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Madison Avery #1
Once Dead, Twice Shy
My name is Madison Avery, and I'm here to tell you that there's more out there than you can see, hear, or touch. Because I'm there. Seeing it. Touching it. Living it.
Madison's prom was killer—literally. For some reason she's been targeted by a dark reaper—yeah, that kind of reaper—intent on getting rid of her, body and soul. But before the reaper could finish the job, Madison was able to snag his strange, glowing amulet and get away.
Now she's stuck on Earth—dead but not gone. Somehow the amulet gives her the illusion of a body, allowing her to toe the line between life and death. She still doesn't know why the dark reaper is after her, but she's not about to just sit around and let fate take its course.
With a little ingenuity, some light-bending, and the help of a light reaper (one of the good guys! Maybe . . . ), her cute crush, and oh yeah, her guardian angel, Madison's ready to take control of her own destiny once and for all, before it takes control of her.
Well, if she believed in that stuff.
Madison's prom was killer—literally. For some reason she's been targeted by a dark reaper—yeah, that kind of reaper—intent on getting rid of her, body and soul. But before the reaper could finish the job, Madison was able to snag his strange, glowing amulet and get away.
Now she's stuck on Earth—dead but not gone. Somehow the amulet gives her the illusion of a body, allowing her to toe the line between life and death. She still doesn't know why the dark reaper is after her, but she's not about to just sit around and let fate take its course.
With a little ingenuity, some light-bending, and the help of a light reaper (one of the good guys! Maybe . . . ), her cute crush, and oh yeah, her guardian angel, Madison's ready to take control of her own destiny once and for all, before it takes control of her.
Well, if she believed in that stuff.
232 pages, Hardcover
First published May 22, 2009
436 people are currently reading
8867 people want to read
About the author
Kim Harrison
83 books18.8k followersKim Harrison is best known as the author of the New York Times #1 best selling Hollows series, but she has written more than urban fantasy and has published over two-dozen books spanning the gamut from young adult, thriller, several anthologies, and has scripted two original graphic novels. She has also published traditional fantasy under the name Dawn Cook. Kim is currently working on a new Hollows book between other, non related, urban fantasy projects.
Kim reaches out to her audience at Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KimHarrisons...
Instagram
https://instagram.com/kim_harrison_au...
and her blog http://kimharrison.wordpress.com/
other pseudonyms: Dawn Cook
Kim reaches out to her audience at Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KimHarrisons...
https://instagram.com/kim_harrison_au...
and her blog http://kimharrison.wordpress.com/
other pseudonyms: Dawn Cook
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 997 reviews
December 14, 2012
This is one of the worst books I have read in a long, long time. And that is really saying something.
Possibly Harrison's biggest faux pas is assuming anyone who picks this book up has automatically read the short story she wrote for Prom Nights From Hell. Even though I have, it was a long time ago and the book just threw me in the deep end. It reads like the third book in a series instead of the first. Not fun.
Also, Harrison really, really sucks at teen-speak. What American teenage boy refers to a girl as "dudette" in 2009? Seriously.
Also, the pacing of the book is just shocking. The first half of the book takes place in a day. A day! You'd think this was some sort of teenage version of 24. Only Madison Avery's day is not half as awesome as Jack Bauer's.
I have the impression that Harper is simply flooding the market with YA paranormal stuff in the hopes one of them will stick.
Also... anyone familiar with a show called Dead Like Me? Well.. rather watch that, ok? It's got a better plot, better main character and is just awesome. This crap is some stupid rip-off of that that makes no effort to be original.
Possibly Harrison's biggest faux pas is assuming anyone who picks this book up has automatically read the short story she wrote for Prom Nights From Hell. Even though I have, it was a long time ago and the book just threw me in the deep end. It reads like the third book in a series instead of the first. Not fun.
Also, Harrison really, really sucks at teen-speak. What American teenage boy refers to a girl as "dudette" in 2009? Seriously.
Also, the pacing of the book is just shocking. The first half of the book takes place in a day. A day! You'd think this was some sort of teenage version of 24. Only Madison Avery's day is not half as awesome as Jack Bauer's.
I have the impression that Harper is simply flooding the market with YA paranormal stuff in the hopes one of them will stick.
Also... anyone familiar with a show called Dead Like Me? Well.. rather watch that, ok? It's got a better plot, better main character and is just awesome. This crap is some stupid rip-off of that that makes no effort to be original.
February 25, 2011
I really hate to do this to Kim Harrison's book because I am not one to give out one star ratings that much. But this book was just terrible. It took me a few days to finish because I was just not feeling this book. It was very hard to get into and a bit confusing since I didn't read Harrion's short story that's in Prom Nights from Hell. I don't know if it would have made a difference or not but seeing as how this book was written, I doubt that.
The writing was very juvenile. Harrison wrote this book as if she had very little talent which I know is not true seeing as how her adult series are widely popular. It was as if she felt that since it's a YA novel, she could dumb it down for the audience to "better understand" what's going on when in actuality is just comes off as poor writing. Her descriptions of things were mediocre at best and not much difference when it came to word choice. I was very disappointed when it came to the writing in this book.
The characters really had no personalities whatsoever. They were boring and there was nothing that was in-depth about them. Most of them being very shallow. Madison, the female lead, was a cliché "goth girl" that kept mentioning her purple-tipped hair in ever other sentence along with her skull earrings as if to say "Oh look at me! I'm different and unique!" That really annoyed me. Barnabas, one of the male leads, was just annoying. To tell you the truth... I have no idea why he was in the story to begin with since he did abosolutely nothing except to complain. Josh, Madison's crush, was a bit better but in the "Yeah... I like you and I want us both to be safe but I am kinda useless" sort of way. Kairos, villian, was SO cliché that you just want to slam your head against the wall! He was like one of those villians out of a comic book. The characters in this book... were just... annoying.
I was actually looking forward to this book so it really makes me upset to see how badly it was written. I'll admit that I like the concept of the reapers and the stones... but the way it was portrayed just fell flat to me. I couldn't put myself for long hours to read this book like I normally do. I had to stop on countless occasions just to finish it. *Shakes head* Very disappointed read. But hey, you might like it for yourself. Just because it didn't work for me, doesn't mean it won't for you. Try it out. It's not the absolute worse I have ever read. That's saying something, isn't it?
The writing was very juvenile. Harrison wrote this book as if she had very little talent which I know is not true seeing as how her adult series are widely popular. It was as if she felt that since it's a YA novel, she could dumb it down for the audience to "better understand" what's going on when in actuality is just comes off as poor writing. Her descriptions of things were mediocre at best and not much difference when it came to word choice. I was very disappointed when it came to the writing in this book.
The characters really had no personalities whatsoever. They were boring and there was nothing that was in-depth about them. Most of them being very shallow. Madison, the female lead, was a cliché "goth girl" that kept mentioning her purple-tipped hair in ever other sentence along with her skull earrings as if to say "Oh look at me! I'm different and unique!" That really annoyed me. Barnabas, one of the male leads, was just annoying. To tell you the truth... I have no idea why he was in the story to begin with since he did abosolutely nothing except to complain. Josh, Madison's crush, was a bit better but in the "Yeah... I like you and I want us both to be safe but I am kinda useless" sort of way. Kairos, villian, was SO cliché that you just want to slam your head against the wall! He was like one of those villians out of a comic book. The characters in this book... were just... annoying.
I was actually looking forward to this book so it really makes me upset to see how badly it was written. I'll admit that I like the concept of the reapers and the stones... but the way it was portrayed just fell flat to me. I couldn't put myself for long hours to read this book like I normally do. I had to stop on countless occasions just to finish it. *Shakes head* Very disappointed read. But hey, you might like it for yourself. Just because it didn't work for me, doesn't mean it won't for you. Try it out. It's not the absolute worse I have ever read. That's saying something, isn't it?
