Book Review: Body and Soul by Stacey Kade

#3 in the Ghost and the Goth series
Received: Library
Pages 316
Released: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

This is a review for the third book in the series, but there are NO spoilers!

It's been a really, really long time since I read Queen of the Dead (book 2 in the series), and a really, really, really long time since I read the eponymous first book in the series. Like, it's been years.

Why did I wait so long? I don't know. It certainly wasn't any fault of the series, because I seriously love the hate-turned-love forbidden spectral romance and the ghost busting mysteries in this series.

But, you know how it is, the massive TBR, shifting book priorities, time just kind of slipped by and before I knew it four years had gone by since I last ventured into Alona and Will's world.

When I saw Body and Soul was available through my local library, I groaned, felt guilty, and then figured enough already I needed to get my butt in gear and finally finish off this series.

But, I have a terrible memory and I'm a different reader now than I was four years ago. I was super worried I had waited too long and I just wouldn't enjoy this book like I would have four years ago.

Thankfully, Stacey Kade wrote a finale that packed just as much punch, romance, heart, and humor as the first two books. The first sentence sucked me right back into the story and it was as if no time at all had gone by. I immediately remembered what had happened and I was just as invested in these characters and their story as I was four years ago. Stacey Kade, I'm impressed.

Sleepover party invite x2

Will and Alona are both BFF material characters, but each for very different reasons. Alona can get it done and I can't help but admire her Cordelia-Chase-like panache. Will is a classic misunderstood loner guy with a heart of gold. He's such a nice guy in all the ways that phrase is actually a good thing, but he also has this totally cool, aloof veneer that will make high school girls everywhere swoon.

Add them together, and what do you get? Chemistry. Also, a romance based on a friendship in which they each help one another grow in multiple ways. This is the real meat of the story. Yeah, the romance is swoony, and yeah the action and mysteries are fun, but the character growth is where it's at. Their depth and development make them feel like real people and I think that's a big part of why it was so easy to slip back into their world.

But how does it end??

(still, no spoilers) 

It's always sad to come to the end of a good series (maybe this is why I put off reading the final book for so long?). Without going into any details, rest assured, Stacey Kade delivers a worthy ending.

I laughed, I cried, I clutched my chest in happiness. All the important emotions were evoked and I thoroughly embarrassed myself in new and exciting public places as I responded with lots of verbal outbursts. All signs of a good book. 

Bottom line

I feel like this is an under the radar series because I just don't see much buzz about it on the internet (and, honestly, shame on me too because of that whole four year hiatus thing). I wish that wasn't the case though because this series has so much to offer.

Fans of Anna Dressed in Blood should for sure check out the Ghost and the Goth series. It's very similar in tone and feel, but it doesn't feel like a knock off. It's fresh, fun, and different enough to hold its own in a sea of YA paranormal books. Although, it's no gory or scary like Anna, so it's like Anna for wimps—perfect for me!

What are you waiting for? And best of all, the entire series is published now, so no more waiting! 


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Book Review: Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade

Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade
Release Date: June 7, 2011
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 288
Received: ARC from publisher and NetGalley
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Page

Summary

From Goodreads (may contain spoilers for the first book. Highlight to read):

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.

Review

Last time on The Ghost and the Goth...

I enjoyed the first book in the series (The Ghost and the Goth, review), so I was super excited when I found out there was going to be a sequel. The first book ends well as a standalone, but this second book relies enough on the events of the first that you shouldn't read the sequel until after you've read the first book.

The Ghost and the Goth tackled serious issues with a good dose of levity, and that same winning combination is here as well. Alona provides mean-girl snark but still manages to be completely lovable. Will is a lot more sure of himself now and seems to be in the process of taking control of his life again. Both characters grow a lot throughout this book and it is their growth that adds a depth to the series that isn't really hinted at on the covers. It was nice to fall back into the swing of things with this pair. They work so well together; I could happily read many more books featuring them.

Love and hate

...Which brings me to the biggest downside of Queen of the Dead: Alona and Will's relationship. The book opens with the two of them together, tentatively feeling out (literally, though maybe not so tentatively then) a romantic relationship. The first few chapters are absolutely perfect! Wow, who knew PG/PG-13 kissing could be so hot?? Even though they're together, they still maintain a love-hate relationship that sizzles.

The honeymoon ends far too quickly though, and instead of getting a book full of Alona-Will goodness, most of the time they don't even share page time. Huge, teasing disappointment.

