Review: Queen of the Dead (The Ghost and the Goth #2) by Stacey Kade

Title: Queen of the Dead

Author: Stacey Kade

Series: 2nd in Ghost and the Goth

Pages: 288

Published: Available now from Hyperion

ISBN:  9781423134671

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

 

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.

I Give This ...

  

I was really excited to read this one.  I found the first in the series to be really unique.  It was the right mix of ghosts, serious issues mixed in with some light-hearted romance and fun.  I was hoping for the same with this edition.

I was a little disappointed with the first half of the book.  Alona seemed to regress back to shelfish, b$tchy person she was in life.  Her attitude towards Will was really annoying.  She pushed his buttons and then knew just how to get back into his good graces.  I also didn't like the way she handled the ghosts when Will wasn't around.  Top it off with her childish reaction to finding her mom throwing out her stuff and her dad having another baby, and I was afraid I was going to like this significantly less.   

I still really liked Will though.  I just wish he didn't have such a thing for Alona.  I often wondered if he overlooked her faults often or just didn't see them.  I liked his interactions with Mina.  How awesome to finally realize he wasn't alone and that there might be more to this whole ghost thing.  I was intrigued by the group that Minda introduced him too.  I think we've just barely touched on who they are and what they can do.  

When Alona's selfishness leads her to make a disastrous choice is when the book got significantly better.  I liked were the story goes after that.  I think she learned the true meaning of walking in someone else's shoes.  I also think it taught her to put someone's needs above her own.  I also though Will was a little hard on her at first, but came around when he realized her intentions were good in the end.

I think one of my favorite parts was when Will has to enter the theater that use to be a hotel that burned down.  That was intense.  I really liked how the author described that the ghosts are on a perpetual loop.  Everyday they relive how they died.  No wonder Will always avoided the place.