Cooper Bartholomew is Dead by Rebecca James

Cooper Bartholomew is Dead
Written by Rebecca James
Contemporary, Thriller, New Adult
Published September 24th 2014
336 Pages
Thank you to Allen and Unwin Australia
Add to Goodreads
★★★★★
Cooper Bartholomew's body is found at the foot of a cliff.

Suicide. That's the official finding, that's what everyone believes. Cooper's girlfriend, Libby, has her doubts. They'd been happy, in love. Why would he take his own life?

As Libby searches for answers, and probes more deeply into what really happened the day Cooper died, she and her friends unravel a web of deception and betrayal. Are those friends, and enemies, what they seem?

Who is hiding a dangerous secret? And will the truth set them all free?
No one will ever forget the call that came that morning, Cooper's body was found at the bottom of a cliff, the authorities branding his death as a suicide. His long time best friend Sebastian called Cooper's former girlfriend Claire, and Libby's mother is the first to break the tragic news to her daughter, a girl who thought Cooper may have just held her forever. But Cooper's gone and leaves behind a grieving a girlfriend, a former girlfriend whose life has spiraled into a mix of addiction and abuse, and a best friend that has lost the only person who understood his complex and damaged life. Cooper was popular, but most importantly, he was happy. So how did his life end in tragedy?


Libby refuses to believe that Cooper was depressed, he spoke of a future together and wanted more than a small town existence. He wanted, but he didn't want to end his life. It's up to Libby to retrace Cooper's final steps. Cooper's last thoughts were if only he could have told Libby the truth.

Kelly's Thoughts

Incredible. Phenomenal. Unprecedented. Exceptional. There isn't one particular word to summarise the brilliance that is Cooper Bartholomew is Dead. It lured me in, kept me enthralled and left me with a bittersweet and emotional ending. This is how you create one of the best young adult novels that readers will inhale.
That's the thing about people like Cooper. They were so noticeable to us. they loomed so large and bright on our social radars. and yet to them we were barely blips. We knew stuff about them, we talked about them and watched them. We dreamed of being invited to their stupid parties. But they knew nothing about us. Not our names, not even our faces. They were indifferent. They made us feel small and boring. They made us feel invisible.
Told from four perspectives, Libby, Sebastian, Claire and from Cooper himself, the story begins with Cooper recalling his own death as he lay crumpled and fighting for life and then alternates between Libby, Sebastian and Claire as they recall their time with Cooper before his death, and the aftermath he has left behind. In a state of profound grief, Libby simply can't accept that Cooper would have taken his own life and begins to retrace what happened the night prior to when his body was found. But Cooper was the link between the three young adults and it seems everyone has a different story to tell.

The tender romance between Cooper and Libby was simply beautiful. Both from different worlds, her character offered a sense of tranquility and an alternative to the fast and furious lifestyle that Sebastian offered. But both Sebastian and Claire resented Libby, believing she was occupying far too much of his time and wanted nothing more than to ruin his relationship. But both cared deeply for Cooper and even when intoxicated or abusing narcotics, neither character could be seen as the reason Cooper is dead. The storyline weaves intrigue traces of secrets and lies, while providing heartwarming and tender moments from Cooper's life leading up to his death. The characters are all ages in their late teens to early twenties, casting Cooper Bartholomew is Dead fall into the category of new adult as it does contain mature content such as drug and alcohol abuse and sexual situations.

Rebecca James is now on my favourite author list, also having recently devoured Sweet Damage. She's an incredible storyteller with a talent for keeping readers on the edge of their seat. This is a must read, you won't be disappointed.

17 comments

  1. So glad to see you loved this one too Kelly! The tension was ever present and all the characters had so much depth in their flaws and various bonds with Cooper. Fantastic review, I can't wait to see what Rebecca James writes next :)

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    1. Me too Eugenia. She's absolutely incredible isn't she. I've bought a copy of Beautiful Malice and can't wait to get stuck into it. I love how her characters are so incredibly real and unfiltered.

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  2. I won an ARC copy of this the other day, and I think I read it in only a few hours! It really was very good. The relationship between Libby and Cooper was done so, so well. I can't wait to get my hands on another of James's books, because I really enjoyed this one. It definitely was very thrilling.

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    1. I loved how we're told at the start what happens and then the jumping back and fourth, she really knows how to build the suspense doesn't she. Sweet Damage is also incredible, I'd love to see what you think of it Kara.

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  3. I KEEP SEEING AWESOME REVIEWS OF THIS BOOK. Definitely time to read it, methinks. And I do own Sweet Damage - it must move further up the TBR for sure :P

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    1. Read it! Read it! You won't regret it. It's absolutely brilliant. But be warned, it's not actually young adult, more new adult and does contain drug abuse and sex, just for anyone out there that that might wonder if it's young adult or not.

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    1. Looking forward to seeing what you think when you get around to reading this.
      It's incredible, I'm a Rebecca James fan for life now.

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  5. Ohh I'm very intrigued. Just going off the synopsis this isn't the kind of book I typically pick up but exceptions can be made. Thanks for ur review, I'm very intrigued now.

    -Mari

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    1. It's brilliant Mari, one of the best I've read so far this year. Killer suspense and really engaging storyline. Definitely give it a go, I can guarantee you won't be disappointed.

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  6. YESS I knew you would enjoy Rebacca James' writing, because she is one of my favourites as well, I loved everything that she's done. I just loved the new adult in this book, it wasn't just sex which was great! And yes, their relationship was fantastic. Great review hun!

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    1. I actually loved this even more than Sweet Damage. It was an incredible mature read, even though it's technically new adult, it doesn't have the typical new adult feel of the over played drama and needless sexual situations. I love Rebecca James now. Love. Her. So glad you recommended Sweet Damage to me all those months ago.

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  7. I'm so happy we both loved this one!! I'm definitely going to add Rebecca James to my 'authors to watch out for' list, so I read all her upcoming titles. Definitely going to have to read Sweet Damage now :) The New Adult part of it came as a surprise to me, I wasn't expecting it to be NA. it was always targeted as YA... I loved the romance as well!! But then at times it felt really like insta-love... they weren't together for very long so it kind of made it a bit unrealistic for me. Maybe that's just me though. I loved how everything fit together so perfectly at the end, all the little bits and pieces came together and it leaves you feeling satisfied. Love your review! <3

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    1. I must admit, I seen a review beforehand that warned that it was new adult, so I assumed there would be mature themes involved. But it felt more like young adult, only with mature content. It was a little on the instant love side, as I couldn't grasp how much time had actually passed in their relationship. But their relationship was just so lovely. I'm so glad you enjoyed this as much as I did too Gina.

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  8. I've been hearing such amazing things about this one! I'll have to pick it up as soon as I can because it sounds like something I'd absolutely adore. I know you've probably had your new design for awhile but I've been a little MIA so I just wanted to say that I love it!

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  9. Ooh - so glad to hear you enjoyed this one, Kelly! I'm definitely going to have to pick this one up soon. Especially after reading two very positive reviews in one day.

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  10. Sounds like another incredible read, Kelly! I'm lurking on your book blog and picking up recommendations as I go. Don't mind me hehe.

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