Dead Rules

Nov 29, 2010 Jenna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dead Rules is a portrayal of teenage love's dark side. After dying in a freak double date bowling accident, Jana finds herself a Junior in Dead School. While trying to come to terms with the confusing new Dead Rules, she fixates on her lost love Michael and how to stay together. Even if it means killing him. This fun and exciting book is not just another paranormal love story. Alive with authentic dialogue and interesting afterlife facts, this story will keep you smiling and entertained througho...more

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Sep 05, 2011 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fantasy

I saw this on an update a while back and reserved it at the library. I enjoy a good YA book.

Unfortunately this one wasn't.

As I've seen happen before it was the idea, the thought behind the book that drew me in. While there are reviews here that show many like this book, I just couldn't get into it...I disliked it. I wanted to like it, but soon I found myself skimming through it just trying to get it over.

In fairness I'm not into romances much and this is sort of a romance....sort of being the o...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Donna {Book Passion for Life} rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, for-review, from-publishers, ya-paranormal-romance

Dead Rules was a book I had wanted to read for a while, so when it arrived through my letter box – which was a nice surprise, I was really excited about reading it but, after reading I have to say I’m really disappointed and here’s why;

The story follows the life of Jana Webster, a young girl that one day finds herself transferred to ‘Dead School’ after she is involved in a tragic accident that of course, leaves her dead. When Jana was alive she had a boyfriend named Michael, and Jana will do any...more Dead Rules was a book I had wanted to read for a while, so when it arrived through my letter box – which was a nice surprise, I was really excited about reading it but, after reading I have to say I’m really disappointed and here’s why;

The story follows the life of Jana Webster, a young girl that one day finds herself transferred to ‘Dead School’ after she is involved in a tragic accident that of course, leaves her dead. When Jana was alive she had a boyfriend named Michael, and Jana will do anything she can to be reunited with him. So, she enlists the help of Mars Dreamcoate, a Slider that is still connected to the real world and with his help she plans to kill Michael.

Now this book sounds pretty amazing but while I really liked the idea and found it quite fascinating, it just didn’t work for me. I read a lot of young adult books and I love them but this was really was wrote for the age level and I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone over the age of 14+. This was the main reason I found it hard to get into because the wording was very simple and basic and the execution of the story had to many flaws. The story had a lot of potential and there were things that kept me reading mainly being Mars but that’s about it.

Our main character Jana wasn’t very likable. I found her very naïve and she was really obsessed with her boyfriend Michael to the point of it being annoying. I really hated the way she introduced herself as ‘Of Webster and Haynes’ – and never in my life have I cringed so much at a few little words but my god I did, every single time she said it. Even though Jana is suppose to be 16 years old, she was more like an 8 year old and I just really didn’t like her. And then of course, we have Michael…who as the story progresses he appears to be a really nice character but nope, he’s a horrible boy that really didn’t care for Jana…but most shockingly wait until the end….it was quite a bitter sweet ending for him and was probably one of the most interesting twists to the story.

Now Mars is a different story, he was my main reason for reading and I found him the most interesting. He was actually present when Jana died, so he knows what really happened and because of this he has a connection with her. I loved how he supported her even though she was in love with Michael but what I loved about Mars was his back story, I loved finding out how he died and seeing him still connect with the real world. He was probably the most interesting character from the book.

Most of the other characters in the book have back stories and I loved how the author ventured out and told the tales of the other characters but I sometimes found it confusing as there were quite a few characters introduced at the same time. Some of them do have horrible deaths and of course, how they died is how they appear in the story, and I actually found this very intriguing to see the author’s descriptions of everyone else despite the confusion to start with.

Overall, I thought Dead Rules was an interesting and great idea but sadly it just didn’t work for me.

Thank you to the publishers for the giving me the opportunity to review this book.(less)

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May 07, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Don’t you love those perfect, destined-to-be-together-forever loves? The ones where nothing can touch them and the idea of conflict is just ludicrous? Where the mountains bow down in their wake? Well that’s what Jana and Michael have.
So when Jana dies in a freak bowling accident, she expects (naturally) for her one and only to swiftly kill himself so they can be together in the afterlife. Only, the days pass and he doesn’t show up. *record scratch sound*
Of course then Jana comes up with another,...more Don’t you love those perfect, destined-to-be-together-forever loves? The ones where nothing can touch them and the idea of conflict is just ludicrous? Where the mountains bow down in their wake? Well that’s what Jana and Michael have.
So when Jana dies in a freak bowling accident, she expects (naturally) for her one and only to swiftly kill himself so they can be together in the afterlife. Only, the days pass and he doesn’t show up. *record scratch sound*
Of course then Jana comes up with another, easier solution. Take the choice out of his hands. Kill him for them.
Beautiful.

Now, imagine waking up on a school bus where you actually have to go to school! Everyday. Seriously? Well, welcome to the afterlife. “Life is cruel, why should the afterlife be any different?” (Five awesome points if you know what movie that’s from!)

As soon as I heard about this book, I wanted it. Badly. My love for all things morbid knows no bounds. What I unexpectedly got was a Tim Burton-esque YA novel that I loved to no ends. If you liked Beetle Juice and the dismal look of the afterlife (“You know what they say about people who commit suicide: In the afterlife, they become civil servants”), you’ll certainly enjoy being dropped in an afterlife school with no cellphone reception and no access to make up. The horror.
However, on the upside you have the mysterious and very sexy Mars and his ‘slightly terrifying, but really a nice guy’ best friend Wyatt.

Other than that, there is a lot of morbid humor, a darkly compelling and very twisted plot all surrounding a love and true love story. And I must say that it is certainly a unique work and there isn’t anything else like this out there on the market and I hope it does as well as it should!

