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Living Dead World #1
Living Dead Girl
Jen MacLellan has hit a dead end...
Jen knows tattooed, blue-haired Jack Norris is trouble the minute he opens his front door. And being a mortician in the avante garde East Side of Providence, Jen has seen a lot. Jack has recruited Jen's teenage brother Drew to play drums for his less-than-respectable punk band, and Jen has no choice but to follow their gigs to keep her little brother out of trouble. But when Drew goes missing, she finds herself in the awkward position of asking for Jack's help. Shocked that he agrees, Jen decides she may have misjudged him. Worse, she might even like him.
But when Jen is brutally attacked, she awakens in the hospital where a Sid Vicious look-alike greets her with the news: she's dead, and he's the reaper assigned to take her away. Yeah, not so much. Refusing to leave, Jen's spirit watches helplessly as her loved ones suffer, powerless to ease her family's grief or prevent the police from accusing Jack of her murder. Desperate to help them, Jen convinces the reaper to bring her back. But reanimating corpses isn't as easy as it looks, and neither is finding a killer before it's too late...
Jen knows tattooed, blue-haired Jack Norris is trouble the minute he opens his front door. And being a mortician in the avante garde East Side of Providence, Jen has seen a lot. Jack has recruited Jen's teenage brother Drew to play drums for his less-than-respectable punk band, and Jen has no choice but to follow their gigs to keep her little brother out of trouble. But when Drew goes missing, she finds herself in the awkward position of asking for Jack's help. Shocked that he agrees, Jen decides she may have misjudged him. Worse, she might even like him.
But when Jen is brutally attacked, she awakens in the hospital where a Sid Vicious look-alike greets her with the news: she's dead, and he's the reaper assigned to take her away. Yeah, not so much. Refusing to leave, Jen's spirit watches helplessly as her loved ones suffer, powerless to ease her family's grief or prevent the police from accusing Jack of her murder. Desperate to help them, Jen convinces the reaper to bring her back. But reanimating corpses isn't as easy as it looks, and neither is finding a killer before it's too late...
234 pages, Paperback
First published January 14, 2014
10 people are currently reading
997 people want to read
About the author
Nessie Strange
5 books105 followersNessie is a Massachusetts native and mother of two who has dabbled in everything from abstract painting to freelance sports reporting. She also loves a good story, whether it's reading or writing one.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 14, 2022
Living Dead Girl was a good start to the series. In it, you will meet Jen. She is a mortician with her father and cousin. Her brother, Drew, is the obvious troublemaker of the family. So, it's pretty typical that her other job is cleaning up after him.
Now Jen was likable. Very likable. But, and here's a huge but guys, she was the family doormat. Through and through. She did so much for her family, and they took her for granted every single day. It was very frustrating to witness. I just wanted to slap them all.
Then there's Jack. All he wants to be is a singer and he's good at it. With unlimited booze and women within his grasp, it was interesting that Jen turned his world upside down. Their chemistry was easy to get along with and some of the scenes between them were very hot.
Throw in Drew missing and things could get a bit awkward. Throughout the book we get twists, turns, and lots of drama. Some of it was obviously annoying to me because Jen just couldn't see the bad in some people.
In the end, the murder mystery part was a little disappointing. Mostly because it seemed too predictable (for me). I'm hoping things pick up in the sequel.
Now Jen was likable. Very likable. But, and here's a huge but guys, she was the family doormat. Through and through. She did so much for her family, and they took her for granted every single day. It was very frustrating to witness. I just wanted to slap them all.
Then there's Jack. All he wants to be is a singer and he's good at it. With unlimited booze and women within his grasp, it was interesting that Jen turned his world upside down. Their chemistry was easy to get along with and some of the scenes between them were very hot.
Throw in Drew missing and things could get a bit awkward. Throughout the book we get twists, turns, and lots of drama. Some of it was obviously annoying to me because Jen just couldn't see the bad in some people.
In the end, the murder mystery part was a little disappointing. Mostly because it seemed too predictable (for me). I'm hoping things pick up in the sequel.
January 19, 2014
I'm thrilled to see this book make its publication debut. Nessie's writing style was the first thing that attracted me. I'm typically a fan of paranormal romance, but even though this book has some romance, it's not the sexy, hulking alpha male variety. It's witty and keeps you turning pages. The dialogue is fresh and youthful and the characters are flawed, but still maintain their lovable characteristics. And Sam is just plain fun. This is definitely more Urban Fantasy than paranormal romance, but it's fun and leaves you wanting more. Five stars well-earned.
April 18, 2014
Even though after reading the blurb of the book, you know what is going to happen,
Living Dead Girl
starts off as a regular romance between a boy and a girl, with no hint of anything paranormal.
Jen MacLellan works as a mortician with her father and cousin. Her brother, Drew is a troublemaker and it is always up to Jen to clean up his messes and bring him on the right track. Having lost her mother almost six years ago, it is up to Jen to take care of her father and brother. But I hated the fact that despite everything Jen did for her family; they kept taking her for granted.
Jack is your regular wannabe singing sensation, except he can actually sing. Booze and women are what keep him going. When Jen walks up his door with all the sass she can muster looking for her kid brother, Jack feels a kick in the gut. After all there was no woman who never looked twice at him. Until Jen.
When Drew goes missing, Jen enlists the help of Jack to find him. What follows is a nice and comfortable friendship between the two of them. When out of the blue one day, Jack kisses her and she kisses him back, Jen starts rethinking her relationship with her boyfriend Craig. Honestly I never liked Craig. He was too full of himself and wanted to control Jen. Like her best friend PJ, even I thought Craig was cheating on Jen, but Jen just did not want to see it.
I liked Jen and Jack as a couple. They were good for each other. They were comfortable and very homey. Obviously we need a villain who hates them being together. Jack’s brother thinks having Jen in his life is going to take him away from their band, and he constantly acts like a jerk towards Jen. Then there is Merry, a girl from another band who claims to be the best person for Jack.
When one day after having a fight with Jack, Jen is found dead; Jack becomes the main suspect. Jen wakes up in the hospital with a Sid Vicious lookalike proclaiming her dead, Jen does not believe him. But after seeing her body and realising that she is dead, all Jen wants is to prove Jack innocent.
Honestly the murder mystery part of the story was not really mysterious to me. It was very obvious to me as to who killed Jen. After she was roughed up at the bar, there was no doubt about the culprit. That part of the story was not really strong and kinda disappointing.
The only zombie books I’ve read are My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland, which I stopped after five or six chapters. Because seriously brain eating zombies? Yuck. And other one was Gena Showalter’s Alice in Zombieland which I thoroughly enjoyed. Those zombies were not so yucky. So Jen as a zombie was in the middle of these two kinds of zombies. The process of returning Jen’s soul into her body and then pumping her with embalming fluid had a shiver running up my spine. And when she actually starts to bite and try to eat people, I was shuddering. Zombies are not my favourite, but this one wasn’t so bad.
I did like the ending of the book. I was happy with it. I can’t say anything more without giving away any spoilers, but I would like to read a second book, if there will be one.
The book was written well, though there were a few typos and grammatical mistakes. And I even liked the characterization. I am not a big fan of insta-love, so I was glad to see the relationship between Jen and Jack progressing as they go by, rather than falling in love the moment they met. Overall I liked the book. Not one of the best I’ve read, but not that bad either.
Jen MacLellan works as a mortician with her father and cousin. Her brother, Drew is a troublemaker and it is always up to Jen to clean up his messes and bring him on the right track. Having lost her mother almost six years ago, it is up to Jen to take care of her father and brother. But I hated the fact that despite everything Jen did for her family; they kept taking her for granted.
Jack is your regular wannabe singing sensation, except he can actually sing. Booze and women are what keep him going. When Jen walks up his door with all the sass she can muster looking for her kid brother, Jack feels a kick in the gut. After all there was no woman who never looked twice at him. Until Jen.
When Drew goes missing, Jen enlists the help of Jack to find him. What follows is a nice and comfortable friendship between the two of them. When out of the blue one day, Jack kisses her and she kisses him back, Jen starts rethinking her relationship with her boyfriend Craig. Honestly I never liked Craig. He was too full of himself and wanted to control Jen. Like her best friend PJ, even I thought Craig was cheating on Jen, but Jen just did not want to see it.
I liked Jen and Jack as a couple. They were good for each other. They were comfortable and very homey. Obviously we need a villain who hates them being together. Jack’s brother thinks having Jen in his life is going to take him away from their band, and he constantly acts like a jerk towards Jen. Then there is Merry, a girl from another band who claims to be the best person for Jack.
