Review: Putting Makeup on Dead People

Putting Makeup on Dead People
Jen Violi
2011; Hyperion; ISBN 978-1-4231-3481-7 (hardcover)

Summary:  The death of her father four years earlier has stopped Donna in her tracks.  She's just passing time, watching her mother do the same while her older brother and younger sister have moved on.  Now that Donna is graduating from high school, things are changing.  Her dynamic new friend Liz opens Donna's eyes to strange experiences.  There's a guy that Donna dates and a guy that's just a friend.  The biggest change of all is Donna's decision to forgo the University of Dayton and become a mortician.  As she studies mortuary science and works at a funeral home, Donna begins to learn how to let go.  But when it seems that Donna's mother is doing the same, it slows down her progress.

The difficult process of grieving is handled delicately in this complex novel.  Donna's voice is smart, guarded and hesitant, slowly gaining confidence in herself as she realizes that she can be the amazing person she wants to be.  An interesting aspect of Donna and her family is their strong Catholic faith, which lends an additional richness to Donna's attempts to find closure.  Not only does Donna begin to move on from her father's death, she slowly begins to create a new relationship with her mother, transitioning from child to adult.  This debut novel will find fans among those who enjoyed Better Than Running at Night by Hilary Frank.

Other Reviews
YA Book Nerd:  http://yabooknerd.blogspot.com/2011/03/review-putting-makeup-on-dead-people.html
Reclusive Bibliophile:  http://www.reclusivebibliophile.com/review-putting-makeup-on-dead-people
Bri Meets Books:  http://brimeetsbooks.com/?p=3007

ALA Midwinter Recap

It's been nearly two weeks since Midwinter ended, so what are the highlights that have stuck with me?

--Working with the rest of the amazing Printz committee to select this year's winner and honor books.  I'm incredibly proud of the work we accomplished: the books we read, the discussions we had, the fun we shared in the midst of all this work.  There were so many wonderful books published this year, and not to pat ourselves on the back too much, but I think we picked five very worthy books.

--Spending time with old friends and making new friendships.  My roommate buddies Liz B. and Sophie have been both friends and colleagues for several years, and they make conferences a time for both work and fun.  It was great to have Stacy as our fourth roommate, since I've always enjoyed her blog.  And it was great to meet Sarah, the GreenBeanTeenQueen in person!  (Psst: Sarah's running for the 2013 Printz!  You should check out her blog.) 

--Getting to walk around the exhibits, seeing what books are coming soon and of course, grabbing some ARCs.  What books am I most excited about?  Libba Bray's Beauty Queens, Micol Ostow's family, and Displacement by Thalia Chaltas are calling my name.  There's the sequels Dark Goddess: A Devil's Kiss Novel by Sarwat Chadda and Maureen Johnson's The Last Little Blue Envelope.  And a debut that's definitely intriguing: Putting Makeup on Dead People by Jennifer Violi.  

All in all, this was a memorable Midwinter Meeting for me.  Since I plan to take a break from committees and conferences after Annual in New Orleans, I'm glad I'm taking a break on a high point!  Leave a comment if you want to talk about the Printz or mention an ARC that you got at Midwinter.