Guardian of the Dead

Aug 29, 2010 Milly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

If you enjoy reading about mythology, magic, supernatural beings, and learning about new cultures and folklores of other countries, and in this case New Zealand's, this is your cup of tea. And if you like reading about strong heroines and young adult romance, then you definitely need to grab this book.

The book is about Ellie, a teen attending a boarding school in New Zealand. In her obsession with a mysterious guy in school, Ellie finds herself with potential magical abilities and becomes invol...more

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Feb 26, 2011 Tehani rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: australian, ya, nz

This edition of the book suffers from a terrible case of cover fail - it's completely unappealing and does nothing to invite its intended audience (or ANY audience) to read it. I put off opening it for many months simply because it looked terrible. The font, the art and the design do nothing to make the book appeal, and that's a major disappointment, because it's a great story inside that terrible cover. Utilising local mythology, Healey writes engaging and interesting characters into an excitin...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Skyla rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kiwi-author, based-on-myth-legend, annoying-characters, lgbt, bored, books-i-own, book-throwing

Find this and more at my blog: http://happygolucky-skyla.blogspot.ca/

Coming into this book I had a very different expectation for how it was all going to go down. I was expecting something phenomenally awesome and what I got was something very lackluster and actually kind of generic.

The introduction of an asexual character was a good one but then not much was done with him and I felt like his character was significantly under used and under developed. In fact I found all the characters to be v...more

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Apr 20, 2011 Lawral rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, 2011

There is a lot to love about Guardian of the Dead. Here's the shortlist:

- a smart, kind of nerdy heroine
- the freedom/restrictions of boarding school
- use and explanation of Maori myth (by a white author who has the balls to point out in the text the colonial nature, possible inaccuracies, and just plain wrongness of Maori myth written down by white people)
- high school use of a university library, because serious shizz calls for serious research
- patupaiarehe (fairy-type creatures), on...more There is a lot to love about Guardian of the Dead. Here's the shortlist:

- a smart, kind of nerdy heroine
- the freedom/restrictions of boarding school
- use and explanation of Maori myth (by a white author who has the balls to point out in the text the colonial nature, possible inaccuracies, and just plain wrongness of Maori myth written down by white people)
- high school use of a university library, because serious shizz calls for serious research
- patupaiarehe (fairy-type creatures), one of whom is Titiana in Iris's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream -- because I'm not the only one who likes art to imitate life
- casual treatment of varying sexualities*
- a hottie who is half-Maori, half-...well, something else

and I could go on. But do you want to know what I loved the absolute most about this book? The ending. I won't go into detail (or talk about the "action" ending) because I don't want to ruin it for you (cause oh-my-gosh is it cool), but I can still tell you why I love this ending.

Things go crazy, Ellie falls in lurv which may become love in the future, and Ellie and love-interest have to save the world. It's life-changing, obviously, but Ellie doesn't let it derail her life completely. She doesn't possibly blow off her art school application (The Lost Saint) or get married right out of high school (Twilight Saga) or ditch her best friend in the face of tru lurv (Infinite Days) and harsh circumstances (Extraordinary) or even, and this is the big one, drop out of school in order to save the world which apparently cuts off the possibility of being a brilliant academic and instead becomes a mostly silent side-character in the round-up-the-loose-ends epilogue (Hermione. oh Hermione).

Instead, Ellie keeps going, gets excited about going to college and majoring in Classics, and tells love-interest that she'll visit him when she's on break. She simply takes all that she's learned from these life-changing events with her, because that's what smart girls do.

So, if you want to read an urban fantasy (a little light on the urban grit) or paranormal romance (a little light on the romance) that's headed by a smart girl, this is your book. It's also your book if you want to read the Maori Percy Jackson equivalent, a good boarding school romp, a murder mystery, a different kind of fairy book...

Book source: Philly Free Library

*How often do you see YA books with a teen character who is asexual? Not often. I'm not going to lie and say it's not a big deal at any point, but it is not THE big deal. And it is not a problem ever, except to the people crushing on the character. :)(less)

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Jan 04, 2011 Wendy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-take-it-or-leave-it

I give it 5 stars, because it was original, interesting and FINALLY not about vampires, werewolves, fairies and the lot. Although, the character DID attend a boarding school...yeesh. A main female character who wasn't a 125 lb. smart/cute/AP Class taking, SAT ace, doesn't know she's beautiful, has hot guys vying for her hand....Yeah, I mean you Bella, Nora, Bianca, etc..... If I gave it stars based how how much I liked it, or how I felt after reading the last page...2 stars.

Boarding school is s...more

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Feb 18, 2012 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ellie leads a typical life for a seventeen-year-old. She goes to class, hangs out with her best friend Kevin, wonders about Mark, her mysterious (and good looking) classmate. She has a black belt in tae kwon do and, after a night of ill-advised drinking with Kevin, she has also volunteered her time to staging fight scenes for a play at the local university. Even if it is being directed by Kevin’s oldest friend Iris who is annoyingly perfect and makes Ellie feel like an ugly, ungainly giant.

After...more Ellie leads a typical life for a seventeen-year-old. She goes to class, hangs out with her best friend Kevin, wonders about Mark, her mysterious (and good looking) classmate. She has a black belt in tae kwon do and, after a night of ill-advised drinking with Kevin, she has also volunteered her time to staging fight scenes for a play at the local university. Even if it is being directed by Kevin’s oldest friend Iris who is annoyingly perfect and makes Ellie feel like an ugly, ungainly giant.

