Title: Dead is the New BlackAuthor: Marlene Perez
Rating:
Who Should Read It? This is a great read for those that enjoy paranormal mysteries and are looking for a book to take them away from thinking for a little while.
What I Have to Say:
This books is absolutely adorable - a light, fun, engaging joy of a mystery. I love books where, over the course of the story, we discover that none of the characters are quite what they seem. "Dead is the New Black" is a prime example of that kind of story. Nearly each and every one of the characters (at least the ones that were sufficiently developed) defied the expectations that I had of them in the beginning.
Samantha "the Divine" Deveraux, with her black clothes and coffin backpacks and head cheerleader status, was ballsy and independent, different and fun, and I can only wish that all high school "mean girls" could be just a little bit more like her. It ended with her as my favorite character.
Daisy was funny and easy to relate to, with just the right lack of self esteem to make her understandable without being annoying. Her constantly unsure relationship with Ryan might seem unrealistic to some, but it was so reminiscent of my high school relationships that I instead found myself proud of Daisy's stability in dealing with such instability.
Perez's writing style is fluid and easy, and her simple way of filling the town with paranormal creatures just seemed so "normal" that it was hard to believe that the things going on might be PARA-normal. I believed that such a town could exist.
The mystery part of the story was exciting and fun. The biggest problem was that I had figured it out before I even realized it was a mystery, so it wasn't suspenseful, so to speak. This in no way stopped me from enjoying it. Sometimes, you just need a fun book that allows you to stop thinking for a couple hours, and this one was an absolute pleasure to read.
Summary: Welcome to Nightshade, California; a small town full of secrets. It's home to the pyschic Giordano sisters, who have a way of getting mixed up in mysteries. During their investigations, they run across everything from pom-pom-shaking vampires to shape-shifting boyfriends to a clue-spewing jukebox. With their psychic powers and some sisterly support, they can crack any case.
Teenage girls are being mysteriously attacked all over town, including at Nightshade High School, where Daisy Giordano is a junior. When Daisy discovers that a vampire may be the culprit, she can't help but suspect head cheerleader Samantha Devereaux, who returned from summer break with a new look; Samantha appears a little . . . well, dead, and all the most popular kids at school are copying her style.
Is looking dead just another fashion trend for Samantha, or is there something more sinister going on? To find out, Daisy joins the cheerleading squad.
Cover Story: I ADORE the pink on the cover, and the contrast with the black is just magnificent! I'm definitely a fan of this cover!
10 comments:
Glad to hear it was a fun book even if you figured out the mystery ;)
I have been itching to try this series.
Funny how you ca sometimes tell what type of book it is just by looking at the cover and then again ...... sometimes not. Judging this book by its cover, I wouldn't have expected an adorable, light read. That said I suppose the background is vivid pink. Thanks for a great review.
It sounds great. The cover is just okay, so if I saw this at the bookstore I probably not buy it. But thanks to your great review I may even try it .. :)
It is really interesting that you say the fantastical creatures felt so normal in the setting. That is the exact opposite of how I felt about Captivate. All these supernatural beings kept popping up and I didn't believe it enough. Just shows this author has skill. I might read this one. Great review Audrey!
You got me with your comment "a great read for those ... looking for a book to take them away from thinking for a little while."
I can definitely use an easy read and this looks like a fun book. I think I'll see if I can get a hold of a copy. Thanks for the review!
Haha, this sounds like a great book for a rainy afternoon!
Thanks for cheering for me on the read-a-thon! Looking forward to many more reviews, read-a-thons and book-related extravaganzas!
Thanks for the superb review, brizmus! I love the sound of this one, I like me a fun paranormal :)
This book sounds like a lot of fun! Hopefully I get the chance to read it someday :P
Great review!
Oh, this sounds like fun! I need a few more light reads on my shelf.
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