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Living Dead Girl
Amanda Bock can see ghosts. She can communicate with the dead and has grown used to helping them move on. Amanda’s finally ready to take a shot at having a normal life like a regular sixteen-year-old. But when a mysterious stranger rips his way into her life and threatens Amanda's loved ones, she’s propelled on a journey to discover the true strength of her own will and the power she has inherited.
143 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 12, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 23, 2018
Amanda talks to ghosts. But how can that be? An ordinary teenage girl with an extraordinary connection to the dead It’s an intriguing premise and one that should maybe have led to a more compelling read than it did. There were times when it carried me along splendidly, but there were also flat patches where I found myself not much caring.
I liked: the story and the characters of Amanda and her boyfriend Adam
I didn’t like: the cardboard cutout villain and some of the convolutions necessary to get events to fit the plot
Conclusion: mostly entertaining and as a Young Adult novel worthy of a read.
Stars: three out of five
I liked: the story and the characters of Amanda and her boyfriend Adam
I didn’t like: the cardboard cutout villain and some of the convolutions necessary to get events to fit the plot
Conclusion: mostly entertaining and as a Young Adult novel worthy of a read.
Stars: three out of five
December 14, 2017
Ghosts and Gruesome
“Great. That’s all I need is a herd of ghosts following me around like lost puppies.”
Amanda sees dead people. So, of course, she is rejected by most everyone at school - except one good-looking lad called Adam. It turns out there is a very good reason she sees dead people and the story unravels which is rooted in her mother's history. But Amanda has to confront the supernatural horror of that and win if she is to ever have a chance at a normal life.
I was really looking forward to reading this book as I have recently read 'Mosaic' by the same author which is one of the better YA supernatural urban fantasy books I have read. The story in this book does not disappoint, being based on a good concept. It is unfolded well and the twists and turns are clever and enjoyable. Well paced and with a good amount of action. Amanda is a well-crafted character too and it is easy to gain empathy with her.
'Unseen by anyone, an invisible hand scooted the glass out of the way of disaster just in time.'
But I was fundamentally disappointed in this book. Compared to 'Mosaic' it is really badly written, so much so that I felt as if it was by a different author. There is a two-dimensional cackling bad guy, the point of view slides around continually and the number of times we are told things that are either not borne out by the events or are repeated needlessly was very irritating. A good example is the quote above where something happens that no one in the book even knows has happened so why on earth is it even mentioned?
Overall this is a book for those who enjoy a different YA supernatural story and who are not too bothered about the quality of the writing.
“Great. That’s all I need is a herd of ghosts following me around like lost puppies.”
Amanda sees dead people. So, of course, she is rejected by most everyone at school - except one good-looking lad called Adam. It turns out there is a very good reason she sees dead people and the story unravels which is rooted in her mother's history. But Amanda has to confront the supernatural horror of that and win if she is to ever have a chance at a normal life.
I was really looking forward to reading this book as I have recently read 'Mosaic' by the same author which is one of the better YA supernatural urban fantasy books I have read. The story in this book does not disappoint, being based on a good concept. It is unfolded well and the twists and turns are clever and enjoyable. Well paced and with a good amount of action. Amanda is a well-crafted character too and it is easy to gain empathy with her.
'Unseen by anyone, an invisible hand scooted the glass out of the way of disaster just in time.'
But I was fundamentally disappointed in this book. Compared to 'Mosaic' it is really badly written, so much so that I felt as if it was by a different author. There is a two-dimensional cackling bad guy, the point of view slides around continually and the number of times we are told things that are either not borne out by the events or are repeated needlessly was very irritating. A good example is the quote above where something happens that no one in the book even knows has happened so why on earth is it even mentioned?
Overall this is a book for those who enjoy a different YA supernatural story and who are not too bothered about the quality of the writing.
December 4, 2017
**Actual Rating 3.5 Stars**
Characters
Amanda is what I'd consider an average high school girl (angst and all) with extraordinary abilities. Her mother and aunt don't seem like much of parents to her, but there are reasons for that (albeit shaky ones). Where the aunt and mother didn't grow on me, or Adam (the shaky love interest), Amanda did. She grew a bit, but she was still true to her character - foolish and impulsive.
The villain by contrast was the shakiness character. Although vicious and going after revenge (that I get) his bigger game plan was completely lost on me. We do get to go into his head and see what he is doing, so getting some insight would have strengthened the character and their motives. The loose "world domination" is thrown around but undermined the characters villainy rather than building it up.
Plot
This is a Young Adult without question. It starts off painfully familiar without anything interesting: Girl with ability to see the dead is an outcast at school and at home. It isn't until Amanda has a life and death situation that the book really started to shine. After that I was gripped, the author brought new aspects and revealed some clever twists that they had lulled you into with a familiar start to a paranormal novel. This was the turning point.
Overall
The writing was easy to follow and enjoyable. It was brief and to the point without any embellishments, which meant a fast tempo. It is a shorter story (novella) so you could theoretically read it in one sitting. For sure a young adult, so beware of teenage angst and impulsive decisions. I'd hope to see Amanda grow, but that's for future novellas. In the end it was the subtle strings of unsolved pieces that really got its hooks in me. Like what's up with Cass? If you pay attention you'll know right away. There are more but I don't want to give them away!
