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Dead Is #7
Dead Is a Killer Tune
High school freshman Jessica Walsh is a Virago—a woman warrior who must protect her hometown from danger. And in Nightshade, California, trouble is always lurking. At the town’s Battle of the Bands, Jess’s boyfriend, Dominic, and his band, Side Effects May Vary, are up against Hamlin, a band so popular, their fans follow them everywhere. Soon, the competing musicians are doing risky, illegal, and even fatal things—and claiming that they heard strange music that compelled them to do it. Can Jess and her friends track down the tuneful tyrant before it’s too late?
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 4, 2012
55 people are currently reading
2918 people want to read
About the author
Marlene Perez
35 books1,296 followersAuthor of the paranormal teen mystery Dead Is series, the adult urban fantasy Nyx Fortuna series, and the new teen vampire trilogy, which starts with The Afterlife of the Party with Entangled Teen.
One of Ten Books to Pick Up After You've Sunk Your Teeth into "Midnight Sun"
https://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelstroll...
Trilogy order
The Afterlife of the Party, Afterlife #1
I'm with the Banned, Afterlife #2
A Sucker for You, Afterlife #3
Nyx Fortuna series
Strange Fates
Dark Descent
Fortune's Favor
DEAD IS series is as follows:
DEAD IS THE NEW BLACK
DEAD IS A STATE OF MIND
DEAD IS SO LAST YEAR
DEAD IS JUST A RUMOR
DEAD IS NOT AN OPTION
DEAD IS spin-off
DEAD IS A BATTLEFIELD
DEAD IS A KILLER TUNE
DEAD IS JUST A DREAM
ww.marleneperez.com.
Twitter:@MarPerez
Instagram:marperezauthor
Welcome to Nightshade FB page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Welcome...
One of Ten Books to Pick Up After You've Sunk Your Teeth into "Midnight Sun"
https://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelstroll...
Trilogy order
The Afterlife of the Party, Afterlife #1
I'm with the Banned, Afterlife #2
A Sucker for You, Afterlife #3
Nyx Fortuna series
Strange Fates
Dark Descent
Fortune's Favor
DEAD IS series is as follows:
DEAD IS THE NEW BLACK
DEAD IS A STATE OF MIND
DEAD IS SO LAST YEAR
DEAD IS JUST A RUMOR
DEAD IS NOT AN OPTION
DEAD IS spin-off
DEAD IS A BATTLEFIELD
DEAD IS A KILLER TUNE
DEAD IS JUST A DREAM
ww.marleneperez.com.
Twitter:@MarPerez
Instagram:marperezauthor
Welcome to Nightshade FB page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Welcome...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
November 17, 2016
This was a YA paranormal story, with a battle of the bands competition.
Jessica was an okay character, but I still found it really odd to be following her and not Daisy! I really don’t get why the author changed the main character.
The storyline in this was about things going wrong in Nightshade again, and there was also a battle of the bands competition going on. We had a mystery surrounding a stolen flute, and a very strange doll house, but once again the pace in this one dragged.
The ending to this was okay, but I’ll be glad to finish this series.
6 out of 10
Jessica was an okay character, but I still found it really odd to be following her and not Daisy! I really don’t get why the author changed the main character.
The storyline in this was about things going wrong in Nightshade again, and there was also a battle of the bands competition going on. We had a mystery surrounding a stolen flute, and a very strange doll house, but once again the pace in this one dragged.
The ending to this was okay, but I’ll be glad to finish this series.
6 out of 10
July 6, 2012
When I read Dead is a Battlefield, I was really disappointed because Daisy was not the main character of the book and I wasn't getting more of her story. However, I got over my sadness and was able to enjoy this new book in the Dead is...series. These books are not great literary works, but they are enjoyable, quick reads that are super for reluctant readers. The town of Nightshade has every supernatural creature - werewolves, vampires, skeletons, the invisible man, ghost and more. The only thing that is missing is 'The Creature from the Black Lagoon.'
March 17, 2013
Like I stated in my review of the previous book in this series "Dead Is A Battlefield" this book didn't really do it for me (I found the characters and situations to be a bit too juvenile for my tastes, the sheer number of characters overwhelming, etc.). That being said, since I reviewed "Dead Is A Battlefield" I have learned that these books are ALA (American Library Association) Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Therefore, while as a reader they may not be entirely to my liking, as a future-librarian I appreciate them more than you can imagine!
The strengths of these books reluctant reader-wise is that they are extremely short, before you know it you have finished it (which always gives a reader, no matter their reading level, a sense of accomplishment for doing so). Furthermore, they present a twist on the paranormal- I mean, have you ever heard of a virago (woman warrior) or read a modern adaptation of the Pied Piper of Hamelin before? Additionally, the world that Perez has built is quite unlike any I have ever encountered before- each and every character is connected in some way, shape, or form to another. Therefore, if you are a fan of the series, you can be guaranteed to see your favourite characters time and time again (while constantly developing new favourites)!
As becomes evident, on a personal level I think that my largest factor impacting my opinion of this series is that I am outside of its targeted audience- I feel that those in the lower ends of the YA spectrum (if not older MG readers) will gobble these up in a heartbeat and ask for seconds! Furthermore, despite my complaints I don't ever feel like I have wasted my time reading this books- they do present me with an hour or so of entertainment that is much appreciated. On a librarian level I recommend them to any reluctant readers or those looking for a different take on the paranormal!