Instead, Will spends a lot of time with Mina, a ghost-talker like Will. I understand why Will wants to spend time with Mina--she's a ghost-talker AND she has connections to his father, but, ugh, I so hated her. I bonded majorly with Alona over our shared dislike of Mina.

The girl knows how to find trouble

While Will is being a traitorous meanie (ok, so I'm biased), Alona spends her time getting into trouble. Alona is a strong personality and she can totally stand on her own without Will (can you tell how much I love Alona? She's a BFF character for sure), but boy does she know how to make a mess of things. These parts were fun because she just kept digging her hole deeper and deeper. I enjoyed her scenes a lot more than the Will/Mina scenes.

I should probably mention that the book alternates chapters between Will's perspective and Alona's perspective. Both voices are completely distinct and the dual narration does a really good job in allowing the reader to connect with the characters when they're talking and also see another side of them through each other's eyes. It also helps events move along at a nice pace and teases you to keep reading ahead.

The story itself is good, but I wanted a little more. The first book had more of a mystery than this one. Honestly though, this isn't a series that I read for the plot. I read it because I love the characters and the world of ghost-talkers. We do gain more insight into ghost-talkers in this book, but our understanding is still tantalizingly incomplete. We also learn that Will's dad had a whole lot of secrets that Will is only beginning to uncover.

Of endings and new beginnings

I'm not sure how I feel about the resolution. It's, well, I can't really say anything without giving away spoilers, but I'm not sure I like it. I trust Stacey, though, so I'm holding out judgement on that until after I see how she handles it in book three.

This one is wrapped up pretty well, so I'm not sure what the blurb is talking about with a "killer cliffhanger." This isn't really a cliffhanger--killer or otherwise. I mean, there's definitely more to Will and Alona's story, but this main story arc is wrapped up just fine. That doesn't mean I'm not still impatiently awaiting the next book, because I so am! If you liked The Ghost and the Goth, then definitely check out Queen of the Dead.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key

Want to read about the first book?
Book review: The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade
Cover review: The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

Read as part of the All Male Review Challenge

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Cover Review: The Ghost and the Goth

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme hosted by Tawni at The Book Worms where a beautiful cover is featured each week for all of us to admire. I am going to use my Cover Crazy posts as an opportunity to review a book cover I love or review any cover (even the ones I don't love) from a book I've read. This week's Cover Crazy is for:  

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

This cover is both misleading and absolutely perfect. The model portraying Alona is perfect. She looks exactly how I picture Alona, from her blond hair and pretty face to her exactly right gym uniform. The transparency and slight glow around Alona are such a good call and makes it clear that she’s the ghost in this story.

Will isn’t quite as perfect for me, but he works well enough. I didn’t really get the vibe that he’s all that “Goth” from his description in the book. He seemed more of a loner than a Goth. The wristband he’s wearing works well enough I guess, but the rest of his outfit is perfect. The hood on his head is an especially good touch. The only thing missing are a pair of ear buds.

It annoys me so much when cover models don’t look anything like the characters, but it is clear that whoever designed this cover was very familiar with the characters. Not only do they look as they should, but their facial expressions and body positions are equally perfect. This isn’t a scene from the book, but it so easily could be. It is so like Alona to flirtatiously drape her legs across Will’s lap and give a snarky knowing smile. Will spends most of the book trying to isolate himself and exasperatedly brush off Alona.

While we’re not really given any indication of the plot with this cover, we also sort of are. None of the events are shown, but it is the hate-turned-love relationship between Will and Alona that really steals the show in the book. It is fitting, then, that the cover focuses on the two of them and captures the essence of their dynamics.

The background and colors give a light, bright feel to the book that is both fitting and a little deceptive. There is an upbeat, light feel throughout the whole book, but it also does deal with weightier issues that are not even hinted at with this cover. Even though there are those issues, the overall feel isn’t heavy, so I think it’s still appropriate for the cover to be airy.

I’m also torn on the title font. I love the contrast between the “Ghost” and the “Goth.” Here again the clashing personalities and relationship between Will and Alona takes center stage, as it should. The only thing I don’t like is that the fonts and colors used are sort of misleading for the characters. The “Ghost” font has an almost angelic feel to it, which is so far from Alona’s personality it’s actually funny. Will’s “Goth” font has a devilish flair that is far more suited to Alona than Will.

I do like the color balance with the red in “Goth” diagonally placed across from Alona’s red gym shorts. It ties the cover together well and balances my eye. That pop of red on her gym shorts might have drawn my eye to her butt, which is a little awkward. Having the red at the top and bottom like this forces my eye to focus on the space between, which is Will and Alona. This is exactly where my eye should be drawn, so the colors are extremely effective.

