Pratchett always writes about death and the dead in such a comforting way. I had no idea this book was part of a series until logging it here, which really speaks to the author’s known skill for writing contained narratives within longer arcs. Nothing felt missing.

Well, it did feel a little lacking in plot and characterisation. In retrospect, I can see that adding to the atmosphere of unchanging dead and small town life, but while reading I was a little confused. A big part of the issue is that this is a children’s book dealing with rather adult subjects, and in this case it doesn’t quite mesh. The simple language and child protagonist feel out of place in a story about moving on, and corporate greed. I might feel different if Johnny and his friends were better rounded characters, but they all just felt like they Had to be there to push forward a not especially well done plot.

Still, I’m glad I read this. Children’s books about death are very important to me, as someone who lost a parent young, so despite some flaws I did have a good time reading.