The strengths of these books reluctant reader-wise is that they are extremely short, before you know it you have finished it (which always gives a reader, no matter their reading level, a sense of accomplishment for doing so). Furthermore, they present a twist on the paranormal- I mean, have you ever heard of a virago (woman warrior) or read a modern adaptation of the Pied Piper of Hamelin before? Additionally, the world that Perez has built is quite unlike any I have ever encountered before- each and every character is connected in some way, shape, or form to another. Therefore, if you are a fan of the series, you can be guaranteed to see your favourite characters time and time again (while constantly developing new favourites)!
As becomes evident, on a personal level I think that my largest factor impacting my opinion of this series is that I am outside of its targeted audience- I feel that those in the lower ends of the YA spectrum (if not older MG readers) will gobble these up in a heartbeat and ask for seconds! Furthermore, despite my complaints I don't ever feel like I have wasted my time reading this books- they do present me with an hour or so of entertainment that is much appreciated. On a librarian level I recommend them to any reluctant readers or those looking for a different take on the paranormal!
October 4, 2012
It took me a month to get through this book. Normally it would take me a day or two. I’m not 100% sure if this is because since I started this series back in 2008 my taste and expectations have changed (It tends to happen when you read over 100 books a year), or because this one was much slower than the others. Either way I didn’t like this book as much as the others. I found that the characters were focused more on being polite and up standing citizens compared to the actual on goings. Although this is a nice idea its not very realistic and takes away from the story. At the same time there were a lot of little side thoughts (I was going to ask them, but thought better of it, or hmm…that sounded familiar but I didn’t have enough time to think about) I don’t know if you get what I mean from that but I hope so. There were also moments when some things just didn’t make sense. A character in the novel states that the last thing she remembered was an estate sale, yet the next sentence she says she can’t perform because she doesn’t sound good anymore. My observation is that she became a good singer after the estate sale not to mention she joined a band after the estate sale and join the competition after the estate sale…so how did she remember all this is she didn’t remember anything after the estate sale and there were no mentions of someone explaining things to her. A lot of little things like that that perhaps only an observant reader would noticed really got to me and took away from the story line. Then I have to say that the story line was…busy. There seemed to be a lot happening and I sort of got the feeling of the book being a mystery. I know that sounds dumb because it is right…but there is a difference between a supernatural book that has a mystery like Storm by Brigid Kemmerer when you are trying to figure out who the person they sent to observe and potentially destroy them is, than compared to a Sherlock Holmes character. They directly referred to looking for clues when I felt it would have been a better storyline if we were allowed to pick up on whether or not it was a clue and sort of build the mystery ourselves. There were also a lot of coincidences, such as in a cave filled with garbage and random things she feels something plastic and has the need to put it in her pocket and later on realizes it’s a clue.
I ‘m not trying to bash the book or the author or anything because I really liked all the other novels in the series and there were some aspects that I liked about this books as well. Not to mention this is a fantastic series for teens. I wasn’t a big fan of Dominic in the beginning of the book but near the end I did. I guess I’m a sucker for romance. Jessica seems like a nice kid. Perhaps I would like her to be a little more bold and self confident but she is still a good character. And I love that Daisy (the main character from books 1-5) was in this novel as well. And of course the music and band stuff is very cool. And I love that Dominic is a Oracle that sings songs that provide warnings to what is happening. Although they seem to neglect the songs because I figured out who it was in half way through the novel where they never figured it out until they stumbled upon the bad guy in action.
Good:
Jessica—Kicks butt and a nice girl
Dominic—finally got his act together.
Bad:
I guess this series is directed towards a younger audience than myself and I’ve started to see where it lacks to make a novel into a great novel.
Overall (Writing style, story line, and general):
Overall the story line was decent and had potential however the writing should have been revised to remove unimportant sentences and maybe add in more detail so that the reader can get a better picture of the world of Nightshade. Overall I may no longer be continuing with this series and if I do it’s for a light read when I have nothing else available.
View more of my review and others at my blog: www.mynotsovacantshelf.blogspot.com
I ‘m not trying to bash the book or the author or anything because I really liked all the other novels in the series and there were some aspects that I liked about this books as well. Not to mention this is a fantastic series for teens. I wasn’t a big fan of Dominic in the beginning of the book but near the end I did. I guess I’m a sucker for romance. Jessica seems like a nice kid. Perhaps I would like her to be a little more bold and self confident but she is still a good character. And I love that Daisy (the main character from books 1-5) was in this novel as well. And of course the music and band stuff is very cool. And I love that Dominic is a Oracle that sings songs that provide warnings to what is happening. Although they seem to neglect the songs because I figured out who it was in half way through the novel where they never figured it out until they stumbled upon the bad guy in action.
Good:
Jessica—Kicks butt and a nice girl
Dominic—finally got his act together.
Bad:
I guess this series is directed towards a younger audience than myself and I’ve started to see where it lacks to make a novel into a great novel.
Overall (Writing style, story line, and general):
Overall the story line was decent and had potential however the writing should have been revised to remove unimportant sentences and maybe add in more detail so that the reader can get a better picture of the world of Nightshade. Overall I may no longer be continuing with this series and if I do it’s for a light read when I have nothing else available.
View more of my review and others at my blog: www.mynotsovacantshelf.blogspot.com
January 8, 2015
The Good
The pace. This is a quick, cutesy read. This whole series is a great introductory for those who are interested in trying out paranormal fiction, but don't want anything too heavy. That being said, ever since the narrator changed in the last book, the series has fallen a little flat.
