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Death Whispers (Death #1)

by Tamara Rose Blodgett (Goodreads Author)

3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 · rating details · 380 ratings · 80 reviews

Almost fifteen-year-old Caleb Hart is a Cadaver-Manipulator in the year 2025.

When teens receive a government-sanctioned pharmaceutical cocktail during school, paranormal abilities begin manifesting... making the teens more powerful than the adults.

After Caleb discovers he has the rare, Affinity for the Dead, he must do whatever it takes to hide it from a super-secret gover...more

Kindle Edition, Second, 367 pages

Published March 31st 2011 by Tamara Rose Blodgett (first published March 30th 2011)

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Mar 24, 2012 Lori rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-paranormal-romance, zombies, must-read, favorites

This book is so unique! I loved it.It was well written and lacked annoying typos, misspellings and general sloppy errors that I usually find in young adult novels (ebooks and hard copy books from large publishers alike). It is well written and I enjoyed that it was from the perspective of a young "man". I love Jonesy. He kept cracking me up! He is definately a boy after my own heart. Of course in real life I would probably hate him (I just don't like teenagers). But in this book they are not onl...more

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Aug 29, 2011 Once Upon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Its great as a reviewer when you have that chance and you find a diamond in the ruff. I believe strongly in reading Indie Authors and Self - published authors books, you can't imagine how many times I have read Amazing books from both ends. If we don't give the book a chance or author a chance these great books won't ever be discovered. So it pleases me to write my review for Death Whispers.

Death Whispers doesn't seems like its written by a unknown author, It has the quality of a big known auth...more

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Jun 19, 2011 ABookVacation rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really like this novel. I especially love that the main character is male, as more often than not, lead roles in YA literature are female (why is that?). I’ve been looking for something along these lines to promote reading among my male student for a while, and thankfully, I’ve now found it. With a main character that can raise corpses, how can you go wrong?

It is obvious that Blodgett spent a lot of time writing Death Whispers, perfecting the scientific and technological aspects of this futuri...more I really like this novel. I especially love that the main character is male, as more often than not, lead roles in YA literature are female (why is that?). I’ve been looking for something along these lines to promote reading among my male student for a while, and thankfully, I’ve now found it. With a main character that can raise corpses, how can you go wrong?

It is obvious that Blodgett spent a lot of time writing Death Whispers, perfecting the scientific and technological aspects of this futuristic dystopian novel. I was reminded of one of my favorite TV shows, Heroes, as I read. While many young adults will come into their special power during puberty, not all will choose to use their powers for good. And, with many new powers coming to light each year, the government, of course, is going to be on the lookout for any powers that may be politically important. One main difference, though, is that all young adults know that they may manifest these powers, and they are, therefore, subjected to a mandatory AP test to determine their placements in high school—which I think is a really ingenious idea that Blodgett incorporated into the novel, as it creates suspense in the terms that “big brother is watching you.”

As the synopsis states, Caleb has a very rare talent, as do a few of his friends, and it was really fun to follow the characters as they discover their different abilities and learn to control and hide them, especially as the ever looming government could easily swoop in at any moment. What I really love about these powers, especially Caleb’s, is that Blodgett doesn’t sugarcoat them. For instance, the corpses don’t come back as they were in life, but rather in their various stages of decompose, including the smell. It was really interesting to read about this, and Blodgett writes in such a way that the reader can easily visualize it (though thankfully not smell it!)...

To read my full review:

http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...(less)

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Jun 04, 2011 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought this story was amazing. The characters were each unique and well thought through. The future setting in 2025 was very believeable and consistent. The idea of having a male main character was fantastic. It wouldnt be the same if it was a girl, and with him being only 14 the way he spoke and acted was very believeable.

Very well thought through and cant wait for the next book in this series.

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Sep 13, 2012 Evan Peterson rated it 4 of 5 stars

*50 Book Challenge 2012, Book 38*
_Death Whispers_ by

After the bad taste left by my last foray into books provided for free on Amazon I surprised myself by jumping right into another one instead of a work or author already tried and true. I'm glad I did.