When one day after having a fight with Jack, Jen is found dead; Jack becomes the main suspect. Jen wakes up in the hospital with a Sid Vicious lookalike proclaiming her dead, Jen does not believe him. But after seeing her body and realising that she is dead, all Jen wants is to prove Jack innocent.
Honestly the murder mystery part of the story was not really mysterious to me. It was very obvious to me as to who killed Jen. After she was roughed up at the bar, there was no doubt about the culprit. That part of the story was not really strong and kinda disappointing.
The only zombie books I’ve read are My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland, which I stopped after five or six chapters. Because seriously brain eating zombies? Yuck. And other one was Gena Showalter’s Alice in Zombieland which I thoroughly enjoyed. Those zombies were not so yucky. So Jen as a zombie was in the middle of these two kinds of zombies. The process of returning Jen’s soul into her body and then pumping her with embalming fluid had a shiver running up my spine. And when she actually starts to bite and try to eat people, I was shuddering. Zombies are not my favourite, but this one wasn’t so bad.
I did like the ending of the book. I was happy with it. I can’t say anything more without giving away any spoilers, but I would like to read a second book, if there will be one.
The book was written well, though there were a few typos and grammatical mistakes. And I even liked the characterization. I am not a big fan of insta-love, so I was glad to see the relationship between Jen and Jack progressing as they go by, rather than falling in love the moment they met. Overall I liked the book. Not one of the best I’ve read, but not that bad either.
January 19, 2014
Living Dead Girl is the story of twenty something Jen. The responsible and protective big sister, she tries her best to keep her little brother out of trouble and, in the process, falls in love with one of the members in his band, Jack. This story is a high intensity emotional ride. Feeling Jen’s pain and experiencing her death had me going through a whole box of Kleenex. Her need to come back and protect the ones she left behind leads her into negotiations with one of my favorite characters in the book, Sam, AKA the Grim Reaper. The idea of cheering for a zombie sounded ridiculous to me until I read this book. Nessie Strange’s writing pulled me into the story and kept me there long after the last page and now I can't wait for book two...there will be a book two right?
January 19, 2014
I received this book from the Author, Nessie Strange, in exchange for an honest review.
The Review
First and foremost, I have to, in all fairness to readers and the author, divulge the fact that I am NOT a fan of Zombie books. In fact, this is the first one I've read. I don't like the idea of them or their actions. So it IS possible this could sway my review.
That being said....I TOTALLY LOVED IT!! :D
I have to admit, I had to give myself time to absorb and sort out the story in my head though. I had to siphon out the "zombieish"(yes new word there) qualities in a zombie that I don't like(think NOM NOM NOM
), strictly because I'm a wuss. Once I was able to do this, I was able to see the story as it truly is and how a person who LOVES Zombie themed stories would absolutely fall in love with it and how those who were a zombie genre virgin like myself would get a sweet bite(Yes I'm being punny) of a zombie story. I seriously did freaking love the actual story.
Jen is an uptight type of girl. When her mother died, Jen stepped into the role of taking care of her younger brother and her father. She has no social life, except hanging out with the dead who come into the funeral home her father runs and the occasional outing she has with her friend P.J..
Then there is also Jen's, stick up his ass, controlling bastard boyfriend Craig. Jen has dated him for awhile and he's off at college, living it up, while she's back home being the good girl and taking whatever affection/attention left overs he tosses her way.
So when Jen meets Jack, she is almost shell shocked. He's her opposite. She's supposed to love Craig, not be attracted to this sexy, delicious, blue haired guitar player in a band! But slowly, Jack breaks down her walls and sets her free. She's able to finally live life and enjoy it. Until she's murdered.
Even though the blurb tells me this is going to happen, the description is...WOW! Just wow! I swear I felt everything. I felt the panic, fear, the why!!?? and just...everything. I've read best selling author's crime novels and never have I felt the emotions the way I did with this book.
Then the frustration that Jen has, the shock, the tears, the desperation to do what she had to do to save those she loved. And P.J....she was a major player in this book as well. I was angry with her, yet I understood why she does what she does.
My final thoughts: This book threw me into a tornado of emotions. It took me out of my comfort zone, yet would place me back into it, only to be ripped back out again. I'll try to just put it all out there...everything that's flying around in my head. It probably won't make sense, but it will let you know how well written this book was. It was different, yet familiar, it had romance, it had terror, it had laughter it had tears, it was gruesome, but beautiful, it was angry it was loving. IT WAS EVERYTHING!
Nessie Strange has a gift. A gift of storytelling, imagination and the capability to connect to the reader's emotions. I may not be a fan of Zombies, but I'm a forever fan of Nessie Strange. I CAN NOT WAIT until the next book comes out in this series so I can find out what happens next!!!
~Robin - Book Reads and Reviews
Grade Scale:
(Based upon the Book Reads and Reviews Rubric)
Plot – 10
Characterization – 10
Style – 8
Threshold Quality – 8
Addictiveness – 8
Total – 44
Rating – 5 Stars
The Review
First and foremost, I have to, in all fairness to readers and the author, divulge the fact that I am NOT a fan of Zombie books. In fact, this is the first one I've read. I don't like the idea of them or their actions. So it IS possible this could sway my review.
That being said....I TOTALLY LOVED IT!! :D
I have to admit, I had to give myself time to absorb and sort out the story in my head though. I had to siphon out the "zombieish"(yes new word there) qualities in a zombie that I don't like(think NOM NOM NOM
), strictly because I'm a wuss. Once I was able to do this, I was able to see the story as it truly is and how a person who LOVES Zombie themed stories would absolutely fall in love with it and how those who were a zombie genre virgin like myself would get a sweet bite(Yes I'm being punny) of a zombie story. I seriously did freaking love the actual story.Jen is an uptight type of girl. When her mother died, Jen stepped into the role of taking care of her younger brother and her father. She has no social life, except hanging out with the dead who come into the funeral home her father runs and the occasional outing she has with her friend P.J..
Then there is also Jen's, stick up his ass, controlling bastard boyfriend Craig. Jen has dated him for awhile and he's off at college, living it up, while she's back home being the good girl and taking whatever affection/attention left overs he tosses her way.
So when Jen meets Jack, she is almost shell shocked. He's her opposite. She's supposed to love Craig, not be attracted to this sexy, delicious, blue haired guitar player in a band! But slowly, Jack breaks down her walls and sets her free. She's able to finally live life and enjoy it. Until she's murdered.
Even though the blurb tells me this is going to happen, the description is...WOW! Just wow! I swear I felt everything. I felt the panic, fear, the why!!?? and just...everything. I've read best selling author's crime novels and never have I felt the emotions the way I did with this book.
Then the frustration that Jen has, the shock, the tears, the desperation to do what she had to do to save those she loved. And P.J....she was a major player in this book as well. I was angry with her, yet I understood why she does what she does.
My final thoughts: This book threw me into a tornado of emotions. It took me out of my comfort zone, yet would place me back into it, only to be ripped back out again. I'll try to just put it all out there...everything that's flying around in my head. It probably won't make sense, but it will let you know how well written this book was. It was different, yet familiar, it had romance, it had terror, it had laughter it had tears, it was gruesome, but beautiful, it was angry it was loving. IT WAS EVERYTHING!
Nessie Strange has a gift. A gift of storytelling, imagination and the capability to connect to the reader's emotions. I may not be a fan of Zombies, but I'm a forever fan of Nessie Strange. I CAN NOT WAIT until the next book comes out in this series so I can find out what happens next!!!
~Robin - Book Reads and Reviews
Grade Scale:
(Based upon the Book Reads and Reviews Rubric)
Plot – 10
Characterization – 10
Style – 8
Threshold Quality – 8
Addictiveness – 8
Total – 44
Rating – 5 Stars
June 20, 2017
WOW. This was different and I absolutely loved it. Strange had me hooked after the first page. There was just something about the characters that pulled me in and made me want to stay.
Let me tell you a little bit about the
book: Jen has a lot of responsibilities. Ever since her mom died, when she was fourteen, she has been taking care of both her brother and her father. She put off college to work at the morgue, the family business, and if she's not spending her time there she is chasing after her brother Drew. One night Drew takes off and Jen has to go out searching for him. She finds him at a guy named Jack's house. She freaks out when she sees all of the alcohol and drugs her brother is around and basically rips Jack a new one. But Jack wants Drew in his band and will do anything he can to make it happen. Jen hates Jack, but because her dad said Drew could be in the band she finds herself constantly around him. It doesn't take long for feelings to develop between the two. In fact it ends up being Jen's relationship with Jack that gets her killed.
