Dead Is Just a Dream

Dead Is #8

by Marlene Perez

The people of Nightshade, California are dying in their sleep, and fifteen-year-old warrior Jessica Walsh is determined to find the killer...or killers. Justice isn't the only thing on Jessica's mind, however. In fact, some days she's not sure which is worse--having a creepy clown lurking outside her window or having her rock-star boyfriend's hot ex-girlfriend back in town. Nightshade is crawling with paranormal people like Jessica...and it's possible that the anti-paranormal group the Scourge is back to get rid of them. Or are the disturbing works of a strange painter somehow at the heart of the mystery? Jessica is losing sleep--but she's got to figure it out before the night terrors strike again.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Supernatural, Fiction, Mystery, Vampires

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Author 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...

Reviews

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a YA paranormal story, featuring a murder-mystery.

Jessica was an okay character in this, and it was good that she took her duties as a virago seriously. It was also nice to see Daisy in this book a bit though.

The storyline in this was about several murders happening in Nightshade, and Jessica and Daisy trying to help solve them. We also had a nightmare horse running round and a freaky clown as well, and an ex-girlfriend trying to stir up trouble between Jessica and Dominic.

The ending to this was pretty good, and I was glad that the epilogue was from Daisy’s point of view, even though that was a bit weird seeing as the rest of the book was from Jessica’s point of view.



6 out of 10

[Erin O'Riordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the eighth book in the Dead Is series overall, and the third one in which the protagonist is Jessica Walsh. When we last saw Jessica in Dead Is a Killer Tune, she and her sister viragos (town-defending women warriors) had to solve the mystery of the bizarre behavior of Battle of the Bands contestants during Jessica's freshman year of high school. 'Just a Dream' opens at the end of summer, with Jessica becoming a sophomore.

This year's strange occurrences include a ghostly, red-eyed white horse stalking the town at night, a creepy clown who comes into town with the circus, an artist whose paintings give people nightmares, and a new art teacher with a marionette obsession. In the acknowledgments, author Marlene Perez thanks the Houston Teen Book Con. Apparently someone asked her what she is afraid of, and "This book is the answer." It does have a certain creepiness factor that makes this volume a little more suspenseful than the last one, which offered very few surprises.

The mysteries here still aren't very tough to crack - this series has always had more of a light, breezy paranormal tone than a hardcore mystery novel tone, after all - but I found myself liking this one a little better than 'Killer Tune.' Maybe it's because the horse, the bizarre paintings, the weird puppets, and the eerie clown are more interesting and original than a Pied Piper retelling.

As I've come to expect from this series, there's also a romantic wrinkle: Jessica faces a solid month of loneliness when her boyfriend Dominic announces he'll spend December touring with his band. She also faces competition when Dominic's ex-girlfriend Tashya comes to town - and Dominic's mother (also a virago) seems to prefer her to Jessica.

No spoilers, but the ending is somewhat bittersweet. At this point, I don't know whether or not Perez intends to continue the series. I hope so, because if this ending is the very end, it doesn't seem quite definitive. Also, Jessica is really growing on me. Daisy got five books as the heroine, and I kind of hope Jessica gets the same.

Disclosure: I received an advance reading copy of this book through Amazon's Vine Program. I was not compensated for this review in any way other than the free book. The review represents my own honest opinion.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review can also be found on A Thousand lives Lived, check it out for more reviews!

The Dead Is series has been there with me since the start, really. I've been reading it since I was a tween, and I've always enjoyed it. Now, though, I feel that I've grown out of it and am completely bored with the idea. Thankfully this was the finale or I would've just never picked any of Perez's books up ever again. If you're looking for a book for a tween who's 11, then this is a great start, as these books are incredibly tiny and paranormal. If you hate the genre of paranormal, then you're literally going to be scarred for life with this series.



THERE ARE EIGHT BOOKS IN THIS WHOLE SERIES. I just can't believe it. Is this another PLL? I hate it when authors go mad with their ideas (in some cases) and give us a thousand books of boredom. This was one of those cases where I feel so crazed with madness! Perez, what is this? A spinoff series of the first series, with less romance and some cheesy predictable romance?

