Review Detail
4.1 10
Young Adult Fiction
352
Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison
(Updated: July 12, 2026)
Overall rating
4.0
Plot
4.0
Characters
N/A
Writing Style
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
Reader reviewed by ReggieWrites
First off...did you see the cover? It's so cool! I love all of the purple in it.
Anyway,
back to the review. This book became one of my favorites but it did
have its share of problems. I admired Harrison's writing from start to
finish. It was consistently exciting and unexpected throughout the
whole book. And although her writing was continually original, I was
confused after forty pages. I didn't realize that the short story
Harrison wrote-Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper-was connected. It was the short story in Prom Nights from Hell and Harrison poorly executed the recap of it. But once I had that cleared up, I devoured the book page by page.
Basically, the whole book revolved around Madison and her dilemma. She needed to get her body back. Madison's
character was very lifelike even though she was supposedly a ghost of
some sort. I was able to relate to her feelings towards the events that
happened to her. I felt sorry for her at times because I felt like she
couldn't trust almost anybody. She was drowning in so many lies and so
many evils. She did nothing wrong and yet she was being punished.
There
were many unexpected things that happened, but they all fit into the
plot perfectly. The plot was original and captivating. The characters
were what made the plot unique and insightful. They went through what
normal teens would...even if
their situation isn't exactly normal. I was able to catch a glimpse of
how it felt not to be so normal through Madison's eyes. She was mature
for her age; I was expecting someone less deep and less perceptive.
Harrison did a great job with Madison.
The Bottom Line: I liked it. It's one of my favorites but Harrison didn't do a great job recapping the story. Read Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper first. It's sets the stage for Once Dead, Twice Shy. I loved the characters and I loved the plot. Once Dead, Twice Shy is definitely worth remembering. I can't wait for the next book. A. :-)
Note: This book is also on my book blog. Link is: http://theundercoverbooklover.blogspot.com
First off...did you see the cover? It's so cool! I love all of the purple in it.
Anyway,
back to the review. This book became one of my favorites but it did
have its share of problems. I admired Harrison's writing from start to
finish. It was consistently exciting and unexpected throughout the
whole book. And although her writing was continually original, I was
confused after forty pages. I didn't realize that the short story
Harrison wrote-Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper-was connected. It was the short story in Prom Nights from Hell and Harrison poorly executed the recap of it. But once I had that cleared up, I devoured the book page by page.
Basically, the whole book revolved around Madison and her dilemma. She needed to get her body back. Madison's
character was very lifelike even though she was supposedly a ghost of
some sort. I was able to relate to her feelings towards the events that
happened to her. I felt sorry for her at times because I felt like she
couldn't trust almost anybody. She was drowning in so many lies and so
many evils. She did nothing wrong and yet she was being punished.
There
were many unexpected things that happened, but they all fit into the
plot perfectly. The plot was original and captivating. The characters
were what made the plot unique and insightful. They went through what
normal teens would...even if
their situation isn't exactly normal. I was able to catch a glimpse of
how it felt not to be so normal through Madison's eyes. She was mature
for her age; I was expecting someone less deep and less perceptive.
Harrison did a great job with Madison.
The Bottom Line: I liked it. It's one of my favorites but Harrison didn't do a great job recapping the story. Read Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper first. It's sets the stage for Once Dead, Twice Shy. I loved the characters and I loved the plot. Once Dead, Twice Shy is definitely worth remembering. I can't wait for the next book. A. :-)
Note: This book is also on my book blog. Link is: http://theundercoverbooklover.blogspot.com
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