Okay so the whole time you are reading you know Jen is going to die, you know she is murdered, you know Jack gets blamed for it, and you know Jen comes back as a zombie to fix it. But that knowledge doesn't make it any easier. I actually had to put the book down for awhile and come back to it later. I was just so invested in the characters it was devastating to see it all fall apart.
The good news is the book doesn't fall apart. The last half is just as addicting as the first half. This is definitely worth the read, if you don't agree then i'm not sure we read the same book! I hope to get a chance to read the second one soon.
Let me tell you a little bit about the
book: Jen has a lot of responsibilities. Ever since her mom died, when she was fourteen, she has been taking care of both her brother and her father. She put off college to work at the morgue, the family business, and if she's not spending her time there she is chasing after her brother Drew. One night Drew takes off and Jen has to go out searching for him. She finds him at a guy named Jack's house. She freaks out when she sees all of the alcohol and drugs her brother is around and basically rips Jack a new one. But Jack wants Drew in his band and will do anything he can to make it happen. Jen hates Jack, but because her dad said Drew could be in the band she finds herself constantly around him. It doesn't take long for feelings to develop between the two. In fact it ends up being Jen's relationship with Jack that gets her killed.
Okay so the whole time you are reading you know Jen is going to die, you know she is murdered, you know Jack gets blamed for it, and you know Jen comes back as a zombie to fix it. But that knowledge doesn't make it any easier. I actually had to put the book down for awhile and come back to it later. I was just so invested in the characters it was devastating to see it all fall apart.
The good news is the book doesn't fall apart. The last half is just as addicting as the first half. This is definitely worth the read, if you don't agree then i'm not sure we read the same book! I hope to get a chance to read the second one soon.
May 4, 2014
Living Dead Girl is a bit of an enigma. It is at once a romance and an urban fantasy, and simultaneously neither. This paradox gives it an unsettling feel, but in the end I found it a satisfying read.
Even though it is not formally delineated as such, this book feels like a story in two distinct parts. “Part One” reads like a contemporary New Adult romance. It tells the story of Jen falling for Jack in the midst of the challenges inherent to family, career, and relationships often encountered when trying to indentify one’s place in the adult world. The story is sweet, the banter witty, and the growing affection and love between Jen and Jack believable and enjoyable. This first half of the book feels like it’s headed to the happily ever after we all love and expect in a good romance.
But then there’s “Part Two”, and despite the lulling romance of the first half, the reader knows the other shoe is going to drop. The novel’s blurb tells us that Jen is murdered. She comes back as a zombie to avenge her death and clear Jack’s name when he is wrongly accused of her murder. This section reads like a dark, gritty urban fantasy. In parts it turns macabre and violent to a point it ventures into a kind of poetic horror. It also contains the only section that lagged for me: the few chapters where Jen is coming to terms with her death before she figures out how to become a zombie.
These two divergent parts give the novel its unsettling mood. Part of me railed against having my happily ever after pulled out from under me. After all, I am not alone in enjoying a happy, satisfying ending. There’s a reason there was so much public outcry after the infamous “red wedding” episode of Game of Thrones.
Another part of me appreciates how this metaphorical pulling out of the reader’s rug mirrors Jen’s journey as she deals with her own loss of her expected happily ever after with Jack. There is a twist in the end that reopens the door for a more optimistic future in the afterlife, saving the book from a tragic ending ala Hamlet. It also sets up a potential urban fantasy series that would follow a premise I didn’t entirely see coming. If a series is Ms. Strange’s intention, it will be interesting to see if it becomes a more predictable urban fantasy story line or if she keeps finding ways to create the disconcerting feel of this novel. Either outcome could be satisfactory.
This is a challenging book in the sense that it has the potential to disappoint the reader looking for a romance and the reader looking for an urban fantasy/horror/zombie story. In the end, I think it is a challenge worth taking. I give this book 4 stars out of 5.
Even though it is not formally delineated as such, this book feels like a story in two distinct parts. “Part One” reads like a contemporary New Adult romance. It tells the story of Jen falling for Jack in the midst of the challenges inherent to family, career, and relationships often encountered when trying to indentify one’s place in the adult world. The story is sweet, the banter witty, and the growing affection and love between Jen and Jack believable and enjoyable. This first half of the book feels like it’s headed to the happily ever after we all love and expect in a good romance.
But then there’s “Part Two”, and despite the lulling romance of the first half, the reader knows the other shoe is going to drop. The novel’s blurb tells us that Jen is murdered. She comes back as a zombie to avenge her death and clear Jack’s name when he is wrongly accused of her murder. This section reads like a dark, gritty urban fantasy. In parts it turns macabre and violent to a point it ventures into a kind of poetic horror. It also contains the only section that lagged for me: the few chapters where Jen is coming to terms with her death before she figures out how to become a zombie.
These two divergent parts give the novel its unsettling mood. Part of me railed against having my happily ever after pulled out from under me. After all, I am not alone in enjoying a happy, satisfying ending. There’s a reason there was so much public outcry after the infamous “red wedding” episode of Game of Thrones.
Another part of me appreciates how this metaphorical pulling out of the reader’s rug mirrors Jen’s journey as she deals with her own loss of her expected happily ever after with Jack. There is a twist in the end that reopens the door for a more optimistic future in the afterlife, saving the book from a tragic ending ala Hamlet. It also sets up a potential urban fantasy series that would follow a premise I didn’t entirely see coming. If a series is Ms. Strange’s intention, it will be interesting to see if it becomes a more predictable urban fantasy story line or if she keeps finding ways to create the disconcerting feel of this novel. Either outcome could be satisfactory.
This is a challenging book in the sense that it has the potential to disappoint the reader looking for a romance and the reader looking for an urban fantasy/horror/zombie story. In the end, I think it is a challenge worth taking. I give this book 4 stars out of 5.
March 19, 2014
This is the story of a young woman, a responsible and somewhat over-protective big sister who tries, not so successfully, to keep her little brother out of trouble. In the process of one such event, she meets and eventually falls in love with one of her brother’s band members, Jack.
Now, let me say, that this is not my normal read. It was my first Urban Fantasy and my first Zombie story. I don’t even read too many Young Adult or New Adult. I truly wasn’t sure what to expect, but the blurb intrigued me so much I couldn’t stop myself from buying it—and then reading it—almost immediately.
I found myself totally engrossed, turning page after page, not wanting to put this book down. I will admit, I love that the romance is what encompasses the majority of this book. But we know she was murdered, so I kept waiting to turn the page and find her dead. This story is intense. It’s emotional. This girl loves her family. Jack adores her and she loves him. So much so, that she cannot stand how things play out after her death. So much so, that she tells Sam (aka the Reaper), who’s come for her, to either help her or to take a hike until she sets things straight.
And then comes the part of her turning into a Zombie—trying to make her body do simple things. It’s actually kind of amusing when you think about it. And then, yeah, it gets a little gross nearer to the end, when she becomes more Zombie than girl. She even starts to scare her friends and family with her, shall we say, aggression. But her heart and mind are still in the game. She has a goal, and she’s sticking to it, right until the bitter end.
And then there’s a twist, don’t you love twists? But I’m not going to spoil it. I will say it’s not a cliff-hanger. So no worries there. But I do hope there’s a second book, because I’m definitely a fan! This is truly a book worth checking out.
Now, let me say, that this is not my normal read. It was my first Urban Fantasy and my first Zombie story. I don’t even read too many Young Adult or New Adult. I truly wasn’t sure what to expect, but the blurb intrigued me so much I couldn’t stop myself from buying it—and then reading it—almost immediately.
I found myself totally engrossed, turning page after page, not wanting to put this book down. I will admit, I love that the romance is what encompasses the majority of this book. But we know she was murdered, so I kept waiting to turn the page and find her dead. This story is intense. It’s emotional. This girl loves her family. Jack adores her and she loves him. So much so, that she cannot stand how things play out after her death. So much so, that she tells Sam (aka the Reaper), who’s come for her, to either help her or to take a hike until she sets things straight.
And then comes the part of her turning into a Zombie—trying to make her body do simple things. It’s actually kind of amusing when you think about it. And then, yeah, it gets a little gross nearer to the end, when she becomes more Zombie than girl. She even starts to scare her friends and family with her, shall we say, aggression. But her heart and mind are still in the game. She has a goal, and she’s sticking to it, right until the bitter end.
