Brush With Death

Spirit Guide #4

by E.J. Stevens

Samhain was scary, but graduation is downright terrifying.

Yuki and Emma's recent brush with death has unexpected consequences.

Until last winter Yuki could only smell the dead, but the touch of death's embrace has awakened latent powers. With the help of her friends, Yuki must face her new abilities. Will her psychic powers become the curse they all have feared? Curse or gift, Yuki's new vision begins leading her down an unknown path, but is it a road that only she can follow?

Emma's close encounter of the death kind has her questioning her future as well. Until now she had it all; brains, beauty, conviction, fabulous friends, and a scholarship to Tufts Veterinary School. She knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it. Emma had a plan for everything, but she never bargained for her own traitorous emotions. When graduation comes, will Emma follow her dreams...or follow her heart?

Brush with Death is the fourth novel in the young adult Spirit Guide series by E.J. Stevens.

Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult, Ghosts, Fantasy, Romance, Witches, Werewolves

182 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 8, 2012

About the author

E.J. Stevens is the bestselling, award-winning author of the IVY GRANGER, PSYCHIC DETECTIVE urban fantasy series, the SPIRIT GUIDE young adult series, the HUNTERS' GUILD urban fantasy series, and the WHITECHAPEL PARANORMAL SOCIETY Victorian Gothic horror series. She is known for filling pages with quirky characters, bloodsucking vampires, psychotic faeries, and snarky, kick-butt heroines. Her novels are available worldwide in multiple languages.

BTS Red Carpet Award winner for Best Novel, Imadjinn Award winner for Best Short Story, Raven Award winner for Best Urban Fantasy Novel, Independent Audiobook Award winner for Best Short Story, SYAE finalist for Best Paranormal Series, Best Novella, and Best Horror, winner of the PRG Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Paranormal Fantasy Novel, Best Young Adult Paranormal Series, Best Urban Fantasy Novel, and finalist for Best Young Adult Paranormal Novel and Best Urban Fantasy Series.

When E.J. isn't at her writing desk, she enjoys dancing along seaside cliffs, singing in graveyards, and sleeping in faerie circles. E.J. currently resides in a magical forest on the coast of Maine where she finds daily inspiration for her writing.

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Website: http://www.EJStevensAuthor.com
Ivy Granger Series: http://IvyGranger.com
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Reviews

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Info: Genre: Urban Fantasy
Reading Level: Young Adult
Book Available: October 23, 2012
Recommended for: Fans of YA fiction, esp. paranormal and urban fantasy, those interested in ghosts and spirits.

My Thoughts: I have to start right out by saying (and I’m typing this before I even begin to read) that one can follow both one’s dreams and one’s heart – I am very disturbed by the idea that Emma may ditch school for some starry-eyed idea of love. As a person who dropped out of college – twice – to get married, I’m the very last person who should be preaching about something like that, but I am very disturbed by the number of young women I’ve seen lately who are putting their education secondary to getting married, and I think that’s a very unhealthy idea for them to be espousing. It is not impossible to both get one’s education and be married at the same time – it is true that it might make things a bit more difficult, but if one must get married, one can still achieve one’s dreams.

Anyway, that is neither here or there – you want to know what I thought about the book, right? Let’s start with details. Unlike previous books in the series, told only from Yuki’s point of view, this book encompasses multiple points of view, split by chapter. Each chapter is from a different point of view, skipping back and forth between the various characters. This gives us more of a sense of what is happening with each of them, of course, and provides us with more details. Since each chapter is a different character, there is no sense of “head-hopping” and as long as the reader pays attention to which chapter goes with whom, it’s easy to keep up.

There was a problem with the timeline, however; when Yuki is recounting the events from the first book, discussing the Homecoming dance, she mentions that it was after that when Simon started training her and Cal in controlling the wolf, but that isn’t what happened – they had already been working on that and Cal thought he had things under control, which is why they went to the Homecoming dance so close to the full moon to begin with.

This book completes a type of cycle for this series – Yuki has now completed her senior year and is preparing to go out and start her life, as are Emma, Calvin, Gordy, and Katie. Simon has come to grips with his emotions regarding Emma and Emma with Simon, and I can see storm clouds on the horizon for them, but I feel confident they’ll come through okay.

