I was very excited about this book after reading The Ghost & the Goth, which I reviewed on Monday. I wanted more Will and to see if Alona matured at all from hanging out with him. And then my mind was blown! But more on that later.
Alona and Will spend their summer vacation doing the usual: helping ghosts crossover, solving murder mysteries, and the like.
Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger, Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth.
Do you like the least spoilery blurb I could find of this book? I’m going to try my best not to spoil anything for those who haven’t read the first book, but I might unknowingly say something, so WARNING: this review could be spoilery if you haven’t The Ghost & the Goth.
First up, I found the tone of this book to be a little darker and more intense than The Ghost & the Goth (hereafter shortened to G&tG). The easy humor and light-heartedness disappeared pretty quickly after the plot was set up and it become very serious business from then on out. Not that the tone change is bad. I found it necessary since the storyline became graver in terms of Will and Alona’s lives.
Yes, lives. Serious business, guys. I wasn’t kidding.
I also found Alona to have changed slightly from G&tG at the beginning of Queen of the Dead. She was prone to think a bit more, or at least reflect that whatever she was about to do would have consequences, instead of just saying or doing whatever she wanted. Toward the end, she was someone I liked and respected. I didn’t think it could ever happen, but a lot happened to her in this book and she grew up because of it.
Will was pretty much the same as before. Since this book focuses more on him and his past, when before it was about Alona and helping her out, I got to learn more about his father and other “ghost-talkers” out there. (That’s what he calls himself.) He was faced with a difficult decision and came out better for it, I think. There’s definitely more about him and his gift to come, but he seems to have found a good place and somewhat came to terms with who he is, which is great to see.
I have to mention the ending. I kind of saw it going there, but honestly, how everything turned out completely blew my mind! It left me wanting the next book IMMEDIATELY. And there will be a third book. Stacey Kade has personally confirmed this via Twitter.
Overall, this was a great addition to this series. It still has its funny moments, but the tone change and events that occur led to a closer connection with the characters and the book itself. Read it and then yell at me when you reach the end because you find yourself in the same place I am – desperately wanting more.