A Fate Totally Worse Than Death

I do not read teen slasher stories, but even I could appreciate this wonderfully done parody. It had me howling and all the girls were so bitchy it was beautiful. This is parodying at its very best!

Fast-paced and funny, this book is a take-off on teen horror novels (first clue: on the cover is comic-book style speech balloon that reads, "HELP! Someone in this stupid book is trying to KILL me!") Meet Danielle, Tiffany and Brooke, three utterly vain, obnoxious, self-centered and unscrupulous teens belonging to the rich and spoiled Hun clique at Cliffside High, who are thoroughly peeved at the way "their" men are bewitched by Helga, the stunning new foreign exchange student from Norway. Helga needs to get the message to stay away (especially from Drew, whom Danielle wants for herself) -- or else! But the more the girls escalate their tactics, the more they find themselves physically deteriorating, their bodies aging at accelerated show more speed!
The girls conclude that Helga is the cause of their mysterious condition, convinced that Helga is none other than... the ghost of Chastity Chase, a girl who had turned Drew's head last year -- and paid for it with her life! And now Helga/Chastity was out to exact her revenge!
It's always fun to read about bad girls -- especially when they get their comeuppance. What's fascinating is how the author manages to make the reader care about the 3 main characters, who seem to have no redeeming qualities whatsoever. The twist at the end also contains a nice little "lesson" that reminds us to always be kind to the elderly... because YOU NEVER KNOW...! show less

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

For anyone who enjoyed Scary Movie with it's over-the-top humor, sarcastic wit, dry parodies, and unrestrained juvenile one-liners, A FATE TOTALLY WORSE THAN DEATH is a must read.

The plot revolves around three girls, Danielle, Brooke, and Tiffany, who are members of the Huns--the absolutely only clique to belong to at Cliffside High. The Huns believe in one rule above all else--the Hun boys belong to them, and them alone. When Helga, a Norwegian exchange student, shows up, the girls begin to feel threatened, and decide to take matters into their own hands.

They've had to take drastic action before, you see, when the boy Danielle is in love with, Drew, started dating Charity Chase, a girl who was show more definitely not a member of the Huns. The group of three committed an unspeakable act of horror--and now they're beginning to pay for it, in the form of Helga. Because once Helga showed up, and Danielle, Brooke, and Tiffany set about ruining her life, bad things began happening to them instead.

As the girls struggle to get through the day, unable to understand why their bodies are betraying them, they come to the conclusion that Helga isn't a girl at all--but the ghost of Charity, come back to haunt them and exact revenge.

A FATE TOTALLY WORSE THAN DEATH is definitely funny, outrageous, and a very quick read. For anyone who likes a dash of humor with their horror, this book is for you. show less

Yeah, it was funny, I guess. But it doesn't transcend to universality at all, imo. Just not special for me. And I wonder what the target audience gets out of the descriptions of what it means to be very old and frail?

Cliffside high is the setting for A fate totally worse than death by Paul Fleischman. Humor through sarcasm, name calling, and one-liners used throughout the novel between your average group of mean girls Danielle, Tiffany, and Brooke. The trio set their sites on their next victim a beautiful foreign exchange student named Helga. They immediately become frustrated unable to prove that she is the ghost of Charity Chase, a girl they murdered, and the source of the aging curse put on them. The rich spoiled girls decide they will do whatever it takes even kill, to get rid of Helga. Many high school students going through issues of jealousy and bullying would be able to relate. This book would be highly entertaining for teenage girls; they show more wouldn’t want to put it down. I found it to be an overall very easy read with an unexpected twist at the end proving what goes around comes around. Grade 9 and up. show less

This humorous novel is about three girls who are avenged for their selfish, conceited even violent behaviors. It is written in third person omniscient so the reader can understand how these girls feel as they all face their tragic ends. Danielle, Brooke and Tiffany are the rich, mean high school girls who cannot stand anyone dating the “huns.” When a new girl moves into town from Norway, they are desperate to get rid of her. I would recommend this novel to female readers age sixteen and above. There is some subtle humor that can only be understood by mature teens.

Its an OK book, kind of strange. Gave me the creeps in a weird way.