Review: Beautiful Dead book 3 - Summer - Eden Maguire

Not alive.  Not dead.  Somewhere in between lie the Beautiful Dead.

Six months have passed since the last mysterious teenage death, but Darina is still traumatized by the murders of Summer Madison and her own beloved Phoenix.  She searches constantly for the Beautiful Dead, longing for their return.

Springtime sees Darina once more in Phoenix's arms.  But spring is also a reminder of the hail of bullets that killed Summer in a random shopping mall shooting almost a year ago.

Can Darina and the Beautiful Dead catch Summer's crazed killer?  Will Darina's love for Phoenix survive the task?  One thing is clear - it's not finished yet, not by a long shot ...

Beautiful Dead Series:
Jonas
Arizona
Summer
Phoenix

Visit the Beautiful Dead website for more information

Review:
It's been nearly a year since Darina's friend Summer was killed in a random shooting at a shopping mall.  Darina was a witness to the shooting and now it is up to her to try and find the killer so that Summer can finally rest in peace.  Was the shooting really as random as it seemed and if it was how on earth is Darina supposed to track down the killer?  At the same time she must cope with her grief over the death of her boyfriend Phoenix and prepare herself for when he must leave her forever.

This is the 3rd book in the Beautiful Dead series and although you can probably read it as a stand alone story I think you'll find it easier to follow the background story if you read the books in order.  I don't think there was much information about what the Beautiful Dead actually are in this installment so you may find it confusing if you're new to the series.

Darina is still struggling to deal with both her grief at the deaths of her boyfriend and her friends but also with the existence of the Beautiful Dead.  It's been about 4 months since she helped Arizona solve the mystery of her death and since that time she has had no contact with Phoenix or any of the other Beautiful Dead.  She is plagued with doubts about whether they really exist or if they were a product of her grief fueled imagination.  I understand that she is desperately missing Phoenix and would do anything to spend time with him again but I have to confess I was hoping she would have started to deal with things better by now.  I'm beginning to get a little bored with her attitude and the way she is acting and it's putting me off picking up the final book in the series.

One of the things that annoys me most is the way that the Beautiful Dead (Hunter in particular) treat her.  They need her help in order to investigate the deaths but Hunter is completely unwilling to allow her access to the Beautiful Dead and doesn't want her spending time with Phoenix.  The way he is constantly threatening her and being so nasty grates on my nerves and if I was in Darina's position I think I would have walked away from the whole mess and told them to sort out their own problems.  I'd really like to see Darina stand up for herself a bit more but it's hard when Hunter is holding all the cards and she misses Phoenix so much.

While this is a series I like I'd have to say it isn't one that I love.  The plot was a little slow to get going but was interesting once it built up momentum.  I enjoyed the mystery surrounding Summer's death but had guessed fairly early on who was behind it.  There was one particular plot line about Logan that really annoyed me - how could that have been allowed to happen? - but it was definitely a twist that I hadn't expected.  While I am starting to get a little bored with the series the books are quick and easy reads that I get through in 1 or 2 sessions and I will definitely read the final book at some point because I want to know how the overall story arc plays out.

Source: Library

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Review: Kiss of Life - Daniel Waters

When Phoebe's best friend Adam takes a bullet for her, it proves everyone right - Adam is in love with her.  And now that he's come back to life, Phoebe's more important than ever.  A zombie can come back from death faster if they're loved - and kissed... which means Phoebe has to say goodbye to Tommy Williams, the other zombie in her life.

While coaxing Adam back to reality and fending off Tommy's advances, Phoebe tries to carry on as normal.  But what's normal when teenageers are rising from the dead and scores of others want nothing more than to send them back to their graves?  And does having a zombie boyfriend make Phoebe a target too?

Generation Dead Series:
Generation Dead
The Kiss of Life
Passing Strange (July 2010)

For more information visit the Daniel Waters' Blog

Review:
It is impossible to review Kiss of Life without giving away at least one major spoiler for Generation Dead so if you're new to this series I'd really recommend you don't read any further.  Click here if you'd like to read my review for Generation Dead instead.