December 8, 2019
I feel a lot of things have been missing from this novel, for example I didn't get to see how the heroine died, and her death is supposed to be very important to the story. Plus there is way too many “tell not show” in the story telling.
I read through this novel in total indifference. The last 30 or so pages are okay, but the rest, not so much.
I read through this novel in total indifference. The last 30 or so pages are okay, but the rest, not so much.
September 7, 2018
[Trilogy Review - No Spoilers] If you can overlook a few flaws, the Madison Avery trilogy is a fun, light YA read.
However, I had a difficult time following my own advice. I have a lot of nitpicky things to talk about in this review and unfortunately, not a lot of positive takeaways.
Once Dead, Twice Shy, the first book, had a few glaring weaknesses – the most prominent being the main character’s propensity for making bad decisions. I don’t mind it when characters make mistakes – flaws and an occasional lax in judgement can go a long way in making a story feel authentic. However, I take exception when every single decision the character makes goes against common sense (and against advice from other characters actively stating it’s a bad idea). Thus the pattern would go: 1. Bad decision made 2. Fallout from the bad decision made 3. The character saying “I’m sorry” and then moving on to the next bad decision.
I lost count of the number of times the character said “I’m sorry” throughout the first book and got really tired of the same spiel over and over again. And what’s worse, those tendencies and attitudes were evident in all of the other characters as well… which I think equals out to a story cluster-you-know-what where perhaps if the characters weren’t getting in their own way, they could’ve focused on adding substance. I think had the book been longer (allowing me more time to get irritated), my rating would’ve dropped proportionately. As it was, the short length actually worked in its favor.
Here’s what bothered me most about that, though: the character never used those failures to grow. There was no reflection on what she could’ve done better (other than the self-blame and apologizing), and I see that as a missed opportunity for more depth. She did use those moments to solidify some convictions, so I guess that’s something, but overall I kept craving more introspection. Incidentally, my biggest negative takeaway from the entire series is that Madison Avery’s character was a flat-lined consistency through the whole thing (and not just because she was dead) and all the focus was on the external conflicts. I should lighten the blow a bit by saying I did actually like her character profile, I just wish she’d given me an opportunity to feel something for her.
The external conflict/focus of the series took a while to become clear. There were moments in the second book where it started budding into something really satisfying, but every time it gained momentum, the focus would shift and it would get ignored for a while. I wonder if part of that was to save the “big profound moment” for the end of the series, but for me, by the time it got there I found my enthusiasm in the pits because it danced around it for so long.
This is one of those cases where my initial rating was going to be a 3 stars (I liked it), but after writing my review and really analyzing how I felt about it, I downgraded to a 2 stars (it was just okay) rating. Does anyone else let their word vomit help solidify their opinions? It doesn’t happen often to me, but when it does, I run with it. Keep in mind that I’ve been unusually harsh on YA lately and had I read these when they first came out, I likely would not have been so critical.
Recommendations: this YA paranormal story is definitely more suited towards younger readers. It doesn’t have a very strong romance angle, which might be perfect for a few readers tired of the same old tropes.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.nikihawkes.com
Other books you might like (…better?):
However, I had a difficult time following my own advice. I have a lot of nitpicky things to talk about in this review and unfortunately, not a lot of positive takeaways.
Once Dead, Twice Shy, the first book, had a few glaring weaknesses – the most prominent being the main character’s propensity for making bad decisions. I don’t mind it when characters make mistakes – flaws and an occasional lax in judgement can go a long way in making a story feel authentic. However, I take exception when every single decision the character makes goes against common sense (and against advice from other characters actively stating it’s a bad idea). Thus the pattern would go: 1. Bad decision made 2. Fallout from the bad decision made 3. The character saying “I’m sorry” and then moving on to the next bad decision.
I lost count of the number of times the character said “I’m sorry” throughout the first book and got really tired of the same spiel over and over again. And what’s worse, those tendencies and attitudes were evident in all of the other characters as well… which I think equals out to a story cluster-you-know-what where perhaps if the characters weren’t getting in their own way, they could’ve focused on adding substance. I think had the book been longer (allowing me more time to get irritated), my rating would’ve dropped proportionately. As it was, the short length actually worked in its favor.
Here’s what bothered me most about that, though: the character never used those failures to grow. There was no reflection on what she could’ve done better (other than the self-blame and apologizing), and I see that as a missed opportunity for more depth. She did use those moments to solidify some convictions, so I guess that’s something, but overall I kept craving more introspection. Incidentally, my biggest negative takeaway from the entire series is that Madison Avery’s character was a flat-lined consistency through the whole thing (and not just because she was dead) and all the focus was on the external conflicts. I should lighten the blow a bit by saying I did actually like her character profile, I just wish she’d given me an opportunity to feel something for her.
The external conflict/focus of the series took a while to become clear. There were moments in the second book where it started budding into something really satisfying, but every time it gained momentum, the focus would shift and it would get ignored for a while. I wonder if part of that was to save the “big profound moment” for the end of the series, but for me, by the time it got there I found my enthusiasm in the pits because it danced around it for so long.
This is one of those cases where my initial rating was going to be a 3 stars (I liked it), but after writing my review and really analyzing how I felt about it, I downgraded to a 2 stars (it was just okay) rating. Does anyone else let their word vomit help solidify their opinions? It doesn’t happen often to me, but when it does, I run with it. Keep in mind that I’ve been unusually harsh on YA lately and had I read these when they first came out, I likely would not have been so critical.
Recommendations: this YA paranormal story is definitely more suited towards younger readers. It doesn’t have a very strong romance angle, which might be perfect for a few readers tired of the same old tropes.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.nikihawkes.com
Other books you might like (…better?):
January 26, 2016
I really enjoyed this story. In general we have certain expectations of "good and evil". A light reaper and dark reaper would fall into their respective categories right? Wrong...as the story unfolds you find that not everything is as it appears at first glance. Just like in real life, there are shades of gray that the characters have to wrestle with when choosing which side their allegiance falls.
March 6, 2009
By page two, it's clear the author would rather mutter/complain/protest than use the word said.
"Don't be so scared of said," I exclaimed at that point, and then closed the book.
"Don't be so scared of said," I exclaimed at that point, and then closed the book.
March 26, 2015
I'm not impressed.
Spoiler's ahead.....
Madison dies her prom night, but she steals an amulet off her killer, which somehow keeps her halfway alive. The amulet gives her a body. The Reaper she stole the amulet off of is now after her. Throw in a semi-love interest, a guardian angel, a dark reaper, a light reaper, timekeepers, etc. and you've got what would seem to be an interesting story. And the story is okay, but there is a disconnect (imo) with this author's writing. It's really matter of fact, the things I wanted to know a little more about were left out, the things I didn't care as much about she spent forever on. For such a short little book, it got tedious. This book did not bring me out of my book slump.
Will I read #2??? Good question, maybe if it falls in my lap. I'm not going to go out of my way to buy it, it will definitely be a library read.
Ramble over.
2.5 stars
Spoiler's ahead.....
Madison dies her prom night, but she steals an amulet off her killer, which somehow keeps her halfway alive. The amulet gives her a body. The Reaper she stole the amulet off of is now after her. Throw in a semi-love interest, a guardian angel, a dark reaper, a light reaper, timekeepers, etc. and you've got what would seem to be an interesting story. And the story is okay, but there is a disconnect (imo) with this author's writing. It's really matter of fact, the things I wanted to know a little more about were left out, the things I didn't care as much about she spent forever on. For such a short little book, it got tedious. This book did not bring me out of my book slump.
Will I read #2??? Good question, maybe if it falls in my lap. I'm not going to go out of my way to buy it, it will definitely be a library read.
