Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison

Pages: 232

Inside Flap:

My name is Madison Avery, and I'm 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 herto 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 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.

Review:

In this fast-paced novel of the cosmic world being balanced between light and dark, Madison Avery has become a pawn in the grand scheme of things--and she doesn't know how big a pawn she is. Barnabus, her light-reaper "teacher" skips out for less than forty-eight hours with his boss, and that's all it takes for Madison to get the ball rolling into more trouble than her death and stealing-of-the-amulet originally cost. There is deception around every corner, and the crush and guardian angel that she's come to name are the only she can trust for that time. "Mad Madison" always accused of being the oddball and trouble-maker, finds it no easier to deal with the popular crowd once she's dead. Except, maybe taking some bad shots of Queen B in all her sweat-stained track gear glory.

In Once Dead, Twice Shy, you get a deeper sense of Madison's kind-hearted, wild heart--even if it only tends to beat when she's scared or panicking, and that is fairly often. You also find out the real "meaningful" purpose as to why Kairos--dark-reaper--specifically targeted her in the first place, and then again after death wasn't enough to accomplish the putting-back-together-fate process. Besides the wit and adventrous-battling streak, there is a sark-worthy humor, in which I found some substitutes to my usual profane babbler-mouth. Son of a dead puppy; Oh, for cripe's sake; What the devil; there are a couple others that I cannot remember and equally love. There is also hinting of romance here and there, and a good measure of finding oneself and not trying to be like everyone else to fit in; that I know you won't want to miss...

Grade: B

LiLi