The Bad
The characters. The first five books in this series were wonderful. I loved Daisy. I loved Ryan. I loved Slim and Flo. But even the wonderful characters I fell in love with in the earlier books are starting to feel flat in the later books. Maybe it's because I don't feel the new narrator, Jessica, is very well defined. It's like Perez accidentally wrote herself into a corner by tying up Daisy's story in book 5, but she really wanted to continue writing the series so she had to come up with some kind of replacement. Unfortunately, Jessica just doesn't measure up.
The number of new people. Continuing with the character problem. Because none of the new characters feel very well developed, I found myself getting them all confused. It was hard at times to figure out who was where and what they were doing.
The foreshadowing. This is a mystery, and I understand that with any good mystery you'll want to leave at least a few clues and red herrings for the reader to ponder over. Unfortunately, Perez took it too far in this one, making the story way too predictable and, in my opinion, ruining it before it really had a chance to get started.
The cheesy ending. I have read some cheesy endings before, but this one tops the charts. Not only that, but it was badly written. I felt like once the mystery was wrapped up, all the loose ends immediately got tied up nice little happily ever after even if it didn't feel natural.
Overall
The pace. This is a quick, cutesy read. This whole series is a great introductory for those who are interested in trying out paranormal fiction, but don't want anything too heavy. That being said, ever since the narrator changed in the last book, the series has fallen a little flat.
The Bad
The characters. The first five books in this series were wonderful. I loved Daisy. I loved Ryan. I loved Slim and Flo. But even the wonderful characters I fell in love with in the earlier books are starting to feel flat in the later books. Maybe it's because I don't feel the new narrator, Jessica, is very well defined. It's like Perez accidentally wrote herself into a corner by tying up Daisy's story in book 5, but she really wanted to continue writing the series so she had to come up with some kind of replacement. Unfortunately, Jessica just doesn't measure up.
The number of new people. Continuing with the character problem. Because none of the new characters feel very well developed, I found myself getting them all confused. It was hard at times to figure out who was where and what they were doing.
The foreshadowing. This is a mystery, and I understand that with any good mystery you'll want to leave at least a few clues and red herrings for the reader to ponder over. Unfortunately, Perez took it too far in this one, making the story way too predictable and, in my opinion, ruining it before it really had a chance to get started.
The cheesy ending. I have read some cheesy endings before, but this one tops the charts. Not only that, but it was badly written. I felt like once the mystery was wrapped up, all the loose ends immediately got tied up nice little happily ever after even if it didn't feel natural.
Overall
I was really disappointed with this one. I will probably give the series one more book to grab my interest again, but if book 8 is as bad as book 7, I may have to give up.
February 18, 2014
Review contains spoilers
I will come out and just say it - this "spin-off" series is just not cutting it for me. Book #8 (Dead Is Just a Dream) just came out and I will not be reading it.
Is it just me or does it seem like these books keep getting shorter and shorter? Book #6 was 240 pages, this book was 204, and Book #8 - 176 pages! I don't think you can really get a good story in that short of time. I also took issue with that fact that the summary on the back cover is misleading! You can read it above in the summary. It refers to Dominic as Jess's boyfriend. Excuse me???! Hate to spoil it for you readers, but they aren't even dating for most of this book! My thoughts on him are already clear and this book just reinforced them.
Two things I did like:
1. Jess goes out of her comfort zone and joins a band! Go girl!
2. This book wasn't exactly a "mystery" but there were some red herrings and we aren't positive who the pied piper is - way to challenge us!
I recommend this book for younger readers that are looking for a fluffy, light read.
Review also posted on my blog.
I will come out and just say it - this "spin-off" series is just not cutting it for me. Book #8 (Dead Is Just a Dream) just came out and I will not be reading it.
Is it just me or does it seem like these books keep getting shorter and shorter? Book #6 was 240 pages, this book was 204, and Book #8 - 176 pages! I don't think you can really get a good story in that short of time. I also took issue with that fact that the summary on the back cover is misleading! You can read it above in the summary. It refers to Dominic as Jess's boyfriend. Excuse me???! Hate to spoil it for you readers, but they aren't even dating for most of this book! My thoughts on him are already clear and this book just reinforced them.
Two things I did like:
1. Jess goes out of her comfort zone and joins a band! Go girl!
2. This book wasn't exactly a "mystery" but there were some red herrings and we aren't positive who the pied piper is - way to challenge us!
I recommend this book for younger readers that are looking for a fluffy, light read.
Review also posted on my blog.
September 7, 2015
Having Jessica as the main character is still weird to me. I kind of miss the Giordano sisters. The virago aspect of Jessica's story is pretty cool though. There are a lot of characters to keep track of! Other than that, I can see why this is a popular series for reluctant readers.
June 13, 2019
Ummm... Out of all.mythology and supernatural creatures, why go with pied piper?
April 5, 2020
I was initially intrigued. But the more I read the less impressed I was. It has elements of the great teen shows of the 90s but poorly rendered.
November 3, 2022
This book still had several elements that make the Dead Is series fun, but it was definitely the weakest in the entire series thus far and felt repetitive of the other weaker moments in the first iteration of the series, too.
