is perhaps the best part of the book is the possibility of a new beginning after death.

High school readers who enjoy a little bit of fantasy will enjoy this book, and I will definitely put Kristen Tracy on my list of authors to read.

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Missing Molly October 30, 2012

By Little Willow

Format:Hardcover

Molly is sixteen years old. She's got a dad, a very pregnant mom carrying a future sibling, two crushes (one of whom has a girlfriend), and a cat. Those are all hers. She also has a pearl ring, a ring of keys, and some other stuff that isn't hers. What I'm about to tell you shouldn't be considered a spoiler, since the book's title tells you: Molly stole things, and Molly died. (Those two events are NOT related.)

Unlike some other books about thieves, this isn't a book about the protagonist being brought to justice, being hit by karma, or going to rehab. While I do like stories about redemption, this particular story is more about Molly herself, about who she is, not what she did. She didn't steal things to get attention, or to break the rules; she stole when she was freaked out, an impulse disorder. A really nice scene late in the book explains the origins of this compulsion.

Unlike some other recently released YA books about death and the afterlife, Molly's not put on a quest to live again. She doesn't want to die, and she'd really like to keep on living, but once she realizes she can't, things change. In a way, her death forces her to grow up. She sees her family and friends in a new light, and discovers who genuinely cared about her, and who did not.

Kristen Tracy's protagonists tend to be different. I'd say quirky, but that's not exactly what I mean. Also, some people don't like that word, and/or think that it means less than sane or abnormal, and it doesn't mean that. Perhaps I could say off-center, but that too has negative connotations, sadly. So how to describe Kristen's leading characters? Now I finally know exactly what to call them: unique thinkers.... I have unashamedly stolen this phrase from the book, and I wouldn't mind it one bit if someone called me a unique thinker.

One of my favorite exchanges in the book:
"How old are you, seventeen?"
"Sixteen," I say. Which will forever be my answer to that question.

Also:

"I was in the middle of everything," I try to explain. "I was just starting to figure things out."
"Everybody feels that way," [she] says. "Even the ninety-year-olds."

Withholding details, avoiding spoilers: All you should know before opening the book is Molly's death is accidental, and that her journey afterwards is very personal, very engaging, and not all religious. I sped through this book, eager to see what happened next, enjoying Molly's memories (and her cat!) and mourning her loss - for as her family and friends lose her, she loses them as well. When I turned the final page, I missed Molly, but I was glad to have met her. Well done, Kristen Tracy. Well done. Read more ›

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun and witty, and absolutely touching, even in its darker moments February 21, 2013

By E. Kristin Anderson

Format:Hardcover

Reminiscent of HEAVEN LOOKS A LOT LIKE THE MALL by Wendy Mass, the latest YA novel from Kristen Tracy takes a look at a near-death experience from the point of view of a girl stuck in between this world in the next. With a hearty sense of humor, and a sweet protagonist, DEATH OF A KLEPTOMANIAC is a smart, fun read that makes me feel all squishy inside.

Molly is the girl who has worked her butt off to have it all -- the right seat in the cafeteria, the right image, and the right boy. Finally, it's looking like things are going her way, until an accent leaves her facing the afterworld, with just a few chances to experience life. Given the limited opportunity to revisit her favorite moments as a living, breathing person, Molly has choices to make. Choices she's not ready for. And to make it all even more confusing, there's the fact that in life Molly was a kleptomaniac. She can't help herself. She takes things. And the things her loved ones might find in her room, after her passing, could ruin everything.

DEATH OF A KLEPTOMANIAC is the kind of light read that shouldn't be light, considering it tackles death and moral ambiguity. But it's fun and witty, and absolutely touching, even in its darker moments. Kristen Tracy's latest is a must read.