Review Detail

Jo-Jo Dyas thinks it's his fault when his girlfriend Violet
is killed for dating him. Without Violet, his life is meaningless. Just as
Jo-Jo was about to pull the trigger and end his sad, pathetic life forever, he
meets a dead girl named Max. Max lives in the Afterlife, where she is the
drummer for a band called the Fiendish Lot. Max convinces Jo-Jo that death is
overrated and introduces him to the other members of her band. One thing led to
another, Jo-Jo manages to land himself in the Afterlife as well. There, he must
make something of his afterlife before he is lost forever.

Jo-Jo and the Fiendish Lot is a supernatural novel
that candidly depicts grief, changes, depression, and all that jazz. The story
really is a dark one, which is fitting for a novel about death. For a book
about death, it really taught a lot about appreciating life. I did wish for a
better ending for Jo-Jo though; but for the most part, I'm pleased with it. It
wasn't too drastic, but it was in accordance to the events leading up to it. Jo-Jo
may not have had a wonderful life, but at least he learned more about himself
in the Afterlife. The plot seemed a bit slow at times, but it accelerated as
the story progressed. For the most part, I love this novel, and I'm overjoyed
that I had the chance to read it.

Throughout the story, Jo-Jo spends a great deal of his time
moping about Violet, and this trait would've irritated me after awhile if the
characters didn't reprimand him for sulking. The best thing about having the
novel told from Jo-Jo's point of view is that his character is very
well-developed. The story's told with an effortlessly natural voice, yet it is
bizarrely innovative and imaginative.

Max was an exceptional character; you rarely encounter such
a feisty and forthright character in literature. Ironically enough, she marches
to the beat of her own drum; she says what she thinks, regardless of others'
feelings. However, she is compassionate, a quality that shined through when she
saved and hand-delivered all the sentimental things of the Afterlife residents.
I found her to be a fantastic character foil to Jo-Jo.

What I love most is the descriptions about the band and
their effects on the residents of the Afterlife. Music is an amazing thing; it
cleanses the soul and helps you express yourself, as the characters came to
find out. 

It was also interesting how the characters of the Afterlife
have their own lingo. For example, they sometimes add "like" to the
end of words, using terms such as "great-like". It was slightly
bothersome at first, but I quickly got used to it.

Lively, rhythmic, thrilling, and unusual, Jo-Jo and the
Fiendish Lot is a special novel that you can
rock out too.