Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison

Title:  Once Dead, Twice Shy
Author:  Kim Harrison
Genre:  Young Adult
Publisher: HarperColins E-Book
Publication Date: May 2009
Stand alone or series: Series - 2nd book is Early to Death, Early to Rise
Book Length: Ebook (not all that reliable for page number)

Favourite Quote: ' My gaze dropped to my shoes.  Yellow with purple laces, and skulls and crossbones on my toes, they matched the purpled dyed tips of my short blond hair, not that anyone else had ever made the connection.'

Synopsis (From Harper Collins Website)

My name is Madison Avery, and I'm here to tell you that there's more out there than you can see, hear, or touch. Because I'm there. Seeing it. Touching it. Living it.

Madison's prom was killer—literally. For some reason she's been targeted by a dark reaper—yeah, that kind of reaper—intent on getting rid of her, body and soul. But before the reaper could finish the job, Madison was able to snag his strange, glowing amulet and get away.

Now she's stuck on Earth—dead but not gone. Somehow the amulet gives her the illusion of a body, allowing her to toe the line between life and death. She still doesn't know why the dark reaper is after her, but she's not about to just sit around and let fate take its course.

With a little ingenuity, some light-bending, and 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. 

My Thoughts

This is the first book I have read of Kim Harrisons.  I actually stumbled onto this while on the Mobipocket website, and it was the cover that initially lured me in.

Madison Avery was an amusing and easy going character.  Her life was cut short after she ran out on her date who she found out had only asked her because their parents set him up.  She leaves annoyed, with a mysterious cute guy only to find that he wants her dead (body and soul).  And only partially succeeds.  With Madison's quick thinking she nabs his amulet (which has power)and takes off.  Without her body.  So now she is living her life as normal as she can, with the illusion of a body, thanks to the amulet, and a light reaper named Barnabas who was assigned to her.

While Madison was a delight, Barnabas was my favourite character hands down.  I only wished he was in the novel a little more.  Josh was the typical jock, but he grew on me once he began to spend more time with Madison.

The pacing in this novel is amazing filled with action around every corner, not to mention a few twists.  I'm looking forward to reading the next novel Early to Death, Early to Rise.