The most basic premise is this: imagine a world where government backed mapping of the human genome in 2010 leads to a vaccine all children receive that has the added bonus of giving most children a superhuman power during puberty. Now fast forwar...more *50 Book Challenge 2012, Book 38*
_Death Whispers_ by

After the bad taste left by my last foray into books provided for free on Amazon I surprised myself by jumping right into another one instead of a work or author already tried and true. I'm glad I did.

The most basic premise is this: imagine a world where government backed mapping of the human genome in 2010 leads to a vaccine all children receive that has the added bonus of giving most children a superhuman power during puberty. Now fast forward to 2025 where that world is a reality and our main protagonist, the son of one of the scientists responsible for this discovery, is in the 8th grade and discovering he has necromancy, one of the rarest, and apparently most mistrusted/dangerous/government-watchdogged powers a kid could develop (in fifteen years, the only other person known to develop this power, called "Affinity For the Dead" is taken by the government when his powers surface--leading to a lot of paranoia on our protagonist's part).

What we end up with is a YA novel about this kid and his friends dealing with first loves, friendships, burgeoning abilities, independence, abuse, trust, etc.

For most of the novel, I wasn't sold on why AFTD was a more dangerous or scary power than something with much more overt aggressive applications like pyromancy, weather control, etc. but it wasn't a distraction not being sold on it. I enjoyed the characters; I enjoyed their voices; I enjoyed their stories. This is a book I would read again. This is a book I'd suggest for others.

Not that I don't have quibbles:
Our protagonist's two best friends, "The J's." They're great characters, but I never felt like I got enough of a description of them physically to really picture them as I read along.

While they were thankfully sparse, the parts that drift into the reanimated dog's perspective were more distracting.

I thought the end was too easy, which makes sense on top of my only real quibble: the book ultimately doesn't confront and solve any of the kids' main issues. It superbly sets up storylines to come (I'm really looking forward to exploring the serial killer story responsible for all the child-ghosts that I see is at least part of book two, which I just bought) but didn't itself really have the most satisfying climax. Without spoiling specifics, it felt like we had a large, well-written lead-up towards a major confrontation between the X-Men and Magneto and instead we got a well-written lead-up to the minor first contact between the X-Men and Magneto. Now we know a real confrontation is inevitable, but what we got wasn't as big or as scary as it was built up to be. Even still, it doesn't diminish the over-all product for me, I just wanted it to be more and I hope book two is more satisfying when it comes to executing the pay-off for the things it builds up.

I give this first outing a solid B+. Comic book and paranormal lit fans are going to enjoy this.(less)

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Sep 04, 2012 Iona Macneil rated it 5 of 5 stars

Despite it being intended for a teen audience, I really enjoyed this book. The author has created a colourful and believable futuristic world full of rich characters.

Caleb and his friends, each with their own skill or paranormal power are constantly going off on new adventures that have you sitting on the edge of your seat to see how they are going to get out of the latest mess they've got themselves into. The scenes are beautifully descriptive or perhaps I should say macabre, you can easily pic...more

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Apr 16, 2011 Aaron Lewis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Stories with male leads aren’t normally my thing, and I wasn’t sure how far I’d get when I first started reading. But I was hooked by the end of the first page, and starting with a past event and then transitioning back to the present was what did it. It made me feel like the world inside Death Whispers had existed long before I’d opened the book, but at the same time I didn’t feel like I was struggling to catch up. Caleb’s memory of a disastrous day in Biology was the perfect place to start. It...more Stories with male leads aren’t normally my thing, and I wasn’t sure how far I’d get when I first started reading. But I was hooked by the end of the first page, and starting with a past event and then transitioning back to the present was what did it. It made me feel like the world inside Death Whispers had existed long before I’d opened the book, but at the same time I didn’t feel like I was struggling to catch up. Caleb’s memory of a disastrous day in Biology was the perfect place to start. It both gave valuable background information and set the stage for future events at the same time.

Since the story is set in the future there’s some pretty cool new technology involved that made the techie in me sit up and take notice. It took me a little while to catch on to some of the new gadgets, but the fact they were gradually introduced and explained in the story made it easy. Also, most of the new technology were very logical evolutions of existing technologies, which made it easier to follow along with.

The relationship between Caleb and Jade seemed very genuine. Tamara didn’t over dramatize the nerves or the fist steps of their relationship. She just set let it progress naturally which resulted in a connection between the two that seemed as real as that between any couple in any hallway of any high school in the U.S.