Rating
3.5 Stars (one up and one down)
'I liked it' accurately reflects how I feel about this book. Get past the all to familiar start, ignore the weak characterization of the villain, and this novella really rocks! If you like Young Adult Paranormal books, this novella is a good one!
I received this book for a free and voluntarily review. More reviews at creatingworldswithwords.wordpress.com.
Characters
Amanda is what I'd consider an average high school girl (angst and all) with extraordinary abilities. Her mother and aunt don't seem like much of parents to her, but there are reasons for that (albeit shaky ones). Where the aunt and mother didn't grow on me, or Adam (the shaky love interest), Amanda did. She grew a bit, but she was still true to her character - foolish and impulsive.
The villain by contrast was the shakiness character. Although vicious and going after revenge (that I get) his bigger game plan was completely lost on me. We do get to go into his head and see what he is doing, so getting some insight would have strengthened the character and their motives. The loose "world domination" is thrown around but undermined the characters villainy rather than building it up.
Plot
This is a Young Adult without question. It starts off painfully familiar without anything interesting: Girl with ability to see the dead is an outcast at school and at home. It isn't until Amanda has a life and death situation that the book really started to shine. After that I was gripped, the author brought new aspects and revealed some clever twists that they had lulled you into with a familiar start to a paranormal novel. This was the turning point.
Overall
The writing was easy to follow and enjoyable. It was brief and to the point without any embellishments, which meant a fast tempo. It is a shorter story (novella) so you could theoretically read it in one sitting. For sure a young adult, so beware of teenage angst and impulsive decisions. I'd hope to see Amanda grow, but that's for future novellas. In the end it was the subtle strings of unsolved pieces that really got its hooks in me. Like what's up with Cass? If you pay attention you'll know right away. There are more but I don't want to give them away!
Rating
3.5 Stars (one up and one down)
'I liked it' accurately reflects how I feel about this book. Get past the all to familiar start, ignore the weak characterization of the villain, and this novella really rocks! If you like Young Adult Paranormal books, this novella is a good one!
I received this book for a free and voluntarily review. More reviews at creatingworldswithwords.wordpress.com.
March 11, 2018
Living Dead Girl by Christ Keaton is a contemporary paranormal tale that verges on horror. Amanda feels different from her peers and only wishes to be invisible. She has a strange talent — since birth she has been able to see and hear the ghosts and their pleas for help. They haunt her school, the streets, the woods, the hospital, and even her bedroom closet. Her mother finds it hard to accept this strange ability and often retreats into an alcoholic fug to cope. When Amanda decides to investigate (the ghost in the closet) Cas’ death, she puts herself in danger. Meanwhile a series of sadistic killings spells an even greater danger for her and her mother.
I found Amanda's plight and the stories of the ghosts she sees intriguing. Nicodemus' murderous killings not so much both because they weren't pleasant reading (I'm not a fan of horror), but also because it became obvious where the story was going, leaving few surprises. Scenes often read like stage instructions without a deep exploration of motivations or emotions (with a focus on the visual rather than the visceral) and I found the popping in and out of different heads disjointing. However, I did like and care about Amanda and Cas and the boy-next-door Adam and even Amanda's mother as characters - and also thought Keaton brought the threads of the story together for a dramatic climax and satisfying conclusion.
I think lovers of paranormal and horror would enjoy this novella.
I found Amanda's plight and the stories of the ghosts she sees intriguing. Nicodemus' murderous killings not so much both because they weren't pleasant reading (I'm not a fan of horror), but also because it became obvious where the story was going, leaving few surprises. Scenes often read like stage instructions without a deep exploration of motivations or emotions (with a focus on the visual rather than the visceral) and I found the popping in and out of different heads disjointing. However, I did like and care about Amanda and Cas and the boy-next-door Adam and even Amanda's mother as characters - and also thought Keaton brought the threads of the story together for a dramatic climax and satisfying conclusion.
I think lovers of paranormal and horror would enjoy this novella.
January 23, 2018
Living Dead Girl has an interesting concept. The story is about a teen girl Amanda and her ability to see ghosts. The story has a strong premise and one I find interesting. However, the overall effect was lost on me because of the organization of ideas and the writing. There were too many abrupt starts and finishes and not a smooth transition from one "scene" to the next. Conversation in this book isn't particularly interesting and there is not one conversation that leaves an impression on my mind. However, I must say that despite, I found myself eager to finish the book to see what happened. It's an okay read for me.
January 14, 2018
Living Dead Girl, by Chris Keaton, is a contemporary YA fantasy novella that mixes the “ordinary” life of a teenager with supernatural mystery. A contemporary ghost story, it is likely to be enjoyed by readers of teen fiction with a penchant for the paranormal.
