The Story is About   +  young adult

Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade

Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade

Release Date: May 31, 2011
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 288
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Interest: Series
Other Titles in the Series: The Ghost and the Goth
Challenge: None
Buy the Book: Amazon

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.

Queen of the Dead was a delightful sequel!

After reading The Ghost and the Goth, I was eager to spend more time with Alona and Will. They continued to grow on me in Queen of the Dead. The story picks up right were we left off, and Kade threw some twists and turns in there, that I wasn't prepared for at all! Dramatic, funny and just a little bit of romance, it was the perfect read for a lazy summer day.

I love the dual perspectives in this story! It's great to see the real Alone and Will because what they project outwardly toward their environment isn't true to the people... er, person and ghost that they really are. This time around we really get to watch them focus on themselves and figuring out what the all ultimately means. They don't go about it in the most efficient ways, but that just makes it more fun to read about!

And after that ending... wowzers, I was speechless. I can't WAIT to read the next book!