For me the best part by far was trying to connect the dots and figure out what was going on with all the other teen aged characters. Caleb was focused on the development of his own paranormal powers, but at the same time there were little bread crumbs being dropped about the other characters paranormal powers. Trying to figure out what the powers were before Caleb found out was a lot of fun for me.

Death Whispers was an excellent debut from Tamara Rose Blodgett that I recommend to teen and adult readers alike, but you'd better pick up your copy soon so that you're up to date when Death Speaks, the second novel in the Death Series, comes out this summer.(less)

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Nov 21, 2012 Audrey rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: never-again, not-worth-the-time, paranormal

Holy crap... So I can see where this story MIGHT be good... if the dialog wasnt SO boring. It's no where near well written. It COULD have been an awesome book. The story is original and interesting. I just really really cannot get past the he said she said and the random "cool" comments... It drove me insane!
Also, things like not explaining what the heck a "pulse" was till like the 3rd time it was used in the book. I didn't realize I should just KNOW what things were in 2025 or whatever year it...more Holy crap... So I can see where this story MIGHT be good... if the dialog wasnt SO boring. It's no where near well written. It COULD have been an awesome book. The story is original and interesting. I just really really cannot get past the he said she said and the random "cool" comments... It drove me insane!
Also, things like not explaining what the heck a "pulse" was till like the 3rd time it was used in the book. I didn't realize I should just KNOW what things were in 2025 or whatever year it is. Psh. I hate the parentheses everywhere. I hate how I'm just supposed to KNOW what things are. I strongly dislike the characters (VERY poorly developed) (Yes, I did just use parentheses twice in a ROW!) (OMG isn't this annoying?) There are sooooo many run on sentences and half sentences as well. "I know, I know, so not-cool, but they're not trying to interfere but look at it from their point of view." Really? And lets not get me started on the terms used... I understand they're teenagers but goodness. I don't understand half of what they're saying! Maybe I'm just getting old. This book sounds like it was writeen by a 15 year old. The characters are supposed to be what, 14-15 right? And are still having trouble with vocab words? Throughout the whole book, they're defining SIMPLE words for each other! It's ridiculous! Any attempts at humor in this book are totally lost on me as well.
There are holes in the story everywhere... I guess the author assumed I was smart enough to fill in the blanks. Or maybe it's a lame attempt at mystery. I'm really not sure. I'll just assume I'm not as smart as I should be.
The ending... just... uh... ended. No real solving of ANYTHING... just... well, the copter crashed and the reporter believed the whole crazy story because of some gouges in the dirt. The "ass-hats" called a truce. Blah blah blah... I'm so angry I had to suffer through this book just for that ending. Or lack thereof...
I just hate the book honestly. I wish it was written better. Guess we'll have to leave it at that!!

And honestly I usually agree with the ratings of other people... typically mine are about the same. HOWEVER.... I am thouroughly confused as to where these 5 star ratings come from on this book. This just... sucked (writing sucked, story idea was actually good)(less)

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Oct 09, 2011 Lace rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

It was a great book, but seemed to have lots of grammatical errors, and that REALLY bugged me. But I'm just very weird that way. Other than that, it was a great book, and I can't wait to get the second book in the series!

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Jun 10, 2011 Evie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Yes! Finally a story told from a male protagonist’s point of view! Ever since I read Patrick Ness’ Chaos Walking Trilogy, I was on the hunt for another book like that. I thought Ness did a great job in his book, but Tamara Rose Blodgett did an even better one! I was literally blown away by her writing style and flawless storytelling. Tamara, are you really an Indie writer? It’s really hard to believe that!

Random rambling aside, let’s get down to the plot!

The protagonist of this book, a fourte...more Yes! Finally a story told from a male protagonist’s point of view! Ever since I read Patrick Ness’ Chaos Walking Trilogy, I was on the hunt for another book like that. I thought Ness did a great job in his book, but Tamara Rose Blodgett did an even better one! I was literally blown away by her writing style and flawless storytelling. Tamara, are you really an Indie writer? It’s really hard to believe that!

Random rambling aside, let’s get down to the plot!