Kiss of Life continues the story not long after the end of Generation Dead, Adam died trying to save Phoebe's life and has now come back as a zombie but he is struggling to regain his speech and movement.  His killer is facing trial but as there are no laws protecting zombies or giving them any rights things are very complicated.  The defense are going to argue that it couldn't be murder when the victim can walk into court as a witness and it looks like the Adam's killer could literally get away with murder.  But that isn't the only thing Phoebe and her friends have to worry about.  The prejudice against the zombies is getting worse - with the help of an unknown group who are stirring trouble - and things are going to get even more complicated than they were before.

I had mixed feelings about Generation Dead and I had a similar experience with Kiss of Life.  It was interesting to have some of the story told from Adam's perspective but that did make for frustrating reading, particularly at the beginning when he is really struggling with his speach and his thoughts are very disjointed.  Adam was by far my favorite character in the first book so I wasn't happy about the change in him but I'm glad to say this does improve by the end.  I also found that this gave Colette and Margi a chance to shine and their humor added a lighter note that I enjoyed.

The themes of discrimination and prejudice are continued and again handled very realistically by Daniel Waters.  I really like this side to the series and think we can all learn something by reading it.  I'm very curious to see how this will be handled in Passing Strange which I believe is the last book in the series.  We see less of Tommy in this story which I didn't mind - he was never my favorite character anyway and I didn't have the same icky feeling about Adam & Phoebe that I did when she was dating Tommy.  I think this was because they already had a strong relationship before his death so it didn't come across as quite so creepy.

As much as I liked the above points I did find that I struggled to get into the story.  The first half of the book in particular was very slow with not much happening and I found myself wanting to give up.  I'm glad that I persisted though as the action levels do pick up and it has left me wanting to read Passing Strange so I can find out how the series ends.

Source: Thanks to Simon & Schuster for sending me this review copy

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Review: Generation Dead - Daniel Waters

The dead boy reached for her, his pale eyes glowing in the darkness.

All over the country, teenagers who die aren't staying dead.

Against her better judgement, Phoebe finds herself drawn to Tommy Williams.  He's gorgeous, funny, on the football team.  And dead.

But not everybody is as accepting as Phoebe.  There are those who would like to rid the community of this sinister phenomenon, and they'll stop at nothing to achieve it...


Generation Dead Series:
Generation Dead
The Kiss of Life
Passing Strange (July 2010)

For more information visit the Daniel Waters' Blog



Review:
All over America teenagers who have died are coming back from the dead but not as your traditional zombies.  They have very slow speach and aren't very fast at moving but other than that they are basically able to carry on as normal - even attending school.  No one knows how or why some teenagers are coming back but it is happening more often and the living-dead community is growing larger.  Some people are very understanding but the majority aren't happy - some even think that it's a sign of the end of the world. 

I have really mixed feelings about this book, I thought the premise was brilliant and I really thought I was going to love the story but unfortunately I was disappointed.  To start with the positives I thought the way Daniel Waters dealt with the relationship between the living and the not quite dead was very well done.  I'm sure if teenagers ever do start coming back as zombies then the reaction from society in general (and teenagers in particular) would probably be very similar to how it was described in the book.  The book tackles important issues regarding discrimination and prejudice and it did make me think a lot about racism.  I love a book that can make me think so I really enjoyed this aspect of the story - especially as we are able to get inside the heads of both the people who are prejudiced and those who are being discriminated against.

On the other hand I found it really difficult to relate to Phoebe who was the main character.  Even half way through the book I was feeling that I hardly knew anything about her & I still have no idea why she was interested in Tommy.  I think if she'd known Tommy from before he died then it would have been a lot easier to believe her attraction to him.  I actually found the fact that she had a crush on a dead guy that she'd never even spoken to & knew absolutely nothing about really creepy.  I was also really unimpressed by Tommy - as a friend or a minor character he would have been fine but he just didn't strike me as main love interest material and I spent most of the book thinking "please don't go there Phoebe". 

My favorite character by far was Adam who is Phoebe's best friend.  I thought he was great - at first he doesn't seem like the nicest guy, he's got anger issues who gets in fights and hangs out with a rough crowd but it soon becomes clear that he is changing.  He isn't happy with his old crowd and although he isn't keen on the living dead characters to start with he doesn't like the way his old friends bully them.  Throughout the book you really get to see him grow up and come into his own and I loved him for that.

It took quite a long time for the story to suck me in but once it did I was curious to find out what was going to happen.  I'm don't want to give any spoilers so I'll just say I was gutted by the ending!  I'm going to have to read the second book just to find out what happens next.