After that things start to get less typical.

The news keeps talking about a serial killer. After a literal run-in with Mark Ellie is starting to see things. One of the actresses at the play seems to have an unhealthy interest in Kevin.

The more Ellie learns the more it seems like Mark might be at the center of all of the strange happenings around her and, stranger still, Ellie herself might have a role to play before it’s all over in Guardian of the Dead (2010) by Karen Healey.

Guardian of the Dead was selected as a finalist for the 2010 Cybils. Although it did not win the top spot it holds a special place in my heart as a personal favorite from 2010 and I am very excited I can finally post my review. (It is also set in New Zealand. As such, if you are not familiar with New Zealand school structure the beginning might be confusing, but don’t worry it all resolves itself quickly.)

Without giving too much away, the incorporation of stories and mythology–most notably traditional Maori myths–adds another dimension to the plot here–particularly the notion that stories shape us all. Much like traditional myths nothing is quite as it seems in Guardian of the Dead and, often, nothing works out quite as one would expect it too. Consequently the plot is rich and filled with twists and turns to keep even the most astute readers guessing.

It’s weird to say about a fantasy but Guardian of the Dead is extremely authentic when it comes to the characters and how they interact with each other. All of the characters, even the minor ones and the creepy ones, feel strikingly complex and well-developed in a very natural way. It all seems so real even as all of these improbable things start to happen to Ellie. Healey is really one of those writers that makes her craft seem effortless.

Ellie herself is also a joy. She is proactive and desirable and powerful throughout the story. Tall and ungainly she is athletic but also chubby. None of which is the point of the book or becomes over-emphasized because there is so much more to her. Which is such a realistic and healthy characterization even if it is one that doesn’t always appear in books.

Guardian of the Dead is everything I want to see in a Chick Lit Wednesday book and Ellie is everything I want in a heroine. Filled with mythology, action, wit, and even some romance Guardian of the Dead is a charmer that will leave you thinking even while it leaves you with a smile.

Possible Pairings: Plain Kate by Erin Bow, Unearthly by Cynthia Hand, Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry, Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones

Be sure to visit my blog for more Exclusive Bonus Content!(less)

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Oct 12, 2011 Claire rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: 8th grade is ok, and older

Shelves: high-school-and-beyond, guys-read, a-7th-and-8th-grade-middle-school-t, award-winner, high-school-fairs

The story is steeped in New Zealand myth and explores how the stories and myths we believe shape our lives and world.

After a horrible battle with cancer her mother survives and Ellie's parents celebrate with a long worldwide trip. (Interesting twist, eh? The parents are not killed off, they live! and go on a glorious trip- I like it)

Ellie, on the other hand, celebrates by going to a boarding school on the Southern Island of New Zealand, there she is best friends with Kevin (the georgeousest boy...more

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Apr 21, 2013 PickyReader rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventure, characters-with-magic-abilities, deliciously-dark, did-not-finish, fairly-tales-mythology, fantasy, girl-power, imma-survivor, lone-books, magic, murder-mystery, mystery, older-teenage-books, paranormal

This book did not particularly spark an interest in me. I liked the main character's involvement in the theater, and the elements of mystery scattered in Healey's writing style. That and the New Zealand culture in this book were the only parts I liked.

I wasn't overly interested in this book to be honest... The character was relatively flat. Her missing memory was pretty cool. The characters were not really full of life and jumping off the page, I think the author was more focused on the plot th...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, ya

Guardian of the Dead is not like anything you've ever read. Yes, it's a dark fantasy novel in a contemporary setting with teenage protagonists, and those books are overpopulating the world at present, but there's not a whiff of European monsters in here. The mythology she uses is Māori and incredibly well researched (complete with an afterword and a glossary at the end of the book). The heroine is uncomfortably overweight, and remains so even after the end of the novel. Nobody "fixes" it, either...more Guardian of the Dead is not like anything you've ever read. Yes, it's a dark fantasy novel in a contemporary setting with teenage protagonists, and those books are overpopulating the world at present, but there's not a whiff of European monsters in here. The mythology she uses is Māori and incredibly well researched (complete with an afterword and a glossary at the end of the book). The heroine is uncomfortably overweight, and remains so even after the end of the novel. Nobody "fixes" it, either by magic or by instilling self-confidence in her from an outside source. Ellie's best friend Kevin is asexual and just coming out to his closest friends in the beginning of the book, and it's never treated as a quirk or a gimmick. The whole thing is set in New Zealand, where Healey herself hails from.

The characters and relationships here are so diverse and complex, they're wonderfully realistic and clearly one of Healey's strengths. I would have been happy just to read a novel about the interactions between Ellie, Kevin, his friend Iris (for whom Ellie and her inferiority complex hold a jealous resentment) and Ellie's crush Mark. That is, actually, a large part of the first half of the book, combined with the slow mystery of what exactly Mark is hiding and the minor supernatural aspects just beginning to poke out.