Ramble over.
2.5 stars
April 13, 2018
Pierwszą i drugą część dostałam swego czasu na urodziny i najwyższa pora je przeczytać po kilku latach leżenia tych książek na półce.
Zmarnowany potencjał, ale tego raczej się spodziewałam po długo nieczytanych młodzieżówkach. Historia była na swój sposób oryginalna, lecz niezbyt dobrze zrealizowana i na pewno
można ją było fajnie ubogacić. Postać Madison była znośna, ale zahaczała o to, co dotyka większość nastolatek w tego typu książkach: dwie lewe ręce i liczne przeprosiny. Chociaż przyznaję, że dla odmiany bardzo polubiłam Grace - szczególnie jej rymowanki. I Barnabę - on też był w porządku.
Czasami czułam się jakby nie czytała pierwszej części, tylko drugą. Nie mam nic przeciwko unikaniu przesadnie długich wprowadzeń i rozumiem, że autorka wolała zacząć bardziej konkretnie, ale trochę dla mnie źle to zrealizowała i przez to miałam wrażenie, że na początku książki albo czytam kolejną część, albo już któryś rozdział. Jednak to już tylko subiektywne uczucie.
O dziwo, znalazłam też błędy techniczne - kilka razy natknęłam się na brak rozdzielenia tego, co mówi Madison w dialogu od tego, co robi zaraz potem. Jest to jeden ciąg nie rozdzielony ani myślnikiem, ani niczym. Gdzieś nawet znalazłam powtórzenie i literówkę.
Innym problemem były emocje postaci wyrażane w dziwny sposób. Wydawały mi się... sztywne? Trochę naciągane? Prawdę mówiąc Josh mógł odpowiedzieć na wyznania Madison równie dobrze
''aha''. No i Madison nie musiała ciągle powtarzać rzeczy w stylu ''wzięłam głęboki wdech, którego nie potrzebowałam''. Nie zabrakło też motywu popularnej, pięknej, ale wrednej laski, której główna bohaterka nie cierpi. Jej obecność nie miała żadnego znaczenia, to może chociaż później zginie czy coś.
Liczyłam, że sytuację uratuje Kairos. No cóż... *Wyląduje w moim eseju o źle zrobionych antagonistach*
Zalety? Jest krótka, ma dużą czcionkę, przeważają dialogi nad opisami i można ją przeczytać na upartego w jeden dzień. Dobry odmóżdżać po ambitniejszej literaturze. Nie jest tragicznie, ale na pewno mogło być lepiej. Końcówka całkiem przyjemna i utworzyła się nawet fajna ekipa. Zobaczymy, co będzie dalej.
Zmarnowany potencjał, ale tego raczej się spodziewałam po długo nieczytanych młodzieżówkach. Historia była na swój sposób oryginalna, lecz niezbyt dobrze zrealizowana i na pewno
można ją było fajnie ubogacić. Postać Madison była znośna, ale zahaczała o to, co dotyka większość nastolatek w tego typu książkach: dwie lewe ręce i liczne przeprosiny. Chociaż przyznaję, że dla odmiany bardzo polubiłam Grace - szczególnie jej rymowanki. I Barnabę - on też był w porządku.
Czasami czułam się jakby nie czytała pierwszej części, tylko drugą. Nie mam nic przeciwko unikaniu przesadnie długich wprowadzeń i rozumiem, że autorka wolała zacząć bardziej konkretnie, ale trochę dla mnie źle to zrealizowała i przez to miałam wrażenie, że na początku książki albo czytam kolejną część, albo już któryś rozdział. Jednak to już tylko subiektywne uczucie.
O dziwo, znalazłam też błędy techniczne - kilka razy natknęłam się na brak rozdzielenia tego, co mówi Madison w dialogu od tego, co robi zaraz potem. Jest to jeden ciąg nie rozdzielony ani myślnikiem, ani niczym. Gdzieś nawet znalazłam powtórzenie i literówkę.
Innym problemem były emocje postaci wyrażane w dziwny sposób. Wydawały mi się... sztywne? Trochę naciągane? Prawdę mówiąc Josh mógł odpowiedzieć na wyznania Madison równie dobrze
''aha''. No i Madison nie musiała ciągle powtarzać rzeczy w stylu ''wzięłam głęboki wdech, którego nie potrzebowałam''. Nie zabrakło też motywu popularnej, pięknej, ale wrednej laski, której główna bohaterka nie cierpi. Jej obecność nie miała żadnego znaczenia, to może chociaż później zginie czy coś.
Liczyłam, że sytuację uratuje Kairos. No cóż... *Wyląduje w moim eseju o źle zrobionych antagonistach*
Zalety? Jest krótka, ma dużą czcionkę, przeważają dialogi nad opisami i można ją przeczytać na upartego w jeden dzień. Dobry odmóżdżać po ambitniejszej literaturze. Nie jest tragicznie, ale na pewno mogło być lepiej. Końcówka całkiem przyjemna i utworzyła się nawet fajna ekipa. Zobaczymy, co będzie dalej.
January 6, 2017
I really disappointed with this book. I'm a hollow series fans, and this book didn't do justice towards Kim.
The storyline actually unique but confusing. About a light reaper and dark reaper, turns out it is about 'choice' or 'fate'. And above that there's a time keeper in earth to maintain all the circumstances on about die or not. Well confusing riiiiight.
Madison have a similarities with Rachel, and this is the big disappointment, different book different story different audiences but still have the same attitude. It's like meet Rachel again with different role. No good.
Romance: there's not romance or lovey dovey in the book one. Kim really a little bit slow in this department and like to throw a choice to the readers, and make the love interest blur. You know the kind of I love Mr. X but suddenly he is death, and come Mr. Y to replace the place.
2,5 stars
The storyline actually unique but confusing. About a light reaper and dark reaper, turns out it is about 'choice' or 'fate'. And above that there's a time keeper in earth to maintain all the circumstances on about die or not. Well confusing riiiiight.
Madison have a similarities with Rachel, and this is the big disappointment, different book different story different audiences but still have the same attitude. It's like meet Rachel again with different role. No good.
Romance: there's not romance or lovey dovey in the book one. Kim really a little bit slow in this department and like to throw a choice to the readers, and make the love interest blur. You know the kind of I love Mr. X but suddenly he is death, and come Mr. Y to replace the place.
2,5 stars
Read
March 28, 2011It saddens me to throw this one into the DNF graveyard, especially considering how much I love Kim Harrison's Dead Witch Walking series. Unfortunately this book opened up right before an action sequence without providing much motivation for giving a crap about the characters or their intentions. By page 60 (out of 232) there still wasn't much to keep my interest. Writing, characters, world building ~ wasn't up to par with Kim Harrison's abilities. I considered sticking it out until Madison was granted a guardian angel who appears to have its roots in Jenx, a favorite character of mine from Dead Witch Walking. A bad imitation of an awesome character is where I draw the line. Sorry, Kim Harrison ~ I'm staying in Hollows, and away from this one.
Actually read 3/27/11, set to Dec. to avoid messing up my Goodreads yearly challenge total.
Actually read 3/27/11, set to Dec. to avoid messing up my Goodreads yearly challenge total.
January 11, 2010
Reading a couple of reviews about this book, I really didn’t know if I was going to enjoy this one. Almost every review begun with if you haven’t read “Prom Nights from Hell” you are seriously missing some details. They where right, but that didn’t mean I didn’t like it. I seriously LOVED it.
Madison is death. Yep, we get that. Not going to give much details but she was murdered by a dark timekeeper. But instead going to live her life in the afterlife she stole his amulet. With this amulet she has a body, her own body, well not technically, but everybody sees her as she was before. Got it? But what happens if you steal something that doesn’t belong to you, well the owner wants it back. And all Madison wants is to get her own body back, but therefore she needs some help. I loved the characters in the book, even the bad guys where fun. The book got everything it needs, suspense, love, fightingscenes and many more.