I believe Stevens is planning to continue this series and I’m very interested to see where she goes with these characters as they move beyond high school. In the meantime, readers who enjoy Stevens’ YA series should check out her Ivy Granger, Psychic Detective series for an adult protagonist – the first book is out and a novella is scheduled for release next month. A prolific writer with enjoyable stories to tell – what’s not to love? Check out E.J. Stevens for your next urban fantasy fix.

Disclosure: I received this book as an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Samhain was scary, but graduation is downright terrifying. Yuki and Emma's recent brush with death has unexpected consequences.

Until last winter Yuki could only smell the dead, but the touch of death's embrace has awakened latent powers. With the help of her friends, Yuki must face her new abilities. Will her psychic powers become the curse they all have feared? Curse or gift, Yuki's new vision begins leading her down an unknown path, but is it a road that only she can follow?

Emma's close encounter of the death kind has her questioning her future as well. Until now she had it all; brains, beauty, conviction, fabulous friends, and a scholarship to Tufts Veterinary School. She knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it. Emma had a plan for everything, but she never bargained for her own traitorous emotions. When graduation comes, will Emma follow her dreams... or follow her heart?

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to start, as always, by saying that I truly adore this series. It really truly is such a fun series. I don't think I have more fun reading any other YA series out there than I do with this one.

The characters are so lively, feisty and engaging. I feel like over the course of this series they have become friends and are people that I have grown to love and care about. Every single one of them.

They are fantastic, loyal, brave, fierce, strong, funny and just plain good. The kind of friends that you can only hope to have. The kind that will have your back no matter what.

I love Calvin and Yuki. They are so unbelievably cute and good together. They are one of my all time favorite YA couples out there. They stick with each other no matter what. Loyal to the core. They are true soul mates.

Yuki is an exceptional character. She is unique and true to herself, she doesn't let peer pressure or her abilities get in the way of who she is and what she wants to do. She is a kick butt character without being harsh or jaded. She loves with all that she has and Cal is her match in every way imaginable.

I adore Emma and Simon as well and was so excited when we found out at the end of book three (big spoiler here if you haven't read book three so don't read further if not!!) that finally, FINALLY they were together!! You have no idea how excited I was. I think I actually shrieked when I read the ending. They are so perfect for one another and the sexual tension that had been building between them was so strong and ...just felt right.

So, when I started this one and found that Emma and Simon's relationship was causing some issues between the unbreakable bound and friendship between Yuki and Emma, well, to say I was sad would be an understatement. I was heartbroken. I wanted to shout out “Noooooo! This can't be happening! No way, just, No. Way!”

And while I don't want to give anything away, I will say that I am so glad that my instincts were correct and that there was more to the story than Yuki being upset about Emma and Simon and that is all that I will say on the matter, if you want more, you are going to have to read it for yourself. ;)

I am so glad that this book alternated between the different character's POVs. I liked Simon before starting this book but I like him even more now. The love he has for Emma was so evident and while they might be an odd match, they are a really good one too. I liked being able to see that side of Simon, the kind, loving vulnerable one.

This book had a rough start, not in the writing style or even the story line but in the fact that Yuki wasn't acting like Yuki. The strong fierce, independent girl I loved was a little broken. But thankfully she slowly started to come back, to fight her demons in the way that only Yuki can. She had a huge support system to help her through it all and I love that about this series. How loyal they all are to each other. That no matter what they are there for one another.. I don't know if this story, this series would be the same if Yuki wasn't kick butt, strong and determined and didn't have her “pack” to back her up.

Once again Yuki finds herself in the middle of a mystery, being haunted by a new ghost and a missing girl. Both connected and both in need of her help. And Yuki being Yuki, just can't say no and walk away, not matter what she is going through. The pack again is thrown into an adventure of finding the bad guy, helping the good, uncovering the truth, and saving the world. Okay, maybe they don't save the world but they do help a lot of people along the way.

Stevens has managed to once again create a wonderful mystery filled with characters that are not only loveable but completely realistic and unforgettable.

[Grammy 1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samhain was super scary, and so was the entire storyline for the previous story, Book Three: The Legends of Witchtrot Rd. Yuki went through some really serious moments of bullying, kidnapping and I guess we never really addressed how deep this fears went into her psyche.