And then there’s a twist, don’t you love twists? But I’m not going to spoil it. I will say it’s not a cliff-hanger. So no worries there. But I do hope there’s a second book, because I’m definitely a fan! This is truly a book worth checking out.
September 3, 2016
Jen and Jack's love story starts out normally enough - she's an uptight mortician with a d-bag boyfriend, he's the hot singer in her little brother's band. But it heats up and turns into a very sweet and loving relationship, one that Jen will do anything to protect. Even if it means she has to come back from the dead to do it...
I was really into Jen and Jack and kept thinking - where are we going with this? Because the first third of the story could easily be confused with a very funny and witty contemporary romance. But then, things get a bit crazy. Not to spoil the plot (and I won't), but Jen's life after death is a dark romp through realms I hadn't imagined, along with her Sex Pistols reaper Sam.
The imagination of Ms. Strange is really extraordinary, and her skill in keeping the narrative moving was awesome. I did find Jack's proposal of marriage a bit hurried, and thought Jen and Jack's love didn't really need that for the storyline. But overall, the writing was so vivid, amusing, and its storyline so original that I was totally up late reading this one.
Looking forward to more!!
I was really into Jen and Jack and kept thinking - where are we going with this? Because the first third of the story could easily be confused with a very funny and witty contemporary romance. But then, things get a bit crazy. Not to spoil the plot (and I won't), but Jen's life after death is a dark romp through realms I hadn't imagined, along with her Sex Pistols reaper Sam.
The imagination of Ms. Strange is really extraordinary, and her skill in keeping the narrative moving was awesome. I did find Jack's proposal of marriage a bit hurried, and thought Jen and Jack's love didn't really need that for the storyline. But overall, the writing was so vivid, amusing, and its storyline so original that I was totally up late reading this one.
Looking forward to more!!
March 20, 2014
Zombies are alive and kicking! Well, in Jen's case neither is really true - she's dead and kicking isn't that easy for her right now. But I've sped ahead.
In the beginning Jen was alive and well and working as a Funeral Director's assistant (the details of which I found morbidly fascinating and shows either experience or excellent research on the author's part). Jen falls for bad-boy Jack and for romance lovers this part of the story will suit you perfectly. When Jen's murdered, though, things change. Her love for Jack and her family is so strong she refuses to let go, even when the Reaper comes for her. Details of her transformation into zombie (having a Funeral Director in the family helps) will suit lovers of zombie-fiction down to the ground as poor Jen develops trying to rein in her zombie instincts.
Romance and zombie horror - what more do you want?
In the beginning Jen was alive and well and working as a Funeral Director's assistant (the details of which I found morbidly fascinating and shows either experience or excellent research on the author's part). Jen falls for bad-boy Jack and for romance lovers this part of the story will suit you perfectly. When Jen's murdered, though, things change. Her love for Jack and her family is so strong she refuses to let go, even when the Reaper comes for her. Details of her transformation into zombie (having a Funeral Director in the family helps) will suit lovers of zombie-fiction down to the ground as poor Jen develops trying to rein in her zombie instincts.
Romance and zombie horror - what more do you want?
February 8, 2014
I loved this book! The chemistry between Jack & Jen bursts from the pages and I can't wait to see whats in store for them in the next book. I have to admit, I would not have read this story if it were not recommended to me. I love paranormal romance, but zombies have never been my thing. Ms Strange takes zombies to a whole new level. I highly recommend you give it a try.
April 12, 2014
I received a free copy of the book from the author for my honest opinion.
Jen MacLellan works with her father as a mortician and she loves her job very much. Jen still lives at home with her dad and little brother Drew. Jen and her dad work out of their home. Jen's mother died a very long time ago and not only does Jen take care of the bodies that are brought in she also works in the office doing the paper work as well. Jen also has the responsibility of taking care of her father and she also has to be a mother to her little brother. She takes her father suits to the dry cleaners, she does the grocery shopping and she cooks and cleans the house too. Jen is such a good hearted girl that she never complains. She really doesn't mind helping her dad out. She even helps her dad out with taking on most of the responsibility of her little brother Drew. Drew is part of a band and is only sixteen years old and sometimes he stays out past his bedtime. So therefore Jen has to go looking for him because her father has not been a very good disciplinary parent since their mother died. When Jen's mother died a part of her father died as well and it is taking him a long time to get over her.
One night Drew doesn't come home so Jen is the one who has to go looking for him and bring him home. She finds him with the band at Jack's one of the band members house partying. When Jen first meets Jack she does not care for him at all. She thinks he is kind of sarcastic and full of BS. Jack is a womanizer. He will go out with just about any woman that will go out with him and believe me he has no problem finding himself a date. But when Jack meets Jen everything starts to change for him all of a sudden he is no longer interested in dating as many women as he can. He only wants one woman and that woman just happens to be Jen. But Jen thinks he just wants to use her so at first she fights the attraction that she has for him.
Jen has a boyfriend and has been with him for seven years. At the moment he is away at college. Her boyfriend is a control freak and a do as I say kind of guy and not what I do. He shows up at Jen's house just whenever he takes a notion and he always expects Jen to be sitting right there at her house just waiting and hoping he will show up. With his attitude she is supposed to be sitting in her room all dressed up just in case he pops in for the weekend wanting to take her out on the town. He gets very upset when he just happens to show up at her house and she is not there waiting for him and just happens to have gone out with her best friend. He will call her on her cell phone and demand to know where she is and what she is doing and why is she not at home waiting for him?
Jen starts to acknowledge her feelings for Jack and comes to realize that her boyfriend is nothing but a piece of trash that she needs to throw out. But Jen soon finds out that Jack has an admirer who is very, very crazy about him and will run over anyone who tries to come between her and Jack. She will try and mow them down. Jen is not going to let this girl stand in her way to Jack.
I loved how much Jen really did care about her family and friends and the links that she would go to to save them and to keep them out of trouble and safe. She didn't care what the cost was to her all she wanted was to take care of her family and friends so that they could be happy and live in peace.
Jen MacLellan works with her father as a mortician and she loves her job very much. Jen still lives at home with her dad and little brother Drew. Jen and her dad work out of their home. Jen's mother died a very long time ago and not only does Jen take care of the bodies that are brought in she also works in the office doing the paper work as well. Jen also has the responsibility of taking care of her father and she also has to be a mother to her little brother. She takes her father suits to the dry cleaners, she does the grocery shopping and she cooks and cleans the house too. Jen is such a good hearted girl that she never complains. She really doesn't mind helping her dad out. She even helps her dad out with taking on most of the responsibility of her little brother Drew. Drew is part of a band and is only sixteen years old and sometimes he stays out past his bedtime. So therefore Jen has to go looking for him because her father has not been a very good disciplinary parent since their mother died. When Jen's mother died a part of her father died as well and it is taking him a long time to get over her.
One night Drew doesn't come home so Jen is the one who has to go looking for him and bring him home. She finds him with the band at Jack's one of the band members house partying. When Jen first meets Jack she does not care for him at all. She thinks he is kind of sarcastic and full of BS. Jack is a womanizer. He will go out with just about any woman that will go out with him and believe me he has no problem finding himself a date. But when Jack meets Jen everything starts to change for him all of a sudden he is no longer interested in dating as many women as he can. He only wants one woman and that woman just happens to be Jen. But Jen thinks he just wants to use her so at first she fights the attraction that she has for him.
Jen has a boyfriend and has been with him for seven years. At the moment he is away at college. Her boyfriend is a control freak and a do as I say kind of guy and not what I do. He shows up at Jen's house just whenever he takes a notion and he always expects Jen to be sitting right there at her house just waiting and hoping he will show up. With his attitude she is supposed to be sitting in her room all dressed up just in case he pops in for the weekend wanting to take her out on the town. He gets very upset when he just happens to show up at her house and she is not there waiting for him and just happens to have gone out with her best friend. He will call her on her cell phone and demand to know where she is and what she is doing and why is she not at home waiting for him?
Jen starts to acknowledge her feelings for Jack and comes to realize that her boyfriend is nothing but a piece of trash that she needs to throw out. But Jen soon finds out that Jack has an admirer who is very, very crazy about him and will run over anyone who tries to come between her and Jack. She will try and mow them down. Jen is not going to let this girl stand in her way to Jack.