This is Russell’s first YA work after a long career in ghost writing and research, I will definitely be looking forward to his future works in the genre.
Last note, how much do you LOVE the cover?! Seriously, this A) PERFECT for the book and B) just incredibly gorgeous. Love love love it. Go Harper’s art department!(less)

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Jan 29, 2011 James rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-fantasy, first-reads

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

What happens when you die? Well if you are a teen you go to 'dead school', and just like real school there are those on the fast track (risers) and those who aren't (sliders).

A young girl wakes up on a new bus going to a new school and can't remember why. Jana has just died and it's her first day at dead school and there is a lot to learn. In the real world she was besotted with her boyfriend and she thought of themselves as a modern da...more

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Jan 20, 2011 Kreag Sheehan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dead Rules By Randy Russell

So, I usually see that people make a note on their reviews of ARCs, so I will to: I received this ARC free from HarperCollins, and I thank them extremely. Receiving it for free did not at all affect my thoughts or opinions on the book. So, this was the first ARC book I read from the first package of ARCs I ever received. I really wanted to read them in order of release date, this being the last to be released of the books I received. But, one day, I picked it up, curio...more Dead Rules By Randy Russell

So, I usually see that people make a note on their reviews of ARCs, so I will to: I received this ARC free from HarperCollins, and I thank them extremely. Receiving it for free did not at all affect my thoughts or opinions on the book. So, this was the first ARC book I read from the first package of ARCs I ever received. I really wanted to read them in order of release date, this being the last to be released of the books I received. But, one day, I picked it up, curious just to know a little of what was going on. So I checked out the first page. And then I found myself one page fifty. I couldn’t stop.

So, the storyline of this book was really good. It was completely original and it was a whole new take on the Paranormal Romance genre. I loved it. Jana Webster dies and wakes up in Dead School. She died in a freak bowling accident. Yes, a bowling accident. (Oh, and these aren’t spoilers, these happen in the first few pages.) So, Jana is extremely upset because she is without Michael, the “love of her life”. She is miserable. Jana wants to be with him. So, she has to find a way to be with him, only there area few problems I won’t tell you about. . So, as I said, this story was very entertaining and I love the originality! 5/5

I believe this was Randy Russell’s debut YA book. The writing was great. Mr. Russell really seemed to know how to write for teens, which is great as that’s who it was written for. The story flowed really well and I never found myself going back to reread anything. I also really liked the occasional shift in the point of view. They didn’t last long, but I really liked them. 5/5

The book was pretty much set at the Dead School. I actually was not too fond of the setting. The Dead School just seemed really… boring. It was really original and everything but it just didn’t seem eventful or exciting like I think real schools are like. Then again, it is a school for dead kids, yet I still just found it kind of bland. The setting did change up occasionally, but I won’t say how, as it is somewhat spoilerish. But it is nice when it changes up. Overall, the change of the setting helped, but the school setting still never got in the way of enjoying the book, so it is still a 3/5.

I loved the characters in this book. Some of them you start out hating and end up loving, and some you start out loving but end up hating. But that’s a good thing! I really liked all the dead kids that Jana becomes friends with, and I loved hearing about each of their stories. I really liked the way the story switched to the scene of there death when they were telling their story, so it was like you were with them. I really like the way they all seem to make friends and get along. The living characters were good to, but I found a few of them in particular, quite despicable. My only complaint is that I would have liked to hear more about Jana’s mother, just a bit. It does explain why she wasn’t very involved, but I just found myself wanting to know a bit more. 4/4

Also, I am not going to be rating based on the covers anymore. I don’t think it is fair, as the cover has nothing to do with the content of the book, though it does help if the cover is nice when it comes to picking it out. But, I do like the cover for this one. It is simple and in my opinion it works for the book. I am not quite sure if it would have grabbed my attention from the shelves, but you never know.

So, overall a 17/20. I really enjoyed the book, and I think it was a great read. I think once it comes out all the way in July, you guys should check it out. I found it to be a quick read even though it had over three hundred pages, but that was because I couldn’t put the book down. So, put this on your to be read list, because it is not to be overlooked!

From my blog: http://kreagslistofawsomebooks.blogsp...

Please Follow! :)(less)

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Nov 30, 2010 Ruta Sepetys rated it 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely brilliant!!
When Jana Webster dies in a freak bowling accident she finds herself in Dead School. She quickly plots to bring her boyfriend over to the other side, completely unprepared for the challenges that will bring. I was fortunate to get an ARC of "Dead Rules" and once I began reading I couldn't put it down. I devoured the book in one sitting and didn't want it to end. And now I can't stop telling people about it. Randy Russell has created the ultimate paranormal romance but has a...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Lisbeth Avery {Assorted Insanity} rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: could-have-been-better, cover-love-book-hate, creepy-0_0, cover-lust, disappointed, horrible-heroine, hormone-crazy-teens

I received my copy of DEAD RULES fromARCycling. Thanks guys!

----

If I rated DEAD RULES for the first 300 pages, the rating would be around 0.5 stars. That's how bad it was. Yet, the last 70 pages were actually pretty good! If the rest of the book matched the ending, it would have gotten at least a 3 star rating, maybe four.

How could there be such a huge change in the last 70 pages?

Well, if you know me, you know how much I love weird, quirky Tim Burton-esque things. They're my favourite things. Ev...more

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Jun 24, 2011 Lawral marked it as read-but-unowned

Shelves: arc, ya, 2011

This book was pitched to me as a cross between Romeo and Juliet and Heathers. That was certainly enough for me, and I'm guessing it's going to be enough for a lot of you as well. If it's not, or if you're unfamiliar with the genius that is Heathers (or you're talking to a group of teens who've yet to see it), don't worry. Dead Rules is great, and familiarity with neither Heathers nor Romeo and Juliet is necessary in order to understand this book.