You're now probably asking me what wasn't the problem as all I've been doing was complaining for the first two paragraphs. But really, the positive stuff was the characters. Jessica was kick-ass and she was the main highlight of this story and of course, her boyfriend. (Who's name I don't even recall...) Though I did want to punch this dude because HIS EX WAS STAYING AT HIS HOUSE AND LIKE WHO KNOWS....? She seemed to like him, anyways. Nothing ever came out of that situation but hey... it was absurd.



I guess you can start off reading this with high expectations... at least I did. I was hoping for a quick but memorable read that will get my mind thinking and fangirling over the cute moments. But in the end, I was just left sighing and trying to figure out what to do next after reading after my lostness. I guess that's what a book does to you in a close and clumsy situation like that?

The plot of this was okay, but I guess that the genre ended up turning this all the way around. I felt bored but since I wanted to finish the book... I did. There would've been problems, trust me. This was a great ending to the series, and Perez did it just about right, though the plot and actual mystery could've been less Disney-Channel and more real. Those who enjoyed the previous novels will either have a love or a hate relationship with the book itself! Now, you tell me what's your opinion. :)

[Magic Shop · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize this book had come out yet until I found it at the library. Guess it was my lucky day. I spotted it and grabbed it. I couldn't wait to start it when got home. I have been reading this series for about two years and this is the eight book. I thought it was a cute, short, easy, and funny read. I was able to understand it and finish it quickly because the chapters were short and it was pretty easy to read. I liked the plot and thought that the powers the characters had were really cool and I wish I had powers like that. The plot was good and I liked how it left some suspense at the end of the chapters. But one thing I didn't like was that some parts just went a little fast. Something happens and then another thing happens and it explains it in like two sentences. I guess if it didn't go so quickly, it would have been longer. But all in all this was a pretty good book and I can't wait to see what happens next in the town of Nightshade and what our fellow warriors Jessica and her friends to do stop it. Enjoy this book and more to come!

Also my copy of the book that I got from the library was hardcover and had a short story in it that is only available in the first printing. The story was only about four pages and it was set six years later and on Daisy and Ryan. it was titled "She loves me, she loves me not" and it was so cute. It was about how Ryan proposed to Daisy! I was so excited to read it! They're gonna get married. Somehow, earlier in the series I just knew it! But I was excited to read about it too! Well, I was just lucky enough that it was in my copy of the book. I am such a lucky girl!!!!

[Allie Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jessica Walsh, a sophomore at Nightshade High and a virago, has had a really quite summer. But her tranquillity and happiness comes to an abrupt end the minute she sees a horse on a beach. Afterwards, people in Nightshade are dying and the rest of the population isn't getting any sleep. With the help of psychic sleuth and neighbour, Daisy Giordano, Jessica will do everything to solve this mystery, even if it means losing a bit of sleep.

I've been a huge fan of the Dead Is series ever since I picked up Dead Is the New Black in seventh grade- I just graduated high school. Needless to say, it was a bittersweet ending for me once I finished the book.

While there were a lot of problems going on, Jessica and Daisy solved them pretty well together. However, I felt like the mystery of the murderers were easier to solve than other things.

This book, compared to its predecessors, is really short; the minute I held it in my hand, I knew I could finish it within an hour and two- which I did. There were a lot of nice, romantic parts; a lot of nice sleuthing parts as well. But there were a lot of other subplots that the author didn't explore that I wish she did, which probably would've made this story amazing. I would've liked to have read more about Dominic's relationship with his mom, as it was only slightly touched upon; I would've liked to see more of Katie, and how she stumbled upon the talking princess (because didn't Jessica keep them away from her the last book?), and how she seems okay with strange things; and of course, I would've liked to see more of the Sanja story plot, because it did evoke some emotion in me, and would've given the book more depth of it was explored more.

The relationship between Dominic and Jessica in this book was solid, as were the other couples. It was nice to see Ryan and Daisy make a bigger cameo in this book, and I would've really liked seeing them more.

But luckily for me, my copy from the library did including the short story, She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not, and it was nice seeing Ryan and Daisy together in the future, and I liked how the author included a little bit of information about Jessica and other characters in it- even if it was just a line.

