Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead

A Novel

By: Mai Nguyen

Write A Review

Hardcover | 14 April 2026

At a Glance

Hardcover
272 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.86 x 15.24 x 3.05

Hardcover

RRP $55.00

$51.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $12.94 with

or

Ships in 5 to 10 business days

A darkly humorous yet uplifting novel about a grieving mother who starts working at a funeral home and discovers that the best way to honor the dead is to live—from the author of the “insightful, moving” (Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author) Sunshine Nails.

All Cleo Dang has ever wanted is to be a mother. The day she discovers she’s pregnant is the happiest of her life, especially when she learns that her best friend, Paloma, is also expecting. It’s a wonderful surprise, and together, they enjoy their pregnancies. But when they both go to the hospital in labor, something goes very, very wrong. Paloma comes home with a baby. Cleo does not.

Ravaged by grief, Cleo must now navigate life after losing her baby. She alienates herself from the world, particularly her best friend, who is living the life she so desperately wanted. Forced to take leave from her demanding job as an actuary, Cleo manages to find work at a funeral home, where she meets a revolving cast of bereaved locals and discovers the power of confronting grief.

Darkly humorous yet uplifting, Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead follows a grieving mother who starts working at a funeral home and discovers that the best way to honor the dead is to live.

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.

Defective items

If there is a problem with any of the items received for your order then the Booktopia Customer Care team is ready to assist you.

For more info please visit our Help Centre.

More in Modern & Contemporary Fiction

Walking on the Ceiling

Paperback

RRP $24.99

$21.75

13%
OFF

Memorial de Ayres

A Novel

Hardcover

RRP $47.95

$37.75

21%
OFF

Can Nothing Save Us?

Paperback

RRP $34.99

$28.75

18%
OFF

Quite the Pair

Paperback

RRP $34.99

$19.99

43%
OFF

SIGNED COPY

$16.00

36%
OFF

When He Was Wicked

Bridgerton [Deluxe Collector's Edition]

Hardcover

RRP $49.99

$39.99

20%
OFF

Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead

A Novel

At a Glance

Hardcover

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

More in Modern & Contemporary Fiction

Walking on the Ceiling

Memorial de Ayres

A Novel

Can Nothing Save Us?

Quite the Pair

The Cairo Bridal Shop

We Chase Shadows

Book 2 We Solve Murders

Ordinary Funny Tragic

The hilarious new novel from the author of Trivial Grievances

Big Little Truths

Big Little Lies

Life of M

From the author of the Outline trilogy

The World Beneath Her Feet

The new heartwarming novel from the bestselling author of The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart and The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding

The End of Everything

Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2026 - 'Visionary and brilliant' China Mieville

Gone Tomorrow

(Jack Reacher 13)

When He Was Wicked

Bridgerton [Deluxe Collector's Edition]

I Love the Whole World!

The Most Dangerous Games

From MrBeast and James Patterson. A secret competition. 100 players. $1 billion. ARE YOU THE ONE?

The Vivisectors

Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2026

Becoming Venus

Rose had no idea empowerment could look like this ...

The Door

Good-Bye

Death on the Lanai

A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery

A Short History of Longans

A dazzling novel from the award-winning author of Stone Sky Gold Mountain

Just for the Plot

The next spicy and hilarious romcom in your new favourite sports romance series by bestselling author Meghan Quinn

Mischance Creek

The gripping new book in the bestselling Australian crime series (Hirsch series 5)

Peck & Peck

The irresistible new novel from the author of global bestseller LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY

This product is categorised by