Sometimes I had to read the sentences out loud, so that I could understand them better. Why? Well some of the terms Kim uses where a little hard to understand. Like dark reaper, light reaper, dark timekeeper and many more.
You don’t need to read Prom Nights form Hell first to read this book. You only will miss the details about how she died and how she stole the amulet, because that’s written in there. It is written in this book, but very short. Maybe in the next book the author will put a short summary of that or otherwise I probably will buy that one too.
Oh, the ending is good and funny! It seriously will make you laugh out loud. I did.
Madison is death. Yep, we get that. Not going to give much details but she was murdered by a dark timekeeper. But instead going to live her life in the afterlife she stole his amulet. With this amulet she has a body, her own body, well not technically, but everybody sees her as she was before. Got it? But what happens if you steal something that doesn’t belong to you, well the owner wants it back. And all Madison wants is to get her own body back, but therefore she needs some help. I loved the characters in the book, even the bad guys where fun. The book got everything it needs, suspense, love, fightingscenes and many more.
Sometimes I had to read the sentences out loud, so that I could understand them better. Why? Well some of the terms Kim uses where a little hard to understand. Like dark reaper, light reaper, dark timekeeper and many more.
You don’t need to read Prom Nights form Hell first to read this book. You only will miss the details about how she died and how she stole the amulet, because that’s written in there. It is written in this book, but very short. Maybe in the next book the author will put a short summary of that or otherwise I probably will buy that one too.
Oh, the ending is good and funny! It seriously will make you laugh out loud. I did.
February 26, 2016
Basic Info
Format: Audio
Pages/Length: 6hrs and 3mins
Genre: Young Adult; Fantasy
At A Glance
Love Triangle/Insta Love/Obsession?: no
Cliff Hanger: eh.
Triggers: n/a
Rating: 1.5 stars
Score Sheet
All out of ten
Cover: 7
Plot: 5
Characters: 4
World Building: 3
Flow: 4
Series Congruity: n/a
Writing: 5
Ending: 4
Total: 4
In Dept
Best Part: It ended!
Worst Part: "Spin off" not explained well.
Thoughts Had: What?!; I'm so lost.
Conclusion
Continuing the Series: Eh.
Recommending: no.
Short Review: So i really should have read my friend's and follower's reviews first since every single one was 1 star almost. So major problem right off the bat. I guess this is a "spin off" or companion to another book "Prom Night From Hell". So unless you read that book first, which i did not, you will end up like me, confused AF. I had no clue as to what was happening. I kinda got that she "died" and was now kinda an angel helping souls. Idk for sure. Just read the other book first.
Misc.
Book Boyfriend: N/A
Best Friend Material: N/A
Review in GIF Form:
March 26, 2012
What a great read:
There once was a girl, Madison was her name,
After she got scythed back she came.
To change the world; and reapers and keepers of time
And blurr the lines between good and evil and sublime...
Still finding her way and how to do what's right
She's not succeded yet, but trying with all her might...
Imagine you wake up in a morgue and know you have died and you are only around as a solid, non breathing being (albeit without heartbeat) thanks to having stolen an amulet from the guy who scythed you.That's Madison.
This book is about light and dark reapers,and time keepers and other sublime beings; explaining their "jobs" and mission statements and then -by Madison entering the scene- questioning it all because she's different from anything that has been around before. Sound interesting? It is! The question of choice and fate in a human's life is brought up, as are other phylosophical questions and as this is a young adult novel it is actually possible to follow along easily, despite the heavy load such a theme could carry. Don't get me wrong though: It doesn't make light of this (no pun intended) but Kim Harrison is doing an awesome job conveying a message and making you think without giving you a brain overlaod or finding the way she does the above overbearing. Not easy in a YA book, but well achieved by Harrison.
Highly recommended!
There once was a girl, Madison was her name,
After she got scythed back she came.
To change the world; and reapers and keepers of time
And blurr the lines between good and evil and sublime...
Still finding her way and how to do what's right
She's not succeded yet, but trying with all her might...
Imagine you wake up in a morgue and know you have died and you are only around as a solid, non breathing being (albeit without heartbeat) thanks to having stolen an amulet from the guy who scythed you.That's Madison.
This book is about light and dark reapers,and time keepers and other sublime beings; explaining their "jobs" and mission statements and then -by Madison entering the scene- questioning it all because she's different from anything that has been around before. Sound interesting? It is! The question of choice and fate in a human's life is brought up, as are other phylosophical questions and as this is a young adult novel it is actually possible to follow along easily, despite the heavy load such a theme could carry. Don't get me wrong though: It doesn't make light of this (no pun intended) but Kim Harrison is doing an awesome job conveying a message and making you think without giving you a brain overlaod or finding the way she does the above overbearing. Not easy in a YA book, but well achieved by Harrison.
Highly recommended!
July 18, 2009
It's Kim so I had to read it - the background of this story is pencilled in as we go along and it makes it a bumpy start. You can tell this book was based off of a short story and unfortunately while you get most of the story as recollections, I almost wish it was the first chapter, that would have made things smoother. Having said that, this is the usual round of characters including a cherubim who is annoyingly similar to Jenks. Its only in the last chapter when the interesting chaos of senior year and nursemaiding two fallen angels disguised as high school students, that my interest started to pick up. Don't get me wrong, Kim's got some very interesting ideas here, but they lack the treatment that Rachel's book's receive. The tension is missing too, I mean it isn't exactly life or death given the heroine is dead- maybe existence or extinction, but in most cases that tension isn't palpable. Is this Harrison-lite? Maybe, after all at 256 pages it does seem to be designed for mayfly attention spans and perhaps some of the savory bits from the other series get sacrificed so that the potential audience can get back to texting each other about what they're going to wear tomorrow.
October 23, 2014
This was a YA PNR novel & not bad for the type, but not really my cup of tea. I should have checked it out before diving into it, but I like Harrison's Rachel Morgan series & thought it would be more of the same. It wasn't being intended for a much younger audience & would probably appeal to girls more than guys.
It had a neat type of 'magic' for lack of a better term. No vampires & werewolves, but a heavenly war between predestination & free will. An interesting subject in terms of the audience. It ended well, but there is certainly room for more books. I won't be reading them, though.
It had a neat type of 'magic' for lack of a better term. No vampires & werewolves, but a heavenly war between predestination & free will. An interesting subject in terms of the audience. It ended well, but there is certainly room for more books. I won't be reading them, though.
May 13, 2012
---This review is especially for readers who don't know if they should read this or not---
*Dramatic speech effect*
There are some books in this world which you already know its a waste of time and money to buy or read them, you don't even mark them 'to-read' on goodreads but somehow or the other you get that book, through friends, though library in a most unexpected way and then you are like, "Pfft! Lets just over with you now."
Yup, thats exactly what happened me.
When I got this from my friend, I wasn't excited or happy or anything, I just took the book from her with a poker face. So you can clearly see that I didn't have ANY expectations from this book.
Now I should clearly tell you this. You will:
(1) Either love it.
(2) Hate it.
(3) Or just be like blah.
(Option number three for me!)
Now back to the story of the book,
CON 1- I think the starting of this was blunt and not in the right way. Respect to Kim Harrison all the way, (I already own two of her books), but yes, she could have easily made the prologue or even a chapter to describe the 'Prom' situation which happened months before she died instead of just putting it here and there between every chapter to confuse the readers. I mean isn't that what all the authors do? Just take example of the following book, "Dark Souls by Paula Morris" The Prologue, perfect.
CON-2- Never understood the characters, never will.