In this installment, Nightshade is hosting a Battle of the Bands, which honestly feels very authentic to what we know of the setting overall. Jessica is slated to perform with Side Effects May Vary after Jeff launches himself off an escalator and Vinnie goes missing, which obviously poses some issues considering her situationship - the lead singer - has switched to a no-show status. The other bands seem to have some paranormal influence inspired by the Pied Piper myth, which I truthfully did not know much about until reading this text. It is definitely an odd choice that rings more similar to Book 6 in its unconventionality than the original series of vampires and werewolves and psychics. The mystery is eventually solved through some trial and error, and the double villain with parental ties is again very similar to Book 6 (although there is some deviation and more drama).
I liked several things about this book. I thought it was far more rooted in its mythology than Jessica's first adventure. The giant ant from Dead Is a Battlefield paired with the Edgar Allan Poe imagery made little sense, which I actually almost enjoyed due to its lack of predictability but which also seemed to lack some resolution in the same way the original books can provide with standard myths. Again, the Pied Piper was an interesting take, and I did not like the dollhouse segments. But I liked the wishing powder and I liked some of the elements with Mitch, Brett, and Hunter. It was relatively predictable in the sense of prior foreshadowing, but it was difficult to distinguish exact roles until the end. The diction remained stronger despite some of the extra exposition we've come to know from this series, and I loved the lack of "it was only a matter of time until we knew whatever." Finally, I have to say that the boldness of the murder increases in this mystery held my interest and proved bolder than most Nightshade events aside from the literal blowout in Book 5.
Unfortunately, there are many downsides to this book even outside of what I have just mentioned. The Jessica and Dominic age gap isn't as weird as the Duke scenario from Book 2, which I have a fundamental problem with, but the two year separation paired with the college girls falling for Brett made this a romance-heavy book with uncomfortable implications. The pacing and tone is serious and off-putting at times. Whereas most Dead Is books fly even if they are not the highest tier of quality, I had some trouble getting through the middle of this one. Additionally, there were straight up too many characters in this text. I have seen this criticism reflected in other reviews, and I agree wholeheartedly. There are too many new characters and old Dead Is classic characters, and they all intermingle and contribute in miniscule ways that could have been reduced majorly within a tighter circle. Hopefully it will prove a better balance in the next book because I have seen it involves Daisy and Jessica solving a mystery together.
It kills me to say this, but this was not very good. It was not an atrocity or anything, but element after element in this text proved to be subpar. I'd give it somewhere around a 50% in actuality. Book 6 was great, so I had high hopes. Regrettably, the quality plummeted somewhere between that chupacabra attack and the present day. Oh, the way they spelled "mic" as mike obliterated me. I understand that either is technically correct, but English is wild as a language anyway, so you might as well go with the shortened form of the visible word.
PS: This book had me theorizing...did Slim and Flo do traditional schooling? Is that why they own a diner: Slim couldn't get a degree? I need answers.
In this installment, Nightshade is hosting a Battle of the Bands, which honestly feels very authentic to what we know of the setting overall. Jessica is slated to perform with Side Effects May Vary after Jeff launches himself off an escalator and Vinnie goes missing, which obviously poses some issues considering her situationship - the lead singer - has switched to a no-show status. The other bands seem to have some paranormal influence inspired by the Pied Piper myth, which I truthfully did not know much about until reading this text. It is definitely an odd choice that rings more similar to Book 6 in its unconventionality than the original series of vampires and werewolves and psychics. The mystery is eventually solved through some trial and error, and the double villain with parental ties is again very similar to Book 6 (although there is some deviation and more drama).
I liked several things about this book. I thought it was far more rooted in its mythology than Jessica's first adventure. The giant ant from Dead Is a Battlefield paired with the Edgar Allan Poe imagery made little sense, which I actually almost enjoyed due to its lack of predictability but which also seemed to lack some resolution in the same way the original books can provide with standard myths. Again, the Pied Piper was an interesting take, and I did not like the dollhouse segments. But I liked the wishing powder and I liked some of the elements with Mitch, Brett, and Hunter. It was relatively predictable in the sense of prior foreshadowing, but it was difficult to distinguish exact roles until the end. The diction remained stronger despite some of the extra exposition we've come to know from this series, and I loved the lack of "it was only a matter of time until we knew whatever." Finally, I have to say that the boldness of the murder increases in this mystery held my interest and proved bolder than most Nightshade events aside from the literal blowout in Book 5.
Unfortunately, there are many downsides to this book even outside of what I have just mentioned. The Jessica and Dominic age gap isn't as weird as the Duke scenario from Book 2, which I have a fundamental problem with, but the two year separation paired with the college girls falling for Brett made this a romance-heavy book with uncomfortable implications. The pacing and tone is serious and off-putting at times. Whereas most Dead Is books fly even if they are not the highest tier of quality, I had some trouble getting through the middle of this one. Additionally, there were straight up too many characters in this text. I have seen this criticism reflected in other reviews, and I agree wholeheartedly. There are too many new characters and old Dead Is classic characters, and they all intermingle and contribute in miniscule ways that could have been reduced majorly within a tighter circle. Hopefully it will prove a better balance in the next book because I have seen it involves Daisy and Jessica solving a mystery together.
It kills me to say this, but this was not very good. It was not an atrocity or anything, but element after element in this text proved to be subpar. I'd give it somewhere around a 50% in actuality. Book 6 was great, so I had high hopes. Regrettably, the quality plummeted somewhere between that chupacabra attack and the present day. Oh, the way they spelled "mic" as mike obliterated me. I understand that either is technically correct, but English is wild as a language anyway, so you might as well go with the shortened form of the visible word.
PS: This book had me theorizing...did Slim and Flo do traditional schooling? Is that why they own a diner: Slim couldn't get a degree? I need answers.
November 29, 2018
This is a light read. Something that cute will makw you smile and if you're a teenager will totally agree with and if you're an adult will have you reminiscing of the good ole days... With an added supernatural element.
This being part of the Dead is series... I do prefer Daisy and Ryan as main characters but Jessica has her quirka abs Eva is the devoted friend we should all have to get us through high school.
This being part of the Dead is series... I do prefer Daisy and Ryan as main characters but Jessica has her quirka abs Eva is the devoted friend we should all have to get us through high school.
December 16, 2022
I loved this book, especially with the ending. It made me love Dominic a lot more than in the book before. It was an interesting book and I love Marlene Perez's writing as well, though, I will admit I am sad that I only have one more book in this series to read then I am done with it. There were a few parts that made me smile and I loved how she had Ryan and Daisy in the book a couple of times. I can't wait to read the next one.
November 17, 2016
Actual rating - 2.75
The main character in this was okay, but again, I didn't love her.
This wasn't an awful read, but these books seem to just get a bit more boring with each one. Because of that, the last few of them have dragged at times, unfortunately.
Glad the next one is the last.
The main character in this was okay, but again, I didn't love her.
This wasn't an awful read, but these books seem to just get a bit more boring with each one. Because of that, the last few of them have dragged at times, unfortunately.
Glad the next one is the last.
February 6, 2025
This one was better than book 6 but still not as solid as 1-5. The cool thing is Daisy came back but not as the main character. That's the part I couldn't get. But hey, Jessica is badass in her own way. I tried to see this as a spinoff instead of book 7( the same for 6) and that made me feel better. Good story but could have been even better.
June 20, 2017
The "Dead Is" series never fails to disappoint, but I'm starting to feel a bit bogged down with the sheer number of characters to keep straight. Jessica continues to be a convincing narrator, but I tend to mix up her fellow viragos. Maybe a couple fewer "special guest villains" would help.
April 8, 2021
I liked this book a lot more than book six, it was filled with much more plot lines that made it intriguing. I liked learning more about other types of paranormal creatures, an overall fast-paced and enjoyable read!
October 27, 2025
I think this the worst of the whole series. It don’t catch my attention and I just wanted to get over it. I really loved the 1st 5 books. These new characters are lacking so much. I’m reading the last book because I have invested so much time to the series but idk if I will like it much.
Read
March 20, 2020If there is going to be any more books for the series, then I BEG the author to change the main character back to Daisy somehow! PLEASE!!!!(I know its a little crazy!!!)
July 31, 2021
3 1/2. Fun, fast read.
September 19, 2021
Solid book in the Dead Is series. If you liked the first ones, you'll probably like this one as well.
February 2, 2022
one of the better stories with Jessica. I just wish it still was daisy.
January 15, 2023
2.25
The worst book in the series.
The worst book in the series.
May 2, 2023
SPOILERR
this book was okay but i liked the ending, dominic and jessica are finallllyyyy together. no more love drama
this book was okay but i liked the ending, dominic and jessica are finallllyyyy together. no more love drama
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2024
Better than the last one but still hard to get into after the main character switch up.
October 11, 2012
Review also on: http://chillinwithbooks.blogspot.hk/
Plot:
I think the Dead is series is one of the most under-appreciated series in YA. The books in this series are so great, they are short yet packed with mysteries, there are so many sub-plots that I must applaud Perez for stuffing them all in then resolving them in about 200 pages. Well done! Perez! *insert enthusiastic clapping here* As you can see, this is the 7th book of the series, but don't worry, Perez doesn't drag her plots, each installment actually has its own story, with the same characters of course. From book one to book five we have Daisy as our protagonist, and from book six onwards we have Jessica as the protagonist.
Dead is a Killer Tune is another great installment to the Dead is series. Like I said, this book is packed with mysteries. And it's fast-paced. Within the first five chapters, we already have several plots set up and ready to go. The writing itself is crisp and direct, though there are not much development to the characters, I still enjoyed it. Dialogues are an important part of the book, there are many dialogues and they actually pushed the story forward. The plot itself is sometimes messy, what with so many sub-plots, but not necessarily confusing, it's easy to pick up a sub-plot even if it had been neglected for some chapters. The mysteries itself is not hard to figure out, so there are not really some knock-your-socks-off plot twists, but I enjoyed them just fine, I usually enjoyed plot twists a lot and demand big plot twists in a book, but Perez casted her magic on me and I love this book so much that I don't care really about the plot twist, I just wanna keep reading. There is also some romance in this book, it's sweet but very slow-burning, and it lacks kisses at times, so don't your hopes up for a steamy romance in this book ;)
World-building:
The book is set in Nightshade, a town in Cali. But don't get it wrong, there is no sun bathing and beach party in this book, there is only weirdness. Seriously, the town is just weird, weird visitors, paranormals, murders, you name it, Nightshade seems to have it. And I love this town. Somehow murders didn't seem like a really big deal and had a great impact on people and the town, and people didn't really react when they see paranormal occurrences, but it's like the understatement for this town, it's plain weird. Everything seems to happen in here too. It seems like an exciting town to live in but I would have to become psychic if I want to move in :P
The town provided the perfect setting for the story, since everything happens in Nightshade, you can't really blame anyone when the plot takes a weird turn, you just have to deal with Nightshade being weird and get on with it.
Characters:
Characters are a big weakness of the series.