Despite some of its shortcomings, Dead is Just a Dream was a nice ending to a beloved series. I know that Marlene Perez wants to work on other projects, but these books were really addicting and easy to get into- I wouldn't mind reading more about Nightshade in the future!

[Ollie Hennis · Rating 2 out of 5]

SNAPSHOT:

There is a curiously inviting familiarity to Jessica, her fellow virago warrior women, and Nightshade, the quaint town populated with every conceivable monster and myth. The writing, plot, and characters won’t present any intellectual, social, or emotional challenge, but neither do they offend or belittle the audience for enjoying them.

While the central mysteries to the plot are either easy to figure out (which, correctly solving the twists makes for great ‘ah ha!’ moments), some of the side plots are not given enough info for the reader to guess at their solution. Others peek out and promise more interesting interactions that hopefully will have their due in subsequent tales. There is a goldmine of emotion waiting for Jessica: the distance that Flo, her mentor, is putting between them; her soon-to-be-touring boyfriend; and said boyfriend’s back-in-town elite virago mother.

For those picking up Jessica’s story for the first time, the short length plus the breakneck-speed of the plot could equal many unanswered questions. Old plots and characters from prior novels are name-dropped in vaguely irrelevant cameos. A smaller cast and tighter story-line (with less plots) would do wonders for this eighth installment—that or a larger page count, the better to immerse readers in the world of Nightshade.

Appropriate for ages 12+. Light violence, talk of death, creepy imagery. Clean-cut in language and actions.

Touches on the nature of fear, responsibility, changing relationships, growing up/apart and sticking together.


GET IT ON YOUR SHELF:

If you…

– Enjoy a quick, pleasant distraction
– Need more Veronica Mars meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer stories
– Are ready for the next step after R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike books
– Have caught up on the other 'Dead Is…' books

[[review initially published at https://youngentertainmentmag.com/dea...]]

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought I was going to be dead after reading this book but it turned out to be a lot of fun. It is a book in a series and it is like a soap opera from the 80s. It is filled with a huge cast of characters and while it can be a stand alone I think reading the whole series in order would add to the effect of the various story lines. I will definitely have a great time recommending it some of my readers at school.

[Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clowns, marras, puppets, exgirlfriends - still nothing is as scary as your good looking boyfriend about to leave you and go to college, lol. Jessica teams up with Daisy to solve the town murders this time, which I liked. The crimes themselves made little sense and the Mara was unresolved, poor girl. Very happy epilogue ending but really, this was pretty boring. 2.5 stars.

[Cara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my least favorite book in the series. I feel that when you live in a small(ish) town, the death of 6 citizens should have WAY more of an impact than it did in this book.

[Madeline W · Rating 2 out of 5]

This final Dead Is installment was better than Book 7, which was one of the biggest literary train wrecks and annoyances I had seen in a minute. However, that margin by which this is an improvement is minimal at best. Again, I'd put it at about a 50%; I almost liked it, but it was too annoying at places to get me all the way there. Most of this text rehashes the same exact issues from Book 6 and Book 7, which had already become horribly stale in the last one. The actual story and sense of deviation from a concrete mythological story (a la Hamlin) is a positive addition, but there are too many facets in this text that pose problems for me otherwise. Quite literally, the most massive issue is that there are too many things going on at once to the point of endless unanswered questions. I actually think I prefer the utterly straightforward, exposition-overkill nature of the first five books and so many other MG/YA series besides to this nonsense.

I have made a convenient list of questions I have after finishing this book.
1) I thought we agreed in Book 7 that the dolls were staying somewhere else? Why are the Walsh sisters so chill about living dolls? Why don't we have some more conflict with the marionettes, which are also dolls being built right before our eyes?
2) Nightshade has proven itself to have a pretty high population of Latino people. Tell me why we are making Halloween and Dia de Muertos the same thing? And why couldn't we just have regular sugar skulls? Oh, I was fuming.
3) Speaking of fuming, how are we going to call someone an ableist term for spraining her ankle?
4) What is with blatant typos in the last two books? Was there a new editor? I could excuse the one I found in the last book and I tried to convince myself, a grammar expert in many ways, I was mistaken. But then I found more here and I was sad about it.
5) Why did we have a random skull page break when this has literally never happened before?
6) What is the answer to Slim's invisibility plight? When did he become invisible? How? Did his face ever get fixed?