In Brush with Death we are in the minds with not only Yuki's POV, but also Emma’s, Simon’s and Calvin’s. What a treat EJ Stevens has given us, as she not only takes us through the serious repercussions of the last book, but a new haunting with our new ghost Rose.

Yuki has changed this year, graduation is close and yet Yuki has not uttered one word about what she wants to do after graduation. She is still trying to get past the closet door where she was held captive last year at the hands of the J Team and the bullies at school.

She is not talking to Emma, as she is not happy with Emma's budding relationship with Simon. Both girls are suffering from the loss of their friendship and the closeness they shared. Super sluth Emma has been watching Yuki, and realizes Yuki is suffering from a post tramatic episode of being held captive, and then finally talks to Cal.

The story is brought to a head when a senior disappears and it is thought that it is an old serial killer who had been killing two girls at a time in their town for years. These girls were seniors, due to graduate, and so is the missing girl. Fear strikes their town. The four friends work together to try to solve this mystery, and solve Yuki’s ghost haunting, since it may be connected to the killings. Yuki is overwhelmed with the smell of Roses. How does that all figure in, or does it?

The gang finally start talking about what they would like to do after graduation. Emma has her heart set on Veterinarian school and Simon. She and Simon realize they cannot be together for this, because of his commitment to Calvin and The Pack, so decisions must be made. Calvin is pack Alpha and has his job set out for him, needing Simon as his Beta. Yuki has a coming of age revelation and has to decide if she wishes to live in fear or face life.

I adore this series, and I think every young girl should read this before she reads Twilight. Yuki is not challenged with dying, she challenges living life to the fullest. She began this series as a young Goth girl in the corners of High School being picked on, and now is growing up to be someone any mother can be proud of; strong, intelligent, and a sense of humor to not always take herself too seriously!

I have gifted my granddaughter this year with this series. I find Yuki charming, she can laugh at her short comings, be different and be herself. I am sorry Yuki has been challenged to be treated like a second class citizen, but I would hope, like Yuki my granddaughter would get mad and get even, and know how to respond if she was bullied for being different! Yuki sure did that, until the kidnapping, which would undermine anyone's confidence. I just know these teens will have some more wonderful stories for us to follow after graduation and I so look forward to reading their next in 2013. I hear it’s about a Pirate’s Ghost... Thank you EJ Stevens for this lovely work.



Review by Gloria Lakritz

Sr Reviewer and Review Chair for the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team

[Loves To Dive · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars


For the fourth installment of the Spirit Guide series, we once again join Yuki, Cal, Emma and Simon on another of their grand adventures, but this time, author E.J. Stevens has given us a story that’s a little darker and edgier than the rest.

Entering into their senior year of high school should be all about the joy of graduating and moving on, but for Yuki and Emma it’s anything but that. Emma and Simon have finally given in to the obvious attraction they have to each other and are now dating, causing a riff between Emma and Yuki. Yuki does not approve of her best friend dating Simon, who is not only older than Emma but, in Yuki’s opinion, too much of a player and slacker for Emma. Simon and Cal are just trying to stay out of the line of fire, each loyal to the girl they are dating, they still have to work and live together as the leaders of their wolf pack.

Add to the tension the fact that Yuki is suffering from PTSD from being abducted by the “J” team the previous year, there is a killer on the loose who abducts senior girls and kills them, and Yuki now not only smells ghosts but sees them as well. No, senior year is not turning out to be exactly what the group had dreamed it will be. Each just wants to get through and hopes they can do so, and that their friendships will somehow survive intact.

I love this series, I have since the first moment I met Yuki with her quirky sense of style and her “talent” of smelling dead people. Ms. Stevens tells the story by alternating between each main character’s POV, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this is not an easy thing to pull off and Ms. Stevens does it with such ease that it’s easy to take it for granted. She gives her characters just enough quirkiness to make them fun, but still gives them a strong sense of right and wrong and the intelligence to know the difference. This time around things are not all roses and candy within the group, which gives more of a sense of reality to the story. The tension between Yuki and Emma is difficult to see, and there were times that I feared we were going to lose that closeness that has been there since the beginning of the series.

