Things I Learned While I Was Dead - by Kathryn Clark (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

'A haunting tale filled with emotional highs and lows.' --Kenechi Udogu

'A heart-stopping (literally!) concept.' --Melissa Welliver

'I was hooked from page one and I could not put it down!' --S. A. Gales

'Absolutely unputdownable!' --Finbar Hawkins

Saving Asha. That's my religion. That's my science...Without Asha, there is no me.

Asha is dead. Years of medical treatment were not enough to heal her. The only way 17-year-old Calico can save her younger sister now is by joining her in death - at least until modern medicine can bring them both back to healthy life. Cryogenics is the answer: Scientific. Legal. Safe. Or so Dr Fates would have her believe. He plans to preserve the sisters' bodies until his biotechnology research finds a cure for Asha.

But when Calico is brought back to life, she's in a post climate catastrophe, low-tech future trapped in a research facility. She's at risk of being sold off to a sinister enforced breeding programme. And worst of all - Asha is missing.

Calico must find a way to save her sister, herself, and the new friends she's made among the other test subjects. But first she has to unravel the secrets the facility is hiding and reveal the lies she has been part of.

In this striking debut, Kathryn Clark raises poignant questions about the ethics of medical science, humans playing god, the consequences of our choices, and the place of consent in healthcare.

Review Quotes

"This novel, which combines unflinching honesty with a unique mix of writing styles, will provide balm for those who need it."--Booklist

"A melancholy, absorbing mystery, filled with plenty of creepy details."--Kirkus

"A heart-stopping (literally!) concept with an emotional pull that refuses to let you go - excellent for cryogenically-frozen fans of My Love Life and the Apocalypse!" --Melissa Welliver, author of Soulmates and Other Ways to Die

"An assured debut with a life-affirming message. A very different sort of frozen...One that makes you think about family and ethics and loss. Compelling and thought-provoking. A compelling story that kept me up late to finish it. Things I learned while I was reading: life is for living, and always check the small print before signing anything!" --Tracy Darnton, author of Ready Or Not

"A haunting tale filled with emotional highs and lows and relationships I didn't see coming, Things I Learned While I Was Dead shines a light on the unspoken impossible ethical dilemmas people sometimes have to face with advancing medical science surrounding the ones we love. Calico's unwavering devotion to her sister sucked me in from the start and kept me hoping for the best for both of them all through."--Kenechi Udogu, author of Augmented

"Compelling and poignant, this is a breathtaking debut from an exciting new voice in children's fiction." --Steve Voake, author of Blood Hunters

About the Author

Kathryn Clark is a graduate of the Bath Spa MA Writing for Young People. Her work has been long/shortlisted in awards including Times/Chicken House, Mslexia Children's Novel, Bath Children's Novel, and Searchlight Novel Opening. She was runner up in the Book Pipeline Novel Contest, and winner of the Arvon Novel Opening Competition. Kathryn works as a freelance writing mentor. She lives in Gloucestershire with her family and two dogs.