Death is my Bff is the perfect spooky read this fall

In high school we all had our own corner of the internet we called home. Whether that corner was social media, fanfiction websites, or Wattpad, it altered some brain chemistry and shaped us into the person we are today. Wattpad was my corner of the internet. When I stumbled upon this website, I was drawn in. Not only was I reading stories for free, but a good chunk of them we’re written by other teenagers my age.

Are these stories unhinged with wild plot twists and random rabbit holes? Yes. These stories were written for the sake of writing. That said there were some great stories on that site that later led to publishing deals, one of the most notable Wattpad Story-The Kissing Booth.

But Death is my Bff by Katarina E. Tonks is one of my personal standouts. This story was fresh and unique and told the story of Faith Williams, a young woman, and Death, the Grim Reaper she fell in love with. 

Summary:

Faith Williams is shot and killed during a robbery at her local grocery store, but when Death comes to collect her soul, he decides to bring her back to life. But Death will return for Faith and her soul when she’s 18.

Faith grows up to live a normal life and has no recollection of that day, but she can’t shake the pair of green eyes that always appear in her art. Things become more tense when Faith attends her classmate’s Halloween party-she meets famed rich boy David Star, who takes an instant liking to her, but Faith doesn’t trust him. She also meets Death, and he taunts her, urging her to remember him.

Strange things begin to happen to Faith after that night, and David can’t fight his own attraction to her. But as Death pushes Faith, the more she begins to uncover his secrets, and it doesn’t take long for her to unravel what both Death and David’s are hiding. However, Faith doesn’t expect the truth to be so sinister.

Thoughts:

My motivation for reading Death is my BFF is purely nostalgia. I not only wanted to read this novel in its final revised form, but I also wanted to be able to hold the physical copy in my hands. The finished version of this story has changed a lot. The heart of this novel is still very much there.

The way Tonks writes this novel feels like watching shows from the early 2000s. The love interest Death is a bit of a toxic male but in the sexy and mysterious way. He loves to push Faith as a way of showing her he actually cares. Is this unhinged? Yes. But it’s also entertaining.

Faith Williams is a young gothic teen that would rather blend in with the crowd than be seen. But Faith is also very protective of her friends and will step out of her comfort zone for them. She’s obsessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but she’s not one to fight scary monsters. She can fight when she needs too, but Death scares her. And yet she also cannot help her attraction to him, especially when she discovers how to see into his memories. And I don’t blame her. Death is described as a real hottie tall, piercing green eyes, and the body of a gladiator.

I think that’s why I love Faith so much because she be trembling one second and then lusting over Death in the next. She is so real for that.

“No Touching, ” he said coarsely.
My arms rose lazily above my head, his shadows twirling around my wrists like silk and pinning me to the wall.

Katarina Tonks

Death’s is a mess. He had a traumatic childhood and was cursed to become the grim reaper in his adulthood. He has soft spot for Faith, but he also knows that if he has any hope of breaking his curse, he needs to harvest her soul. Yet, he believes tormenting Faith is the best way to have her gain his trust. But he grows impatient when Faith is hesitant to trust him. And yet that does not stop Faith from kissing him!

Death has a short temper, and yet he can’t help but fold when Faith invades his personal space. Faith intrigues Death because he senses an ancient power in her. Neither of them seems to understand quite yet. And Faith does manage to get under Death’s skin because she can see into his memories. The pair have an enemies to lovers dynamic going for them, and I will say the conclusion to this novel only complicates that dynamic. 

Death is my Bff’s writing is an easy read, and the pacing of this story will keep readers engaged until the final page. The plot of this novel is interesting, and I’m still not sure where exactly the story is going. I believed the main antagonist to this story was Lucifer because he pushes Death to reap Faith’s soul. Then someone ancient and powerful from Death’s past uses Faith to get to him. And by the end of this novel there’s an additional villain who will antagonize our characters in the sequel. 

I really liked this novel and am curious to see where Tonks takes the sequel. I recommend this novel for readers looking for something not so spooky this Halloween season. A majority of this novel takes place in the fall, and while Faith tangoes with demons, witches, and angels, she also visits a pumpkin patch, goes on a haunted hayride, a fun house, and a carnival. This book leans heavily on the fall vibes, so if you’re looking for a quick read with a sprinkle of romance pick this novel up.

This novel has some depictions of violence and gore, and strong language. Tonks sets her story as New Adult as both protagonists are 18 and 19, but Faith is still in high school in this novel. Keep this in mind if you decide to pick it up.

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thanks for reading this blog and living in libros with me,

Gabriela