Given that this book is darker, one would think that we might lose some of the fun that we’ve come to love about these characters. Not to worry, that’s not the case. Yuki still uses her favorite expression “Son of a dung beetle”, Emma still refuses to eat honey because she is against bee oppression, Cal still quirks one eyebrow up (I’ve yet to learn how to do this) and Simon, sigh, is still just as hunky and aggravating as ever. We see much more of Emma and Simon this time around, and I loved getting to know them better. Emma is such a special young lady with her ability to heal, and I was happy to see her and Simon finally get together. We see a gentler side to Simon, he is still the motorcycle riding, leather wearing, smart mouth charmer we’ve always known, but Emma brings out the more human side of him.

Yuki’s PTSD and the viciousness of the serial killer gave this book a more mature feeling than the previous ones, which seemed appropriate since Yuki, Emma and Cal will graduate, and must move on with their lives. While I loved this book and devoured it in an afternoon, I did have just a small twinge of issue with it. It seemed as if we were supposed to know Emma and Simon were now dating, and that Emma and Yuki were on the outs. I haven’t gone back and looked at the previous book but I don’t think it was mentioned, so I was a little lost at the beginning. I would have felt more comfortable with a little lead in to it, but that certainly didn’t stop me from loving this book. These characters have wormed their way into my heart so solidly that I can’t wait for the next book to find out what is happening in their lives now. Fist bump to Ms. Stevens for once again giving us a good mystery, a little romance, ghosts, wolves, hunky guys and two of the cutest, quirkiest girls I’ve ever met.


Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Dual Review Team

[Andrea at Reading Lark · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 Rating
Review Posted on Reading Lark 10/9/12: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2012/...

I have long been a fan of the Spirit Guide Series. The amount of creativity that goes into these books never ceases to amaze me. I have been so anxious to get this book on my Kindle. If you have not started this series, I recommend you give it a try. The Spirit Guide books are full of everything I love in a good paranormal story - ghosts, werewolves, mystery, and romance.

In this installment, Yuki isn't the happy, energized girl we've seen in previous novels. She is more somber and withdrawn. In fact, when the novel begins, she and Emma aren't even on speaking terms. This really bothered me. I was saddened by the fact that the girls would let a guy come between them. They have proclaimed to be so independent throughout the series that this seemed completely out of character. As Yuki continues to act strangely, I really started to worry. In the end, it is made clear about why Yuki's personality has changed so dramatically and by the end of the novel she is beginning to become more like her old self. This was a hard read for me because Yuki is one of the major things that I love about these books.

The mystery in this one is interesting, but it felt a bit too predictable. I felt like it was rushed and things fell into place too easily. There were not enough obstacles as Yuki, Cal, Emma, and Simon sought to piece together the puzzle. This predictability really disappointed me because in the past, I have found these novels to be so engaging. In spite of this criticism, I do feel like this book is a crucial one as it sets up a lot of transitions for the characters. High school graduation marks the end of one chapter of their lives and opens up the possibilities for their futures. I can only hope that Stevens will continue to write about these wonderful characters that I have grown to consider friends.

One of the strongest elements of this book was the attention it placed on the lingering effects of bullying. I found it to be even more appropriate since it's bullying prevention month. There are so many kids out there who are dealing with the same issues at school that plague Yuki. I can only hope that they have a strong support system like she does to help them work through the emotional turmoil. I have always applauded Stevens way of providing a dialog on real issues throughout her novels.

Overall, I did enjoy this read and I feel like it's an important piece to the overall story. I just felt that compared to the three previous novels, this one wasn't as strong. The action and anticipation was missing for me. I did, however, really enjoy the multiple narrators. It was nice to see Stevens try something different and to also get a more intimate look at the characters other than Yuki. I still feel that E.J. Stevens is one of the strongest Indie authors out there and I will continue to wait with bated breath for her next release.

One Last Gripe: There was a lot of showing rather than telling that happened in various parts of the book. For me, that makes a novel a bit more tedious.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: Yuki and Cal's relationship - I love this couple!

First Sentence: I bit my lip to stifle a gasp.

Favorite Character: Cal

Least Favorite Character: Katie

[Shannon (Twilight Sleep) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow.

That was seriously my first thought upon finishing this ARC. It's been amazing getting to know this author and watching this series develop from the first book to this, the fourth. Stevens is a unique author - at least to me. She shows true growth and potential, very much unlike many of the best-selling authors I read. Their writing often seems stilted and boring in comparison.