I loved how much Jen really did care about her family and friends and the links that she would go to to save them and to keep them out of trouble and safe. She didn't care what the cost was to her all she wanted was to take care of her family and friends so that they could be happy and live in peace.
February 13, 2015
pretty good start to the series... I will admit from the summary I thought she would have been a reaper some where at the beginning of the book. But that doesn't even really happen in this book. This one is more about her finally getting her life on track and then something happens to make that all turn upside down and her dealing with it basically. I did enjoy this and can't wait to get to the second book.
January 16, 2021
This book kind of felt like it had the potential to be good but little world building and character development left it lacking. I do wonder if the next couple books in the series get better with that idea of the afterlife mixing with the living world and character development of Jen. I think it needs major tweaking and I’d most likely recommend more established with several books out there that have A similar premise.
July 4, 2019
I feel like I took a wrong turn somewhere and got lost. This book took a jumbled nosedive and I spent most of the second half wondering wtf I was reading. Not my style, didn’t really like how things panned out and probably won’t read more.
December 8, 2019
Living Dead Girl
Wonderful take on supernatural beings. The author did some world building and character development. Normally I would have never expected how much I loved the author's initial offering with this series. Looking forward to the next book.
Wonderful take on supernatural beings. The author did some world building and character development. Normally I would have never expected how much I loved the author's initial offering with this series. Looking forward to the next book.
September 22, 2014
Even though after reading the blurb of the book, you know what is going to happen, Living Dead Girl starts off as a regular romance between a boy and a girl, with no hint of anything paranormal.
Jen MacLellan works as a mortician with her father and cousin. Her brother, Drew is a troublemaker and it is always up to Jen to clean up his messes and bring him on the right track. Having lost her mother almost six years ago, it is up to Jen to take care of her father and brother. But I hated the fact that despite everything Jen did for her family; they kept taking her for granted.
Jack is your regular wannabe singing sensation, except he can actually sing. Booze and women are what keep him going. When Jen walks up his door with all the sass she can muster looking for her kid brother, Jack feels a kick in the gut. After all there was no woman who never looked twice at him. Until Jen.
When Drew goes missing, Jen enlists the help of Jack to find him. What follows is a nice and comfortable friendship between the two of them. When out of the blue one day, Jack kisses her and she kisses him back, Jen starts rethinking her relationship with her boyfriend Craig. Honestly I never liked Craig. He was too full of himself and wanted to control Jen. Like her best friend PJ, even I thought Craig was cheating on Jen, but Jen just did not want to see it.
I liked Jen and Jack as a couple. They were good for each other. They were comfortable and very homey. Obviously we need a villain who hates them being together. Jack’s brother thinks having Jen in his life is going to take him away from their band, and he constantly acts like a jerk towards Jen. Then there is Merry, a girl from another band who claims to be the best person for Jack.
When one day after having a fight with Jack, Jen is found dead; Jack becomes the main suspect. Jen wakes up in the hospital with a Sid Vicious lookalike proclaiming her dead, Jen does not believe him. But after seeing her body and realising that she is dead, all Jen wants is to prove Jack innocent.
Honestly the murder mystery part of the story was not really mysterious to me. It was very obvious to me as to who killed Jen. After she was roughed up at the bar, there was no doubt about the culprit. That part of the story was not really strong and kinda disappointing.
The only zombie books I’ve read are My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland, which I stopped after five or six chapters. Because seriously brain eating zombies? Yuck. And other one was Gena Showalter’s Alice in Zombieland which I thoroughly enjoyed. Those zombies were not so yucky. So Jen as a zombie was in the middle of these two kinds of zombies. The process of returning Jen’s soul into her body and then pumping her with embalming fluid had a shiver running up my spine. And when she actually starts to bite and try to eat people, I was shuddering. Zombies are not my favourite, but this one wasn’t so bad.
I did like the ending of the book. I was happy with it. I can’t say anything more without giving away any spoilers, but I would like to read a second book, if there will be one.
The book was written well, though there were a few typos and grammatical mistakes. And I even liked the characterization. I am not a big fan of insta-love, so I was glad to see the relationship between Jen and Jack progressing as they go by, rather than falling in love the moment they met. Overall I liked the book. Not one of the best I’ve read, but not that bad either.
This review first appeared on The La La Land of Books and Gemstreet Reviews
Jen MacLellan works as a mortician with her father and cousin. Her brother, Drew is a troublemaker and it is always up to Jen to clean up his messes and bring him on the right track. Having lost her mother almost six years ago, it is up to Jen to take care of her father and brother. But I hated the fact that despite everything Jen did for her family; they kept taking her for granted.
Jack is your regular wannabe singing sensation, except he can actually sing. Booze and women are what keep him going. When Jen walks up his door with all the sass she can muster looking for her kid brother, Jack feels a kick in the gut. After all there was no woman who never looked twice at him. Until Jen.
When Drew goes missing, Jen enlists the help of Jack to find him. What follows is a nice and comfortable friendship between the two of them. When out of the blue one day, Jack kisses her and she kisses him back, Jen starts rethinking her relationship with her boyfriend Craig. Honestly I never liked Craig. He was too full of himself and wanted to control Jen. Like her best friend PJ, even I thought Craig was cheating on Jen, but Jen just did not want to see it.
I liked Jen and Jack as a couple. They were good for each other. They were comfortable and very homey. Obviously we need a villain who hates them being together. Jack’s brother thinks having Jen in his life is going to take him away from their band, and he constantly acts like a jerk towards Jen. Then there is Merry, a girl from another band who claims to be the best person for Jack.
When one day after having a fight with Jack, Jen is found dead; Jack becomes the main suspect. Jen wakes up in the hospital with a Sid Vicious lookalike proclaiming her dead, Jen does not believe him. But after seeing her body and realising that she is dead, all Jen wants is to prove Jack innocent.
Honestly the murder mystery part of the story was not really mysterious to me. It was very obvious to me as to who killed Jen. After she was roughed up at the bar, there was no doubt about the culprit. That part of the story was not really strong and kinda disappointing.
The only zombie books I’ve read are My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland, which I stopped after five or six chapters. Because seriously brain eating zombies? Yuck. And other one was Gena Showalter’s Alice in Zombieland which I thoroughly enjoyed. Those zombies were not so yucky. So Jen as a zombie was in the middle of these two kinds of zombies. The process of returning Jen’s soul into her body and then pumping her with embalming fluid had a shiver running up my spine. And when she actually starts to bite and try to eat people, I was shuddering. Zombies are not my favourite, but this one wasn’t so bad.
I did like the ending of the book. I was happy with it. I can’t say anything more without giving away any spoilers, but I would like to read a second book, if there will be one.
The book was written well, though there were a few typos and grammatical mistakes. And I even liked the characterization. I am not a big fan of insta-love, so I was glad to see the relationship between Jen and Jack progressing as they go by, rather than falling in love the moment they met. Overall I liked the book. Not one of the best I’ve read, but not that bad either.
This review first appeared on The La La Land of Books and Gemstreet Reviews
March 9, 2015
Well, me and zombies have a love hate relationship. I love them, because they fascinate me, and I hate them because I don’t wanna do the whole brain eating thing, except in the White Trash Zombie series, who mixes her brains with chocolate to make it taste better :) LOL Anyways, this one is extremely awesome, and fresh, and a wonderful new story!
Jen is very….. strict. I will go with that. I happen to like her, alot, but sometimes, I wanna throw water in her face and maybe add some confetti, you know, giggle a bit. But she has a reason for that, her mom died and she was left in charge of the responsibilities, as her father and brother aren’t into that. AND to top it off, other than hanging out with her brother and dad, the only other people she sees are dead, like no longer breather, at her dad’s morgue, oh and she sometimes gets to see her friend PJ, who IS alive LOL. AND, Jen needs to drop Craig like a burning coal ember. UGH. I wanna kick his ass myself. Seriously, let him meet me :) Actually, I wanna beat up all of them, the boyfriend, the brother, the dad. They all take Jen for granted and walk all over her. And then Jen meets Jack. Look, Jen’s smart, and responsible, and sometimes sassy, and the good girl. But Jack comes in and not just takes, but YANKS the rug out from Jen. He is going to challenge her, and who she is, at every breath. It’s amazing what a little spontaneity can do right :) AND THEN she gets killed. Literally. LOL
I will not get into detail about Jen’s murder, because my words will have NOTHING on the author’s. DUDE, BEST MURDER SCENE EVER! I know that sounds horrible, but I can’t help it. It’s phenomenal what words can do when placed together in the right way! I will also say that this book has excellent secondary characters. And y’all will probably all love Jack! :) The characters will steal your breath way! I am really impressed with this book! And of course there’s Sam, wait tile you meet him :)
The plot line was phenomenal. How would you deal with all your responsibilities if you are dead. And, you really need to help everyone. This is one hell of a ride, and a seriously emotional one at that. I still feel for Jen, and I have so much more I want to say about that, but I really don’t want to give spoilers away. There’s so many things to offer so many different types of readers. Horror, humor, romance, suspense, mystery, finding-yourself in the process. I am still a little shell shocked, and I definitely didn’t want it to end! Plus, if that isn’t enough, the writing is magnificent. I want more MORE MORE!!! GIMME GIMME GIMME!!! PLEASE! :) 5 SERIOUSLY AWESOME ZOMBIE PAWS!!