You know that feeling you get when theres this hero who likes this heroine but we.just.don't.know.the.freaking.reason? Yeah, count this book in. From Madison herself to Ron to her lover Josh, I was like, "What? WHAT?" and then in sarcasm, "and who you might you be sir even though I am gonna finish the book any minute now?" -__-
CON 3- Bohoo. I am so scared of the villain that in the whole freaking book he only appeared like 3-4 times and that to just to hang out in the background or to give an incrediblyscary boring speech. Thanks alot for your presence, I felt really scared. -.-
CON 4- Madison was not my type of heroine. She whines and groans when it is told to her to work or concentrate. (even though she improved later on) I just wasn't personally feeling it. Except for her AWESOME PURPLE HAIR ^_^ I found her pretty boring. She would just be my "whatever" friend if I was in her high school.
That leads me her highschool. Where are the students except for the ones she keeps describing again and again and again? No where. No teachers, no parents... OH that reminds me, what about her past? Her dad? ANYTHING? Nothing is told to us. And then Josh. You are just a passable hero even though I find you cute at some moments.
CON 5- The story itself was confusing to be honest. I took me like half of the book to really get into it and the ending was just as blunt as the writing. *NO OFFENSE TO ANY LOVER OF THIS BOOK HERE* I finished this book with a bad taste in my mouth. (if you know what I am trying to say) And I was just like blah.
Yeah, yeah, I know many CONS but there are PROS too. :)
PRO 1- Character development:- Even though it took place really slowly, I was atleast satisfied with everyone, especially Madison and Josh in the end,. So, I am still interested enough to know what will happen to them next.
PRO 2- The story turned out to be okay and I was surprised since I already said, I had no expectations with this book so I was like, "Weeelll, its good I gave this book a chance."
PRO 3- I like how the story turned out to be in the end. Even though the characters were weak, the story remained interesting and I came to learn many stuff about reapers and all plus thats the style of Kim Harrison. No matter how bad a book is, she will write it in such a way that you will atleast be 'satisfied' (yes I used that word twice) in the end.
***Overall, it was an okay book and since my friend has the whole series, I am gonna read it and I am interested enough to find out what happens to Madison in the end. Its just a trilogy, so I am in. 3/5 stars. Borrow it from someone, its really not a book you will like to keep forever.
Au revoir my friends! =D <3
*Dramatic speech effect*
There are some books in this world which you already know its a waste of time and money to buy or read them, you don't even mark them 'to-read' on goodreads but somehow or the other you get that book, through friends, though library in a most unexpected way and then you are like, "Pfft! Lets just over with you now."
Yup, thats exactly what happened me.
When I got this from my friend, I wasn't excited or happy or anything, I just took the book from her with a poker face. So you can clearly see that I didn't have ANY expectations from this book.
Now I should clearly tell you this. You will:
(1) Either love it.
(2) Hate it.
(3) Or just be like blah.
(Option number three for me!)
Now back to the story of the book,
CON 1- I think the starting of this was blunt and not in the right way. Respect to Kim Harrison all the way, (I already own two of her books), but yes, she could have easily made the prologue or even a chapter to describe the 'Prom' situation which happened months before she died instead of just putting it here and there between every chapter to confuse the readers. I mean isn't that what all the authors do? Just take example of the following book, "Dark Souls by Paula Morris" The Prologue, perfect.
CON-2- Never understood the characters, never will.
You know that feeling you get when theres this hero who likes this heroine but we.just.don't.know.the.freaking.reason? Yeah, count this book in. From Madison herself to Ron to her lover Josh, I was like, "What? WHAT?" and then in sarcasm, "and who you might you be sir even though I am gonna finish the book any minute now?" -__-
CON 3- Bohoo. I am so scared of the villain that in the whole freaking book he only appeared like 3-4 times and that to just to hang out in the background or to give an incredibly
CON 4- Madison was not my type of heroine. She whines and groans when it is told to her to work or concentrate. (even though she improved later on) I just wasn't personally feeling it. Except for her AWESOME PURPLE HAIR ^_^ I found her pretty boring. She would just be my "whatever" friend if I was in her high school.
That leads me her highschool. Where are the students except for the ones she keeps describing again and again and again? No where. No teachers, no parents... OH that reminds me, what about her past? Her dad? ANYTHING? Nothing is told to us. And then Josh. You are just a passable hero even though I find you cute at some moments.
CON 5- The story itself was confusing to be honest. I took me like half of the book to really get into it and the ending was just as blunt as the writing. *NO OFFENSE TO ANY LOVER OF THIS BOOK HERE* I finished this book with a bad taste in my mouth. (if you know what I am trying to say) And I was just like blah.
Yeah, yeah, I know many CONS but there are PROS too. :)
PRO 1- Character development:- Even though it took place really slowly, I was atleast satisfied with everyone, especially Madison and Josh in the end,. So, I am still interested enough to know what will happen to them next.
PRO 2- The story turned out to be okay and I was surprised since I already said, I had no expectations with this book so I was like, "Weeelll, its good I gave this book a chance."
PRO 3- I like how the story turned out to be in the end. Even though the characters were weak, the story remained interesting and I came to learn many stuff about reapers and all plus thats the style of Kim Harrison. No matter how bad a book is, she will write it in such a way that you will atleast be 'satisfied' (yes I used that word twice) in the end.
***Overall, it was an okay book and since my friend has the whole series, I am gonna read it and I am interested enough to find out what happens to Madison in the end. Its just a trilogy, so I am in. 3/5 stars. Borrow it from someone, its really not a book you will like to keep forever.
Au revoir my friends! =D <3
January 27, 2009
Kim Harrison's starting a young adult series! This first one comes out in May.
My review:
Kim Harrison is the author of the very popular adult paranormal fiction series known as "The Hollows" (it starts with "Dead Witch Walking" and the most recent addition is "The Outlaw Demon Wails") She's trying her funny charm and fiendish imagination on the teenage crowd now, still dealing with what I at least would call paranormal beings--angels. It's a very complex world full of Time Keepers (humans who can bend time and control angels), Dark Reapers (angels who scythe humans when fate says it's their time) and Light Reapers (angels who try to prevent that fate from happening), Guardian Angels of various aptitudes, and more. Madison has learned all of this since she was scythed on the night of the junior prom, but there were some complications with all of that. The Dark Reaper went rogue and stole her body, but she managed to steal his amulet (a kind of power source) which has left her soul on Earth and given her the illusion of a body so that no one but the angels actually know she's dead. The whole book is a cat and mouse game of them trying to find each other and take back what was stolen from them. While I don't like it as much as all the vampires, witches and pixies that inhabit The Hollows, I think this is a fine start to a new series that should capture teen-age interest, let alone please Harrison's mighty legion of fans.
My review:
Kim Harrison is the author of the very popular adult paranormal fiction series known as "The Hollows" (it starts with "Dead Witch Walking" and the most recent addition is "The Outlaw Demon Wails") She's trying her funny charm and fiendish imagination on the teenage crowd now, still dealing with what I at least would call paranormal beings--angels. It's a very complex world full of Time Keepers (humans who can bend time and control angels), Dark Reapers (angels who scythe humans when fate says it's their time) and Light Reapers (angels who try to prevent that fate from happening), Guardian Angels of various aptitudes, and more. Madison has learned all of this since she was scythed on the night of the junior prom, but there were some complications with all of that. The Dark Reaper went rogue and stole her body, but she managed to steal his amulet (a kind of power source) which has left her soul on Earth and given her the illusion of a body so that no one but the angels actually know she's dead. The whole book is a cat and mouse game of them trying to find each other and take back what was stolen from them. While I don't like it as much as all the vampires, witches and pixies that inhabit The Hollows, I think this is a fine start to a new series that should capture teen-age interest, let alone please Harrison's mighty legion of fans.