In the second part, the supernatural aspects start to get bigger and we shift from the story of a girl in school dealing with normal things like friends and teenage emotions to a more epic "save the world" kind of plotline. The mythology Healey's drawn from is fresh and full of vivid imagery and the stakes are personal enough to reasonably motivate a scared teen, but in spite of the continuation of seemingly discarded plotlines or expanding on the occasional throwaway line from much earlier in the book, I felt like I was reading an entirely different story. It may have been simply because everything changed so much in scope, or it may have been because Ellie is no longer surrounded by the fascinating cast of secondary characters, but the second part of the book just didn't grab me and speak to me the way the first part did.

That being said, this is still very much a book worth looking at, even if it's only to meet the wonderful characters. It is, in fact, going on my shelf so I can re-read it later, because while I enjoyed some parts more than others, even my least favourite parts were well written and full of real emotion.(less)

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Jan 21, 2012 Lightreads rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, young-adult, lgbt

When you have as many TBR books as I do, it's hard to keep track of what came from where. If I had to guess, I'd say I got this book off a list of good LGBTQ young adult, or possibly a friend recced it due to the presence of an asexual character. The book isn't worth it just for that -- nothing is worth it just for checking a diversity box -- but it is worth it.

It's a lively bit of fantasy about a girl at a boarding school who -- you think you can fill in the rest of this one, and you can in br...more

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Dec 19, 2011 Kater Cheek rated it 3 of 5 stars

Girl goes to boarding school where she meets a cute boy who has mysterious powers. Wait, I know what you're thinking. I was thinking it too, but GUARDIAN OF THE DEAD is not a cookie-cutter YA novel.

Let's start with what I liked about this novel. First of all, Ellie Spencer, the protagonist, is a fully-fledged character. She has a back story, she has issues, and she has strengths. I really liked that she studied Tae-kwon-do, because it makes me happy when heroines are good at butt-kicking because...more Girl goes to boarding school where she meets a cute boy who has mysterious powers. Wait, I know what you're thinking. I was thinking it too, but GUARDIAN OF THE DEAD is not a cookie-cutter YA novel.

Let's start with what I liked about this novel. First of all, Ellie Spencer, the protagonist, is a fully-fledged character. She has a back story, she has issues, and she has strengths. I really liked that she studied Tae-kwon-do, because it makes me happy when heroines are good at butt-kicking because of long-practice at the dojo and not because butt-kicking came standard with the title of "action heroine." I like that she's self-conscious of her height, but that she learns to appreciate her traits by the end of the book. These are good traits for a heroine.

The novel takes place in New Zealand, a country I know very little about, and it deals with Maori legends and myths. I've seen this done with other cultures, in other novels, and sometimes it has a crammed-down-the-throat feeling, but here it felt as if the Maori origin myths were the truth of the world, and that they were just explaining the facts to us. The only hiccup were the pariapatuhe (misspelled, I know) which felt similar to European/English, Midsummer's Night-type faeries, and not just because of the play. The fact that they have an allergy to cooked food helped, but the red hair and green eyes made me think of the British Isles.

The only thing I disliked about this novel was that it got too dark, too fast. At one point, when Ellie is talking about how hard it is, she doesn't think she can save the world, etc., I found myself thinking "Yeah, this is going to end with your gruesome and pointless death" and I wanted to stop reading so that I didn't have to witness it. There was definitely a chunk in the middle/end that went much slower and almost stopped me. But then Ellie had some success and things started to look like they'd work out after all, and I kept reading.

By all rights, GUARDIAN OF THE DEAD should have thrilled me a lot more than it did. I did enjoy it, but it's not going to be on my list of favorites. This is a solidly written novel, creative, and action packed, with a likeable heroine and a worthy cause in an interesting setting. Sorry, book, it's not you, it's me. I do think there's someone out there who will adore you though. Lots and lots of them, especially young people.(less)

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Oct 12, 2011 Ducky rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: hard-to-finish, pnr-random

I really did like this book at first. Being the nerd that I am, I decided early on that I would give this book three, maybe even four, stars on Goodreads because the characters were fresh and the premise was intriguing. Sadly, that thought didn't last for very long.

First off, there was way too much complicated terminology. I'm pretty sure most people who pick up a book like this aren't well-versed in New Zealand folklore. I didn't understand what was going on half the time, even though the autho...more I really did like this book at first. Being the nerd that I am, I decided early on that I would give this book three, maybe even four, stars on Goodreads because the characters were fresh and the premise was intriguing. Sadly, that thought didn't last for very long.

First off, there was way too much complicated terminology. I'm pretty sure most people who pick up a book like this aren't well-versed in New Zealand folklore. I didn't understand what was going on half the time, even though the author spent a considerable amount of time describing creation folklore. While these stories were interesting (there was one about a woman who was punished by the moon because she stubbed her toe on a tree on a moonless night), they just added to my ever-growing confusion. There were parts of this book that were well-written, but I'm choosing to harp on the annoying bits.

Character-wise, we have Ellie Spencer and Mark Nolan as the leads. Right off the bat, Mark is described as a brooding, mysterious loner with a potentially dangerous secret - sound familiar, anyone? I managed to shove this aside in the beginning, but as soon as the whole I'm-a-monster-so-I-don't-deserve-you crap started, I was ready to chuck this book across the room. Ellie wasn't much better. At first, I liked her character because she had a black belt (so. cool.) and wasn't stick thin. Unfortunately, she destroyed my good opinion of her by whining about her few extra pounds in every single chapter. Oh, she even says that seeing Mark struggle with his self-loathing is a huge turn-off - hypocritical, much?