Since the book is very short, we actually don't get to see the emotionally struggles the protagonist goes through after dramatic events, we don't really know much about them either. I find Jessica to be hard to connect to sometimes, she doesn't seem really confident in herself in this book but in the 6th book (which is the first book to feature Jessica), she said she's ready to be popular/queen bee at high school (freshmen here). So, is she confident? Or is she just another ordinary teenager? She can't really be the queen bee if she don't even view herself as queen bee material, it's just contradictory.
In fact, the characteristics of other characters changes a lot and doesn't make sense too. Selena was supposed to be a little love sick and gorgeous witch (don't worry, she's in high school, not the old women kind of witch), but in this she has gotten a lot meaner. It's just weird. Is that even Selena? The characteristics are all wrong! Selena is a more extreme case, but you can imagine, characters in this series actually come back with different characteristics... Not a good move here, Perez.
Conclusion:
I would give this book 4 stars. I would have given a higher rating if the character settings are better, but other than that, this book is very good. It's a fast-paced novel filled with several strange, mysterious and creative plots, and sometimes offers a little humor too. The book reads like a MG book, right until there are murders, but don't worry, there are no graphic details about the murders so I think this book is good for younger YA readers looking for a quick read. It doesn't matter whether you're a paranormal fan or not, the book is intriguing! I hope this series will get more hype like the other famous books out there though, it's definitely worth fan-girling for ;)
Plot:
I think the Dead is series is one of the most under-appreciated series in YA. The books in this series are so great, they are short yet packed with mysteries, there are so many sub-plots that I must applaud Perez for stuffing them all in then resolving them in about 200 pages. Well done! Perez! *insert enthusiastic clapping here* As you can see, this is the 7th book of the series, but don't worry, Perez doesn't drag her plots, each installment actually has its own story, with the same characters of course. From book one to book five we have Daisy as our protagonist, and from book six onwards we have Jessica as the protagonist.
Dead is a Killer Tune is another great installment to the Dead is series. Like I said, this book is packed with mysteries. And it's fast-paced. Within the first five chapters, we already have several plots set up and ready to go. The writing itself is crisp and direct, though there are not much development to the characters, I still enjoyed it. Dialogues are an important part of the book, there are many dialogues and they actually pushed the story forward. The plot itself is sometimes messy, what with so many sub-plots, but not necessarily confusing, it's easy to pick up a sub-plot even if it had been neglected for some chapters. The mysteries itself is not hard to figure out, so there are not really some knock-your-socks-off plot twists, but I enjoyed them just fine, I usually enjoyed plot twists a lot and demand big plot twists in a book, but Perez casted her magic on me and I love this book so much that I don't care really about the plot twist, I just wanna keep reading. There is also some romance in this book, it's sweet but very slow-burning, and it lacks kisses at times, so don't your hopes up for a steamy romance in this book ;)
World-building:
The book is set in Nightshade, a town in Cali. But don't get it wrong, there is no sun bathing and beach party in this book, there is only weirdness. Seriously, the town is just weird, weird visitors, paranormals, murders, you name it, Nightshade seems to have it. And I love this town. Somehow murders didn't seem like a really big deal and had a great impact on people and the town, and people didn't really react when they see paranormal occurrences, but it's like the understatement for this town, it's plain weird. Everything seems to happen in here too. It seems like an exciting town to live in but I would have to become psychic if I want to move in :P
The town provided the perfect setting for the story, since everything happens in Nightshade, you can't really blame anyone when the plot takes a weird turn, you just have to deal with Nightshade being weird and get on with it.
Characters:
Characters are a big weakness of the series.
Since the book is very short, we actually don't get to see the emotionally struggles the protagonist goes through after dramatic events, we don't really know much about them either. I find Jessica to be hard to connect to sometimes, she doesn't seem really confident in herself in this book but in the 6th book (which is the first book to feature Jessica), she said she's ready to be popular/queen bee at high school (freshmen here). So, is she confident? Or is she just another ordinary teenager? She can't really be the queen bee if she don't even view herself as queen bee material, it's just contradictory.
In fact, the characteristics of other characters changes a lot and doesn't make sense too. Selena was supposed to be a little love sick and gorgeous witch (don't worry, she's in high school, not the old women kind of witch), but in this she has gotten a lot meaner. It's just weird. Is that even Selena? The characteristics are all wrong! Selena is a more extreme case, but you can imagine, characters in this series actually come back with different characteristics... Not a good move here, Perez.
Conclusion:
I would give this book 4 stars. I would have given a higher rating if the character settings are better, but other than that, this book is very good. It's a fast-paced novel filled with several strange, mysterious and creative plots, and sometimes offers a little humor too. The book reads like a MG book, right until there are murders, but don't worry, there are no graphic details about the murders so I think this book is good for younger YA readers looking for a quick read. It doesn't matter whether you're a paranormal fan or not, the book is intriguing! I hope this series will get more hype like the other famous books out there though, it's definitely worth fan-girling for ;)
March 25, 2015
Yes, Dead Is A Killer Tune is another book from my to-reads list. I have almost fifty books on there, and I'm trying to get that number down (maybe to 30, or at least, down to the ones that aren't published yet). (In the parentheses, I was about to say "get down for what.")
Some background info about Dead Is a Killer Tune: It is the seventh book in the series (and it doesn't look like the author is going to write anymore, but who knows?). The sixth and seventh book of the series (still can't name it) can be its own series. The series (and this book) fits perfectly into the Supernatural/Paranormal of the YA section.