The story follows Amanda to her high school, where she is an outsider and loner who tries to remain under the radar, instead of being in the spotlight for being “different.” But Amanda really isn’t like the other kids - she is hiding an extraordinary secret. That secret is her ability to see and speak to dead people - ghosts.
Amanda’s life outside of school is also complex, with an eccentric Aunt and a an alcoholic mother adding to the unstable nature of her world. This is a story, then, about a young woman who has problems to face in both human and not-so-human ways. There is also a love interest, Adam - and this side bit of romance seems to follow the requirements of the genre, though I found him to be unappealing.
As if the plot needs more tension than this, the author has thrown in a villain named Nicodemus and a teen ghost named Cass who mysteriously disappeared in the 1980s, that will both impact Amanda’s life in new and terrifying ways. While I found the character of Cass and her mystery drawing me in, I felt less attached to the somewhat wavering character of Nicodemus. He is connected to Amanda’s mother, however, whose history ultimately has a large impact later in the novella.
Overall, this is a YA fantasy that will strike a chord with teens who feel a connection with Amanda. Her emotional struggles both at home and at school are real, and likely to be close to some that teen readers are facing. Making it a ghost story and mystery adds excitement, and bring this teen novella into the realm of the paranormal that many young readers will enjoy.
The story follows Amanda to her high school, where she is an outsider and loner who tries to remain under the radar, instead of being in the spotlight for being “different.” But Amanda really isn’t like the other kids - she is hiding an extraordinary secret. That secret is her ability to see and speak to dead people - ghosts.
Amanda’s life outside of school is also complex, with an eccentric Aunt and a an alcoholic mother adding to the unstable nature of her world. This is a story, then, about a young woman who has problems to face in both human and not-so-human ways. There is also a love interest, Adam - and this side bit of romance seems to follow the requirements of the genre, though I found him to be unappealing.
As if the plot needs more tension than this, the author has thrown in a villain named Nicodemus and a teen ghost named Cass who mysteriously disappeared in the 1980s, that will both impact Amanda’s life in new and terrifying ways. While I found the character of Cass and her mystery drawing me in, I felt less attached to the somewhat wavering character of Nicodemus. He is connected to Amanda’s mother, however, whose history ultimately has a large impact later in the novella.
Overall, this is a YA fantasy that will strike a chord with teens who feel a connection with Amanda. Her emotional struggles both at home and at school are real, and likely to be close to some that teen readers are facing. Making it a ghost story and mystery adds excitement, and bring this teen novella into the realm of the paranormal that many young readers will enjoy.
November 21, 2017
Living Dead Girl is a story about ghosts, as commanded by an ordinary human, Amanda, who knows also how to respect them and ask them nicely. We first see her in high school, where she demonstrates she can see dead people. The story starts off nicely, building up the intrigue.
It’s when we start seeing the villain that the wheels of the story becomes wobbly. At first, I thought he was a spirit with great powers, but the book leads me to conclude that he’s an regular mortal with no superpowers other than his whip, which can capture ghosts. I’m not sure what drives his plans, as he puts it, for world domination, or how he finds it so easy to track down and kill his victims. If he were really just a baddie born that way, I can settle in and enjoy his wickedness, but the book does reveal how well he knows his victims, and that leads me to wonder why he wants this revenge so badly. He was a cult leader, but why, and why did four women join a one-man cult? I was still confused over Adam’s role at the end of the story.
Honestly, I think this book could have been more fun if Amanda could see ghosts, and these lead to trouble at school as the mischievous ghosts play games and tricks on her at school, and maybe even help out with a local murder mystery unrelated to Amanda. I think I had more trouble with this villain, though, as he did not convince me, being too outlandish and contrived. Amanda on her own, in her unassuming life, being an outsider in high school and dealing with snarky teenagers—that was fun! I liked Adam too, in that ordinary and awkward life.
By the way, Aunt Heather seems strange in an inappropriate parenting way… do aunts encourage teenage nephews or nieces to “hook up”?
It’s when we start seeing the villain that the wheels of the story becomes wobbly. At first, I thought he was a spirit with great powers, but the book leads me to conclude that he’s an regular mortal with no superpowers other than his whip, which can capture ghosts. I’m not sure what drives his plans, as he puts it, for world domination, or how he finds it so easy to track down and kill his victims. If he were really just a baddie born that way, I can settle in and enjoy his wickedness, but the book does reveal how well he knows his victims, and that leads me to wonder why he wants this revenge so badly. He was a cult leader, but why, and why did four women join a one-man cult? I was still confused over Adam’s role at the end of the story.
Honestly, I think this book could have been more fun if Amanda could see ghosts, and these lead to trouble at school as the mischievous ghosts play games and tricks on her at school, and maybe even help out with a local murder mystery unrelated to Amanda. I think I had more trouble with this villain, though, as he did not convince me, being too outlandish and contrived. Amanda on her own, in her unassuming life, being an outsider in high school and dealing with snarky teenagers—that was fun! I liked Adam too, in that ordinary and awkward life.
By the way, Aunt Heather seems strange in an inappropriate parenting way… do aunts encourage teenage nephews or nieces to “hook up”?
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews