A review by taketwolu
Death Perception by Lee Allen Howard

3.75

19 year old Kennet works at a crematorium and lives in a senior care center with his sickly mother. With a greedy, selfish boss, and a pushy landlord (senior care center owner), Kennet is nothing but down on his luck and constantly pushed around. He soon discovers his ability to determine the cause of death of those he cremates as he roasts marshmallows over his ashes. Maybe this skill could be the key to turning things around for him?

I didn’t know what to expect from this book, but it was a pretty interesting read! Kennet is trying to do his best for him and his mother, but everytime he tries to stand up for himself or do some good, he’d just get kicked down again -- paired with the fact that he’s had a rough life, you’ll feel pretty sorry for this kid. Howard also does a great job at villianzing some of his other characters because they will make your blood boil!

Through multiple POVs, we gradually see the unravelling of something more twisted and sinister at hand. I’m a sucker for a good mystery so it was fun seeing how everyone’s story fit together. This is a bit of a darker read with some trigger warnings to be careful of, but seeing the underdog outcome for Kennet was very rewarding. I would’ve liked some more supernatural moments and horror, but overall, I still enjoyed it.