Anthony "Antsy" Bunano always seems to find ways to get himself into trouble, which was clearly seen in an early book called The Schwa Was Here. Some of it is because he can't seem to avoid his impulsive nature (thus, his name), but some of it is also due to his unique friends, which all seemed to be named after rare punctuation marks.

This time, his troubles center arround his classmate Gunnar Umlaut. The problem is that Gunnar has told him that he is suffering from pulmonary monoxic systema, a disease that causes the body to turn oxygen it takes in to carbon monoxide. As a result, it poisons the body, and Gunnar has about 6 months to live.

Antsy finds himself drawn to his friend and wants to do something to help. He comes up with the idea of giving Gunnar a month of his own life. He even writes up a contract that is witnessed and turned over to Gunnar. It is an idea catches on, and before long everyone is offering Gunner months. Even teachers and school administrators are helping out. It even takes on the form of a drive with the hopes of raising 50 years for Gunnar

While Antsy started all of this in order to help his friend, one interesting side effect is that it allows him to capture the attention of Gunnar's older sister Kjerstin (they are actually from Sweden). The two of them actually start dating, which is a surprise to everyone since she is beautiful and smart. It is through getting to know the Umlaut family better because of his burgeoning relationships with Kjersten and Gunnar that he learns things are not quite what they seem for their family.

It is a different experience for Antsy, whose family has always been close. His father has even started running a restaurant, which was his dream, and the whole family is helping out. The stress is a drain on his father, though.

Ironically, the book, like its predecessor, is full of humor, even as the primary focus is on death. There are a number of cameos from familiar characters like his blind friend (and almost girlfriend) Lexie and her grandfather, the curmudgeonly Mr. Crawley, to help lighten the mood.

The book really allows the reader, through the eyes and thoughts of Antsy, to think about time, families, and death in a way the is quite deep while allowing the reader to be fully entertained by the humorous antics of Antsy and those around him.

While adult readers may have to take a step back and just accept some of the unlikely actions and situations that allow for the story to proceed and meet a resolution, it is a rewarding read.

Also, the cover really does capture all the pivotal moments and characters from the book, which was also done with the earlier volume. As a result, while the read progresses through the story, more and more of the images start to make sense. This would definitely make the cover great for a book discussion.