March 22, 2024
Dead End
:::sigh::: How to do a review about a book that I really thought was bad.
Madison turned eighteen the night of her prom, and had a falling out with her date, left and met this really awesome looking guy with a great car. The problem with that guy was that he was a reaper. He wrecked the car to have an excuse for her death but killed her with his “reaping” blade. Bad luck for him, she stole his amulet which keeps Madison forever eighteen and between life and death. She also sees other reapers in the battle for the lives of other eighteen year olds and often intervenes. She may have told the guy she went to the prom with about all this, because he appears to be a target.
Trust me when I tell you that I made this story sound better than it really is. It had possibilities, but the author seemed to rush everything and not work hard at building any of her world or characters. I will be generous and give it a 1.5 star and I believe I tend to be a kindly reviewer. This book is a dead end and I will not be reading the other two in the series.
:::sigh::: How to do a review about a book that I really thought was bad.
Madison turned eighteen the night of her prom, and had a falling out with her date, left and met this really awesome looking guy with a great car. The problem with that guy was that he was a reaper. He wrecked the car to have an excuse for her death but killed her with his “reaping” blade. Bad luck for him, she stole his amulet which keeps Madison forever eighteen and between life and death. She also sees other reapers in the battle for the lives of other eighteen year olds and often intervenes. She may have told the guy she went to the prom with about all this, because he appears to be a target.
Trust me when I tell you that I made this story sound better than it really is. It had possibilities, but the author seemed to rush everything and not work hard at building any of her world or characters. I will be generous and give it a 1.5 star and I believe I tend to be a kindly reviewer. This book is a dead end and I will not be reading the other two in the series.
April 16, 2012
2.5 stars
It's got an interesting/different sort of plot going with the Reaper thing, but it starts out in a fairly confusing manner. You sort of get dropped into the story midway through, which is normally a pretty good way to get my attention, but for some reason it didn't work for me with this book. By the time I figured out what was going on, the story was basically over.
Also, I didn't realize this was a YA book. That's my fault, however. Note to self: READ THE BLURB
I'm not trying to trash the book, though. It was decent, and I'm guessing that the second book in the series is better. At some point, I would be willing to give it a try. I'm just not impressed enough to seek it out anytime soon.
It's got an interesting/different sort of plot going with the Reaper thing, but it starts out in a fairly confusing manner. You sort of get dropped into the story midway through, which is normally a pretty good way to get my attention, but for some reason it didn't work for me with this book. By the time I figured out what was going on, the story was basically over.
Also, I didn't realize this was a YA book. That's my fault, however. Note to self: READ THE BLURB
I'm not trying to trash the book, though. It was decent, and I'm guessing that the second book in the series is better. At some point, I would be willing to give it a try. I'm just not impressed enough to seek it out anytime soon.
April 12, 2020
The first time when I ready it ( 2013-2014 yeah it took me one year to finish it ) I gave it 2 stars . Because I didn’t like and didn’t read the second volume but now in 2020 I said I should give it a try and read all the books in the series .
Now I give it 1 star. I didn’t like the writing, and I didn’t like one character. Maybe the tiny angle ? Yeah, I like just Grace or whatever her name is.
Now I give it 1 star. I didn’t like the writing, and I didn’t like one character. Maybe the tiny angle ? Yeah, I like just Grace or whatever her name is.
July 26, 2010
I absolutely adore Kim Harrison's urban fantasy series set in the fictional Hollows and starring witch Rachel Morgan, living vampire Ivy, and pixie Jenks. So when I found out Kim was going to start a brand new series for the YA crowd, I was thrilled. I've been reading her books since the very beginning (the high fantasy series written under the name Dawn Cook) and she has never failed to delight and amuse me.
I'm not sure why I wasn't as enamored with "Once Dead, Twice Shy", which is the first novel in her YA series. Like other reviewers, I did feel that this novel started in the middle of a story already in progress. Unlike those other reviewers, however, I felt she filled in Madison's back story enough so that I could just jump right into the action. Kim is skillful at recapping, but she sneaks it in throughout the whole of the novel and so you have to really pay attention to know what is going on.
Madison Avery is dead, although she looks very much alive. Her physical body was taken by a dark reaper the night of her 17th birthday after she was in a deadly car accident. Madison appears alive because she stole an amulet from the reaper that causes her to appear as real as we are. The memories of her parents and those that were near her during the crash had to be altered. When Josh confesses to her that he has been having strange dreams about the night of their prom, Madison decides to come clean and tells him that his dreams were real. Now Josh is in grave danger from a dark reaper named Nakita, and it is up to Madison, her guardian angel, and light reaper Barnabas to keep him alive.
"Once Dead, Twice Shy" is a quick read, but if you stop to really think about all the words you've just absorbed you should be able to see what Kim is doing. There are deeper themes to the story as Madison and her friends have to decide who are really the bad guys: the light reapers or the dark reapers. Which is better: Choice or Fate?
There were a few things that I disliked about this novel, but it was mostly a positive reading experience for me. Kim likes to write fun little expressions, but "son of a dead puppy" was just really obnoxious to me, and I can't picture anyone saying it. Likewise, Grace, Madison's guardian angel, is not nearly as hilarious as Jenks from the Rachel Morgan series. Some of the dialogue between the teenagers didn't flow very well, and I think it's pretty unlikely that a 17-year-old boy would call another boy "weenis"; I would more expect this from a 10-year-old.
As Kim gets into the groove of writing for a younger audience, I hope that her voice takes a more mature tone. I think this was a nice start, but could have used a bit more guidance from an editor or a critique partner. I really hate saying all of this because she is my favorite writer, but she is much better when writing for an adult audience.
I'm not sure why I wasn't as enamored with "Once Dead, Twice Shy", which is the first novel in her YA series. Like other reviewers, I did feel that this novel started in the middle of a story already in progress. Unlike those other reviewers, however, I felt she filled in Madison's back story enough so that I could just jump right into the action. Kim is skillful at recapping, but she sneaks it in throughout the whole of the novel and so you have to really pay attention to know what is going on.
Madison Avery is dead, although she looks very much alive. Her physical body was taken by a dark reaper the night of her 17th birthday after she was in a deadly car accident. Madison appears alive because she stole an amulet from the reaper that causes her to appear as real as we are. The memories of her parents and those that were near her during the crash had to be altered. When Josh confesses to her that he has been having strange dreams about the night of their prom, Madison decides to come clean and tells him that his dreams were real. Now Josh is in grave danger from a dark reaper named Nakita, and it is up to Madison, her guardian angel, and light reaper Barnabas to keep him alive.
"Once Dead, Twice Shy" is a quick read, but if you stop to really think about all the words you've just absorbed you should be able to see what Kim is doing. There are deeper themes to the story as Madison and her friends have to decide who are really the bad guys: the light reapers or the dark reapers. Which is better: Choice or Fate?
There were a few things that I disliked about this novel, but it was mostly a positive reading experience for me. Kim likes to write fun little expressions, but "son of a dead puppy" was just really obnoxious to me, and I can't picture anyone saying it. Likewise, Grace, Madison's guardian angel, is not nearly as hilarious as Jenks from the Rachel Morgan series. Some of the dialogue between the teenagers didn't flow very well, and I think it's pretty unlikely that a 17-year-old boy would call another boy "weenis"; I would more expect this from a 10-year-old.
As Kim gets into the groove of writing for a younger audience, I hope that her voice takes a more mature tone. I think this was a nice start, but could have used a bit more guidance from an editor or a critique partner. I really hate saying all of this because she is my favorite writer, but she is much better when writing for an adult audience.
May 8, 2012
Good book. Kind of basic in setup, but the characters shine for all that.
