Review: Once Dead, Twice Shy

Once Dead, Twice Shy
By: Kim Harrison
ISBN: 0061718165 (9780061718168)
Series: Madison Avery Trilogy
There is also a short story in Prom Nights From Hell

1. Once Dead, Twice Shy
2. Early To Death, Early To Rise
3. Something Deadly This Way Comes

Summary from GoodReads:
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.

Review:
Once Dead, Twice Shy was a fun read but definitely isn't my favorite Kim Harrison book. I have come to expect spunky characters that just love to push buttons from Kim Harrison and this to me feel short. Madison was a bit spunky but to me it just wasn't enough for a main character. I loved Grace of the G.R.A.C.E.S. who was a supporting character but brought more of the humor than Madison. I would have liked to see more of the supporting characters because they were much too flat until the peak of this book.


I liked this take on the universe's goings on with all its reapers, timekeepers, and such. I also loved the ideas on what fate and destiny are and led to many interesting thoughts. This was a much more thought provoking book than an action-good and evil book. Overall, the characters in this book are not as remember-able as that of The Hollows series Kim Harrison also writes. The story itself is interesting so I will be reading the next book but I am not super excited about it. This book receives a two and I hope the next book will be more well put together. This book felt rushed and perhaps needed more time in development.