Oliver DeLuca is a crazy, energetic spitfire. He's carefree, childish, optimistic, and at the very least.....not... so bright. But don't underestimate him. He may be small, but he's got a complexity of expression under that fluff of brown hair. Now, it's not like a few words on a screen formed out of pixels and lines can really summarize what happens in this tale, but let's just say, there will be talent, debate about if "perfection" really exists, secluded clubs, secluded people, sitting on rooftops at 6 in the morning, dreams and reality, proof that opposites attract, and love (and a ukulele). And there'll also be high school freshman Dominic Wise, a quiet, intimidating student with what you'd call 'perfect' grades, a 'perfect' record. When Dominic met Oliver, he thought he was way too happy and excited to be human. Little did he know that it was... A little more complicated than that.
Geoff and Naomi are dead, and they're depressed, but when Geoff's cat Bernie dies as well, they embark on a wild journey to find it in the underworld.
*****
When Geoff dies, alongside his girlfriend Naomi, they end up sharing an apartment in the Underworld as skeletons. But after a few years, Geoff starts suffering a mid-death crisis. What's the purpose of going through the motions as a skeleton if you can't really live? Then he gets word that his cat, Bernie, just died and he can collect him and bring him home! Geoff and Naomi hurry to get Bernie only to discover that, due to a clerical error, their cat has been lost. With the hunt for Bernie giving new purpose to Geoff's un-life, he and Naomi begin a quest to get back their cat. Battling skeleton pirates, climbing the sky ladder and facing off against the villain who took Bernie, Geoff is determined to find his purpose - or die a second time trying!
[[2018 Wattys Winner - The Originals]]
[[word count: 30,000-40,000 words]]