Madison Avery is dead and has been for a while. She managed to snag an artifact from the reaper who killed her that keeps most people from noticing—including her dad. Her main motivation throughout the book is to get her body back, though she's not really clear what she'd do with it once she gets it. Josh Daniels is a truly nice guy that manages to get caught up in Madison's afterlife.
The dynamic between Madison and Josh is what kept me involved with the novel. The fantastical elements were interesting and all, but Josh and Madison were the real draw. Madison is learning to accept her situation and take an active interest in her future anyway, but I was mostly attached to Josh. Through the course of events, Josh learns that Madison is dead and has to take that seriously relatively quickly. He's more than just a good sport, though. He is fundamentally kind (though not perfect) and it doesn't take long for him to volunteer to help Madison through her difficulties. Since folks are trying to use him to get at Madison (use in the sense of "kill until dead"), it's just as well that they work together through most of the book. Their relationship was sweet and develops naturally without any of the "destined for you" stuff you often get in romantic novels. Also: no love triangle!!! That alone gives it a warm place in my heart.
The theology of Once Dead, Twice Shy is simplified so as to piss off as few religious folks as possible. "Good" is consistently defined in terms of "preventing human suffering", which is grade school stuff, at best. It works for a YA novel, I guess, but it means this book (and any sequels that might happen) isn't going to be exploring the deeper questions surrounding God and religion. The dynamic between "light" and "dark" is simplified as the tension between "fate" and "choice". Light reapers are team "choice" and dark reapers are team "fate". This dynamic puts light reapers on defense if only because "choice" ceases to have meaning once someone is dead. There is an interesting twist or two within this simple framework, though, so it isn't all predictable mush.
Supporting the reapers are seraphim and time keepers. The most interesting part of the setup is that Seraphim support both sides (collectively, not just individually) because for them, choice and fate are the same. They end up acting as the referees and stand-in for whatever God the reader might consider supreme.
I ended up liking the book enough that I'll keep an eye out for sequels. Again, the theology is mostly simplified placeholders, but I ended up liking Madison and Josh and would like to see their story, and relationship, continue.
Madison Avery is dead and has been for a while. She managed to snag an artifact from the reaper who killed her that keeps most people from noticing—including her dad. Her main motivation throughout the book is to get her body back, though she's not really clear what she'd do with it once she gets it. Josh Daniels is a truly nice guy that manages to get caught up in Madison's afterlife.
The dynamic between Madison and Josh is what kept me involved with the novel. The fantastical elements were interesting and all, but Josh and Madison were the real draw. Madison is learning to accept her situation and take an active interest in her future anyway, but I was mostly attached to Josh. Through the course of events, Josh learns that Madison is dead and has to take that seriously relatively quickly. He's more than just a good sport, though. He is fundamentally kind (though not perfect) and it doesn't take long for him to volunteer to help Madison through her difficulties. Since folks are trying to use him to get at Madison (use in the sense of "kill until dead"), it's just as well that they work together through most of the book. Their relationship was sweet and develops naturally without any of the "destined for you" stuff you often get in romantic novels. Also: no love triangle!!! That alone gives it a warm place in my heart.
The theology of Once Dead, Twice Shy is simplified so as to piss off as few religious folks as possible. "Good" is consistently defined in terms of "preventing human suffering", which is grade school stuff, at best. It works for a YA novel, I guess, but it means this book (and any sequels that might happen) isn't going to be exploring the deeper questions surrounding God and religion. The dynamic between "light" and "dark" is simplified as the tension between "fate" and "choice". Light reapers are team "choice" and dark reapers are team "fate". This dynamic puts light reapers on defense if only because "choice" ceases to have meaning once someone is dead. There is an interesting twist or two within this simple framework, though, so it isn't all predictable mush.
Supporting the reapers are seraphim and time keepers. The most interesting part of the setup is that Seraphim support both sides (collectively, not just individually) because for them, choice and fate are the same. They end up acting as the referees and stand-in for whatever God the reader might consider supreme.
I ended up liking the book enough that I'll keep an eye out for sequels. Again, the theology is mostly simplified placeholders, but I ended up liking Madison and Josh and would like to see their story, and relationship, continue.
January 2, 2010
Well, I read 155 pages and made it to the "final battle/confrontation"... or at least the penultimate confrontation and decided I would just stop right there. The reason...the only thing that compelled me to start reading this book is that Harrison is coming to the store I work at. And this is in my section... And from everything I was reading online about this particular book this is not the book to start with (and it's short!).
Don't get me wrong, I am intrigued with her writing... it's really what helped to get me through that far, but for this particular author I feel like this is a poor introduction to her work as I am otherwise unread in the Harrison cannon. Because this is so short it seemed a natural choice.. I wanted to see if it's worthwhile reading several of her other books.
Here's my gripes about this book. In a nutshell, I'm confused. I started this book confused about the mythos Harrison was trying to create and I'm still confused half a book later. Angels and demons are grim reapers and they each have a good/evil side...fine and good...but, beyond that, where is the real conflict? There is supposedly some baddie walking about named Kairos that protagonist Madison is supposed to be uber terrified of (because he killed her and she acquired a source of his power upon her death in the form of an amulet, which he is trying to retrieve)...but why is he evil besides Harrison just saying he is? The conflict feels under developed and self-imposed. The reader comes into this feeling as though they are missing an entire back story...at least I very much did. Is this some sort of mythology she has set up in her "Hollows" series, because... if so... she's purposefully mystifying new readers by not cluing them in on the game. I feel like I came into the series in the midst of a second book...and I never like to feel that out of the loop with regards to worldbuilding. Particularly because it doesn't take much effort to do. If Harrison would have devoted a good chapter to the worlbuilding she would have had me at hello. Or at the very least "my name is"...
so... yeah... solid 2 stars. The only reason it ranked that high is because I made it through two thirds of it. I guess I liked Madison... or maybe it was Josh and Madison... it had to be something. I'm not turned off enough to shudder away from Harrison (yet) but I think it's safe to say that I effectively knocked 2 books off my "to be read" list. I cannot see myself reading the sequel to this when the first got abandoned so quickly.
Don't get me wrong, I am intrigued with her writing... it's really what helped to get me through that far, but for this particular author I feel like this is a poor introduction to her work as I am otherwise unread in the Harrison cannon. Because this is so short it seemed a natural choice.. I wanted to see if it's worthwhile reading several of her other books.
Here's my gripes about this book. In a nutshell, I'm confused. I started this book confused about the mythos Harrison was trying to create and I'm still confused half a book later. Angels and demons are grim reapers and they each have a good/evil side...fine and good...but, beyond that, where is the real conflict? There is supposedly some baddie walking about named Kairos that protagonist Madison is supposed to be uber terrified of (because he killed her and she acquired a source of his power upon her death in the form of an amulet, which he is trying to retrieve)...but why is he evil besides Harrison just saying he is? The conflict feels under developed and self-imposed. The reader comes into this feeling as though they are missing an entire back story...at least I very much did. Is this some sort of mythology she has set up in her "Hollows" series, because... if so... she's purposefully mystifying new readers by not cluing them in on the game. I feel like I came into the series in the midst of a second book...and I never like to feel that out of the loop with regards to worldbuilding. Particularly because it doesn't take much effort to do. If Harrison would have devoted a good chapter to the worlbuilding she would have had me at hello. Or at the very least "my name is"...
so... yeah... solid 2 stars. The only reason it ranked that high is because I made it through two thirds of it. I guess I liked Madison... or maybe it was Josh and Madison... it had to be something. I'm not turned off enough to shudder away from Harrison (yet) but I think it's safe to say that I effectively knocked 2 books off my "to be read" list. I cannot see myself reading the sequel to this when the first got abandoned so quickly.
