FROM AMAZON: Kimberlee’s dead. Has been for a while, actually.

Stuck haunting the halls of her high school, she’s doomed to an afterlife of boredom. That is until the new kid shows up.

The first thing Jeff spots is Kimberlee lying on the floor as other students walk right through her. Pretty soon she’s harangued him into helping her escape to the afterlife.

Kimberlee guesses that once Jeff rights her mean girl wrongs she’ll be able to move on. But nothing is simple in life after death…

Clash meets sass in this uproarious modern-day retelling of Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel ( )

CW: Suicidal thoughts, death from drowning, outing of boy

Well this is the most misleading cover I have ever seen!

This book is a reimagining of The Scarlet Pimpernel. It is told from the point of view of Jeff, who steps in to help a ghost with her unfinished business. It was actually a surprisingly fun book where stealth and deception are needed to complete the monumental task of helping to make things right. Yes, the ghost is quite an annoying diva, and it oozed high school drama, so go in with the right expectations. I'm pleased to be adding this to the library. I am considering putting a big big sticker over the cover though, as it is very much a book that would be enjoyed by anyone, however the cover may be off putting to a few people. ( )

It all started with a ghost, a nerd and a cheerleader.
This was an audiobook I picked up from the library, just exploring the shelves. I had no expectations, I'd never heard of it but I have read this author and enjoyed her work.
So we begin with a geek, Jeff, who moved from the out lands known as Arizona to Los Angeles, California. He comes from humble poor-ish roots but now after his father made a deal is on of the rich with a shinny new car. His transition is not so great, the kids at his new school are not so welcoming. Yeah, snobby. He trudges along till he notices this girl lying in the middle of the aisle. At this point his life changes. She id not like the other students, she is dead and has been for over a year and he is the first person that has been able to see her. She is obnoxious, loud and nags him to help her. He slowly comes to grip with this and walks into a twisted life, that ended too soon. He also has a eye blink, heart thump, I'm in love second. (Not an intsa love fan.)
Kimberlee, our ghost with an attitude drowned while swimming alone over a year ago. She has been wandering, listening, hating her classmates and family for the entire time. She hates everyone. She was also a major kleptomaniac. She has this cave on her parents property that is filled with treasure from, friends, teachers, stores and almost everyone. She thinks she is trapped in this lonely nightmare because she has to return all of it. Big problem, she's dead, no body. She bullies till she drags Jeff into her web of lies and secrets, forcing him to help her, endangering him. This is not the only baggage this girl is dragging along on the other side and when it comes out it is ugly.
The story was interesting, but not as emotional as I thought it should have been. it had a very light darkness to it when the back story was very dark. I understand it is YA and it was well placed there. I still would have liked more backlash from the happenings. The ugly feelings were detailed and drawn out but I did not feel the heartbreaking moments that should have been. I never got to care for these people, much. it just didn't click "winner " for this reader. ( )

If you start reading this book and expect a doomed love story between a ghost and a human. Don't. There is a love story but it's between two humans. This book is more concentrated on sending a message and how our choices effect us, and people around us.
This might be one of my favorite books because it was funny and serious in places where those emotions needed to be. Also the plot and characters were original and fresh making me want to read this as soon as possible. ( )

I hate it when I really want to like a book, and I just can't. Life After Theft seems to be well-liked over on Goodreads. I just gave it kind of a "meh," originally, and I wasn't really sure why. Then I found myself talking books with my mom and heard myself saying, "Yeah, I just finished something this week. It was stupid. And I kept reading it, hoping maybe it'd get better after the first few pages, but nope! It just kept being stupid."

No, but seriously, I didn't hate this book. It wasn't terrible. It was just...blah. The plot seems like it has potential, but doesn't go much of anywhere. No one really develops. Jeff does exactly what he sets out to do from the beginning, with no real conflict. Sera is interesting-ish, but the rest of characters are stock and blah, and most of their dialogue is fairly grating. But I kept reading. I guess it had a mildly entertaining quality.

The thing that totally bewilders me is that Pike seems to be so passionate about this novel. The acknowledgements were filled with gratitude for people who stuck by her when she had to fight so hard for this book. I read that and could only think that if that much passion had been expressed through her characters, I'd have been way more engaged. I am curious to find out what Pike's other novels are all about, so there's that. 2 stars. ( )