Jana is absolutely heartbroken to be away from Mi...more This book was pitched to me as a cross between Romeo and Juliet and Heathers. That was certainly enough for me, and I'm guessing it's going to be enough for a lot of you as well. If it's not, or if you're unfamiliar with the genius that is Heathers (or you're talking to a group of teens who've yet to see it), don't worry. Dead Rules is great, and familiarity with neither Heathers nor Romeo and Juliet is necessary in order to understand this book.

Jana is absolutely heartbroken to be away from Michael in the afterlife. She is one of those girls who does not exist outside of her relationship. She even introduces herself as Jana, of Webster and Haynes (as in Jana Webster and Michael Haynes). I have to admit that I kind of hate those girls. In the beginning of this book, Jana was no exception. Luckily she pairs up with Mars Dreamcote (yes, it conveniently rhymes with dreamboat) pretty quickly. I don't know that I would have been able to stick it out through a whole book of her otherwise, and that would have been a shame. This book is more than just Jana and her longing for Michael. It's also about Jana's adjustment to the afterlife, Mars's lack of adjustment, Arva, Beatrice, Christie, Wyatt(!), the grays, and the virgins.

The social hierarchy of Dead School, like that of any high school, is complicated to outsiders, and I liked watching Jana figure out how to navigate and then ignore it. The sliders vs. risers was something that I wished was explained a little bit more, but it's clear that Jana (and we) find out everything that the students know about why most people end up in one of these two groups. Any more information would have made this a completely different book as it would have required more sleuthing and less Michael's-death planning. Getting all her information from other students definitely enhanced the story. As Jana gets to know her roommates, Mars's slider buddies, and other folks around campus, she also gets to hear their death stories, and I LOVED reading everyone's death stories. They very nicely ranged from the ridiculous to the very, very serious/tragic.

Overall, Dead Rules is a fun read! It's less romance-y than your average paranormal romance. In fact, it kind of pokes holes in the idea of blind devotion and teenage lurv that lasts for all eternity. That and the dark humor made it a great fit for me, and I think other readers who roll their eyes at flowery proclamations and super-serious feeelins will love it too. Those looking for the story of a love that continues beyond the grave may not.

Book source: ARC provided by the publisher. (less)

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Jul 03, 2011 Amy at bookgoonie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, mg, ya

Original review posts @ www.bookgoonie.com July 2011
http://wp.me/p1h3Ps-kM

Jana Webster and Micheal Haynes are meant to be. They are each other's shadow, until an unfortunate bowling accident. Ya bowling...kind of comical right? The last thing she remembers is falling then she finds herself on a bus, in a uniform, with other dead students. Cosmic joke :) Jana is introduced to a dead world of risers (good kids, but not virgins), sliders (doing something bad when they died), virgins, and grays (sui...more Original review posts @ www.bookgoonie.com July 2011
http://wp.me/p1h3Ps-kM

Jana Webster and Micheal Haynes are meant to be. They are each other's shadow, until an unfortunate bowling accident. Ya bowling...kind of comical right? The last thing she remembers is falling then she finds herself on a bus, in a uniform, with other dead students. Cosmic joke :) Jana is introduced to a dead world of risers (good kids, but not virgins), sliders (doing something bad when they died), virgins, and grays (suicides). There is a one sentence comment on what is not a virgin that made me laugh. Arva, her orientation guide, tries to lay down all the rules for Jana. But there are only 2 things on Jana's mind, how to get Micheal here and what is up with the hot guy at the back of the bus. Mars is a slider and is "melt the buttons off your blouse" hot.

"'In a cold world you need your friends to keep you warm."

Mars is the key to everything for Jana. He is going to help her become a slider, so she can communicate with Michael and maybe even kill if she has to. This bad boy will make you mush, because he really wants to save Jana from herself and the truth of her death.

You had to turn the wrong way to go the right way. Life had conditioned Jana, she realized. And everything life had conditioned her to do didn't necessarily work any longer. She had to turn the other way. Now that she was dead, life was different. Jana was in the sixth maze. Here, the bad boy needed to save a life. The good girl was going to take one.

There is a strange cast of characters. You get to hear their stories or at least the story of the death. I almost couldn't imagine high school in the afterlife being any different. It was a fun read filled with laughs, daring moments, adventure and some *!?!* moments as truths are revealed. You will also get some cosmic closure at the end, but will be left wanting more from Randy Russell. There has to be a sequel.

A pair of rental bowling shoes sat on the fllor at the edge of her bed. Jana made a stink face. Talk about adding insult to injury, she thought. She was supposed to walk through the afterlife in bowling shoes.
(less)

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Oct 18, 2011 Deea (Andreea) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: w-o-w-pick-of-awesomeness, bbf-recommendation

4.5 stars review also posted on my blog @ Deea's Journal

I read this book a few months ago and the details are a bit fuzzy, but I really liked it and I still feel like recommending it. Besides, it is very appropriate for the season. It's one the most original, twisted, dark, haunting, hilarious, interesting book I have read in a while!

So... Meet Jana and Michael. They are a happy couple of high school students who are deeply in love with each other. They have all their future planned out and of c...more 4.5 stars review also posted on my blog @ Deea's Journal

I read this book a few months ago and the details are a bit fuzzy, but I really liked it and I still feel like recommending it. Besides, it is very appropriate for the season. It's one the most original, twisted, dark, haunting, hilarious, interesting book I have read in a while!

So... Meet Jana and Michael. They are a happy couple of high school students who are deeply in love with each other. They have all their future planned out and of course, they will live happily ever after together. Or so they thought. Because all their future plans fall apart when Jena dies and ends up in Dead School.