The protagonist of this book, a fourteen-year-old boy named Caleb Hart, discovers that he possesses a very rare paranormal power. He can raise and control the dead. This special power, called Cadaver Manipulation, might seem like a pretty cool and useful thing, but in reality it’s nothing but trouble. It’s a very unique quality, only one person before Caleb has been (un)lucky enough to have it and this person, well, let’s just say he didn’t end up well.

Caleb happens to be the son of the first scientist to map the human genome. When we meet him it’s year 2025, and the world sure has changed a lot. For one thing, the technology is super advanced now. People don’t use normal phones to communicate anymore, they “pulse” each other, which basically means that their phone devices were modified to pick up their thoughts and send them to whoever and wherever – instantly! (I personally think it was a totally brilliant idea!)

In eighth grade, all the kids must take the nationwide aptitude test to determine what kind of paranormal power they possess and how strong on the scale from 1 to 5 is it. Apparently puberty is the exact time when everyone has to get tested, because scientists have proven that that’s the time when the abilities come online. And what kind of abilities are we exactly talking about? There’s a wide range of paranormal powers you could have, from something as benign as Empath, Telepathy, Pyrokenesis, Astral-Projection to a more troublesome ones like AFTD. AFTD stands for Affinity for the Dead. This ability usually means that someone can communicate with the dead. However, in Caleb’s case, the ability manifests itself very strongly, not only can he hear the dead, but he can also animate them and control their actions. And like that wasn’t enough already, Caleb discovers that when someone/something is about to die, he can resurrect them. Although it sounds like a very useful ability, it might also be a very problematic one. Let’s not forget that we’re talking about a young teenager here. Caleb wants to go to school and hang out with his friends. Above all, he wants to be able to decide his own future. That, for sure, won’t be possible, if the government officials learn about his powers. No doubt he would be taken away from his family and forced to work for the government. It seems like the safest thing to do, is staying off the government's radar and ensuring that he won’t be discovered. But how to do that when the aptitude test is only a few days away?

I loved it! I genuinely loved it! Death Whispers in one of those “can’t-flip-the-pages-fast-enough” novels. The story flow is so natural and easy-breezy that your mind won’t even register the pages turning,. It’s as if you’re watching an episode of your favorite TV show or your best friend is telling you the most intriguing story ever! It gave me goose-bumps!

I can’t emphasize enough how wonderful the narrative voice is. The dialogs are so full of live and natural! Some authors seem to have a big problem with dialogs, they’re either too flat or way too overdone. For TR Blodgett writing from a 14-year-old-boy’s perspective seems to be as easy as breathing. Her writing is simplistic, easy to read and entertaining. I had so much fun devouring this book.

The characters are fantastic, too! They’re realistic, intriguing and vibrant, and it’s easy to get emotionally involved in their story. I especially liked Caleb’s parents, they reminded me of my parents in so many ways! My favorite characters, though, were the JJ’s – they were hilarious and I really liked how they supported Caleb.

Bottom line… I am a FAN!!!

Looking forward to seeing where TR Blodgett takes us in the next installment.(less)

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Mar 11, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

This book was enjoyable from start to finish. The start was a little slow for me, but the story was clearly going somewhere, making it easy to keep reading.

I loved the future that the author has envisioned because it is creepily realistic and seemingly could happen. I like that the book takes place far enough in the future that it separates the reader but close enough to current times to make the reader realize this could be a few generations from now.

The paranormal aspect of this book was trul...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Mallory Anne-Marie Forbes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Mallory Anne-Marie by: Joshua Cook

Shelves: august-2012-reads, august-reading-challenge-ntoyab, shrink-that-tbr-jul1-12-jun30-13, summer-reading-challenge-jun1-aug31, lpsummerreadchallenge

Reviewed for Free Book Dude for Aug. 27 2012

5 Stars!

I totally enjoyed this book and plan to immediately move on to the other books in the series. Author Tamara Rose Blodgett constructs an intricate framework in which her characters interact. Attuned to the adolescent patois, attitudes, and emotions, she skillfully draws both her young characters (most in eight grade and at or near puberty-a crucial factor in the plot) and the adults: parents, educators, school administrators, law enforcement per...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Tabitha Rowland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-reviewed

It was hard for me to decide of this book was a 3.5 or 4 out of 5.