Also, the last time I'd read a book from this series is... two years ago. Or three. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It has been a really long time ago, which is why I prepped by rereading the synopsis of the previous book and hoping I can swing by. And yes, it turns out I can. Swing by, I mean. I winged it pretty well, in my opinion. Besides, this book can be its own standalone (now, this is starting to sound complicated).
Let's talk about the plot. Now there are two main plots. One is the theft of the supposedly magical flute and mysterious actions of competing musicians. Another is that whole romance thing between Jessica and Dominic. At times, the romance plot feels overbearing and "shoved in the face"-sort of like. However, most of the time the two plots are well-balanced and even manage to intertwine... all while making things even more complicated.
We all know the math for this one. Complicity = more drama. We don't need to have a PhD in math (or psychology) to figure that out.
Jessica's character is mostly static throughout the book. The book is more reliant on its plot and conflict than its characters. I should mention that Dominic's character is the same as Jessica's. Not many characters stand out. They aren't full-fleshed.
Overall, Dead Is A Killer Tune brings a suspense-filled story along with supernatural themes and creatures and magic. It is more of a mystery book, and if you're one for a mystery, then this one will be for you. Dead Is A Killer Tune is an entertaining ending to the series, but it is a neutral territory to me when I read it.
Rating: Three out of Five
-ofpaperandwords.blogspot.com
Some background info about Dead Is a Killer Tune: It is the seventh book in the series (and it doesn't look like the author is going to write anymore, but who knows?). The sixth and seventh book of the series (still can't name it) can be its own series. The series (and this book) fits perfectly into the Supernatural/Paranormal of the YA section.
Also, the last time I'd read a book from this series is... two years ago. Or three. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It has been a really long time ago, which is why I prepped by rereading the synopsis of the previous book and hoping I can swing by. And yes, it turns out I can. Swing by, I mean. I winged it pretty well, in my opinion. Besides, this book can be its own standalone (now, this is starting to sound complicated).
Let's talk about the plot. Now there are two main plots. One is the theft of the supposedly magical flute and mysterious actions of competing musicians. Another is that whole romance thing between Jessica and Dominic. At times, the romance plot feels overbearing and "shoved in the face"-sort of like. However, most of the time the two plots are well-balanced and even manage to intertwine... all while making things even more complicated.
We all know the math for this one. Complicity = more drama. We don't need to have a PhD in math (or psychology) to figure that out.
Jessica's character is mostly static throughout the book. The book is more reliant on its plot and conflict than its characters. I should mention that Dominic's character is the same as Jessica's. Not many characters stand out. They aren't full-fleshed.
Overall, Dead Is A Killer Tune brings a suspense-filled story along with supernatural themes and creatures and magic. It is more of a mystery book, and if you're one for a mystery, then this one will be for you. Dead Is A Killer Tune is an entertaining ending to the series, but it is a neutral territory to me when I read it.
Rating: Three out of Five
-ofpaperandwords.blogspot.com
May 9, 2013
Summary:
I was a little late getting into the Dead Is series, but Perez generally gives the audience exactly what is expected. The entire series are light, fluffy mysteries with all our favorite fantastical creatures mixed in. In the latest, Dead is a Killer Tune, Jessica (high school sophmore virago) is thrust into another mystery to save her town of Nightshade. Our lovable sidekicks, Raven, Eva, Andy, Serena, and more are all involved. A battle of the bands has been slated in Nightshade with the promise of prize money and a recording contract on the line. This brings several bands, their followers, a recording label, song writer, and music agent to town. Of course, things start to happen that just aren't right. Band members are hurt or disappear and people are worried. Which of these new strangers may be doing something they shouldn't be? On a side note, Dominic and Jessica's relationship seems to be a bit rocky. Will they be the cute couple we hoped for in Dead is a Battlefield, or is this the end and both will have to find someone new (or old) to cuddle up to? That, of course, is the drama of high school we all love to read and not participate in.
My thoughts:
As mentioned above, I have really enjoyed this series. They are quick reads. I finished this in about two hours and it is never something that I feel like I *have* to pick up to finish. The mystery keeps me flipping the pages, but the cute dramatic aspects are what makes the characters likeable. They all have their little quirks and I am generally able to connect them with people I have met in the past. I'm usually able to figure out the mystery several pages before the characters, but the reveal is not lacking in enjoyment. It's fun to see the missteps and assumptions made by the virago's and their friends. Dominic has a prophetic streak, and I would have liked to see a little more investigation into those songs when they popped up, but other than that it is a great little read. As a teacher, I would highly recommend this to a reluctant reader. They are written easily enough to read if you are struggling and the stories move fast enough to keep interest.
I was a little late getting into the Dead Is series, but Perez generally gives the audience exactly what is expected. The entire series are light, fluffy mysteries with all our favorite fantastical creatures mixed in. In the latest, Dead is a Killer Tune, Jessica (high school sophmore virago) is thrust into another mystery to save her town of Nightshade. Our lovable sidekicks, Raven, Eva, Andy, Serena, and more are all involved. A battle of the bands has been slated in Nightshade with the promise of prize money and a recording contract on the line. This brings several bands, their followers, a recording label, song writer, and music agent to town. Of course, things start to happen that just aren't right. Band members are hurt or disappear and people are worried. Which of these new strangers may be doing something they shouldn't be? On a side note, Dominic and Jessica's relationship seems to be a bit rocky. Will they be the cute couple we hoped for in Dead is a Battlefield, or is this the end and both will have to find someone new (or old) to cuddle up to? That, of course, is the drama of high school we all love to read and not participate in.