Kevin, the best friend, is asexual. I didn't even know that was a thing...Anyway, this makes no sense because he immediately starts lusting after this creepy lady. Basically, there were a lot of gaping holes in the plot line. I found myself wondering what in the world was going several times while I was reading - that's never a good sign. The author skipped around and left me hanging on more than on occasion. Needless to say, that irked me a little.

The ending slightly redeemed the book, thankfully. It was somewhat uplifting, but nowhere near perfect. Don't get me wrong, I typically love and-they-all-lived-happily-ever-after endings, but perfect wouldn't have worked for this story.

So. I liked it, but then I didn't like it. That about sums it all up.(less)

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Oct 04, 2011 K. Bird rated it 4 of 5 stars

Like another reviewer, I was reluctant to read this book because the cover and title were a bit off-putting.

However, I am glad I soldiered through. I gobbled up the story inside. Coming from someone who is easily bored, and who has read extensively in the YA Fantasy and Urban Fantasy genre, this book will keep your attention.

Ellie Spencer's parents are on an extended trip to celebrate her mother's recovery from cancer, leaving Ellie no choice but to change high schools to a boarding school on th...more Like another reviewer, I was reluctant to read this book because the cover and title were a bit off-putting.

However, I am glad I soldiered through. I gobbled up the story inside. Coming from someone who is easily bored, and who has read extensively in the YA Fantasy and Urban Fantasy genre, this book will keep your attention.

Ellie Spencer's parents are on an extended trip to celebrate her mother's recovery from cancer, leaving Ellie no choice but to change high schools to a boarding school on the South Island of New Zealand.

So not only does she have to make new friends, she has to do this while feeling unsure of herself and her changing body.

Luckily she has one friend, a gorgeous hunk named Kevin who has just confessed to being asexual, and who has shanghaied her into helping block fight scenes in the production of Midsummer's Night Dream he is currently working on.

Meanwhile, there is a serial killer loose who is killing seemingly random victims and taking their eyes, and Ellie has just gotten "noticed" by a handsome school loner, and she is starting to waken to a world of myths living right alongside ours.

Maori myths. Familiar, yet strange, to this Usian reader familiar with United States First Peoples' stories, the weaving of Maori legends, words, and culture into this is the strongest aspect of the story.

Ellie is great, too, and a completely believable, not all-powerfully attractive protagonist. Her relationship with the mysterious loner skims the line between romantic and believable in a great way. (I especially loved the "we can't touch eachother" because I have a tapu magic bag part, much more interesting than manufacturing ancient angst to explain why the hero and heroine can't come together)

The first part of the book where Ellie is at school figuring out the mysterious loner and dealing with friendships was definitely the best part of the book. Once she travels to the North Island and meets up with tons of mythological beings and gets wrapped up in Maui's fish hook and the Maori queen of the dead things became a bit fuzzier for me.

Still, I would totally read any subsequent book.

Don't be turned off by the cover, this is a great story.

This Book's Food Designation Rating: A plain-looking shortbread that when you put into your mouth melts in a golden pool of sweetness with a hint of exotic spice infused into the cookie.(less)

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Sep 24, 2011 Kay.Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

A fantastic first novel! Karen Healy has employed several classic concepts to create a work of pure fantasy. The story follows Ellie Spencer, an overweight year thirteen Mansfield College student who is completely ‘normal’… or so it was until she ran into mystery boy Mark Nolan. Between falling in love and stressing about the coming exams something bigger is taking place around her and occupying her thoughts; the fate of New Zealand’s North Island. Maori Faeries are plotting to regain their immo...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I feel a little ill-equipped to write a review on the book. I read all of it and found the Maori legends interesting if not a little disturbing. I can say the same for Greek mythology, however, so there is no strike against the book on that one. Although written in plain English, the author is clearly from New Zealand (or maybe Australia?) but the language has its quirks. Like Americans might call a great car a "sweet ride" and someone who understands the language might look for a sugar coated c...more

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Jan 17, 2011 Jan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teenbooks, fantasy

Guardian of the Dead, by Karen Healey
Ellie Spencer is just an average girl at boarding school in New Zealand. But suddenly, her best friend Kevin is pursued by Reka, a beautiful, but deadly otherwordly creature knonw as a patupaiarehe, or a Maori fairy of the mists. Reka wants to have sex with Kevin, who is currently asexual--more's the luck--and have his baby so that she can keep her line from dying out. To add to the suspense, there's a serial killer called the Eyeslasher on the loose who's ki...more

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Dec 30, 2010 Abigail rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, second-half-2010

I started reading Karen Healey at her blog on Girl-Wonder.org, Girls Read Comics! (And They're Pissed). I liked her writing style and learned and awful lot from that blog. Several months after it became defunct, I found Karen's livejournal and have been lurking like a creepy lurker (I don't mean to, I forget to introduce myself because I'm shy like that). And I was really, really interested in picking up her debut book.

(Tangent time!) In August I took a trip to British Columbia to visit a frien...more

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Dec 30, 2010 Karissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought this book sounded interesting when it first came out but have been holding off on reading it because of mixed reviews. Well I agree, I had a lot of mixed feelings about this book. The first 200 pages are 3 stars, they are pretty boring, not a lot going on. But the last 150 pages are absolutely awesome.