Jen is very….. strict. I will go with that. I happen to like her, alot, but sometimes, I wanna throw water in her face and maybe add some confetti, you know, giggle a bit. But she has a reason for that, her mom died and she was left in charge of the responsibilities, as her father and brother aren’t into that. AND to top it off, other than hanging out with her brother and dad, the only other people she sees are dead, like no longer breather, at her dad’s morgue, oh and she sometimes gets to see her friend PJ, who IS alive LOL. AND, Jen needs to drop Craig like a burning coal ember. UGH. I wanna kick his ass myself. Seriously, let him meet me :) Actually, I wanna beat up all of them, the boyfriend, the brother, the dad. They all take Jen for granted and walk all over her. And then Jen meets Jack. Look, Jen’s smart, and responsible, and sometimes sassy, and the good girl. But Jack comes in and not just takes, but YANKS the rug out from Jen. He is going to challenge her, and who she is, at every breath. It’s amazing what a little spontaneity can do right :) AND THEN she gets killed. Literally. LOL
I will not get into detail about Jen’s murder, because my words will have NOTHING on the author’s. DUDE, BEST MURDER SCENE EVER! I know that sounds horrible, but I can’t help it. It’s phenomenal what words can do when placed together in the right way! I will also say that this book has excellent secondary characters. And y’all will probably all love Jack! :) The characters will steal your breath way! I am really impressed with this book! And of course there’s Sam, wait tile you meet him :)
The plot line was phenomenal. How would you deal with all your responsibilities if you are dead. And, you really need to help everyone. This is one hell of a ride, and a seriously emotional one at that. I still feel for Jen, and I have so much more I want to say about that, but I really don’t want to give spoilers away. There’s so many things to offer so many different types of readers. Horror, humor, romance, suspense, mystery, finding-yourself in the process. I am still a little shell shocked, and I definitely didn’t want it to end! Plus, if that isn’t enough, the writing is magnificent. I want more MORE MORE!!! GIMME GIMME GIMME!!! PLEASE! :) 5 SERIOUSLY AWESOME ZOMBIE PAWS!!
March 29, 2015
Well, me and zombies have a love hate relationship. I love them, because they fascinate me, and I hate them because I don’t wanna do the whole brain eating thing, except in the White Trash Zombie series, who mixes her brains with chocolate to make it taste better :) LOL Anyways, this one is extremely awesome, and fresh, and a wonderful new story!
Jen is very….. strict. I will go with that. I happen to like her, alot, but sometimes, I wanna throw water in her face and maybe add some confetti, you know, giggle a bit. But she has a reason for that, her mom died and she was left in charge of the responsibilities, as her father and brother aren’t into that. AND to top it off, other than hanging out with her brother and dad, the only other people she sees are dead, like no longer breather, at her dad’s morgue, oh and she sometimes gets to see her friend PJ, who IS alive LOL. AND, Jen needs to drop Craig like a burning coal ember. UGH. I wanna kick his ass myself. Seriously, let him meet me :) Actually, I wanna beat up all of them, the boyfriend, the brother, the dad. They all take Jen for granted and walk all over her. And then Jen meets Jack. Look, Jen’s smart, and responsible, and sometimes sassy, and the good girl. But Jack comes in and not just takes, but YANKS the rug out from Jen. He is going to challenge her, and who she is, at every breath. It’s amazing what a little spontaneity can do right :) AND THEN she gets killed. Literally. LOL
I will not get into detail about Jen’s murder, because my words will have NOTHING on the author’s. DUDE, BEST MURDER SCENE EVER! I know that sounds horrible, but I can’t help it. It’s phenomenal what words can do when placed together in the right way! I will also say that this book has excellent secondary characters. And y’all will probably all love Jack! :) The characters will steal your breath way! I am really impressed with this book! And of course there’s Sam, wait tile you meet him :)
The plot line was phenomenal. How would you deal with all your responsibilities if you are dead. And, you really need to help everyone. This is one hell of a ride, and a seriously emotional one at that. I still feel for Jen, and I have so much more I want to say about that, but I really don’t want to give spoilers away. There’s so many things to offer so many different types of readers. Horror, humor, romance, suspense, mystery, finding-yourself in the process. I am still a little shell shocked, and I definitely didn’t want it to end! Plus, if that isn’t enough, the writing is magnificent. I want more MORE MORE!!! GIMME GIMME GIMME!!! PLEASE! :) 5 SERIOUSLY AWESOME ZOMBIE PAWS!!
Jen is very….. strict. I will go with that. I happen to like her, alot, but sometimes, I wanna throw water in her face and maybe add some confetti, you know, giggle a bit. But she has a reason for that, her mom died and she was left in charge of the responsibilities, as her father and brother aren’t into that. AND to top it off, other than hanging out with her brother and dad, the only other people she sees are dead, like no longer breather, at her dad’s morgue, oh and she sometimes gets to see her friend PJ, who IS alive LOL. AND, Jen needs to drop Craig like a burning coal ember. UGH. I wanna kick his ass myself. Seriously, let him meet me :) Actually, I wanna beat up all of them, the boyfriend, the brother, the dad. They all take Jen for granted and walk all over her. And then Jen meets Jack. Look, Jen’s smart, and responsible, and sometimes sassy, and the good girl. But Jack comes in and not just takes, but YANKS the rug out from Jen. He is going to challenge her, and who she is, at every breath. It’s amazing what a little spontaneity can do right :) AND THEN she gets killed. Literally. LOL
I will not get into detail about Jen’s murder, because my words will have NOTHING on the author’s. DUDE, BEST MURDER SCENE EVER! I know that sounds horrible, but I can’t help it. It’s phenomenal what words can do when placed together in the right way! I will also say that this book has excellent secondary characters. And y’all will probably all love Jack! :) The characters will steal your breath way! I am really impressed with this book! And of course there’s Sam, wait tile you meet him :)
The plot line was phenomenal. How would you deal with all your responsibilities if you are dead. And, you really need to help everyone. This is one hell of a ride, and a seriously emotional one at that. I still feel for Jen, and I have so much more I want to say about that, but I really don’t want to give spoilers away. There’s so many things to offer so many different types of readers. Horror, humor, romance, suspense, mystery, finding-yourself in the process. I am still a little shell shocked, and I definitely didn’t want it to end! Plus, if that isn’t enough, the writing is magnificent. I want more MORE MORE!!! GIMME GIMME GIMME!!! PLEASE! :) 5 SERIOUSLY AWESOME ZOMBIE PAWS!!
September 12, 2014
I received the Kindle edition of this book a few months ago in exchange for an honest review. I started reading it and had to give it some thought. It's hard to put it into a category. It's New Adult (most of the major characters are in their 20s). It's romance, even paranormal romance, though nothing like what I usually see in that category--in a good way. It's a bit urban fantasy, but not in the usual way (if you consider Laurell K. Hamilton, Patricia Briggs, or Jim Butcher 'the usual'). So this might take some explanation.
Jen MacLellan is a mortician in Providence, Rhode Island, working in the family business with her dad. She has a long-term (and long-distance) boyfriend and an annoying teenage brother who wants to be drummer of a punk rock band.
The first part of the book is a young woman's struggle with her brother Drew's misbehaving and her growing attraction to Drew's bandmate Jack. It's a well plotted story about Jen letting go of some of the baggage weighing her down. I quickly got attached to Jen and cheered her own. I learned to tolerate Jack, who's got his own set of problems. He's a decent guy, so I was happy for her. The romance was not rushed, and the author developed it in a natural way, superior to some of the romances I've seen in Young Adult and New Adult fiction of late. A minor issue was that Jack just kind of showed up at times. Dude, learn to knock, not just let yourself in your girlfriend's house. Otherwise it was well done.
