On The Bright Side - S.R. Johannes

Publisher:  Coleman & Scott

Pages:  293

Source:  Purchased

Genre:  Middle Grade/Young Adult Paranormal

From Goodreads:

As if the devil’s food cake at her wake and the white fat pants she’s stuck wearing for eternity weren’t bad enough, fourteen year-old Gabby is quick to discover that Cirrus, the main rung of Heaven, is a far cry from the Pearly Gates. Here, SkyFones and InnerNets are all the rage. At her first Bright ceremony, G.O.D., the automated assignment system, spits out Angela Black, Gabby’s arch nemesis and longtime fencing rival. As a Bright, Gabby has to protect Angela, her assigned mortal, in order to move up through the training levels of heaven.

Back on earth, Angela starts hitting on Michael, Gabby’s crush and should-have-been boyfriend. Gabby’s pranks to quell the love are harmless at first until the school dance sabotage gets completely out of control. Then, Celestial Sky Agent, Lawrence, who happens to have anger management issues of his own, steps into reveal that Angela has big problems, and what she really needs is Gabby’s help.

Determined to right her wrong and ease her mother’s grief, Gabby steals an ancient artifact that allows her to return to earth for just one day. But if Gabby’s not careful, her well-meaning mission just might shift the very foundation of Heaven, Earth, and every place in between, causing the danger of the dark side to roam free.

My Thoughts:

This was a wonderfully, funny book.  I could picture Gabby and Angela.  I see teens like this every day spatting from a distance over a boy.  Gabby and Michael have been best friends for a long time.  Gabby has a major crush on him and has not told him.  Then one night she is walking and reading a text from her enemy Angela.  The last thing she reads is that Angela has invited Michael to a dance at her school.  Then it is all over.  She is hit by a car and killed.  She is taken to heaven, called “Cirrus”.  She is called a BIT,  or Bright in Training.  To make matters worse she is assigned a human to protect and of all people she is given Angela.  Gabby sees this as a way to get back at her.  It starts out as little pranks and grows.  When Sky Agent Lawrence is sent to straighten her out she makes some decisions that may have even worse consequences.  Gabby has help from Jessica.  She is a new friend and someone Gabby can talk to.  To find out if Gabby causes more havoc or will be able to move up the celestial ladder, read this book.  I loved the puns in this book but after a while they seemed to overwhelm the book a little.  That was really my only complaint.  I look forward to reading more by this author.

About the Author:

Shelli Johannes-Wells started out writing for her local school paper, winning a state Nutrition essay contest for "Be a Smart Cookie", and singing in a local Jazz band. Somewhere along the way, she earned an MBA in Marketing and embarked on an 18-year marketing career in Corporate America working as a marketing and communications consultant. 

In 2000, Shelli traded in her high heels and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and a love of writing. She started her own marketing & communications business, www.bilaninc.com, and has worked with clients like Spanx, Goody Hair Products, and Chick Filet.

In addition to juggling nap schedules while attending client meetings, Shelli focuses on her writing. In her spare time (yeah right!) and if the kids allow (yeah right!), Shelli obsesses over movies, reads children's books (over and over), wishes she could squeeze in Bikram Yoga sessions, and dreams of sleeping in on the weekends.
She currently lives in Atlanta with her dog, British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess that someday will change the world. 

Blah blah blah - BORING!

In a nutshell - I love sunsets, rainbows, butterflies, and puppies. Oh yeah and zombies.