Author: Stacey Kade
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Release Date: June 7, 2011
Pages: 288
Source: ARC Tour
Date Read: March 16, 2011
Summary:
After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare - former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead - finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this - ugh - “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like.
Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello! She’s only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess.
Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately puts a check mark in the “clearly not” column. But Will is - ahem - willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea.
Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger, Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth.
After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare - former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead - finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this - ugh - “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like.
Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello! She’s only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess.
Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately puts a check mark in the “clearly not” column. But Will is - ahem - willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea.
Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger, Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth.
Yani's Analysis:
I was sooooooo excited to read this book and that might have been my undoing. I loved the first one so much I just wanted to jump back in to Will and Alona, but alas something is keeping them apart. This book felt so long yet so short at the same time. The whole book takes place in a span of a couple of days, so its very action packed and detailed. The characters are still amazing, I really LOVE Will and Alona together, but this second book is more about the back story. We learn more about Will's father and Alona's family.Still I just wanted to spend some alone time with Will and Alona, hopefully the third book can give me some more of that.
Also, this book has a little bit of a more serious undertone, the characters are growing up, finding things about the world they live in, its a little more realistic. There is so much more I want to say about the book, but I don't want to give anything away. I am very curious to see where Kade is taking the story, which has grown from a ghost love story to a more mature growth story of a girl who thought she had it all, but didn't know what she was missing and a boy who because of his special ability used to keep people out and is now finally letting them in.
The writing is amazing as usual. Kade really knows her characters and makes me feel like I know them too.
I can't wait till the third books comes out in 2012.... Gah thats a long time from now!
Ratings:
Plot: 4/5
Writing Style: 5/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Characters: 5/5