And then things go bad and fast. The book title and description give it away pretty clearly, so this is no spoiler. I thought I was in a romance, but I knew that Jen was going to die. She does just past the halfway mark, which may be a bit too late. Maybe a third, but half seems a bit long in the tooth.
Then Jen dies. She doesn't take it well, and she twists Sam, her grim reaper, into letting her come back. The rest of the story flows quickly. Without spoiling, I will say that the author presents one of the most realistic zombies I've yet read. She struggles to understand her own death and try to set things right for Jack while dealing with the practical problem that her body is rotting away. Well worth a read if you like zombie stories.
I recommend Living Dead Girl for fans of urban fantasy, New Adult romance, and body horror.
Jen MacLellan is a mortician in Providence, Rhode Island, working in the family business with her dad. She has a long-term (and long-distance) boyfriend and an annoying teenage brother who wants to be drummer of a punk rock band.
The first part of the book is a young woman's struggle with her brother Drew's misbehaving and her growing attraction to Drew's bandmate Jack. It's a well plotted story about Jen letting go of some of the baggage weighing her down. I quickly got attached to Jen and cheered her own. I learned to tolerate Jack, who's got his own set of problems. He's a decent guy, so I was happy for her. The romance was not rushed, and the author developed it in a natural way, superior to some of the romances I've seen in Young Adult and New Adult fiction of late. A minor issue was that Jack just kind of showed up at times. Dude, learn to knock, not just let yourself in your girlfriend's house. Otherwise it was well done.
And then things go bad and fast. The book title and description give it away pretty clearly, so this is no spoiler. I thought I was in a romance, but I knew that Jen was going to die. She does just past the halfway mark, which may be a bit too late. Maybe a third, but half seems a bit long in the tooth.
Then Jen dies. She doesn't take it well, and she twists Sam, her grim reaper, into letting her come back. The rest of the story flows quickly. Without spoiling, I will say that the author presents one of the most realistic zombies I've yet read. She struggles to understand her own death and try to set things right for Jack while dealing with the practical problem that her body is rotting away. Well worth a read if you like zombie stories.
I recommend Living Dead Girl for fans of urban fantasy, New Adult romance, and body horror.
March 8, 2015
We received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book had me hooked right from the start, the author pulls no punches, and her no-holds-barred style of writing easily kept my attention.
Much of the book is staging the protagonist Jen’s future circumstances and is perfectly portrayed. It didn’t feel like it was dragging on whatsoever but kept my attention to the very last page. I couldn’t put it down and devoured it in mere hours.
The character building was phenomenally done with the character Jack, him being the epitome of why one should never judge someone by their appearance. The writing for Jen was also well done with Jen being the ever dutiful daughter of a mortician. She, a mortician herself, is the true disciplinarian of her younger brother Drew, and because of this her life gets entangled with Jack’s when he decides to have Drew as a part of his band. And this creates a bit of an issue because of Jen’s current, often MIA boyfriend, Craig.
What plays out I can’t say is entirely unexpected, but kept my interest, though there were definitely parts I never saw coming. I was fully invested in the storyline, and by the end was anxiously torn by the circumstances and didn’t even take a breath before starting the next book. I enjoyed this book so much, that if there was something I didn’t like I truly don’t remember it. This is the kind of book I would have no problem with reading over and over again. I really can’t wait for the next one.
Review by Danika Jayde of The Reader's Hollow Blog www.thereadershollow.com
This book had me hooked right from the start, the author pulls no punches, and her no-holds-barred style of writing easily kept my attention.
Much of the book is staging the protagonist Jen’s future circumstances and is perfectly portrayed. It didn’t feel like it was dragging on whatsoever but kept my attention to the very last page. I couldn’t put it down and devoured it in mere hours.
The character building was phenomenally done with the character Jack, him being the epitome of why one should never judge someone by their appearance. The writing for Jen was also well done with Jen being the ever dutiful daughter of a mortician. She, a mortician herself, is the true disciplinarian of her younger brother Drew, and because of this her life gets entangled with Jack’s when he decides to have Drew as a part of his band. And this creates a bit of an issue because of Jen’s current, often MIA boyfriend, Craig.
What plays out I can’t say is entirely unexpected, but kept my interest, though there were definitely parts I never saw coming. I was fully invested in the storyline, and by the end was anxiously torn by the circumstances and didn’t even take a breath before starting the next book. I enjoyed this book so much, that if there was something I didn’t like I truly don’t remember it. This is the kind of book I would have no problem with reading over and over again. I really can’t wait for the next one.
Review by Danika Jayde of The Reader's Hollow Blog www.thereadershollow.com
February 15, 2017
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Review Courtesy of: Books That Hook
4.5 stars
Living Dead Girl is the first book in the Living Dead World series by Nessie Strange. This was a surprisingly good book. At first, I had my doubts because the main character seemed too goody-two-shoes. As I kept reading, I found that Jen wasn’t as uptight as I first thought she was. She is well-round with both good and bad characteristics.
The other thing that made me doubt if I would like Living Dead Girl was how long it took for the paranormal aspect to come into the story. For the first half of the story, I kept wondering why the book is listed as urban fantasy. I understand that the author had to set everything up to happen the way it needed to happen. At the same time, I think that it shifts gears too drastically. It starts out as a sweet story about a young woman who breaks out of her comfort zone to love someone new. Then, with Jen’s death, it turns into a horror story about eating flesh while trying to get revenge for her death. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it just seemed like such a huge shift.
I thought the author was skilled with word choices and pacing. I enjoyed reading this story. Even the first half that wasn’t paranormal held my interest. I would recommend Living Dead Girl to readers who like romance (without sex) mixed with horror, especially zombie stories.
Review Courtesy of: Books That Hook
4.5 stars
Living Dead Girl is the first book in the Living Dead World series by Nessie Strange. This was a surprisingly good book. At first, I had my doubts because the main character seemed too goody-two-shoes. As I kept reading, I found that Jen wasn’t as uptight as I first thought she was. She is well-round with both good and bad characteristics.
The other thing that made me doubt if I would like Living Dead Girl was how long it took for the paranormal aspect to come into the story. For the first half of the story, I kept wondering why the book is listed as urban fantasy. I understand that the author had to set everything up to happen the way it needed to happen. At the same time, I think that it shifts gears too drastically. It starts out as a sweet story about a young woman who breaks out of her comfort zone to love someone new. Then, with Jen’s death, it turns into a horror story about eating flesh while trying to get revenge for her death. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it just seemed like such a huge shift.
I thought the author was skilled with word choices and pacing. I enjoyed reading this story. Even the first half that wasn’t paranormal held my interest. I would recommend Living Dead Girl to readers who like romance (without sex) mixed with horror, especially zombie stories.
August 16, 2014
I was given Living Dead Girl by Nessie Strange in exchange for an honest review.
When I started reading this book I was so not expecting a soft-core zombie novel.
Jen has a lot on her plate, after her mother died she had to step up and look after her irresponsible little brother Drew and play caretaker to her father. She is working at the family funeral home as a mortician when her father informs her that Drew is drunk again and he doesn't want to deal with him so could she please pick him up from a party. It's at that party she meets Jack on first impressions she hates hi he's an arrogant,sexy musician who thinks he's god's gift to women and he's got his sight set on Jen.It surprises her when she falls madly in love with him but there's more to Jack that meets the eye, he's kind and caring. They are both the happiest they have ever been, but that is not to last as Jen is brutally ripped out of this world leaving Jack a broken mess.Will she find a way to bring Jack a measure of peace before crossing over and somehow gain justice for her untimely death?
It started off a little slow the first half of the book it just romance but towards the end things got interesting. Nessie is very thorough with her writing and i love the characters. I give it 4 stars, you can find it at amazon for $7 but i'm not sure if I would have payed that much.
When I started reading this book I was so not expecting a soft-core zombie novel.
Jen has a lot on her plate, after her mother died she had to step up and look after her irresponsible little brother Drew and play caretaker to her father. She is working at the family funeral home as a mortician when her father informs her that Drew is drunk again and he doesn't want to deal with him so could she please pick him up from a party. It's at that party she meets Jack on first impressions she hates hi he's an arrogant,sexy musician who thinks he's god's gift to women and he's got his sight set on Jen.It surprises her when she falls madly in love with him but there's more to Jack that meets the eye, he's kind and caring. They are both the happiest they have ever been, but that is not to last as Jen is brutally ripped out of this world leaving Jack a broken mess.Will she find a way to bring Jack a measure of peace before crossing over and somehow gain justice for her untimely death?
