It's Your Funeral

June 1, 2020

Gr 7 Up-Marnie Winters is dead, but that's just the beginning of this next chapter in her life. See, she's not all the way dead; there's something holding her back from moving on to the next realm. But luckily she's not totally stuck as a ghost; there is a secret organization that helps humans navigate their unfinished business. Unfortunately for the antisocial Marnie, her assigned caseworker X'lakthul is overeager, buoyant, and paperwork-obsessed. When X'lakthul can't seem to identify what's keeping Marnie from moving on, she hires Marnie as an intern in the Department of Spectral Affairs. Marnie helps X'lakthul and the other caseworkers find what's holding deceased humans back, and in turn she learns a lot about herself. Riesbeck, Kramer, and Krotzer have created a zany, compelling world of charming otherworldly characters. Prickly Marnie is a darkly comedic foil for the exuberant members of the Department of Spectral Affairs. The bright colors and dynamic physical comedy evoke kid's cartoon shows, yet this tale takes on tough subjects such as grief and depression. VERDICT A cheerful yet existentially complex series of stories for fans of The Good Place.-Anna Murphy, Berkeley Carroll Sch., Brooklyn

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2020
After her sudden death at home, 19-year-old Marnie, now a ghost, learns to work with otherworldly beings in the Department of Spectral Affairs. X'lakthul, or Xel, is the upbeat, optimistic case manager who tries to place Marnie in a "post-life assignment." When Xel finds that Marnie isn't particularly attached to any location from her home dimension, she isn't sure where to place her, so she suggests an unconventional move: appointing Marnie DSA intern. As an intern, Marnie works with other case workers, office managers, and supervisors in the disorganized and barely functional office. She judges and speaks to them harshly, all the while assuming they will dump her somewhere when she's too much trouble. But eventually Marnie comes to appreciate each of them, with all their faults, because they care about her. This comic uses humor to address serious questions of mental illness (particularly depression), acceptance, and belonging, an approach that will work for some readers but may rub others the wrong way. While the developments of relationships between characters are portrayed well, Marnie's characterization is superficial, leaving the ending without the emotional power the story deserves. The colorful illustrations are clean and clear, making for a pleasant visual experience. The few scenes involving humans feature ethnically diverse groups of people. Comes close but doesn't quite meet its potential. (Graphic fantasy. 14-18)

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July 1, 2020
Grades 9-12 Marnie Winters is dead, and needs help moving on. Enter X'lakthul, a case worker for the Department of Spectral Affairs who is determined to "close the file" on Marnie's afterlife. When X'lakthul can't figure out what on Earth is keeping Marnie around, she lands her a job as an intern, leading to fun and light-hearted office comedy and more than a few Lovecraftian characters. This richly colored comic prevents the reader from being overwhelmed by keeping things consistent, assigning each character a color for both their look and their speech bubbles, keeping panels tidy, and focusing on the story and personalities. Marnie is sarcastic, ornery, and full of a fear of abandonment, which is foiled by the nurturing and sympathetic natures of the folks she meets at the DSA, which turns out to be a place for "rejects," with Earthlings as their punishment. It isn't all laughs, either?there's a great lesson by the end about striving to have more good days than bad, a gentle reminder to take things one day at a time. Come for the fun, stay for the heart.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)