The beginning was a bit slow for me and it took me a while to adjust to the tone. After a few chapters I had almost considered putting it on "the back burner" and starting a new book.

I'm quite glad I didn't.

I realized that the tone was supposed to reflect the age of the teens in the story, and I was judging too harshly. So I read on, and soon found myself quite addicted to the story line. I found myself really wanting to know what...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Logan Rutherford rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the best free book I have read, and it is better than most paid ones; Indie and Traditionally published alike. I loved how the story took place from a guys perspective. I'm a dude, and sometimes, reading all these YA books taking place from a chicks POV can get old (and unmanly). This is one of the most original books I have ever read. I love the different powers in the book world, and it makes me wish that all teens could get these powers in real life...almost. It was also cool to read...more

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Jun 03, 2011 Sherri Dub rated it 3 of 5 stars

For a debut book, this author shows promise.
I like the plot of the story that she was trying to weave together, but the (Point-of-view) needed to be a bit clearer at times. It nearly felt like "head-popping" was going on, due to the lack of quotation marks around many speaking parts for the first-person narration of Caleb.
There were definite formatting problems, too. But, those can easily be fixed.
I'm not much of a zombie fan, but I did like the concept of these kids having special powers. At ti...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Nichole rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-free

This was a wonderful story. I enjoy that it looks in to the future, and this isn't too far off the mark. This story follows a young boy and his friends through the end of school and beginning of summer. In this society, teens develop paranormal powers upon entering high school. This follows a group of kids, one who is extraordinarily gifted. I'm planning on buying the next book like...tomorrow! I can't wait to see what happens.
I also want to add I got this book free on amazon for my Kindle, and...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book has great potential and interesting ideas, but not quite there!

I like reading through a boy protagonist for a change yet Caleb as a character(or as a boy) didn't really do it for me. I felt as though the author tried too hard to write as...a boy perspective, so it felt forced or too much. I wish the focus was more on the Zombies actions and paranormal activities than the mundane things, such as Caleb's breakfast, what Jade is wearing in details, and other very not interesting events th...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Meghan rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is about a teenage dude named Caleb. In the not-so-distant future, his dad has found the genetical markers for cancer and "other things." The Other Things being paranormal stuff. Caleb gets the rare gift (or curse, depending on how you look at it) of AFTD, or Affinity For The Dead. After raising his dead grandmother he is told that he has strong powers. The only other known case of AFTD as strong as Caleb's is (was) Jeffery Parkers, who mysteriously disappeared, and is rumored to be wo...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Christy (Love of Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book

Let me start off by saying thank you to Tamara for the e-copy of Death Whispers. I actually had the book on my TBR list prior to winning it, so I was super excited to read it.

The story is set in the not too distant future when pubescent kids may or may not develop a paranormal ability, all thanks to government intervention. Sound fun? Not so much. When Caleb discovers he has one of the rarest abilities, all hell breaks loose. Turns out Caleb has Affinity For The Dead (AFTD), which means he has...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Alyssa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Was really cool to read a YA book with a male lead. Not something you come across every day. It was a good read, very true to life. Well, as about as true to life as a futuristic paranormal story can be. Lol. It was good though. Tamara didn't go all out futuristic to the point where you no longer recognize the world they live in. It's an interesting story, and I highly recommend this book and would love to read the rest of the series. I.love.Jonesy. Seriously. Can I just have him? He's so funny....more

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Jun 02, 2012 Mandy (I read Indie) Anderson marked it as to-read

Death Whispers is one I really wanted to get into...especially since it has so many wonderful reviews. But sadly, this one is just not for me. I believe I went in 150 pages, trying to make it work for me and it just wouldn't. But please do not let this stop you from reading it. Just because it wasn't for me does not mean you will not like it. Check out the other reviews...people rave about this one. But thank you Tamara for the chance to read your work and I am sorry I just could not connect wit...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Aussie Girl Book Lover rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-books

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started this book, apart from it being YA. What I got was a cool paranormal story set in the futuristic 2025 with awesome attention to detail from extreme recycling, to Pulses, the mobile phones of the future. TRB has the most amazing imagination!
In the future, the teenage population not only have to deal with puberty but the possible onset of paranormal powers like Empath, Pyrokenesis, Telepathy and Affinity for the Dead(AFTD-corpse raising) just to na...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Nancy (The Avid Reader) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: tamara-rose-blodgett, read-in-2013, read-feb-2013