I loved this book and highly recommend it. You can read more of my thoughts in my The Ghost and the Goth review.

What do you think about this cover?
Do you like it? Dislike it? 
Does it make you want to read the book?

Interested in covers? 
Be sure to check out another Cover Crazy post by Gina from My Precious.

 

Previous Cover Crazy posts:

Delirium

More of my Cover Crazy posts

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Waiting on Wednesday (1)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we all feature upcoming books we're eagerly anticipating. 

The cute WoW button comes from Bewitched Bookworms.



This week, my Waiting on Wednesday books are both books written by Staceys: Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade and The Locket by Stacey Jay.

Queen of the Dead (Ghost and the Goth, book 2), by Stacey Kade

Release Date: June 7, 2011
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 288 

(Above publication information from Amazon)
Author's Page
Amazon Page

 Product Description: 

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 adored  the first book in this series (you can see my review for it here). It was really sweet and funny with two great characters. The first book ended without any cliffhangers, but I wasn't ready to let go of the characters yet. I wanted to know how Will would handle his abilities now that Alona could help him. I wanted to know how Alona would adjust to life after death, and I wanted to hear her snarky commentary about the whole situation. Most importantly, I wanted to see their relationship grow. Their chemistry was smoking while still being innocent and in the early stages of attraction. I want to see them take it to the next level. The product description for Queen of the Dead sounds like exactly what I was hoping for. I can't wait to read it!

I also really like that cover and I hope they end up using it.

The Locket, by Stacey Jay

Release Date: February 3, 2011
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 288 

(Above publication information from Amazon)
Author's Page
Amazon Page

Product Description:

On her seventeenth birthday, Katie discovers a locket and decides to wear it for good luck. But when her boyfriend Isaac finds out she cheated on him with their mutual best friend Mitch, no less, he dumps her, leaving her devastated.

And then a miracle happens. The locket burns on Katie's chest and she feels herself going back two weeks in time, to the night she cheated with Mitch. At first, Kate is delighted to be a better girlfriend to Isaac this time around. But as other aspects of her life become inexplicably altered, she realizes that changing the past may have had a dangerous effect on her present.

Can she make things right before the locket destroys everything and everyone she loves?

I haven't read anything by Stacey Jay before (but I've just added a bunch of her books to my TBR, they sound great), so I don't know what to expect from this one. I love time travel and reading about the characters trying to figure out how to set things right after they inadvertently mess up the entire timeline. Add in romance and I'm so there.  

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Book Review: The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

The Ghost and the Goth (Book 1), by Stacey Kade
Release Date: June 2010
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 281
Received: Library book
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Author's Page
Amazon Page

Summary:

Alona Dare was the queen of the school until she accidentally stepped in front of a bus and died. Though that would seem to be the end of the story, it is only the beginning. Alona wakes up as a ghost and soon discovers Will, a boy she always wrote off as strange and not worth her time, can actually see her. Pushy and assertive, Alona convinces Will to help her figure out why she hasn't crossed over yet. In exchange, she offers to manage the cacophony of ghosts vying for Will's attention and help protect him from a particularly malignant spirit. A troubled friend, a mysterious accident, and parental issues help flesh out this light and sweet story.

Review:

Written in chapters alternating between Will and Alona's perspectives, readers get to know the characters' inner thoughts, feelings, and fears. Alona and Will have distinct voices and while Alona is supposed to be a mean girl, both characters are ultimately sympathetic and likable. There is an overarching supernatural problem that builds throughout the story, as well as real-world family and interpersonal issues the characters must deal with along the way. The supernatural problem is also a bit of a mystery, with numerous clues dropped through the story as to what is happening and who is behind it. The plot kept my attention, but the strength of this book lies more in the two main characters (their personalities and their chemistry) than in the plot.

The romance in this story is there, but it is very light and grows at a much more natural pace than the cheesy "undying love at first sight" that is becoming increasingly common in the YA genre. The framework of getting to know one another is laid in this book and I imagine their relationship will be explored more deeply in the sequel. While there is a sequel (Queen of the Dead), the conflicts of this story are neatly ended and there isn't any cliffhanger.

Heavier issues like parental alcoholism, the mental health system, stereotypes, guilt, death, and personal growth are also explored, making this book deeper than meets the eye. The real accomplishment here is that the book never feels bogged down, depressing, or overly serious. Instead, the author manages to maintain a light and sweet tone throughout the book without diminishing the importance of these issues. Nicely done.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key

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