But back to the book.

When I first read She Smells the Dead, I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this series. I enjoyed the story but it felt too fun, lacking the emotional connection that really makes a book great to me. As it turns out, there was no need for me to worry. Every book since then has drawn me in more and more, and this last one was a real doozy.

Yuki once again finds herself wrapped up in the middle of a mystery, but this time she's haunted not only by a ghost (who smells like roses, lanolin, and darkroom chemicals) but by the knowledge of a girl gone missing. It doesn't take long for her to put two and two together and conclude that this new ghost was a victim of the same killer suspected to have taken the missing girl. Then things get really interesting.

When I first realized that this book was written from four different POVs (Yuki, Calvin, Emma, and Simon), I was incredibly skeptical. I decided immediately that that was going to annoy me, maybe enough to even ruin the book. That was stupid. I should have had more faith in Stevens' writing because in reality, I don't know that this book would have worked as well as it did without a look into each of their perspectives. I really enjoyed getting to know the other major characters a little better - especially Emma and Simon. My second issue was with Yuki. She wasn't the Yuki I'd grown to know and love and that worried me. The reason for her being a diminished form of herself made total sense - she was suffering from the traumatic events inflicted on her by the infinitely awful J team in the last book - but I was unsure of how Stevens was going to bring her back to life, or if she even would. Again...I should have had more faith.

Stevens did not disappoint. Can I say that again? STEVENS DID NOT DISAPPOINT. This is by far the best book of the series and I hope you're ready to be torn apart and stitched back together again when you read it, because that's exactly what happened to me. Yuki was broken, Calvin was broken, Emma was broken, I was broken - but E.J. slammed us all back together and it wasn't awful, it was good. I'm invested and I absolutely cannot wait to see where Stevens takes us next.

[Lindis Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow I sure do love Yuki! She totally knows who she is and isn't afraid to show it off. Especially at the end of this book. This series sends such good messages to young readers. Be yourself. Stand up for what you believe in. Don't judge a book by the cover. And many more. Yuki gets bullied in the previous book. But with the help of her odd and charming band of friends, gets through it to graduate and look toward to an exciting future. Including her totally cute boyfriend/werewolf Cal. Emma is an amazing best friend and I have to admit that I have a crush on her boyfriend (and also werewolf) Simon. Yummy. I plan on getting these books to add to the library of the middle school that I work in. A Very Goodread!!!!!

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spirit Guide novels are one of my favorite series to read! With the fourth installment, Brush of Death, made me love it even more! I was so thrilled to see on the first page the story beginning with Emma's point of view! Don't get me wrong I love Yuki, but it was a wonderful to hear from Cal's, Simon's, and Emma's view as well. It is also amazing how Stevens brings forth real life issues in her novels besides the paranormal fun and romance, such as bullying, friendship, PTSD, and major life changes (like HS graduation).

[Grammy 1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received ARC. Review to come. Love this series. Bought it for my granddaughter. Every YA lover should read

[David Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read the previous books in this series, I was looking forward to what happens next. I must admit that I have mixed feelings about this one.
First off, the new narrative style was something different and it goes well with the storyline, as it shows each characters perspective on the events and feelings as things unfold. The issue of Yuki and her bullying is addressed in much more detail here and goes into depth about how she feels and the impact it has on her, something I'm sure a lot of people will be able to relate to.
The way that things are within the group is a good way of showing how things can be when communication breaks down and the new threat on the horizon is a fascinating touch, combining both paranormal and human dangers in one go.
The humour element is still there but takes a backseat for most of this story, which fits in with the darker aspect of the story this time.

My gripe with this book is that when push comes to shove, things fall into place too easily. The idea of the danger was superb and created a lot of tension from the imminent peril around Yuki and others. Unfortunately, this seemed to resolve itself far too quickly and conveniently for my liking, a bit more danger and struggle would have made things much better.
This aside, this is still a great book and a very good series for fans of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, the supernatural and fans of alternative cultures. The author addresses current issues that are important in a non preachy, sensitive way that is easy to take in and hard to forget.

[Shelley]

Expected publication: 2012 by Sacred Oaks Press

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

loved this series