Dead Books Review: Once Dead, Twice Shy

Title: Once Dead, Twice Shy

Author: Kim Harrison

Publisher: HarperCollins (USA)

Pages: 232

Summary: My name is Madison Avery, and I'm here to tell you that there's more out there than you can see, hear, or touch. Because I'm there. Seeing it. Touching it. Living it.

Madison's prom was killer—literally. For some reason she's been targeted by a dark reaper—yeah, that kind of reaper—intent on getting rid of her, body and soul. But before the reaper could finish the job, Madison was able to snag his strange, glowing amulet and get away.

Now she's stuck on Earth—dead but not gone. Somehow the amulet gives her the illusion of a body, allowing her to toe the line between life and death. She still doesn't know why the dark reaper is after her, but she's not about to just sit around and let fate take its course.

With a little ingenuity, some light-bending, and the help of a light reaper (one of the good guys! Maybe . . . ), her cute crush, and oh yeah, her guardian angel, Madison's ready to take control of her own destiny once and for all, before it takes control of her.

Well, if she believed in that stuff

Overall: 4.5 stars

Review:

Are you a dark reaper or light reaper?
Do you believe in choice or fate, because you can only choose one side.
But somehow Madison got stuck being on both.

Let me start by saying that I loved Once Dead, Twice Shy! It was one of those unique diamonds in the rough that told a story that was just dying to be written (pun intended). We first get introduced to Madison while she is trying to master “thought-touch” with her light reaper guardian, Barnabas. Barnabas was suppose to protect Madison from being killed by a powerful dark reaper but fail and is now trying to help her develop the powers she gain from stealing the amulet of the dark reaper that killed her. The beginning is a little confusing and you feel like you’re missing a lot of information, but you quickly become trapped in the new world that Madison has discovered she plays a big role in.

I loved all the characters in the book. Madison is like no character I have ever read before! From her short blond and purple hair to her unique way at looking at the world, she is a wonderful  voice to hear the story through. Grace, her guardian angel, was just so funny! She added some much needed humor to the dark elements in the story. Josh was a great love interest. I’m a big supporter of him and Madison. And I even grew to love Nakita, the dark reaper! I was so shocked at the big twist of events at the end of the book that I can’t wait to get my hands on the second book, Early to Death, Early to Rise!

I regret not picking this book up sooner. I had seen it on book shelves for so long and now I wonder why I continued to passing it up! You never know if that one book you keep passing by on the shelves is one that you will love. It’s all chance really. I pick up a book and I love it like a child! Is that fate bring me this book or was it my own choice of actions that lead me to finding it? Sometimes I believe in fate and sometimes I believe that my own choices bring me to the things I do, but I guess I would see myself as a dark reaper. That may sounds scary! But you guys should really pick up this book and see the what side you would fight for. It’s an adventure that kills ;)
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- Once Dead, Twice Shy -
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Order a copy!

- Other YA Books by Kim -
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Early To Death, Early To Rise (Madison Avery #2) (In Stores)
Something Deadly This Way Comes (Madison Avery #3) (Out April 8th, 2011)
Prom Nights From Hell (In Stores)