Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall - Hardcover

Mass, Wendy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0316058513 ISBN 13: 9780316058513

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2007

Synopsis

When 16-year-old Tessa suffers a shocking accident in gym class, she finds herself in heaven (or what she thinks is heaven), which happens to bear a striking resemblance to her hometown mall. In the tradition of It's a Wonderful Life and The Christmas Carol, Tessa starts reliving her life up until that moment. She sees some things she'd rather forget, learns some things about herself she'd rather not know, and ultimately must find the answer to one burning question--if only she knew what the question was.

Written in sharp, witty verse, Wendy Mass crafts an extroardinary tale of a spunky heroine who hasn't always made the right choices, but needs to discover what makes life worth living.

About this title

About the Author

Wendy Mass is the author of the ALA Schneider Family Award winner A Mango-Shaped Space and Leap Day. Her most recent novel, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, was a Book Sense Pick. Wendy lives in Sparta, New Jersey with her husband and her twin daughter and son.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up—With a dodge ball soaring toward her head, time slows as Tessa considers all of the trivial things floating through her mind; an Ashlee Simpson song, the wedgie she has from her gym shorts, and the color of the dodge ball. But the final thought she must consider is the question she needs to answer—if only she could remember it. At 16, Tessa finds herself in heaven taking a journey through past events in her life while she wavers in and out of consciousness in the hospital. Written in verse, her recollections span her earliest memories as a toddler to her most recent memories leading up to the gym-class accident. Tessa's witty and honest voice tells the story of a girl who struggles to make friends, maintain family relationships, and to be honest with herself. Before she can return from where the accident has taken her, she must face the reality of her life and her role in creating that reality. However, what Tessa discovers is a truth that is far more optimistic and promising than she gave herself credit for. Tessa's journey and authentic voice is one that readers will appreciate. Her tendency to turn a blind eye to the good in others and herself is a trait that many teens have in common. What makes this novel unique is its ability to bring the character to this realization without being preachy or condescending. Funny, thought-provoking, and at times heartbreaking, this story will entertain and inspire readers.—Lynn Rashid, Marriots Ridge High School, Marriotsville, MD
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About this edition

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0316058513
• ISBN 13: 9780316058513
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256