Book Review: Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade

QUEEN OF THE DEAD by Stacey Kade
Series: The Ghost and the Goth, #2
Publication Date: May 31st 2011 by Hyperion
Rating: |

Summary: 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.

Review Overview:

• Wasn’t expecting this one to turn out so serious!
• Disappointed that there was not enough Will/Alona
• Still determined to finish this series just because of Will

After finishing up The Ghost and the Goth earlier this summer, I was ecstatic to hear that the book was going to have a sequel. Despite the fact that I thought that The Ghost and the Goth tied up nicely, I was very curious to see how the story would continue. While QUEEN OF THE DEAD was an overall enjoyable read, it was not as great as the first book.

I think what prevented me from really enjoying this book was the fact that it was a lot more serious. What I loved about The Ghost and the Goth was that it was a paranormal novel that didn’t take itself too seriously. QUEEN OF THE DEAD was heavier in terms of plot than the first and it took a while to get used to the change of pace.

While the plot was no longer light and fluffy, I did appreciate that this plot gave the characters more depth. Will learns more about his dad who had committed suicide, and Alona watches helplessly as her parents learn to move on after her death. Both characters face certain things that they have been avoiding and sets up areas for character growth.

In my review of The Ghost and the Goth, I did question how Kade was going to pull off the romance between Will and Alona. Realistically, speaking: Alona’s a ghost. How is this supposed to work out? I’m so glad that Kade tackled this dilemma in the sequel. I actually thought that this would happen, and it was a lot of fun actually reading the scene.

With that said, I was disappointed with the development – or lack thereof – of the romance between Will and Alona in this book. I know the two love to bicker, but I was really hoping that one of them would confront their feelings already. The fact that nothing really happened between them (so close but not quite) really frustrated me as a reader.

Even if the sequel doesn’t live up to the first book, I’m still looking forward to finishing this series. I must find out what happens between Alona and Will.

Other Reviews:
For What It’s Worth
Refracted Light Reviews

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