After the bewilderment of being dead and in a school for dead people wears of, Jana realizes that Michael is not there with her, which is so not fair, because their love story can’t end just like that, right? Would Romeo and Juliet’s love story be so epic if only Juliet died? Probably not, so our Jana decides that she will do anything to be with Michael again – even if she has to kill him.

Just like any other school, Dead School has rules, cliques and getting around them is not as easy at it seems. Here, the consequences of breaking rules can be much more dangerous, more… final. But that won’t stop Jena from trying to get to Michael so they can get their happily ever after.

Anyway, even in this strange place, she can find some friendly faces. Ok, maybe their faces are not always literally friendly (most of the students have the same look they had when they died – you see a girl with a dart in her head here, a boy with broken limbs there, another girl with feathers coming out of her mouth somewhere else) but they can be very nice. Even Mars, who is supposed to be one of the bad guys. In fact, he doesn’t seem so bad to her, on the contrary, he is nice, charming, always there when she needs him and he even helps her with her plan to get to Michael. But spending so much time with him confuses her; she realizes that she likes his company more than she should. Which makes her question her own feelings, her relationship with Michael and the reasons why she wants to be with him. She couldn’t actually be wrong about her feelings for him, could she? They belong together, they always have. Right? Well, sometimes I had to roll my eyes at Jana's obsession with Michael, but everything turned out ok in the end. The whole story is twisted, creepy, tense, hilarious at times and keeps you guessing until the very last page.

And there are so many super funny moments in this book! Randy Russel has this twisted, dry, sometimes morbid humor that is so unique and quite addictive! The plot is interesting as well, of course, but without the amazing writing, I doubt the story would have the same appeal. You just have to read it and see for yourselves!

Speaking of which, I just had to share with you a couple of quotes. Maybe it's just my vivid, crazy imagination or the timing, but reading these scenes had me rolling on the floor laughing and gasping (not really, but almost)

Pauline was the center of attention. The senior danced with two boys at once, one in front of her, and one behind. She turned her top half to face one while her bottom half faced with the other. At one point, the boy dancing with Pauline’s top half took her hand and twirled her around from the waist up. Both boys had to duck in turn when her hair, permanently swept straight out to one side, came around.

She watched Wyatt at the Sliders’ end of the gym. He was taller than most of the other students in Dead School. No one had a name for the dance he did. He stood in place and rocked from side to side, using his good arm to roll imaginary toilet paper around his wrist.

Oh, and the cover! When this book first came out, I was like obsessed with it. Those eerie, hypnotic eyes... *stares**shudders* Yup, definitely a must read for the season!(less)

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May 21, 2011 Sarah (YA Love) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-debut-author-challenge, young-adult-lit, read-in-2011, paranormal-ya

Dead Rules is a fun, creative take on what happens to us when we die. As soon as I read that Jana died from a bowling accident, I was intrigued. My imagination went wild until I started the book and found out what happened. (And I’m not giving that away. You’ll have to read it!) The idea of Dead School doesn’t sound thrilling, especially since I’m a teacher and already spend five days a week in school! But Jana discovers that there’s more to Dead School than she realized, which makes the story e...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Kacey Vanderkarr rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Randy Russell was kind enough to send me a signed copy of Dead Rules. If you plan on reading Dead Rules (read it!) then you might want to stop here so I don’t ruin it for you. (Thank you so much!)

If I had to describe Dead Rules in one word, it would be: Clever.

Jana loved her boyfriend to death.

Jana Webster is an actress. She’s not too pretty (like her drug addict mother) but she’s going places. As soon as she graduates she’s going to Hollywood to make it big. Jana loves to think about herself a...more Randy Russell was kind enough to send me a signed copy of Dead Rules. If you plan on reading Dead Rules (read it!) then you might want to stop here so I don’t ruin it for you. (Thank you so much!)

If I had to describe Dead Rules in one word, it would be: Clever.

Jana loved her boyfriend to death.

Jana Webster is an actress. She’s not too pretty (like her drug addict mother) but she’s going places. As soon as she graduates she’s going to Hollywood to make it big. Jana loves to think about herself and her future and all the amazing things she’s going to do with her life. She’s very aware of her abilities—not so much about others. Michael Haynes, Jana’s boyfriend, is going to go with her to Hollywood. Of course he is. Why wouldn’t he? They’re Jana and Michael of Webster and Haynes. Everybody knows that.

All of her dreams are shattered when she ends up in Dead School after a freak bowling accident. I have to give credit to Randy here; he kills people in seriously creative ways. Jana can’t believe it. She died alone! How long will it take Michael to die too? Surely he can’t live without her. They’ve been together forever. They had plans—a future! Shared dreams. They were never going to part. Even death couldn’t keep them from an epic love like that.

In Dead School Jana meets the dead kids. Stretchers, who are just what you think, bodies on stretchers. It took me a really long time to understand that and I work in a hospital. Wow. I know. I was disappointed in me too. Grays are kids who have committed suicide. They’re depressed and not trustworthy because they are loyal to the Regents who control Dead School. They don’t do much other than keep to themselves and follow orders. There are Virgins who died before, well you know. They’re ethereal and gorgeous and wear long white gowns and sing pretty. They don’t do much except sing. I don’t think you’re allowed to talk to them. Next are Sliders. Sliders are closer to the earth (or The Planet) than the other dead kids. They can manifest their bodies on the earth and be seen or heard by people. They’re also the bad kids, and were doing something bad when they died. Sliders basically do what they want, what hope is there for them? They’re bad. Finally, we have Risers. This is what Jana is. Risers are the good kids (not as good as the Virgins, but still good.) They follow the rules at Dead School. They go to their classes and wear their school uniforms properly and don’t do anything crazy—that’s left for the Sliders. As a Riser, Jana is alone. But she knows as a Slider, she could naturalize on The Planet and kill Michael. She would end his suffering and they would be together forever! Didn’t he want that? Of course he did.

