After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare - former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead - finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this - ugh - “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like.
Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello! She’s only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess.
Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately puts a check mark in the “clearly not” column. But Will is - ahem - willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea.
Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger, Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth.
I waited with baited breath for this book. As in, If-I-died-without-reading-it-I-will-haunt-Stacey-Kade kind of crazy. So quite understandably, there was a lot of expectations that I put on this book even before I had it in my hands. I loved The Goth and the Ghost so much it was hard to rival. Well folks, Queen of the Dead is just as good - it's ACE!
With Will and Alona's 'Help the ghosts to the light' project firmly in operation, there are countless misunderstandings, drama and pretty hilarious antics to be expected from this sequel. There is also a multitude surprises that I'm sure will catch many readers off guard, as they did with me - and one massive, dramatic, completely on a level of its own twist that left me awestruck. Pick up this book and look forward to the twist because damn, I was bowled over!
Having said that, QoTD is still primarily character driven. The stupendous plot is due to the characters' own decisions and one can see exactly how the characters are epitomised by it. I have fallen in love with Alona Dare right off the bat from G&G, I think I have mentioned it a couple of times. She is such a superb, vibrant, true-to-life character. Out of all possible Alona antics, I did not quite expect to be moved to tears by her in QoTD! But she did just that - her instantaneous connection with readers propel this book into an emotional read at some key points in the book. Alona, strong as she is, shows her vulnerability quite plainly in this book. We discover the little things that makes Alona Dare the girl that she is and while her bitchy side is forever present, readers also see the extent of her selflessness. It's hard for my heart not to go out to someone like that!
In QoTD we also dig up a lot about Will's past as well as his talent. I'm very surprised how this part turns out, because while it's only touched on on G&G, it's a huge part of the plot in QoTD and I think Will is as surprised as everyone else. Mina adds depth to this part of Will's life, and all the tension, rift and reflection that occurs as a result of that really reflects the dimension of the characters. It's superb how the characters grow and develop - even secondary characters. Mina's a little bit of a bitch by the way, but she's a quirky character you can't help but like anyway.
Fast-paced, with the right amount of romantic tension flavouring the plot and a superb array of characters, QoTD is a fantastic sequel indeed!
Having said all that, THE TWIST! THE TWIST! Makes me want to demands book three. Now. Right now.
Five Stars.
* My ARC copy is from Stacey of course :D Thanks love!
Queen of the Dead is out today yesterday so you know what to do :D
For a mermaid living on land, our ordinary human things would be very out of the ordinary. I had to imagine myself as someone from an underwater world, and was suddenly living on land. In Thalassinia sea slang is common, but on land it’s weird to call someone a son of a swordfish. There are no beverages in the ocean because they’re surrounded by water already. On land, a mermaid dries out and has to take saltwater baths to stay hydrated. Lily has to make lots of little adjustments to life above the water.
Years ago, I went to a bookstore in Manhattan to hear Joyce Carol Oates read from her first YA novel, Freaky Green Eyes. From my view of her frail, birdlike physique, I found it hard to believe Oates when she spoke of running six miles everyday. She said running was this magical time when she plotted all her novels. At that point, I really didn’t believe her. Who could do anything while running other than count the seconds until you were going to be finished running?
6. The Wannadies – You and Me – This song makes me think of Connor and Grace. As much as circumstances tear them apart, they will always be united.
Oh, you always learn a little more about everyone. For me, I think I learned more about Will's dad and uh, without getting too spoilery, other people's family members. :) It was also interesting to learn how Will and Alona handled Mina being around. So many things NOT said, you know? Makes it kind of complicated! 
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