godDAMN this was a good book

i didnt love my last shaun david hutchinson book but this one deserves all the stars! the relationships in this book are absolutely stellar, the best of which is obviously dino and july's, which is a good thing bc this is very much the kind of story that hinges on the strength of their relationship.
their friendship and subsequent breakup felt so realistic, it wasn't forced or pointless and both dino and july had such distinct personalities that it just worked. i normally don't love dual povs but this one is a rulebreaker for me, they both had such strong voices and each switching chapter offered some kind of valuable insight that was worth it.
the writing was quirky, the dead not staying dead was fun and handled with good comedic timing. the world felt so fleshed out and realistic despite the temporary zombie status of some, and you know i love a good coming of age allegory. i love grief stories as well and this felt so fresh and different, i love how it was weird and kinda out of focus but still grounded in real feelings and emotions. at the end of the day it's just a story about two friends getting closure in death by telling them they love each other, yknow?