Jana fantasizes about how to kill Michael, bullet, knife, poison, spider, hairdryer in the bathtub. In Dead School, you look just like you did when you died. Lawn dart to the head? That stays with you, bobbing from your skull like a lopsided metronome. Sliced in half by a tin roof? You can take your body apart and dance the jig forwards and backwards. Major road rash from a motorcycle? You’re missing half your face, including lips, eye, skin, etc. Swallowed a bird? You spit feathers and sound like there’s something trapped in your throat. Jana doesn’t want Michael to be ugly, so she has to think of some nice way to kill him.

Jana enlists the help of Mars Dreamcote, a gorgeous bad boy Slider who breaks all the rules. But Mars has a secret of his own, a secret the leads him to helping Jana, even though he knows the truth. He was there when Jana died. It wasn’t a freak accident at all. It was murder.
Mars takes Jana through the steps to becoming a Slider, a truly bad dead kid. But once she’s ready to finally have Michael again, will she still want him?

OH! The suspense! Sorry, I’m not going to take you through the end; you’re going to have to read it yourself!

Dead Rules is a fun read. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, Randy throws in a twist just to keep you unsettled. You find yourself caring for the dead kids and the horribly creative ways they died. At the same time, you’re laughing at them. It’s okay, I won’t tell that you laughed at the girl with the lawn dart sticking out of her head. It is funny.

The bottom line? Dead Rules is a great read. Intriguing, amusing, and truly enjoyable. It has enough plot twists and turns to keep you guessing and plenty of things that you’ll never see coming.

Thank you once again Randy!(less)

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Jan 30, 2012 InkBitten rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: sarah

Judged by a Cover: Photo shop Nightmare

Everything is wrong with this cover. We have a disembodied head, fake red hair that looks plastic, randomly colored eyes and skin so pale it puts Edward Cullen to shame. The tag line is stupid and freaky, and the title makes no sense. Does it mean that being dead rules, or is it about rules for dead girls? It's pretty bad, and the rest of the book doesn't get much better.

What's Up?

Jana is a normal teenager. She attends school, has a few good friends, a grea...more

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Sep 18, 2011 Michaela Keil rated it 3 of 5 stars

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

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Sep 17, 2011 slayra rated it 3 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: another 3.5-ish.

And... here's yet another book that turned out to be a bit different than what I was expecting (I really should start paying more attention to book synopsis'). You know, with the whole 'dead school' business, I thought the main character was going to be learning to control supernatural powers and all.

Well, I was wrong. "Dead Rules" is more of a creepy, horror-ish story about how love can be obsessive and destructive. The whole setting reminded me of "Angel Beats" which w...more RATING: another 3.5-ish.

And... here's yet another book that turned out to be a bit different than what I was expecting (I really should start paying more attention to book synopsis'). You know, with the whole 'dead school' business, I thought the main character was going to be learning to control supernatural powers and all.

Well, I was wrong. "Dead Rules" is more of a creepy, horror-ish story about how love can be obsessive and destructive. The whole setting reminded me of "Angel Beats" which was nice since I loved the whole "school-for-dead-teenagers" idea that was presented in the anime.

This book explores the same concept; Jana Webster died in a freak bowling accident and ended up in "dead school". Why, it's unclear but apparently dying doesn't exempt one from finishing high school. Of course "dead school" is not like regular school... or at least the classes aren't; the social division seems to be pretty similar.

But Jana isn't interested in any of that. She only wants Michael, her perfect boyfriend to join her... in death. And she'll do whatever it takes to make sure she gets her wish.

So... good concept, yes? A strange school where the teachers teach weird things and people are almost literally divided into "most and less likely to succeed" groups. What they must achieve, however, is a mystery - although it's not difficult to guess.

Pity the author decided to focus the story on Jana's love life. Don't get me wrong, he does it a lot better than most YA authors. The romance is certainly believable and Jana's unhealthy obsession is portrayed in a chillingly realistic manner. But... the world is so interesting I almost resented the author's choice of plot. I think he could have done a lot more with the story if Jana had tried to understand her new life and the purpose of the school instead of spending the entire book trying to contact her boyfriend.

Even if the book doesn't tell the story I most wanted to read about I still liked it. Russell created brilliant, original main characters - Jana and Mars - who are very different from your usual protagonists. This book is very character-driven and it works mainly because although Jana is creepy and slightly off her rocker we still empathize with her a bit as she is inherently nice even if she's... well, crazy.
Mars is another surprise. He seems like your typical "bad boy" character but is so much more.

Overall, "Dead Rules" was a fun, almost compulsive read; I liked the idea behind the book but the execution could have been better.(less)

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Jun 29, 2011 Natalie (Natflix&Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I found the Dead Rules very interesting. It is about this girl, Jana, who dies while bowling with the LOVE of her life--and boyfriend (as we all know, they aren't always the same thing). The book starts with her dead on the bus to Dead School. The book is about Jana meeting her classmates at the new school, discovering her new place in the different caste levels of the school, the developing relationship with a boy in the lower class, and trying to figure out how to kill her teenage boyfriend so...more

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Jun 24, 2011 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dead Rules by Randy Russel follows Jenna who finds herself on a school bus going to a mystery school. She soon realizes that she is attending a school for the dead. The school has different types of students dependent on how they died. Jenna is a Riser, one of the good kids who died by an accident. Jana is obsessed with her boyfriend and is determined to kill him so they can be together forever but things are not as simple as she would like them to be.

I really enjoyed this book. It was original...more

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Jun 17, 2011 Eleni ( La Femme Readers ) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Originally posted here: http://lafemmereaders.blogspot.com/20...