Source: Library

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Curling Up By The Fire
Obsessed!
I Swim For Oceans
Parajunkee's View
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I'm very excited to have been picked as Top Reviewer for Generation Dead by Blog With Bite - thanks so much girls!

Review: Beautiful Dead Book 2 - Arizona - Eden Maguire

Not alive.  Not dead.  Somewhere in between lie the Beautiful Dead.

There's been no sign of the Beautiful Dead for weeks.  Darina achingly misses Phoenix all over again.  Surely he will return to help solve the remaining mysteries.

It's been almost a year since Arizona drowned in Hartmann Lake.  Suicide, it would seem.  But something doesn't add up...  Drowning herself in a lake does not sound like strong, confident Arizona: Ellerton High School's high-maintenance drama queen.

Darina must help Arizona the way she helped Jonas.  But invisible wings are beating, the Beautiful Dead are in danger and time is running out...

Beautiful Dead Series:
Jonas
Arizona
Summer
Phoenix

Visit the Beautiful Dead website for more information

Review:
I really enjoyed the second installment in the Beautiful Dead series.  It took a while for the action to get started in book 1 as the author had to explain the world & introduce the characters.  As that has already been done this story was able to jump straight into the thick of things.  I would recommend reading this series in order although as each book concentrates mainly on solving the mystery surrounding one of the Beautiful Dead I suppose you could read them as stand alone books.

This book concentrates on finding out what happened to Arizona.  This is going to be easier said than done though because Arizona doesn't seem to want to help Darina find the answers.  In life she didn't have any close friends & Darina knew practically nothing about her so she has no idea where to start investigating her death.  Even now Arizona is keeping her secrets close to her chest and she uses sarcasm & snappy comments to push Darina away.

As the book develops & we get to learn more about Arizona we find out why she acts the way she does.  It is easy to understand her behavior and Darina's opinion of her is turned around.  The mystery element of the story is good and it keeps you guessing about how Arizona died right until the end.  I also love the way the bad guys in this series really get their comeuppance by the end of each book.

If you liked the first book in this series I'm sure you'll like this one even more & I'm looking forward to reading Summer's story when it comes out. 

Source: Library

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Review: Beautiful Dead Book 1 - Jonas - Eden Maguire

Not alive.  Not dead.  Somewhere in between lie the Beautiful Dead.

Something strange is happening in Ellerton High.  Jonas, Arizona, Summer, Phoenix.  All dead within a year.

Jonas Jonson is the first to die, in a motorcycle accident.  But there are many unanswered questions, and the three deaths that follow are equally mysterious.

Grief-stricken Darina can't escape her heartache or visions of her dead boyfriend, Phoenix, and the others who died.  And all the while, the sound of beating wings echoes inside her head...

Are the visions real?  Or do the Beautiful Dead only exist in Darina's traumatized imagination?

Beautiful Dead Series:
Jonas
Arizona
Summer
Phoenix

Visit the Beautiful Dead website for more information

Review:
This book surprised me - from the cover & reading the description I found myself expecting Angels or something similar - I wasn't expecting zombies!!  However, these zombies were so far from the typical kind you see in horror movies that I don't think the name really suits them (even though that is what they call themselves in the book).  I think I'd have prefered it if they'd stuck to calling themselves the living-dead but don't let the whole zombie thing put you off reading the book as I ended up really enjoying it.

4 high school students have died in mysterious circumstances in the last year - Jonas, Arizona, Summer & Phoenix.  When Phoenix's girlfriend Darina first sees them she thinks that she must be loosing her mind - they can't possibly be alive can they?  It turns out that they are the Beautiful Dead - they have come back from limbo to try and uncover the mysteries surrounding their deaths.  They need to find out what happened or they'll be never be able to move on to the afterlife & they need Darina's help to do this.

The first book concentrates on discovering what happened to Jonas.  Darina is also trying to come to terms with the fact that her boyfriend has come back from the dead.  In order to see him she has to agree to help find out what happened to the others.   I don't want to give away any more of the story but I will say that I wasn't expecting what happened at the end & I liked it.

If you're looking for a typical zombie story this isn't the book for you but if you want a paranormal story with romance and mystery then give this a try - I'm sure you won't regret it.  Now I'm off to read book 2 - Arizona's story.

Source: Library

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One Person's Journey Through A World Of Books
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Bloody Bookaholic
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