A ghost girl leans against a diner counter next to a boy in an apron.

About the Book

Title: Queen of the Dead (The Ghost and the Goth #2)
Published: 2011

Cover Story: Body Bag It
BFF Charm:  Eventually
Talky Talk: He Said, She Said
Bonus Factors: Ghost Busters
Relationship Status: Booty Call

Cover Story: Body Bag It

Oh Lord, if it’s even possible, this cover is worse than the first one! I mean, do teenagers even like this cover? I can’t even.

The Deal:

WARNING: Spoilers ahead for The Ghost and the Goth, the first book in this series. You may read my review here, if you like.

So now that Alona is Will’s Spirit Guide, things are going alright for our two heroes. They help ghosts get the closure they need to move on to the Light, and get to make out on the side — on account of how all ghosts get corporeal in the presence of Will — but what’s going to happen a month from now, a year from now, 20 years from now? Alona won’t ever age, and Will… will. So there’s a bit of unspoken conflict between the two, because really, how do you deal with that?

Of course, that’s before an angry ghost almost kills Will and the two meet a ghost hunter who claims to work for a whole ghost hunting agency. There motto? Help the Living. As in, not the ghosts. At all. Ever. In fact, their modus operandi is to bust up into a place like Egon Spengler and “box” any ghost they find. And, of course, they want Will. But what does that mean for Alona?

BFF Charm: Eventually

BFF Charm with a sweatband on

Girlfriend had to work for my charm in this second installment. Here I thought she had grown so much by the end of the first one, but along comes a ghost buster, and it’s back to ‘for me, for me, for MEEEE!’ So while I still cared about Alona for most of this book (and had sympathy for what she was going through), I was hesitant to give her my charm for fear that I’d become collateral damage. Because sometimes, she’d as soon cut a bitch as look at you But then, BUT THEN, she surprised both of us.

Swoonworthy Scale: 6

Notice how I didn’t talk about giving Will a BFF charm? That’s because I totally want to bone date him. As I mentioned in my review of the first book, Will Killian is an Underdog of Chris Chambers proportions, and therefore deserving of ALL the swoon.

Oh yes, and the chemistry between him and Alona is great or whatever (but call me, Will!). Seriously though, I spent most of this book wanting to lock the two of them in a room together until they fight it out or just do it, already.

Talky Talk: He Said, She Said

One of Kade’s strongest attributes is her ability to convince me that she’s writing from the perspective of two different people. So many authors who write from a multiple point of view end up having their characters sound samey, but Will and Alona each feel distinct to me. This installment does feel like an installment, though, and I tore through it in an afternoon. It has the same addictive chemicals that they put in Doritos, apparently, because once I started, I couldn’t stop, even though I knew my body was craving broccoli.

Bonus Factor: Ghost Busters

Rick Moranis in Ghostbusters II

The addition of the ghost hunters was an awesome new aspect I would have liked to delve into further. Hopefully they’ll be back in future installments. I mean, because if they aren’t, who you gonna’ call?

Relationship Status: Booty Call

Okay, so this book and I had a thing. It wasn’t a forever thing, or even really a right now thing — except for when it’s a right RIGHT now thing, if you know what I’m saying. But whatever it is we have is fun and uncomplicated… and it’s possible that I might just have this book’s number on speed dial.

FTC Full Disclosure: I received my free review copy from Hyperion. I received neither money nor cocktails for writing this review (dammit!). Queen of the Dead is available now.

Jenny grew up on a steady diet of Piers Anthony, Isaac Asimov and Star Wars novels. She has now expanded her tastes to include television, movies, and YA fiction.