Dead Rules just brought the sexy back in ghosts. I was never a big fan of ghost stories, until now. From the first page on, I was engulfed in the wholesome artistry behind the sinister and witty plot. The dark quality following the light humor was a great balance throughout the novel. My overall favorite aspect was the buildup in characterization. Each individual, right down to the secondary ones, all had a unique voice. Thus, makin...more Originally posted here: http://lafemmereaders.blogspot.com/20...

Dead Rules just brought the sexy back in ghosts. I was never a big fan of ghost stories, until now. From the first page on, I was engulfed in the wholesome artistry behind the sinister and witty plot. The dark quality following the light humor was a great balance throughout the novel. My overall favorite aspect was the buildup in characterization. Each individual, right down to the secondary ones, all had a unique voice. Thus, making it easy for me to connect and sympathize with each dead person's tale. Jana, a quirky girl in love, falls to her tragic death in a bowling alley. Crazy way to go right? After all is said and done, Jana starts attending an afterlife "Dead School." This arrangement is like any other school, just with students who carry their heads around or have a dart stuck in their skull. I know what you're thinking, who would have thought that we would still go to school even after death! Well, for Jana's case and mine, this idea was flippin' spectacular.

When Jana was alive, her world consisted of Michael. The two were inseparable, right down to their future plans. With the loss of her life, and other half, everything she once knew was in shambles. But, when a mysterious note provides her with murderous information, her plan is to get in with the rule breaking Sliders, to get her foot closer to Earth. Mars, was the perfect bad boy in my eyes. His edge and pleasantly surprising good heart made him into just the right person for Jane to know. Plus, her roommates were just as amusing, even the ones who continually stopped her from going against the grain. By the end, I was left astonished at how everything turned out. The story couldn't have resulted in a better conclusion. Even though, I think a sequel might be in the works due to the open window left behind, or so I hope so! I loved this novel and everything about it. Also, because of Jana, I will now use the term, "Fart, Fudge and Popcorn!" Thank you Randy for writing YA, you just rocked my inner fascination with ghosts.(less)

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Feb 05, 2012 Cassandra (The Book & Movie Dimension blogger) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, young-adult, paranormal, favorites

Full, non-spoiler review courtesy at Book & Movie Dimension a Blog

Jana Webster and Michael Haynes (Webster and Haynes) were always inseperable. They had a love anyone will be jealous of. Jenna has an unfortunate accident one day and with her accident dies that love. Jenna believes to be the epitome of what perfect love should be. She ends up at Dead school where people dress the way they died. The mission of Dead school is to hope that you cna make it to a better place but Jenna can't let go...more Full, non-spoiler review courtesy at Book & Movie Dimension a Blog

Jana Webster and Michael Haynes (Webster and Haynes) were always inseperable. They had a love anyone will be jealous of. Jenna has an unfortunate accident one day and with her accident dies that love. Jenna believes to be the epitome of what perfect love should be. She ends up at Dead school where people dress the way they died. The mission of Dead school is to hope that you cna make it to a better place but Jenna can't let go of the past or Michael. She'll do anything to have Michael back with her even kill him. If that means teaming up with the local Dead school off-limit's bad boy so be it. Who she really finds charming and realizes is interested in her.

"Jana was old enough to be honest with herself . She was attracted to Mars. And he was attracted to her.
She wasn't pretty enough to attract every boy she met. And she rarely sought to sparkle in person. She'd just come out short. Jana kept her hair in a simple cut so she could hide, when she needed to, by ducking her head. She almost never wore earrings or a necklace. She never tied her hair back to show off her long clean line of her arching neck. When she was acting, it was different. Jana held her face upright, her shoulders back, her entire self on display until what beauty she possessed sparkled like a star. She didn't mind being plain. Or ugly. That's why she liked acting. She didn't have to be beautiful as her mother.
Mars wasn't attracted to Jana the way men were attracted to her mother. Yet something drew him to her. Jana could feel it, but she couldn't put her finger on it. It was deeper than some boy thinking she was cute. It was more like she was food and he needed her to survive. This was why she needed to see Jana with Michael. With Michael she was more than Jana Webster. She was bigger. Bigger than life. Bigger than death. Jana and Michael were forever.
Mars needed to know, to see it for himself."

Dead Rules charm lies in how the writing style is very languid. You are lured into the story in small portions with a pleasant, fine voice. Very poetic.

" She loved him that much, Mars thought.
Mars knew that love wasn't all red-paper valentines and candy-hearts. Love wasn't always joy. Love could be hot-blooded pain down to the bone. Sometimes love was despair. And sometimes love was wrong. Jana loved Michael enough to kill him for it. Jana loved Michael to death."

As for the story, it goes in an intriguing way since it contains suspenseful twists which makes for a novel with andrenaline coursing. The characters are not bad either. Although wouldn't say completely special in any real way but still just enjoyable to read about. Dead Rules is more of a hilly in plot rather than overtly complex characters that besides this is filling to a reader. Dead Rules isn't a novel with pure romance but what is there is a confusing romance. The romance can be complicated for many reasons and throughout the novel we can see why given Jenna's way of thinking and her boyfriend's Michael. The novel can be labeled mystery in the midst of a blinded love.
Randy Russell finishes his book Dead Rules with an enjoyable and if ironic finish. Still look forward to future sequels or just books by Randy Rusell.
Overall: Amazing read!
Genre: Young Adult, Ghosts, Romance, Mystery/Suspense

Contains: Complex Relationships, Intentional Murder(less)

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Nov 08, 2011 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. The way Randy wrote this book was so well done. I enjoyed the characters and the "dead" world he has created.

The story opens up with Jana on a bus and soon enough you realize that it isn't a bus to any ordinary school.