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August 15, 2009Jackie says:
Kim Harrison is the author of the very popular adult paranormal fiction series known as "The Hollows" (it starts with "Dead Witch Walking" and the most recent addition is "The Outlaw Demon Wails") She's trying her funny charm and fiendish imagination on the teenage crowd now, still dealing with what I at least would call paranormal beings--angels. It's a very complex world full of Time Keepers (humans who can bend time and control angels), Dark Reapers (angels who scythe humans when fate says it's their time) and Light Reapers (angels who try to prevent that fate from happening), Guardian Angels of various aptitudes, and more. Madison has learned all of this since she was scythed on the night of the junior prom, but there were some complications with all of that. The Dark Reaper went rogue and stole her body, but she managed to steal his amulet (a kind of power source) which has left her soul on Earth and given her the illusion of a body so that no one but the angels actually know she's dead. The whole book is a cat and mouse game of them trying to find each other and take back what was stolen from them. While I don't like it as much as all the vampires, witches and pixies that inhabit The Hollows, I think this is a fine start to a new
Kim Harrison is the author of the very popular adult paranormal fiction series known as "The Hollows" (it starts with "Dead Witch Walking" and the most recent addition is "The Outlaw Demon Wails") She's trying her funny charm and fiendish imagination on the teenage crowd now, still dealing with what I at least would call paranormal beings--angels. It's a very complex world full of Time Keepers (humans who can bend time and control angels), Dark Reapers (angels who scythe humans when fate says it's their time) and Light Reapers (angels who try to prevent that fate from happening), Guardian Angels of various aptitudes, and more. Madison has learned all of this since she was scythed on the night of the junior prom, but there were some complications with all of that. The Dark Reaper went rogue and stole her body, but she managed to steal his amulet (a kind of power source) which has left her soul on Earth and given her the illusion of a body so that no one but the angels actually know she's dead. The whole book is a cat and mouse game of them trying to find each other and take back what was stolen from them. While I don't like it as much as all the vampires, witches and pixies that inhabit The Hollows, I think this is a fine start to a new
April 8, 2011
I was a little disappointed with the way the book began. In the synopsis, it talks about a reaper coming for her, and her stealing the amulet. I thought it would be part of the story, but instead the book takes place after she already took the amulet. Most of the characters were one dimensional, as though they were insubstantial. Through most of the book I felt like I was balancing on a teeter totter. Part of me enjoyed the story, and the other part of me was become more and more angry with the author, because she took forever to get to the meat of the story. There isn't a lot of substance to this book. It seems more like an introduction to a book, than an actual book. The main character is a bit boring, and her physical description does not fit her personality. I don't feel her chemistry with any of the characters. Surprisingly, my favorite character ended up being Nikita, who I think I was supposed to hate. The real book does start until the last 15% of the book. The saving Grace of this book, is "Grace", b/c she is hilarious!"
October 20, 2015
Sadly, most of this book was formulaic (emo heroine who constantly refers to her tights, dip-dyed hair, and skull earrings as if they make her unusual and better than the "cool kids"), hot guy friend that stands up to the cool kids for her, parents that practically never show up in the story, etc.). What wasn't formulaic was pretty interesting - a world of Dark and Light Reapers, angels, and the classic story of good versus evil retold in the frame of Fate versus Free Choice with lots of grey morality areas. Sadly, the storytelling vascilated between recapping what happened to Madison repeatedly, and plunging forward with new terms and concepts without explaining them. I was alternately bored and then lost. Madison was a witty snappy kid, sounding a lot like a Christopher Moore character, which I liked. The book just didn't really make me care about her in any unique way. Because I like The Hallows series so much, I'll probably try to read the second book in this series to see if it gets more substance and deeper relationships.
May 6, 2010
Once Dead, Twice Shy is the story of Madison Avery. Madison died in a car crash on prom night. Due to some technical glitches and some quick thinking on Madison's part, it was not her time to die. Madison was able to steal the dark reaper's amulet which gives the illusion that she is alive.
Madison is a spunky character. She does not accept the fact that she is dead and is determined to "find" her body so that she can be whole again. She is instructed by Barnabus who is a light reaper and is protected by Grace, a guardian angel.
This book will appeal to young adult readers. Madison is a believable character. She is vulnerable, yet she is strong.
If you read her story in Prom Nights from Hell, you may have a better understanding of the story, although both stories can stand on their own.
Madison is a spunky character. She does not accept the fact that she is dead and is determined to "find" her body so that she can be whole again. She is instructed by Barnabus who is a light reaper and is protected by Grace, a guardian angel.
This book will appeal to young adult readers. Madison is a believable character. She is vulnerable, yet she is strong.
If you read her story in Prom Nights from Hell, you may have a better understanding of the story, although both stories can stand on their own.
September 17, 2020
2019
I bought this book because I liked the cover and I made an assumption (incorrectly) that it was about zombies (I'm a huge zombie fan). I did not read the blurb about what this book was about. So, when I started reading the book, I was a little disappointed to learn that it was about angels and not zombies. I'm not all that into angels. Although, the book was better than I expected, I didn't love the whole story.
For starters, I did not love the main character. She wasn't the worst main character that I've ever read about *cough* Bella *cough* But she didn't exactly make stellar decisions. She seemed to make choice that would ultimately affect everyone else in a bad way. And she'd be warned that she would affect everyone else in a bad way. Then, she became apologetic to everyone after she made such a bad decision. But then she'd jump right into her next bad choice.
I bought this book because I liked the cover and I made an assumption (incorrectly) that it was about zombies (I'm a huge zombie fan). I did not read the blurb about what this book was about. So, when I started reading the book, I was a little disappointed to learn that it was about angels and not zombies. I'm not all that into angels. Although, the book was better than I expected, I didn't love the whole story.
For starters, I did not love the main character. She wasn't the worst main character that I've ever read about *cough* Bella *cough* But she didn't exactly make stellar decisions. She seemed to make choice that would ultimately affect everyone else in a bad way. And she'd be warned that she would affect everyone else in a bad way. Then, she became apologetic to everyone after she made such a bad decision. But then she'd jump right into her next bad choice.
January 26, 2012
The premise is interesting, but I just couldn't get into it. The writing isn't quite as captivating. Granted, it could be due to the fact that this is YA with YA topics (ie: high school, coming of age, etc.)and day by day I inch further away from being a YA myself. Even still, based on my experience with the Rachel Morgan series, if I based my love for that series on the first book, it wouldn't rank very high. I had to sort of force myself to read the first book, and then Book 2 got way better; now it's my flagship series. Perhaps giving the second book a shot for this series will be the same.
*Review also posted to Amazon
*Review also posted to Amazon
February 7, 2017
I loved it. All of Kim Harrison's female leads are always strong, independent women and I love that.
I liked Madison's attitude from the very beginning and was glad she remained strong all the way to the end.
I loved the fact that she seemed to embrace all her differences and didn't try to fit in with the in crowd.
I found her a little whinny at times but then what 17 year old isn't.
Grace remineded me so much of Jenks but I will always prefer Jenks.
The story was faced paced, straight in there from the beginning, it flowed nicely and all the characters seemed to mesh perfectly.
I would have liked alittle more background on the other characters but maybe thats for book 2.
I enjoyed this book
I liked Madison's attitude from the very beginning and was glad she remained strong all the way to the end.
I loved the fact that she seemed to embrace all her differences and didn't try to fit in with the in crowd.
I found her a little whinny at times but then what 17 year old isn't.
Grace remineded me so much of Jenks but I will always prefer Jenks.
The story was faced paced, straight in there from the beginning, it flowed nicely and all the characters seemed to mesh perfectly.
I would have liked alittle more background on the other characters but maybe thats for book 2.
I enjoyed this book
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