Ellie is at a boarding school in New Zealand and agrees to help choreograph some of the fight scenes for the play her friend Kevin is in. On her way there she see a woman emerge from the...more I thought this book sounded interesting when it first came out but have been holding off on reading it because of mixed reviews. Well I agree, I had a lot of mixed feelings about this book. The first 200 pages are 3 stars, they are pretty boring, not a lot going on. But the last 150 pages are absolutely awesome.

Ellie is at a boarding school in New Zealand and agrees to help choreograph some of the fight scenes for the play her friend Kevin is in. On her way there she see a woman emerge from the mist; a woman whose eyes are completely black. It ends up that this is the same woman that is starring in the play Ellie is helping with. Then Ellie literally runs into a handsome guy named Mark Nolan and after that she starts seeing things. Mark is wrapped up in something mysterious and Ellie is about to be pulled into the melee. In the end it may be up to Ellie to save the world.

Okay, let's talk about the first 200 pages of the book. It is easy to read and written okay, but not a lot happens. There is a little mystery here and there but mostly the first 200 pages are kind of a yawner. Ellie spends a lot of time complaining about how overweight she is and, when she isn't doing that, she is either complaining about being hungry or snacking on vending machine candy. I had a hard time having a lot of sympathy for her and mostly thought she was kind of pathetic. I didn't really love all the characters that much and about the third time Mark broke into tears because he was over emotional about something it was all I could do to keep my eyes from rolling out of my head.

Now the last 150 pages of the book were pretty much completely different. Ellie is on a quest to save New Zealand. This part of the book is all about the really unique and interesting mythos of New Zealand. Ellie becomes someone to be admired, she grows a backbone and does what needs to be done. This change wasn't really gradual, it isn't something Ellie grows into, it just happens. This part of the book was awesome and I adored it.

The ending is really interesting, but gets a bit confusing at parts, some of it is a bit abstract which I enjoy that in my books because it makes me think harder about what is going on. The book ends well and wraps up the story nicely. Basically I ended up absolutely loving the complexity of the characters and the plot for the last part of the book. I loved it so much that it almost made me forget how boring the first part of the book was. So...basically I guess this book just had really poor pacing.

Overall I ended up liking the book. The beginning was a drag but if you can struggle through the first 200 pages then you are in for a creative, complex, and very interesting treat. Will I read more books by Healey? At this point I am not sure, this book was just too inconsistent, so I would probably wait to read reviews before I picked up another book by her.(less)

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Sep 04, 2010 Dwayne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reads, for-review

Reviewed @ Girls Without a Bookshelf.

It's not often in young adult literature that find myself immersed in a completely brand new culture, but while reading Guardian of the Dead I find myself in exactly that. Karen Healey's novel brings to vivid life the richness of Maori culture, painting myths and beliefs in strokes so detailed, it had me captivated from beginning to end.

I am a language and culture enthusiast, but I have not quite grasped what Maori culture has to offer until I read this book....more Reviewed @ Girls Without a Bookshelf.

It's not often in young adult literature that find myself immersed in a completely brand new culture, but while reading Guardian of the Dead I find myself in exactly that. Karen Healey's novel brings to vivid life the richness of Maori culture, painting myths and beliefs in strokes so detailed, it had me captivated from beginning to end.

I am a language and culture enthusiast, but I have not quite grasped what Maori culture has to offer until I read this book. Guardian of the Dead gives such exquisite detail to Maori mythology the book itself takes almost a magical quality. I felt that thrill I remember feeling as a child listening to the re-telling of various legends and myths. Maori mythology is epic - it's a story on a large, grand scale. My reading was two-fold; I was reading to learn about Maori mythology from the perspective of someone being introduced to it the first time, and reading to align said mythology to the plot. Like any, Maori mythology is, at times, violent with grim and bloody images. It's troubling, it's creepy, it's beautiful. But it's also solid, and it's unique.

Apart from Maori mythology woven into the plot, the uniqueness of Guardian of the dead also springs from its diverse characters. From Samia, Ellie's religious muslim friend, to Kevin, her asexual best friend, the characters in this book depict the portrayal of a multi-cultural society and more. Ellie Spencer herself is a three dimensional character whose strength, determination and honesty drew me towards her. Her insecurities are relatable, her actions understandable - her attributes reflect those of whom I see myself hanging out with. These characters are also connected to the mythology and the twists surrounding that adds further to the intricacy of this book. I am also a fan of the romance in this book - I like how it was not the whole focus of the story, but it's a strong part of it. Ellie and Mark are two wonderful puzzle pieces together, developing from barely friends to trusting partners. And while the ending is not exactly happily ever after, it's plausible, it ties the plot neatly and is open to further exploration. It's one of those books that is excellent as a stand-alone, but I'd a sequel for.

While reading, I found the narrative to be fragmented at first. However, that was soon rectified and explained, and it was a smooth flow from hence. I think it's worth noting that there are a lot of Maori terms in this book, so unless you're familiar with them it is easy to be confused. At first I felt as if the book was written for those who already knew Maori mythology - or Maori words at least - but as the plot deepens, it becomes clear that readers do get an in-depth explanation of a lot of things. I still ended up having to search online for meanings - but rest assured, there is a glossary at the end which lists and explains these. However, I usually avoid looking at the end pages before reading as I am weary of spoilers, so I did not notice the glossary until after reading. It would have been nice to know the terms beforehand, but I suppose a re-read won't do any harm, would it?

With an epic mythology, a great plot and diverse characters, Guardian of the Dead should be enjoyed by everyone, fan of mythologies or not. If you're a culture enthusiast, a YA lover and are interested in the coming together of the contemporary and the ancient, this book is made for you!
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Jun 05, 2010 Rachael rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ellie Spencer is just another ordinary teen at her New Zealand boarding school—or so she thinks. But her easy days of hanging out with friends (okay, friend) and doing homework become a thing of the past when she crashes headfirst into a world of what should be a fiction. Ellie’s excitement over interacting with her crust turns to confusion when he turns out to be not who—or what—she expected. Then Ellie’s best friend Kevin starts acting strangely about a mysterious and possibly sinister new cas...more Ellie Spencer is just another ordinary teen at her New Zealand boarding school—or so she thinks. But her easy days of hanging out with friends (okay, friend) and doing homework become a thing of the past when she crashes headfirst into a world of what should be a fiction. Ellie’s excitement over interacting with her crust turns to confusion when he turns out to be not who—or what—she expected. Then Ellie’s best friend Kevin starts acting strangely about a mysterious and possibly sinister new cast member of the play he’s working on. Something weird is afoot, and though Ellie wants answers, they will cost her because there’s a whole new playing field now. And whether Ellie knows it or not, she’s now a part of an ancient and deadly battle of epic proportions.

I was very impressed by debut author Healey’s fantastic Guardian of the Dead. It is so much more creative, complex, and fascinating than I ever would’ve thought. The reader starts off just as clueless as protagonist Ellie regarding a secret world that is mostly revealed by the end of the book. Every layer that is peeled away revealing yet another secret makes this novel so intriguing to read. The unique paranormal element incorporated into this story and the unpredictable make the story so enjoyable. One of the defining elements of this novel is the inclusion of Māori myths. Healey literally brings them to life, and this is wonderfully done. I don’t think I can reiterate enough how much I liked this wholly original novel. It has everything from believable characters and mystical monsters to romance and tragedy. The selling point is that all of this done well and in a way that meshes easily with the rest of the story.

Guardian of the Dead is sure to be enjoyed by those who liked the A Great and Terrible Beauty trilogy by Libba Bray, The Named trilogy by Marianne Curley, and the Midnighters trilogy by Scott Westerfeld. I greatly look forward to more from talented new author Healey.

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Jun 05, 2010 Ellz Readz rated it 4 of 5 stars

My thoughts...Guardian Of The Dead is a fast paced, edge of your seat YA thriller. It is packed with suspense, folklore, and mythological creatures.

The story, which takes place in New Zealand, begins with the heroine Ellie, attending boarding school. She is a strong character with imperfections. Ellie is not your typical drop dead ggorgeous, rail thin heroine. She is a bit conscious of her weight, but she is very talented in the martial arts. The other characters served their purpose in buildin...more

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Apr 29, 2010 Melani rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mythic, horror, fantasy, favs

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Karen Healey’s Guardian of the Dead is excellent. If you like stories, enjoy debates about the affects of stories on our lives, if you like good fantasy, or scary fairies then you need to read this book. I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone I know, even if they don’t fit those categories. It’s just that good.

If I were to describe it: it’s an amalgam of Tam Lin, Beauty and the Beast and mixed with Maori legends and super awesome.

I have one minor nit-pick to get out of the way before...more Karen Healey’s Guardian of the Dead is excellent. If you like stories, enjoy debates about the affects of stories on our lives, if you like good fantasy, or scary fairies then you need to read this book. I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone I know, even if they don’t fit those categories. It’s just that good.

If I were to describe it: it’s an amalgam of Tam Lin, Beauty and the Beast and mixed with Maori legends and super awesome.

I have one minor nit-pick to get out of the way before I start gushing, and it’s more of a copy type deal. I get annoyed when foreign words are italicized in the text. Not sentences, but the individual words. For example, “She is ma belle.” I feel it gives unwarranted emphasis to that particular word and it throws me from the rhythm of reading. However, I understand it’s a trope of written English so I deal. The problem I had with Guardian of the Dead is that some of the Maori words are italicized and some are not. I get the feeling that the words that are not italicized are in common use in New Zealand English, but I’m American and those words are still foreign to me. (This is another reason the trope bugs me. English is different, in some places one word has entered into common usage, and in other places it is still a foreign word.)

So what did I love? Ellie is this strong formidable rock of a character. She has her insecurities, but they never dominate. She deals and moves on. I love her. She’s capable, she kicks ass (literally) and yet you get the feeling that violence is always her last resort, she’s smart if perhaps unmotivated.

Perhaps my favorite character was Iris. She’s an awesome secondary female character. Not the best friend, not the villain, just another character who shows up, is an important part of the book and is awesome and female. And I think that’s pretty rare in YA books. You have the main female, occasionally a female villain, and then perhaps a best friend who often disappears early on, or is not important to the plot. Occasionally there might be a minor, minor female, often in the form of an authority figure. Iris is none of these. And yet she’s important, and amazing. And I think every time she said or did something in the book I thought, “I LOVE HER”. Yes, in all caps.

And then there’s the ending. Healey is not one to ascribe to the belief that evil can be fought and then everything rubberbands back to goodness and light. Stopping the horrible takes sacrifice, and it changes you. There is loss, but also gain. And magic is not the cure-all. There are issues in using it, especially to make others do things. Ellie has her memory erased early on and it’s jarring and Healey does not shy away from the issues with violation anytime that happens; including when Ellie has to do something similar herself. And can I just input that I love how Healey wrote the memory erasing, and all of Ellie’s interactions with Mark up to the point she broke the spell. There’s an element of uncertainty that really comes across. Though you, the reader, know what’s going on, you’re also not quite sure just how far Mark’s influence goes. And it’s creepy.

There’s a strong theme of consent that runs through the book. Ellie gets most angry at Mark (the love interest and so much more) when he denies her knowledge and thus impairs her ability to consent to love him.

Look I’m going to stop spoiling it, just go out and read it.(less)

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Aug 02, 2011 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Guardian of the Dead is a YA novel by Karen Healey from Little, Brown Books.

Book Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Ellie Spencer is just like any other teenager at her boarding school, until a beautiful yet eerie woman enters Ellie’s circle of friends and develops an unhealthy fascination with her best friend, Kevin.

Ellie herself has an unhealthy fascination - a handsome boy named Mark who seems to have put a spell over her.

As shocking revelations and lusts unfold, Ellie finds herself plunged into a ha...more

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Jul 10, 2010 Rian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, speculative-fiction, fantasy

Keeping this one short, but a definitely enjoyed this book. I would have given it five stars if the pacing had been a bit better: I spent the first half of the book very interested, but not entirely sure where everything was going. Healey seemed to have this cloud of exciting events that weren't quite related to each other; but in the middle of the book things exploded in action and kept getting better from there, so I can't entirely fault it. Still, the first half of the book and the second hal...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I started this book expecting a fairly common plot: teenager discovers she has magical powers and must use them against a supernatural threat. Much to my delight, however, Karen Healey did all sorts of uncommon things with it. For one thing, the story is set in New Zealand, and no, it doesn't have the same feel as a fantasy set in the U.S. or the U.K. It involves Maori mythology—this necessitated a bit of an expository lump, but nothing too horrible (there's a glossary of Maori terms at the back...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Stephanie Jobe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Yes, I finished this is one sitting finishing at 4 am. Yes, that means I loved it. Someday I will catch up with all the books I have (yeah, right). This one is signed hardcover from ALA, swoon (wish I could go this year). I like the cover of this book, it is relevant but mysterious, just like the title. The thing that truly set this book apart and intrigued me was the New Zealand setting with the Maori flavor. Not only do I have a thing for tattoos and thus a curiosity about the Maori culture bu...more Yes, I finished this is one sitting finishing at 4 am. Yes, that means I loved it. Someday I will catch up with all the books I have (yeah, right). This one is signed hardcover from ALA, swoon (wish I could go this year). I like the cover of this book, it is relevant but mysterious, just like the title. The thing that truly set this book apart and intrigued me was the New Zealand setting with the Maori flavor. Not only do I have a thing for tattoos and thus a curiosity about the Maori culture but I also just love to read about mythologies that are unfamiliar to me.

Ellie is seventeen years old, insecure about her body and stuck at a boarding school while her parents travel the world. Most of her time is spent with her best friend Kevin, but when running into her crush Mark triggers something inside of her, life begins to change quickly. Maori myths are alive around her but some of them mean her harm. Who can she trust and who can she protect?

I liked Ellie, I saw a lot of myself in her, but I'm going to go ahead and cover the one thing that felt weird to me: appearances. Ellie I started out seeing as maybe a little farther into the "my life style has changed and my clothes aren't fitting as well as they used to" stages than I currently am. However I felt like as the book progressed her self esteem got slightly better but the descriptions made her seem larger. Also Reka and Mark have their reasons for being so gorgeous but everyone is gorgeous: the entire cast of the play, the teacher... okay yes the dorm officer and some of the people at the gathering aren't but its a little much. I mean I can remember being in high school and thinking that so many people were prettier than me, but this is a bit extreme because we know that Ellie may not be gorgeous but she is not horrendous. Okay my brief rant over. Honestly this didn't bug me that much but it did irk me a little.

Everything else I loved. I loved the friendship with Kevin, we're not sure how we got here but it doesn't matter because we're here and the rough times balanced with the power of their trust. The awkwardness with Mark was so good that I relived all of my awkward middle and high school crushes at once, particularly the ones where I said things without thinking. I think all of Ellie's emotions were done really well: the moments of fear of things both supernatural and natural, the jealousy, the attraction, all dead on. The mythology was total win. Healey points out that this is only a very narrow take with a unreliable narrator on a small sampling of this rich culture. If she were to have tried to give us in depth knowledge there wouldn't have been room for the story I get that and the way she made the mythology work, not as the only one but as one of many makes the interpretation of it all through the eyes of someone like Ellie all the more valid.

Okay gushing complete. Now I am off to read my ARC of The Shattering by Karen Healy (I'm just a little behind *ahem* almost a year).(less)

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Mar 19, 2012 Cristy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: faeries, gods-goddess, magic, paranormal-supernatural, mythology

So…first off, I started this book with no prior knowledge of New Zealand (aside from its beauty and proximity to Australia) and in all truth, I didn’t originally even realize the book was set in New Zealand. So what did I know? Well, the quick cover sleeve summary mentions: high school kids, mythology, serial killings and even some kind of a Bible reference and soul saving... oh and Māori (not that I knew what that was). So going off all that, plus the books title GUARDIAN OF THE DEAD, I thought...more So…first off, I started this book with no prior knowledge of New Zealand (aside from its beauty and proximity to Australia) and in all truth, I didn’t originally even realize the book was set in New Zealand. So what did I know? Well, the quick cover sleeve summary mentions: high school kids, mythology, serial killings and even some kind of a Bible reference and soul saving... oh and Māori (not that I knew what that was). So going off all that, plus the books title GUARDIAN OF THE DEAD, I thought cool, I’ll bite...A new paranormal/supernatural read of some kind, from a new author, lets give ‘er a shot. And I am pleased to report that my gamble paid off.

GUARDING OF THE DEAD was a very good read.. Did it “HOLY COW!” blow me away? I really wanted it to but it came up just shy of that; although it was an intriguing, solid and unique story that held my attention with a cast that I actually cared about. More of a quite champion, starting off by grabbing my interest with the characters themselves; then by the time we got to the actual “otherworldly” stuff, I was already so enthralled by Ellie that I was flying through the story. Basically weird stuff happens and we the reader, get to figure it all out alongside our charmingly less than typical protagonist. And though it did take a little time for me to puzzle-out the supernatural origins and where things were headed for our heroin; it may become clearer faster for those with some background knowledge of New Zealand fairy tales and Māori mythology. Either way, Karen Healey’s somewhat creepy and definitely special debut, GUARDINAN OF THE DEAD is one I’d recommend to anyone looking for something “new” in the world of mythology and spooky folk lore.

*Bonus Time!* For those going into this read naive to anything Māori (like I was), Ms. Healey was kind enough to provide a Glossary of some of the Māori names/terms that are used throughout the story… unfortunately, the Glossary is at the very back of the book and went unnoticed by me until it was too late. So be sure to put it to use, if you start to get a little lost in the language.
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May 18, 2011 slayra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, in-english, ya-uf-and-pnr

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. RATING: 3.5 stars

Another rather welcome breath of fresh air in the YA Urban Fantasy world, "Guardian of the Dead" was a fast, interesting read.

Ellie Spencer transferred to a boarding school when her parents decided to go on a trip around the world. Even if she had to leave her old world behind, Ellie has done good for herself as she's even friends with one of the most popular guys in school. Her life is pretty typical and tragedies like the gruesome murders happening all over New Zealand seem di...more RATING: 3.5 stars

Another rather welcome breath of fresh air in the YA Urban Fantasy world, "Guardian of the Dead" was a fast, interesting read.

Ellie Spencer transferred to a boarding school when her parents decided to go on a trip around the world. Even if she had to leave her old world behind, Ellie has done good for herself as she's even friends with one of the most popular guys in school. Her life is pretty typical and tragedies like the gruesome murders happening all over New Zealand seem distant... until strange things also start happening near her.

Sounds like your typical YA Urban Fantasy? Well, it's not exactly. First of all there's Ellie; she is different from most female protagonists as she is admittedly not fit and she's too tall and unfeminine (or so she says). Usually heroines are skinny and fashionable even when they're not 'popular' so Ellie seemed much more real to me. I mean it would be great if everyone could be model-like (or not), but that's not the reality. And although Ellie wasn't perfect and she had her moments of self-doubt, she also accepted herself, which I thought it was great. I liked the overall portrayal of teenagers in this book. It was, again, more realistic than in most YA books.

The story was slow to start and at first the supernatural elements were scarce. Then the author decided to have Ellie and Mark (the male lead) conduct a weird info-dump session that, granted, explained a lot... but left people who've never heard of New Zealand's myths (like me) a bit confused. I felt like I needed more information since those stories were new to me. The reader is plunged into the world of Maori Mythology and some concepts are not properly explained.

Also, there were parts of the story that seemed quite open to the reader's interpretation... I didn't quite get if the Maori myth was the true Creation myth or if myths in general only gained power through people's belief. I think it's the second option, but I'm not really sure because the author didn't made it very clear. She also didn't expand on the magic system in her world.

So, basically, the author had a phenomenal idea and I loved the story and Ellie too, but I felt there were parts that could have been better developed and/or explained.

Still I recommend this book to everyone who wants to read something different in the YA Urban Fantasy genre. (less)

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Jun 23, 2011 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, fairies, mythology, ya, bad-cover

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 01, 2011 Bdalton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: around-the-world-ya-booklist, young-adult-fiction

This is the second William C. Morris YA Debut Award Nominees that I have read recently and I loved loved both of them. Guardian of the Dead is a smart, adventerous, book with a witty repartee. I love New Zealand, mythology and folklore, and strong female characters so this book is a perfect fit for my likes and interests. In this tale, the main character, Ellie is in a boarding school near Christchurch, New Zealand. Her parents are on an extended trip because her mother has recently recovered fr...more

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