The characters are all likeable and their stories are all different and unique to each of them. In "dead school" there are "risers", who are the top of the ladder (the ones who died under no pretenses of their own), the "sliders", who are the trouble-m...more

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Jul 19, 2011 Nina rated it 1 of 5 stars

"Till death do us part."

The story isn't really worth giving summary because it was basic. Overall, this girl is obsessed with a guy who doesn't feel the same way about her. But she is too blinded by love and does not see the truth. The guy decides to pull a prank on the girl but it goes terribly wrong. She dies and has to go to Dead School. She meets a lot of people there who tell stories of how they died. A guy stands out and helps her communicate with the love of her life on earth. (view spoil ...more "Till death do us part."

The story isn't really worth giving summary because it was basic. Overall, this girl is obsessed with a guy who doesn't feel the same way about her. But she is too blinded by love and does not see the truth. The guy decides to pull a prank on the girl but it goes terribly wrong. She dies and has to go to Dead School. She meets a lot of people there who tell stories of how they died. A guy stands out and helps her communicate with the love of her life on earth. (view spoiler)

I also have to mention the funny and weird moments of the book. Because the people in Dead School kept there bodies as they were when they died, a lot of funky kids were introduced into the story. Like Pauline and her sliced bottom and top half. And poor Beatrice with an arrow sticking out of her head. It was quite entertaining.

Interesting plot. The fact that Jana saw herself as plain compared to her mother but other people disagreed made me able to relate to her. She lives in the shadow of her famous mother and was deprived of love. So when a guy comes and says he loves her, she takes it all to heart and lives in a dream land of Romeo and Juliet. I loved how the story told different sides of the story. However, the way it was written could have used work. Conversations that were important just suddenly happens. There was no building up to the point. Just say it and that's it, the moment is over. Also a more creative way of telling how people died would have made this book better. Instead of using italics and going into third person, it could have stayed as first person. This would have given it a more personal feel. 1.5 stars. There were major flaws and that's why I rated this book so low. The flaws overshadowed the good parts of the book.

The characters were great. They were very different from each other which gave the story diversity. Arva was well thought of and very unique from any character I have read. This made her interesting. Wyatt was also one of my favorites. The two side characters were quite charming and reminded me of people I knew in real life.(less)

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Jan 01, 2012 Haley rated it 1 of 5 stars

The beginning was confusing. I wasn’t sure if she died yet. Then everything after that was just as confusing. I though the virgins were interesting, like a funny version of angels that always sing everything and scold you “nicely.” I went into this book thinking it would be a funny boarding school after life novel in the paranormal romance genera and came out thinking that the author just globbed a few ideas together to come up with a ridiculous plot, and not in a good way. Jana wants to kill he...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Amy (Books, College, and Other Random Things) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Jana Webster finds herself in Dead School after she died in a freak bowling accident. When teens die, they are classified as Risers, Sliders, Virgins, and the Grays. Jana just happens to be a Riser and realizes Michael is no longer with her. She meets some fellow Risers that become her friend, but she’s also curious about a Slider, Mars Dreamcote. It’s not considered wise to fraternize with Sliders since they are closer to the Earth. Jana can’t keep her eyes off of him though. With Mars’ help, J...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Sierra rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ghosts. I love them. Especially when the authors of ghost novels create such interesting and diverse characters, along with an interesting story line.
In Dead Rules, Randy Russell does something I've never read about in a book before: a girl dies suddenly, becomes a ghost, and is so set on a perfect life and death long love with her boyfriend, Michael, she would consider killing him to do so.
Sound interesting? If it doesn't, then...well, I'm not sure what to tell you.
Dead Rules is, by far, one...more

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Jun 06, 2011 Brandi Kosiner added it

This is a very interesting approach to being dead. I really enjoyed this book, with it's dark touch and I appreciated the humor that was put in everywhere.
The characters are interesting and I enjoyed reading about their deaths, which were mostly a little wild and out there, but added to the story perfectly. It was odd how your death became the pennacle of who you are and that is the first and most important thing people want to know about you--whether or not it attests to how the rest of your...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Cynthia BJ rated it 5 of 5 stars

It is indeed an amazing book. However, I'm still waiting for the scene where Mars kisses Jana. They are so perfect together!!! Love 'em! But how are they gonna be together when Mars has became a Riser while Jana is a Slider? Man, how I wish there'll be a sequel next. Oh, by the way, damn Michael! Yeah, I know he just wanted some space from Jana but that doesn't mean he needed to do that stupid prank on her. Hey, I also hate it that Jana had been so blind when she was still alive and she should h...more

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Jan 29, 2012 Taylor rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Vaughn1
Taylor Vaughn
Mrs. Hunter
1/23/12
2UH

Dead Rules Book Review
*Spoiler Alert*

The book Dead Rules by Randy Russell was both interesting and surprising. It was published by HarperCollinsPublishers (10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022). I think Dead Rules is a fascinating book that everyone should read. It kept me guessing until the last page.
In Dead Rules Randy Russell created the character Jana Webster. Jana is a beautiful, daring teenager with a famous mom who never took care of her. I t...more Vaughn1
Taylor Vaughn
Mrs. Hunter
1/23/12
2UH