It started off a little slow the first half of the book it just romance but towards the end things got interesting. Nessie is very thorough with her writing and i love the characters. I give it 4 stars, you can find it at amazon for $7 but i'm not sure if I would have payed that much.
September 24, 2014
Okay, so the storyline of this book sounded amazing, but I must admit I was kind of let down by the characters. Also, forgetting one scene in the book, it reads more like a YA than a NA or adult novel. And perhaps repackaging it that way might help with the sales and reviews. Teens love to read above their age group, so Jen would be the kind of protagonist they’d like. As an adult reader, I found the main relationship too sweet and the mystery part of the book, not much of a mystery to solve. The reaper/zombie part was interesting but not used to its full potential, which was a touch frustrating.
From a writer’s perspective, the relationships in the book seemed to occur outside of the paranormal aspect. In truth, if you had taken away the murder it would have read like a contemporary teen novel (which isn’t a bad thing) I just find that having a supernatural edge and not completely slicing down your characters with it, is a little pointless as an author. It also definitely need a bit more action too; it seemed to take a while to get anything juicy in there.
The front cover is very nice, again would easily appeal to a tweeny audience – so it wouldn’t actually take much to do a quick re-edit on the spice-ish scenes and re-release it under the YA banner.
Overall I’d give Living Dead Girl, 3 out of 5 stars. Not my cup of tea, but I still enjoyed reading it.
From a writer’s perspective, the relationships in the book seemed to occur outside of the paranormal aspect. In truth, if you had taken away the murder it would have read like a contemporary teen novel (which isn’t a bad thing) I just find that having a supernatural edge and not completely slicing down your characters with it, is a little pointless as an author. It also definitely need a bit more action too; it seemed to take a while to get anything juicy in there.
The front cover is very nice, again would easily appeal to a tweeny audience – so it wouldn’t actually take much to do a quick re-edit on the spice-ish scenes and re-release it under the YA banner.
Overall I’d give Living Dead Girl, 3 out of 5 stars. Not my cup of tea, but I still enjoyed reading it.
March 31, 2015
How does love go so wrong so fast? How do emotions get so twisted so badly? Jen is a mortician, and Jack is a rich bad boy in a punk band. Due to odd circumstances, they meet and it's loathe at first sight...until they decide that maybe the other isn't so bad. But when a jealous ex gets revenge on Jen, and kills her, things get weird.
For a paranormal novel, it took quite a long time for the paranormal elements to show up. When I hear "paranormal" in a description, I expect the ghosts and ghoulies to show up at least by chapter three, but it took more than half of the book for things to get freaky. Not that I minded too much. The chemistry between Jack and Jenny is so tangible the reader feels it. It's a sweet, funny NA version of romance. Until Jen decides that she wants revenge for her death and makes a deal with a reaper to go back into her body, even though it's decomposing.
I really liked that it was almost a look inside the mind of the zombie, how she felt being trapped in a body that was dying, unable to speak or move like she wants to. I thought that it was very interesting and made the story feel authentic.
The best part? The cliffhanger ending!
I loved reading this, even though it was a very slow burn. I can guarantee that you'll love it, too!
For a paranormal novel, it took quite a long time for the paranormal elements to show up. When I hear "paranormal" in a description, I expect the ghosts and ghoulies to show up at least by chapter three, but it took more than half of the book for things to get freaky. Not that I minded too much. The chemistry between Jack and Jenny is so tangible the reader feels it. It's a sweet, funny NA version of romance. Until Jen decides that she wants revenge for her death and makes a deal with a reaper to go back into her body, even though it's decomposing.
I really liked that it was almost a look inside the mind of the zombie, how she felt being trapped in a body that was dying, unable to speak or move like she wants to. I thought that it was very interesting and made the story feel authentic.
The best part? The cliffhanger ending!
I loved reading this, even though it was a very slow burn. I can guarantee that you'll love it, too!
November 30, 2014
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I don't normally read zombie stories, but this one intrigued me, and I was not disappointed. The story starts just telling Jen's story. She is a mortician, working for the family's funeral home. She is stuck in a boring relationship, stuck taking care of her brother, and feels a bit stuck in life. Thanks to her brother's partying ways, she meets Jack and tries to deny her attraction. But she falls in love, and that's where it starts to get interesting. Jack's got a crazy stalker who is out to ruin Jen. I won't go into detail so that I don't ruin the rest of the story, but what unfolds is such a good story. The imagery of the tale is very vivid and it is very easy to visualize what happens. The feelings are intense. You will find yourself laughing and crying along with the characters, feeling their joy, feeling their hearts being ripped out as they lose someone they love. This story isn't for the faint of stomach. I can't wait to read what comes next.
I don't normally read zombie stories, but this one intrigued me, and I was not disappointed. The story starts just telling Jen's story. She is a mortician, working for the family's funeral home. She is stuck in a boring relationship, stuck taking care of her brother, and feels a bit stuck in life. Thanks to her brother's partying ways, she meets Jack and tries to deny her attraction. But she falls in love, and that's where it starts to get interesting. Jack's got a crazy stalker who is out to ruin Jen. I won't go into detail so that I don't ruin the rest of the story, but what unfolds is such a good story. The imagery of the tale is very vivid and it is very easy to visualize what happens. The feelings are intense. You will find yourself laughing and crying along with the characters, feeling their joy, feeling their hearts being ripped out as they lose someone they love. This story isn't for the faint of stomach. I can't wait to read what comes next.
March 19, 2015
Independent Reviewer for Paranormal Romance and Authors that Rock
Jen spends her life being responsible and making people happy. While trying to keep her younger brother out of harm’s way she meets Jack and her life starts to change. Jack is fun loving and smart mouthed so why is Jen so drawn to him. Jack sees a chance at true love with Jen and takes every opportunity to make her feel special.
They are happy and have everything but someone is watching determined to do something about it.
When the time comes will Jack be able to protect Jen.
What a great book when i started to read i was not sure how the story would conclude but i was not disappointed. Great characters and a great plot. I loved the way the plot altered and i was propelled down a different path.
The growth of the main character was well written and the romance was believable and lovely to read. Although dealing with some big issues there is a humour to the book that makes it enjoyable.
A fantastic read and I can’t wait to read the next instalment.
Jen spends her life being responsible and making people happy. While trying to keep her younger brother out of harm’s way she meets Jack and her life starts to change. Jack is fun loving and smart mouthed so why is Jen so drawn to him. Jack sees a chance at true love with Jen and takes every opportunity to make her feel special.
They are happy and have everything but someone is watching determined to do something about it.
When the time comes will Jack be able to protect Jen.
What a great book when i started to read i was not sure how the story would conclude but i was not disappointed. Great characters and a great plot. I loved the way the plot altered and i was propelled down a different path.
The growth of the main character was well written and the romance was believable and lovely to read. Although dealing with some big issues there is a humour to the book that makes it enjoyable.
A fantastic read and I can’t wait to read the next instalment.
December 20, 2014
I was given an opportunity to read an electronic copy of this book by the author. I love how it starts out with Jen, who is in a relationship with her high school sweetheart and works for the family funeral home as a mortician. She meets Jack, the "bad" boy, who is in a band with her brother. So, you are thinking typical romance book but, all of the sudden, the rug gets ripped out from underneath Jen and her life ends up all together different. I try not to read summaries or opinions before reading a book for review, as not to cloud my judgment. I was surprised at the twist - to go from living to dead, to somewhere else in between. I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the series - thanks again to the author for this enjoyable read.
December 31, 2015
Jack is back in my new favorite series! I loved seeing Jen's perspective of things from the events of Confessions of a Punk Rocker. It was nice to see how much she cared for Jack, even before he realized it himself. It's a beautiful love story, one of my favorites ever written in fact. It was nice to see a lot of the same characters up to their craziness as per usual! That ending though, without giving anything away I'll say it broke my heart. I may have even teared up a bit. The only thing saving me is knowing that there's one more book in this series on my kindle waiting to be read. Thank you for this Nessie Strange, you're an amazing author! ~Platinum Book Reviews~
July 3, 2014
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Opposites really do attract. Jen the mortician, and Jack the bad boy rocker are meant for each other. But first she has to ditch her uptight, cheating boyfriend. What starts out as a love story of sorts turns into death, revenge, and just plain psycho (Merry). I really liked this book. It kept my attention all the way through. I need to continue the series to find out what happens next!!
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