Death Whispers is set in the year 2025 when all teens are given a vaccine that causes almost all of the students to develop paranormal abilities. Caleb Hart a fifteen year old boy learns that he has an Affinity for the Dead the rarest ability of all. Caleb must hide the fact that he has this ability from the government. Hiding his ability from the government and others as well is not as easy as it may seem. If the government finds out that his Affinity for the Dead is off the scale then they wou...more Death Whispers is set in the year 2025 when all teens are given a vaccine that causes almost all of the students to develop paranormal abilities. Caleb Hart a fifteen year old boy learns that he has an Affinity for the Dead the rarest ability of all. Caleb must hide the fact that he has this ability from the government. Hiding his ability from the government and others as well is not as easy as it may seem. If the government finds out that his Affinity for the Dead is off the scale then they would take Caleb and he would have to live in their labs so that they could study him and they would also make him work for them.

Affinity for the Dead means that Caleb can raise the dead and make them do what he wants them to do. He is their master. He also has the ability to put them back in their graves but sometimes he needs help from his girlfriend Jade and her paranormal ability. All of Caleb's friends have paranormal abilities as well. They have different abilities than Caleb and their powers are not as strong. Caleb is very smart for his age; he tries very hard to take care of Jade. Jade's father is an alcoholic and likes to use Jade as a punching bag. Jade was taken out of her father's home and sent to live with her Aunt. Caleb also watches out for all of his friends even the J's, John and Jonesy. The J's are like most teens that like to take risks and is always looking for something new to get into. They are very comical too. Always saying things to make you laugh.

Caleb and his friends are always being chased and running away from bullies. I never really seen anything that they had did to these bullies. You know anything that would give them a reason to chase them down and want to beat them up but I guess that is why they are called bullies. Caleb and the guys made themselves a real cool hideout. Somewhere they could go to hide from the bullies and hopefully a safe place to hide from the government also.

I really loved reading Death Whispers with all the action and twist and turns. I loved the twist on the walking dead. I mean these guys could talk well it wasn't like they could hold a conversation or anything. But they could say words though. The dead didn't walk around and kill people all the time although they could if Caleb gave the command. This was one great book. If you like reading about the walking dead then I think you would really love Death Whispers. I can't wait to read more about Caleb, the J's, Jade and all of the characters in the Death Series.(less)

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Apr 27, 2012 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: freebies, young-adult

The first thing that stood out to me about Death Whispers is that it's told from a male point of view! It was very interesting and different to be in the mind of a teenage boy. Even though I myself have never been a teenage boy, I thought the author did a great job capturing the teen boy essence, complete with smelly socks and an insatiable appetite! But Caleb isn't a normal teenage boy, even among those who develop paranormal abilities. He has a rare ability to raise the dead!

I loved the setup...more The first thing that stood out to me about Death Whispers is that it's told from a male point of view! It was very interesting and different to be in the mind of a teenage boy. Even though I myself have never been a teenage boy, I thought the author did a great job capturing the teen boy essence, complete with smelly socks and an insatiable appetite! But Caleb isn't a normal teenage boy, even among those who develop paranormal abilities. He has a rare ability to raise the dead!

I loved the setup of scientists finally unlocking the human genome and discovering latent supernatural/paranormal abilities coded there. These abilities now manifest at puberty due to some kind of shot all kids get, and Caleb has got the rarest of the rare of abilities. One that he must hide, or else the government may take him away to use his abilities for "political" purposes. Of course, Caleb is a bit careless with his power as the book moves along. Using zombies to fight off bullies and help build a hideout is not the smartest of moves. The zombie-gopher army was pretty awesome though!

One thing that I didn't like about this book was that it took place in "our world." Everything related to the paranormal abilities, and AP testing, came about because of President Obama's health care reform. It was only mentioned once, but I would have preferred this to have been set in a fictional government. I did like how some of today's stuff was considered old school (Hinder, phone numbers, books, etc). It's something I often think about, since technology and trends are always evolving. I thought those aspect were added in nicely.