My thoughts:
As mentioned above, I have really enjoyed this series. They are quick reads. I finished this in about two hours and it is never something that I feel like I *have* to pick up to finish. The mystery keeps me flipping the pages, but the cute dramatic aspects are what makes the characters likeable. They all have their little quirks and I am generally able to connect them with people I have met in the past. I'm usually able to figure out the mystery several pages before the characters, but the reveal is not lacking in enjoyment. It's fun to see the missteps and assumptions made by the virago's and their friends. Dominic has a prophetic streak, and I would have liked to see a little more investigation into those songs when they popped up, but other than that it is a great little read. As a teacher, I would highly recommend this to a reluctant reader. They are written easily enough to read if you are struggling and the stories move fast enough to keep interest.
September 20, 2012
MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT
So Daisy has graduated and the series shifts to her boyfriend Ryan's sister, Jessica Walsh. Jessica finally has her life on track as a new Virago, protecting Nightshade from the paranormal threats that create havoc for the population. Her new boyfriend, Dominic, the singer from Side Effects May Vary (SEMV) is acting a bit strange, so when a Battle of the Bands comes to town and SEMV shows up to compete, things go haywire. Something peculiar is happening to the most popular bands and they each lose a member to bizarre accidents. The most popular bands all have lost members, including SEMV, whose guitarist breaks his arm skateboarding, which he has never done before. Jessica, a skilled but shy player is talked into the role. Hamlin, has followers much like the Pied Piper, who devotedly follow them around the country and they haven't had any bad luck like other bands.
Jessica starts to put these coincidences of misfortunes together and notices things are quite what they should be and it all revolves around Hamlin. There are the usual evil characters and unwitting accomplices that at times seem cartoon like but that is what makes this series so much fun! As Jessica puts things together to unravel the mystery surrounding the popularity of Hamlin and the disasters they have unleashed on the local musicians, she grows into her role of a self reliant and confident Virago. I loved this series and the change to featuring Jessica has taken it a new and wonderful direction. All of the characters have their good and bad points but Perez does a wonderful job of keeping them all interesting. This is my favorite series to recommend to kids who hate to read since it has something for everyone. Most of the adults I have forced this book on have enjoyed them as well. Parents don't need to worry about anything in this series since there is only a bit of cartoon violence, a few kisses here and there and they always end with an important, positive message.
LOVED IT
So Daisy has graduated and the series shifts to her boyfriend Ryan's sister, Jessica Walsh. Jessica finally has her life on track as a new Virago, protecting Nightshade from the paranormal threats that create havoc for the population. Her new boyfriend, Dominic, the singer from Side Effects May Vary (SEMV) is acting a bit strange, so when a Battle of the Bands comes to town and SEMV shows up to compete, things go haywire. Something peculiar is happening to the most popular bands and they each lose a member to bizarre accidents. The most popular bands all have lost members, including SEMV, whose guitarist breaks his arm skateboarding, which he has never done before. Jessica, a skilled but shy player is talked into the role. Hamlin, has followers much like the Pied Piper, who devotedly follow them around the country and they haven't had any bad luck like other bands.
Jessica starts to put these coincidences of misfortunes together and notices things are quite what they should be and it all revolves around Hamlin. There are the usual evil characters and unwitting accomplices that at times seem cartoon like but that is what makes this series so much fun! As Jessica puts things together to unravel the mystery surrounding the popularity of Hamlin and the disasters they have unleashed on the local musicians, she grows into her role of a self reliant and confident Virago. I loved this series and the change to featuring Jessica has taken it a new and wonderful direction. All of the characters have their good and bad points but Perez does a wonderful job of keeping them all interesting. This is my favorite series to recommend to kids who hate to read since it has something for everyone. Most of the adults I have forced this book on have enjoyed them as well. Parents don't need to worry about anything in this series since there is only a bit of cartoon violence, a few kisses here and there and they always end with an important, positive message.
September 27, 2014
Was originally posted on Paranormal Sisters: http://paranormalsisters.blogspot.com...
Dead is a Killer Tune is a fun quick read with little talking dolls and a pied piper looking for revenge.
Honestly, this spin off series is fun but that's all it is. There's no real storyline that connects the books together in this trilogy. The only thing is that Jessica is a Virago and she's learning her way with it. Other than that, there's not much for me to fall head over heels like I did with Daisy's story. Actually, whenever Daisy or her sisters came into the scene they definitely stole the light from Jessica and I was pining for them to return with their own book again.
The characters are okay, no one really stands out except for all the ones from the original series. The newer ones are just, I don't know. Maybe it's cause it's been two years since I've read Dead is a Battlefield but even though it's been a while I was able to fall into this story because Ms. Perez is able to remind you about what happened in the past without dragging it alone or making you feel overwhelmed.
Overall it's just an average read. I went back to my review of Dead is a Battlefield and some of the points in that one continue to this one. I wished Jessica's story was a little bit stronger. There's nothing in here that makes me feel like Ms. Perez just had to tell us her story because there's not much of a story here. Jessica is just solving mysteries, that's all it is. And though I never see the twist coming, which is what made me give it a four star rating, there's just nothing in her that's mind blowing or have me craving to see what happens next with Jessica. I might come back because, yeah, it's a fun quick read and the world is a bit exciting but the characters are just flat to me. They don't have anything to make them solid and that's what they need.
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