Date with the Dead

Date with the Dead
Author(s)
Publisher Name
Books on the Edge
Age Range
12+
Release Date
June 15, 2012
ISBN13
978-0-9857169-0-5
ISBN10 or ASIN
      

Let me introduce sixteen-year-old Jolie Livingston, ghost hunter.

“Let’s face it. Some of us can’t be too picky. My closest and only friend Drew is this really hot dead guy, but it bites that the self-absorbed princesses (SAPs) at school cannot even see him. That’s right, I can communicate with the dead. It’s the living I have trouble with. Mom and I inherited this awesome crib in Plymouth, MA. It’s quite a step-up from the homeless shelter in New Orleans, but there’s a catch. We can’t afford the past due mortgage, so I’m working on that.

“I started a ghost hunting business called Ripsters. Somehow I’ve managed to recruit Brittany, a glamour SAP smothered in pink, and a techie who’s allergic to ghosts. Brit actually thinks he resembles the R&B singer Chris Brown. All that pink has clouded her vision. They both have special talents I’m hoping will be useful to our venture. Right now, we’re working for a family in need of major therapy due to a dead guy with a hole in his head. If we solve this case, the Paranormal Guild may invite us to join their underground society for the psychically gifted, though I’m not counting on my golden ticket anytime soon.

“Hayden, a really cute guy, who lost his Wiccan mother, wants to join us, but my grandmother warned me about his kind. I often find myself torn between my loyalty to Drew and my secret attraction to Hayden, even though it’s highly unlikely a living guy as hot as Hayden would be interested in a girl cozy with the dead.”

AWARDS Top 100 semi-finalist of 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel 2008 Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Gold Contest Finalist for Ripsters

Let me introduce sixteen-year-old Jolie Livingston, ghost hunter.

“Let’s face it. Some of us can’t be too picky. My closest and only friend Drew is this really hot dead guy, but it bites that the self-absorbed princesses (SAPs) at school cannot even see him. That’s right, I can communicate with the dead. It’s the living I have trouble with. Mom and I inherited this awesome crib in Plymouth, MA. It’s quite a step-up from the homeless shelter in New Orleans, but there’s a catch. We can’t afford the past due mortgage, so I’m working on that.

“I started a ghost hunting business called Ripsters. Somehow I’ve managed to recruit Brittany, a glamour SAP smothered in pink, and a techie who’s allergic to ghosts. Brit actually thinks he resembles the R&B singer Chris Brown. All that pink has clouded her vision. They both have special talents I’m hoping will be useful to our venture. Right now, we’re working for a family in need of major therapy due to a dead guy with a hole in his head. If we solve this case, the Paranormal Guild may invite us to join their underground society for the psychically gifted, though I’m not counting on my golden ticket anytime soon.

“Hayden, a really cute guy, who lost his Wiccan mother, wants to join us, but my grandmother warned me about his kind. I often find myself torn between my loyalty to Drew and my secret attraction to Hayden, even though it’s highly unlikely a living guy as hot as Hayden would be interested in a girl cozy with the dead.”

AWARDS Top 100 semi-finalist of 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel 2008 Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Gold Contest Finalist for Ripsters

User reviews

3 reviews
Overall rating
 
4.8
Writing Style
 
4.7(3)
Plot
 
4.7(3)
Characters
 
5.0(3)
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
5.0(2)
Already have an account? or Create an account
View most helpful
Date with the Dead
(Updated: August 11, 2013)
Overall rating
 
4.3
Writing Style
 
N/A
Plot
 
N/A
Characters
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
What a lot of fun this book is! With a mix of the paranormal, a bit of romance and a murder mystery that keeps our ghost hunters guessing almost till the end, nearly any reader can find something to like in Date with the Dead. Even the romance is appealing to those of us who’ve grown tired of the insta-love that’s so prevalent in young adult fiction because here it’s natural and, while there are plenty of roadblocks in the way, there’s no overblown angst. As a matter of fact, there’s a good deal of humor involved, especially with all the ghosts hanging about.

We’ve seen ghost hunter books before but this one is a cut above, full of charm and a good dollop of suspense, along with a little pathos involving less-than-stellar family situations. I really enjoyed spending time with Jolie and Drew and their pals and the whole idea of a town teeming with stray spirits works because of the setting. Where better than the heart of Pilgrim country and the American Revolution to find enough ghostly hangers-on to keep a budding ghost-hunting business rolling along for years to come? It doesn’t hurt, either, that these teens actually know what they’re doing most of the time although they certainly weren’t expecting to have to solve a missing person case that turns into something much worse.

I have to give Ms. Myers props for a couple of things. First, the editing of this book was very nicely done and I found no glaring errors beyond the occasional—and minor—typo. Second, her characterizations of these kids and the villains involved is lively and makes them feel real despite their tendencies to be involved in supernatural goings-on. I especially liked that each of the teens brings a different touch to the story and each has his or her own talents as well as weaknesses.

Make no mistake, this is not just a humorous piece of fluff. There is certainly a lot about it that’s amusing but we also get to see that even those kids who seem to have it all together have problems and, sometimes, they’re pretty serious. Jolie, in particular, is a girl with reasons to be very cynical about life in general but she’s still a most appealing teen who refuses to be beat down. I’m looking forward to reading about the next adventures of the Ripsters gang.
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Publishers Weekly Review
Overall rating
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
N/A
Plot
 
N/A
Characters
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
This review was won from the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest.

Plymouth, Massachusetts, is the perfect setting for this tale of ghostly hauntings and murder. High–school student Jolie offers a first person account of her life as a ghost hunter. Working together with cohorts Reese, Hayden, Brittany and Drew ( a ghost ) , Jolie seeks to solve the haunting of a home by John Distal, a man who was most likely murdered. As Jolie gets closer to uncovering the identity of Distal’s murderer , she is pursued by an unknown assailant driving an SUV. A subplot involving a dead soldier haunting Brittany provides some light–hearted relief to the intensity of the mystery as the ghost hunters forge through Burial Hill to help the soldier find his lost love. And one of the most appealing aspects of this novel is the author’s ability to create suspense as Jolie and her friends come closer to solving the mystery behind Distal’s murder. Well–crafted characters fill the pages of the swift–moving plot which culminates in an explosive finale.
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Publishers Weekly Review
Overall rating
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
N/A
Plot
 
N/A
Characters
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
The Publishers Weekly review was earned in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest.
Good Points
Plymouth, Massachusetts, is the perfect setting for this tale of ghostly hauntings and murder. High-school student Jolie offers a first person account of her life as a ghost hunter. Working together with cohorts Reese, Hayden, Brittany and Drew (a ghost), Jolie seeks to solve the haunting of a home by John Distal, a man who was most likely murdered. As Jolie gets closer to uncovering the identity of Distal's murderer, she is pursued by an unknown assailant driving an SUV. A subplot involving a dead soldier haunting Brittany provides some light-hearted relief to the intensity of the mystery as the ghost hunters forge through Burial Hill to help the soldier find his lost love. And one of the most appealing aspects of this novel is the author's ability to create suspense as Jolie and her friends come closer to solving the mystery behind Distal's murder. Well-crafted characters fill the pages of the swift-moving plot which culminates in an explosive finale.
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0