Kim Harrison: Once Dead, Twice Shy

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 Reprint edition (April 27, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061441686

Madison's prom was killer - literally. Now, thanks to a mysterious amulet, she's stuck on Earth: dead but not gone. She has no idea why the dark reaper who did her in was after her, but she's not about to just sit around and let fate take its course. With a little skilled light-bending, the help of a light reaper (one of the good guys...maybe), her cute crush, and oh yeah, her guardian angel, Madison's ready to take control of her own destiny once and for all, before it takes control of her.
Well, if she believed in that stuff.

 Pacing, pacing, pacing. However, my complaint is less about the pacing of this book in particular and more about the pacing of YA novels in general. HOWEVER (one more time), it is to be expected and there is nothing wrong with the pacing being different for a younger audience. I only point it out because sometimes it surprises me. That being said, Harrison does pretty well with it in her first foray in to the Young Adult Fiction genre. We find out a lot of information very quickly and are left quite confused by the end. That is to be expected, though as we are dealing with a completely new world, for both ourselves and our main character. Harrison is notoriously good at world-building though, so I'm not worried about the second novel.
  The plot itself is interesting and addresses pretty big issues for a teen novel. Like free will and the consequences of the choices we make. Heavy stuff, but handled with aplomb. Harrison writes well no matter the genre, and she didn't dumb the language down so far as to be ridiculous in comparison with her Hollows series.
  The characters - Madison herself is a strong female role model, if a little skittish for my tastes at times. She has recently awoken dead and must hide the fact that she no longer needs food or sleep from her father. While he's not terribly observant, it's a bit of a feat, no matter how you approach the matter. Josh's characterization was a little shallow, but he at least had the guts to stick with her even when he thought she was crazy. Hopefully we'll see more character development in future books. The best part of the book, in my opinion, is the relationship between Barnabas and Nikita, although we only get a glimpse at the end. Nikita is going to be wonderful as she struggles with her future.
  In summary, a promising beginning but leaves plenty of room for character and plot development. The next book should be even better as the author immerses the reader further in the world she has envisioned.
  Overall: B+