This may be random, but I absolutely loved Caleb's mom! She's a cookie baking environmentalist, and doesn't let Caleb get away with using "gay" and "retard" as derogatory terms. You go, Alicia Hart!

While this book for some reason seemed longer than its 354 pages (there was a lot going on), I really enjoyed it. I loved how the different paranormal abilities were categorized and ranked based on strength. Watching Caleb discover all he can do was fun, exciting, and sometimes a little scary (Great Grandma!!!). There were themes of how much the government should be involved in our lives, and that great power needs to be used responsibly!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.(less)

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Jun 21, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a series review of the DEATH SERIES, by Tamara Blodgett. I struggled with a way to review each of these books without spoiling them and without becoming redundant. Tough job. So what I decided to do is, spotlight each book, then review the series as a whole.

This series has been on my radar for quite some time now. I actually bought DEATH WHISPERS last summer, I think, and planned to read it at some point. So when the author asked if I might review the series, I knew the time had come.

S...more This is a series review of the DEATH SERIES, by Tamara Blodgett. I struggled with a way to review each of these books without spoiling them and without becoming redundant. Tough job. So what I decided to do is, spotlight each book, then review the series as a whole.

This series has been on my radar for quite some time now. I actually bought DEATH WHISPERS last summer, I think, and planned to read it at some point. So when the author asked if I might review the series, I knew the time had come.

So what did I think of the DEATH series? I really liked it. The concept was original and smart. Basically, scientist mapped out the human genome and then developed the capability to expand paranormal abilities. Every school-aged child is given a drug cocktail that enhance said abilities. When the children reach puberty, their bodies aren't the only things to develop. Each teen's ability manifests in a different way. Some may become Empaths. Others may become Telepaths, or Telekenesis, or the biggie Affinity for the Dead(AftD). Caleb Hart, series hero, has AftD, and he's the son of the scientist partially responsible for the discovery. Lucky boy. Good thing Caleb has the "J's", his best friends John and Jonesy, and his new girlfriend, Jade. Add in supportive, if quirky, parents and Caleb has support on all fronts.

Beyond the original concept, I love how Blodgett expanded on the story. Caleb and his friends would struggle to survive and solve one complicated scenario, then another would crop up. The first book begins with Caleb, John and Jonesy trying to get the school bullies off their backs. Then they must avoid Caleb, because of his unique abilities, being exploited by the government. Even when Caleb gets out of hot water, the Greysheets are always watching him. And when he's not dealing with the Greysheets, Jade's abusive father is on his case. Oh, and the Affinity for the Dead ability? Not only is Caleb saddled with that, he is also a Cadaver-Manipulator. A necromancer. The dead that Caleb raise obey him, faithfully. He can use them to scare his bullies, or to ward off the bad guys. And sometimes, he loses control of his minions. Not good.

I mentioned the support cast, but they all play a huge role in the books. I really enjoyed Caleb. His voice felt very authentic. He was snarky and sarcastic, but also caring to those he loves. Throughout the series, Caleb is put to the test. He makes some dangerous, unwise choices at times, but mostly for the right reasons. His best friends, the J's, were very funny and always had Caleb's back. I adored Jade. Jade comes from a rough background. She has an alcoholic, abusive father. She was removed from the home and lives in the care of her aunt. A lot of people judge her, but Caleb only sees her for herself, a girl he's crazy about. Their caring, slow-building relationship was probably my favorite aspect of the story. Call me a romantic. Their relationship doesn't exactly go smoothly, though. Jacob's abilities, her family, and circumstances beyond their control put them to the test. And lastly, Caleb's parents, Kyle and Alicia. I found them to be funny, a great source of comic relief. And most importantly, they're present. They play an actual, big, part in the stories.

So...I do have to say that while I did like Caleb and the snark, it did begin to wear on me after a while. I just felt the internal and external quippiness was a bit much. But, to be fair, teenage boys are a bit much at times, so there's that. ;-) Also, Caleb likes the word "retarded". A lot. Like, he says it so much, it's like he's trying to make a point that he'll say it just because he can. I know words only have the power we give them, but I've never liked that one. So that did bug me. But, I will say that as the series progresses and Caleb matures, he does ease up on the annoying language.
Also, the villains sometimes felt a bit cartoonish to me.

