ARC Review: Queen Of the Dead

Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade

Series: Ghost and the Goth #2

Published by Hyperion

Release date: May 31, 2011

Genre: Ya

288 pages

What it's about:

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

My thoughts:
Ever since I finished reading The Ghost and the Goth last summer, I have been anxiously waiting for Queen of the Dead. I fell madly in love with the characters and couldn't wait to see what happens to them. The second book in the series did not disappoint.

What I love most about this book is the characters. I love how Alona is horribly bitchy and someone most people would hate to be around. Yet I love her. I love how honest and tough she is. She is a girl you do not want to mess with. I love how she can kick your ass without actually touching you. She grows so much in this book and I loved watching that unfold. This is the same for Will. Kade does a very good job of making Will a pretty realistic boy. The relationship is pretty interesting between Will and Alona. How does a goth boy and a ghost have a relationship? I love how Kade plays this one out.

There are new plot twists, characters, and past history in this book. Unanswered questions are being answered along with new questions being asked. For people like me who read GATG almost a year ago and may not remember all of the little details about what happened in it, Kade does a wonderful job of reminding the reader of what happened in the last book without dragging down this book with too much past reminders. She adds in just enough to get the readers mind working again and to remember what has already happened in the series. This is always an added bonus for me because I find myself needing the reminders without the story being dragged down.

I finished this book in two sittings. I had to know what happens! I can not think of any complains that I have for this book. It is a fantastic sequel to The Ghost and the Goth. Can't believe I'm going to have to wait for the next book! Gah!

My rating: 10/10