(SPOILERS AHEAD!)
In 100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith (which is a free read so if you haven’t read it, check it out ASAP), the main character’s mom dies when a horse falls on her from the sky. For reals. She gets CRUSHED BY A HORSE FALLING FROM THE SKY. It took me a few minutes to really wrap my head around it, because honestly if someone told me to list all the different ways a character could die…that just wouldn’t have even made the top one thousand (and I’m SUPER creative, ok guys). That’s just WEIRD. And it made me feel things…
But then I realized: I shouldn’t be this shocked. This is not the first time a YA book has taken everything I thought I knew about books and characters and plots and destroyed it with the weird death of a character. Was this a fortunate or unfortunate discovery? I’m not really sure. You tell me. Here are 7 Weird Ways to Die in YA.
1. The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider
Method of death: Decapitated on a ride
The main character’s best friend, Toby, inadvertently catches the severed head of a boy who was decapitated on a ride in Disneyland.
That is straight out of a Final Destination movie!
2. The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey
Method of death: Killed by teens who think they’re killing aliens
Humans are killed by teens, who think they’re killing aliens, because the aliens have disguised themselves as humans, and the humans as aliens.
That’s not confusing or anything…
3. A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
Method of death: Shot on the toilet
Tywin Lannister is shot through the bowels while seated on the toilet.
Talk about hitting below the belt!
4. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Method of death: Killed by vampire baby clawing its way out of her
Bella Swan technically dies when vampire baby Renesme claws/bites her way out of Bella’s belly.
Bella gets turned into a vampire and lives happily ever after, but that doesn’t change how disturbing this whole thing is.
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Method of death: Fell through a curtain
Sirius Black, a fierce fighter and wise man, falls through a curtain (technically, it’s a “veil” between land of living and dead…but still) and dies.
I just expected something a bit more dramatic for him.
6. Just Kill Me by Adam Selzer
Method of death: Brain punched
People on graveyard tours die by being “brain punched” to become ghosts.
That’s…haunting…to think about!
7. The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch by Daniel Kraus
Method of death: shot, resurrected, and left to rot
Zebulon Finch gets shot, dies for 17 minutes, and gets resurrected, but he is not able to eat or breathe so he rots.
That’s some rotten luck!
Can you think of any other weird deaths? Share them in the comments! And don’t forget to read 100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith!!