The DEATH SERIES was, overall, a really fun, unique ride. The scientific aspect was clever. The characters were funny and memorable. The action never stops. I think this series would certainly be a hit with teens, specifically teen boys.
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Dec 07, 2011 Kimberly Spencer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

So after a long break from reading/blogging/fun in general (worst decision ever), I finally finished Death Whispers by Tamara Rose Blodgett. And yes my friends, it was amazing. I don't usually go for books with male protags, but I lurved this one. It was definitely a fun read ... a little creepy (The kids have a thing for cemeteries), but fun. I don't want to give too much away, but it's basically about a group of kids who manifest powers after a government sanctioned vaccine or something. Their...more

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Sep 13, 2011 Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-reviews

In Death Whispers by Tamara Rose Blodgett the human genome project has been finished and some amazing things were discovered. Human beings have the ability to harness paranormal powers! With this discovery the government becomes much more involved in everyone's lives as certain injections to help trigger these powers become mandatory. There are various types of power, but the rarest of all is affinity for the dead (AFTD). Caleb is a normal eighth grade boy, hanging out with his friends trying to...more In Death Whispers by Tamara Rose Blodgett the human genome project has been finished and some amazing things were discovered. Human beings have the ability to harness paranormal powers! With this discovery the government becomes much more involved in everyone's lives as certain injections to help trigger these powers become mandatory. There are various types of power, but the rarest of all is affinity for the dead (AFTD). Caleb is a normal eighth grade boy, hanging out with his friends trying to find the courage to talk to the girl he likes. That all changes in biology one day when the frogs they are dissecting begin speaking to him and he passes out. Still wanting to be normal he tries to hide his powers, but the specialized testing to determine the gifted kids will soon out him to the world.

The story of this book was fantastic. The thought that because his power is so rare and powerful that the government was going to snatch him away from his life and make him a virtual slave to their will provided a lot of motivation for Caleb's family to try to find a way to hide his talent. Even the fact that Caleb could be taken away from everything he knows however doesn't change that fact that Caleb is an eighth grade kid who just discovered he has some amazing abilities. He gets himself and some of his friends into trouble in a way that is totally believable for a kid to do.

The only real issue I had was the story being told through Caleb's eyes. He was well written and the dialogue pretty realistic for a kid his age, but there were times it got a little old. The system of powers and the sorting of them was ingenious. It is relatively simple so you don't need three glossaries to cross reference everything and understand, but it is a very complete system. This is a series that I will follow to find out how Caleb harnesses his powers and to learn more about the other abilities as well. Very well done especially for a first time author.

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Apr 20, 2012 John rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Death Whispers turned out much better than I was thinking. The idea of using the mapped genome to activate paranormal powers in children is a nice hook for the story. The kids seemed pretty realistic and were aware of their own limitations as kids. They still got in trouble but things with this level of weirdness of course it will happen. The middle school crushes and beginning relationship interests is done well. Though I must say Onyx the dog is one of my favorites. I loved how the author uses...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Gayle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, young-adult-books

I have mixed feelings about this book. I think YA sci-fi fans (especially those looking for a male protagonist) will really enjoy reading the whole series. As for me, I felt let down by the (non)ending of Death Whispers. Although I am now curious as to what the next book will bring to the forefront, I am not motivated enough to read it. I think I am just tired of being dragged into book series. But, that's me, and I think I would really recommend this series to the YA audience.

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Jan 26, 2013 Stacy rated it 5 of 5 stars

LOVE THIS SERIES!!!
I read the synopsis for this novel, the first in the 'Death' series, and since I love all things spooky and ooky, decided to give it a shot. After finishing this book, I ended up buying all the other books in the series! This was a completely different take on the paranormal teen genre - it is a little darker and grimier than the usual fare, and completely impossible to put down once you get started.
Highly recommend this series - a definite find!

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About Tamara Rose Blodgett

Tamara Rose Blodgett is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of dark, romantic new adult novels, including A Terrible Love and its companion novel A Brutal Tenderness under the pen name Marata Eros. A passionate writer who loves interacting with her readers, Tamara lives in South Dakota with her husband.

Tamara Rose Blodgett BLOG: tamararoseblodgett.blogspot.com
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