Shaun David Hutchinson is witty and this quick, directness of jokes comes through in every character in The Past and Other Things that Should Stay Buried, his 8th young adult novel. Told in alternating voices between two best friends, readers 1st meet Dino. Dino seems confident. He’s discovering how much he really likes his new boyfriend. He knows he’s good at his job — preparing bodies for funerals — but doesn’t want to make it his future living and keep the family DeLuca and Son’s business. And he’s wanting to let go of his former best friend, July. July also appeared to be confident. A theater star in their high school, July’s world was about July and occasionally Dino, her best friend a year ago. But then they fought. And then July died. And now Dino needs to prepare her body and finally let her go…until she undies. Dino and July spend the next few days trying to figure out less about how and more about why she came kinda back though still stinking and rotting away. Dino and July must figure out a few more aspects of their friendship before each can let go of the other and let life return to normal. Discussions the two have around sexuality are honest and real and more importantly, don’t overshadow the real themes of the novel. Still overwhelmingly far-fetched, Hutchinson’s one-liners are laugh-out-loud funny as readers witness Dino and July maturing as individuals and once again as friends. Recommended for high school audiences.