2018 Abe Lincoln Nominees: Denton's Little Death Date

Get ready to die laughing: this is an outrageously funny ride through the last hours of a teenager’s life as he searches for love, meaning, answers, and (just maybe) a way to live on.
 
Denton Little’s Deathdate takes place in a world exactly like our own except that everyone knows the day on which they will die. For Denton, that’s in just two days—the day of his senior prom.
 
Despite his early deathdate, Denton has always wanted to live a normal life, but his final days are filled with dramatic firsts. First hangover. First sex. First love triangle—as the first sex seems to have happened not with his adoring girlfriend, but with his best friend’s hostile sister. (Though he’s not totally sure—see, first hangover.) His anxiety builds when he discovers a strange purple rash making its way up his body. Is this what will kill him? And then a strange man shows up at his funeral, claiming to have known Denton’s long-deceased mother, and warning him to beware of suspicious government characters. . . . Suddenly Denton’s life is filled with mysterious questions and precious little time to find the answers.

from Barnes and Noble.com

In this futuristic tale, everyone knows when he or she will die. A team of scientists and doctors from “AstroThanantoGenetics” gives each person their exact date of death. For teenager Denton Little, his date is the same day as the senior prom, which just happens to be tomorrow. As the story begins to unfold, it is the day before Denton’s “death date.” As weird as it sounds, his family has planned his funeral and everyone seems to just wait for Denton to die. In true teenage fashion, Denton has other ideas for his final exit. He wants a wild night of alcohol, sex, and other misguided adventures. He seems to find trouble everywhere he goes. This hilarious tale of death, family, friendship, and secrets will keep the reader hooked until the very last page. The clever and witty dialogue addresses mortality in a new way. Denton’s voice is original, refreshing, and leaves the reader wanting more.

Lisette Baez, Children's Literature