Dead Rules Book Review
*Spoiler Alert*

The book Dead Rules by Randy Russell was both interesting and surprising. It was published by HarperCollinsPublishers (10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022). I think Dead Rules is a fascinating book that everyone should read. It kept me guessing until the last page.
In Dead Rules Randy Russell created the character Jana Webster. Jana is a beautiful, daring teenager with a famous mom who never took care of her. I think Randy made Jana like this to teach the reader a lesson. In the book Jana had a boyfriend named Michael who cheated on her, and of course she didn’t learn that until it was too late. Jana was nice and beautiful, yet her boyfriend still cheated on her and that is exactly why I think Randy Russell created his main character to be beautiful. This teaches readers to be aware of the real world and how to remember that your happily ever after doesn’t come exactly how you imagined it to.
Randy Russell also made a lot of the setting eerie and scary. He used great vocabulary and descriptive words throughout the entire book. He made it so as you were reading you were holding your breath wondering what would happen next. He also made the scenes mysterious. Throughout the entire book it switches from Jana’s life to Michael’s life. This added drama to the book, because right when you thought you were going to find out who did what and why or how they did it the scene changes to the other life. This is a great strategy, because it keeps the reader eager to keep reading and reading not wanting to put the book down until they complete the entire book. He also explained how people died in dramatic ways. You always knew how they died but when Randy made certain characters explain how it happened when you think it’s going to happen it doesn’t and when you don’t it does.
I think Dead Rules had an amazing plot. Randy Russell didn’t skip right to the climax but kept the story going with the rising action. Unlike other books he didn’t make the beginning of the book all about explaining what was going on but instead explained it throughout the book. He made sure that you were never bored with anything he wrote wanting you to finish the book. And after the climax of the story was over he didn’t just end the book he kept it going yet didn’t stretch it too much. Finally at the end of the book when you want it to keep going it stops. At first I was angry with this but then I realized that Randy Russell did this on purpose. He wanted the reader to know how the book will end with all of the information he already gave you, which had to be the best part of the book.
Dead Rules was an incredible book that everyone should read. It is mysterious, romantic, interesting, and an incredible read. It will make you think differently about the little things in life and the big things as well. I will never forget Dead Rules. It is truly an amazing book.
(less)

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Apr 13, 2012 Alicia Munoz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Read my full review on my website Purple Epidemic Reivews

Dead Rules has sort of a psychological thriller vibe to it. Yeah, not my usual daily read but not any less entertaining.
When the book first started, I was confused. I didn't realize that Jana was in the Dead School, I honestly didn't think that she would be the one to die either. Sometimes I don't read the back off a book because I want to be surprised when something happens. For this books, though, i did read the back and what I discovere...more Read my full review on my website Purple Epidemic Reivews

Dead Rules has sort of a psychological thriller vibe to it. Yeah, not my usual daily read but not any less entertaining.
When the book first started, I was confused. I didn't realize that Jana was in the Dead School, I honestly didn't think that she would be the one to die either. Sometimes I don't read the back off a book because I want to be surprised when something happens. For this books, though, i did read the back and what I discovered was just a cryptic little paragraph thing. "Love wasn't all red paper valentines and candy hearts. Sometimes love was despair. and sometimes love was wrong. Jana loved Michael enough to kill him for it. Jana loved Michael to death." I thought Jana going to go psychotic and murder her boyfriend. Turns out that I was wrong.
Anyway, throughout the book the author introduces a bunch or characters from the Dead School and with each new character, a story of their death follows. in a way all the deaths seem sort of Final Destination with the spontaneous way they happen. One minuet you're riding a motorcycle, the next, half your face is smeared across fifty feet of asphalt... What really sucks for the people of the dead school is that however they look like when they die is how they look for the rest of their afterlife.
Well...onto slightly less morbid topics...
Jana is the main character of the book. Her death the product of a practical joke gone awry, but that's all the detail that I'll give you about her death. (You guys can find out more if you read it and if you have read it, then you know what I'm talking about.) To me, Jana seems slightly disturbed, mentally speaking. Something about her seems off when the author focuses around her thoughts. She has this insane idea that because she died, her boyfriend can't live on with out her. The very thought has her convinced that she has to kill him so they can live together at the dead school. Yeah...insane with a capitol "i".
Mars isn't your typical bad boy... at least not totally. Most of the students at the dead school see him as incorrigible and all around bad news because he is a Slider. Sliders are people who died while doing something bad and they are closer to earth then the Risers (people who died that aren't Grays, Virgins, or Sliders). Anyway, what some of the other students don't see is that he is more than just another rule-breaking Slider, but I'll let you see what I'm talking about by reading the book... overall, Mars is smart and determined. He has a habit of thinking about others since his death and that had really changed him and made him drawn him and Jana sort of closer... no matter how in denial she can be.
As much as I liked the book, the Dead School didn't make a lot of sense. I mean, I get that it was is was designed to make dead kids to feel "normal" but where do all the dead people go who are to old for the high school scene. Not all of them can be teachers...right?
Moving on from that short rant. The ending for this book was as good as an ending can get. It ended in a way that gives the reader a sense of closure without there needing to be a sequel. But, that doesn't mean a sequel wouldn't be welcome. There's a lot of things that would be great to expand on (Mars and Jana in particular).
Well, on that note, I'll end this review by saying this book deserves the rating of B- because despite the few things I may not have liked about it, there were a lot of good things, too. The whole story was like mystery mixed with a psychological thriller mixed with a horror. Recommended for anyone who thought this book was interesting either because of my review or the synopsis, anyone who likes a good ghost story/ romance and/or someone who, like me, is/was looking for something different to read.(less)

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Aug 22, 2012 Chloe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: undead-ghosts, faves

I won this book in a giveaway and I could hardly put it down, I had to force myself to put it down to enjoy my brother's birthday but even then the next day I found it magically in my hands again.

This is a quirky, unique story about love after death and it just enthralled me. The characters were imaginative and realistic (even though they were dead) and Russell's afterworld is different in a very good way.

Jana Webster is thrown into the world/school of the dead with only a class ring, phone an...more

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why do they repeat them selves?	1	12	Jan 28, 2012 10:16am
why do they repeat them selves?	1	6	Jan 28, 2012 10:16am

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