Queen of the Dead

Queen of the Dead
Stacey Kade
266 pages
Publisher: Hyperion
Source: library
★★★★☆

You can read the Goodreads summary here.

This review contains spoilers from The Ghost and The Goth, the first novel in this series.

I LOVE THIS SERIES!  This was the second book in the "The Ghost and The Goth" series and it was just as good as the first.  The second book takes place right after the first book ends with no extended time period between the two.  Alona is still the spirit guide for Will but when they try to help the spirit of Mrs. Ruiz at the soon-to-be-torn-down Gibley Mansion, they stumble across another girl who can see spirits as well.  Alona, who can't decide if she wants to be friends or "more" with Will, sees the new girl as a threat.  Meanwhile, her mother is throwing out all her stuff and her father is moving on because his second wife has a bun in the oven.

There was so much in this novel, so much plot crammed into 266 pages, that the novel read very quickly. I read it all this afternoon and it was fantastic!  I really felt for Will when he is forced to get involved with Lily, his old friend who is in a coma (you may recall this detail from the first novel).  That was such a dramatic part of the plot, filled with so many emotions from different characters.  That plot thread carried through to the end of the novel and I can't wait to see how it's resolved in the third book.

I was also pretty interested in "The Order," a group of seers that Will's deceased father used to belong, too.  They have a unique perspective on dealing with ghosts and it will be interesting to see how this plot thread blooms in the third book.

As I mentioned in my review of the first novel, I know these covers and titles are really cheesy and these books sound like complete fluff, but underneath that happy fluffy exterior is solid plot and serious issues.  It really is the best of both worlds.

Four stars!  I really can't wait for Body & Soul to come out May first!  Hopefully my library will be a little more timely about getting the third book because I cannot wait to read it!  If you haven't started this series yet, check out more of the positive reviews on Goodreads.  Hopefully that will finally convince you to start reading!