Book Jacket:
Tricks, Threats, and God Eats!
As the creepy little town of Nightshade prepares to celebrate its two hundredth anniversary – on Halloween, of course – many of its paranormal residents are recieving mysterious blackmail letters. Psychic teen Daisy Giordano and her sisters set out to find out who is behind the threats. But launching an investigation isn’t easy for Daisy with her overprotective father watching her every move. Though she’s happy to have him back after the years he spent being held captive by an anti-paranormal group called the Scourge, Dad is having difficult time adjusting to home life—and the fact that his little girl is now a senior in high school. He even disapproves of Daisy’s boyfriend, Ryan.
Ryan, meanwhile, to Daisy’s dismay, has been considering some faraway colleges thanks to the advice of Nightshade’s new guidance councilor. Can their relationship take the strain?
And Daisy’s got even more on her plate: a talented amateur cook, she has won cooking lessons with celebrity chef Circe Silvertongue. After nosing around (with just a little help from Circe’s pet pig), Daisy begins to suspect that the temperamental chef has got more secrets that just her ingredients…
Review:
I recently discovered this breezy little teenage paranormal detective series and quickly chomped through all four books. The latest installment, Dead is Just a Rumor, comes out this week (though releasing against Suzane Collin’s Mockingjay is not the best marketing move). Still, after you’ve torn through Mockingjay, if you find yourself depressed by the end, this series is the perfect antidote. These books are just fun – think the Scooby gang, or if Nancy Drew lived in a town of paranormal denizens.
Daisy is an amusing and instantly likable lead, and it’s nice to see a character who has actual relationships with her family and (somewhat) normal teenage issues to deal with. The paranormal side is for the most part refreshingly light-hearted, a pleasant change from the dark, gothic-style drama that’s everywhere in YA. The town of Nightshade does have plenty of secrets for Daisy to uncover, and her sleuthing is fun to watch. And while the mysteries may not be particularly scary (or terribly surprising), they are still thoroughly entertaining.
In this installment Perez gives us some story lines that are clearly going to carry through into the next book, and leaves us with plenty of questions about exactly what The Scourge did to Daisy’s Dad. Next book, please!
I can’t say it enough – this is a effervescent, upbeat series, and even if you have a pretty good idea of how the ending is going to turn out, it’ll keep you hooked. These books are just fun to read.
Byrt Grade: A-
As Levar Burton used to say – you don’t have to take my word for it…
YA Books Central says:
I love Marlene Perez’s teen psychic heroine Daisy Giordano and couldn’t wait to read the next book in the series. Once again, Perez doesn’t disappoint with a character who loves to cook, solve mysteries, and be with her boyfriend who just happens to be a werewolf. Daisy is one sassy, upbeat teen who would give Veronica Mars a run for her money. The dialog is upbeat and moves right along. I love the relationship between Daisy and her sisters. I also totally adore Lil, the jukebox that communicates to Daisy with song selections. Highly engaging, witty and with quirky characters, this is one series that won’t disappoint.
What Miss Kelley is Reading says:
Dead Is Just a Rumor is the perfect addition to this fun series. Favorite characters return from earlier books, and Daisy has several mysteries to solve. I especially like that these books are okay for younger teens, yet they don’t talk down to them. The series is also a lot lighter than most paranormal YA, which I also like. I hope to see many more books to come in this series.
Dialogue between the characters is snappy, and I enjoyed the idea of a town like Nightshade, filled with both normal people and those of the supernatural persuasion (kind of wish I could live there myself–sure would make life interesting if I could have my cheeseburger prepared by an invisible man or my songs chosen by a “live” jukebox named Lil.). The plot’s pretty simple and, while there’s a mystery, the answer is not too difficult to figure out. But it’s a cute book, and I know my reluctant readers will enjoy it.
I loved your book Dead is the New Black I loved the mystery in it and I was grabbed by the first page and it never let me go. I never stopped reading it. I am really looking foward to the rest of the series. I loved thinking that many people could have been the psionic vampire. Thank you for writing these heart thrilling stories. Keep going Marelene Perez.
-Love your biggest fan,
Asani