Other complaints include the apathy toward literal death and crisis and pacing, as per usual. Why we keep having teachers who die or are teachers, I'll never know. How does Nightshade not have a massive therapy industry? Does Nightshade High know the definition of a background check? Finally, I found that Daisy's and Jessica's voices bled together more than in the last two books to the point where I had to reread passages at times to see who said what.

Anyway, I did appreciate that the character count went down. I think that helped this book, and it was a three-star read up until the very end when we got the Daisy and Ryan epilogue.

Now, most people who know me by now are aware that I get annoyed when books can't stand on their own. Prologues and epilogues can sometimes work, but I find that is rarely true. This is no exception. First and foremost, Perez does not say that it will be Daisy and Ryan - it just happens, which is weird since both the book and short story are in first person. Second, Ryan proposes in the morgue! I don't care if the couple has history there. You don't propose in a morgue and then have a PICNIC with all the dead bodies. Gag. It reminds me of the time a kid vaped while we were doing dissections. I don't care how well you clean! You'll inhale the fumes.

Concluding thoughts: Marlene Perez predicted the clown scare of 2016, and this series had a depressing lack of LGBTQ+ characters given the amount of fun paranormal stuff Perez had to work with. I think there was one guy briefly mentioned in Daisy's years, but I mean...the Wilders and Paxtons alone had to have had everyone from any orientation reeling.

My series rating from worst book to best book is as follows: 7, 8, 2, 1, 4, 6, 3, 5.

[Nunchi Goya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book hit me in the soul. I started this series when I was in like middle school. And honestly put off reading this part of the series because I was still not emotionally ready to move on but I finally womaned up and started it.
This. Books is everything you've come to love about Marlene and the the kick butt virago Jessica. Murder is a foot and this vigilante virago is out to save the town but she needs the OG Psychic sleuth Daisy Giordano.
Buckle up boys and girls its what we've all been waiting for. The perfect cameo to end it with
Unfortunately thete wasn't as much of Daisy as i wanted and more Ryan Mendez wouldn't have hurt either but a solid easy read to pass the time... And drool over Dominic.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really sad that this was the last book of the series, even though that they made Jessica the main character in the last couple of books. I really liked following Daisy around, anyhow, I really enjoyed this series because it was a fast and easy read that still drew me into the story. Also I'm glad that it ended on us finding out what happened with Daisy, whether she still had her abilities, along with her and Ryan's story line. Yay! I'm sad to see it go, there is still so much that could be written or involving the original characters as life continues in Nightshade. Will look forward to reading other books by the author.

[Shayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series, but I didn't like Dead is Just a Dream as much as the other books. Maybe I'll have to go back and read it slower so I can enjoy more of Perez's wit and humor. Or maybe after 8 books I've finally hit the wall. Don't get me wrong, it was still a really fun story and fast read, and I think the middle schoolers will enjoy it when I put it in the library but there is something missing, and I can't put my finger on it.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jessica and Daisy team up in this finale. I think it's safe to say that the goal was to go out in a big bang and for the most part that's exactly what happened. I admit that I'd have preferred Daisy to be the main star here but I'll take what I can get. I give mad props to the writer for this series. 8 books is serious. Same great narrator. Badass production. Overall great series and just relieved Daisy came back in the picture.

[Heaven Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best one out of the last 3 books with new MC. I loved the little chapter at the end with daisy and Ryan ❤️
Over all, each book has good details and stuff for a good mystery throughout. But they all seemed to be rushed at the very end when actually being solved. Spends a lot of time for the work up just for 2-3 small chapters to wrap it up. Sometimes some questions are left unanswered.

[Abi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating - 2.75

The characters in this annoyed me at times, but they weren't bad.

Just like the others, this wasn't an awful read, but I wasn't a fan of it either. Really glad this was the last one.

Overall, Not awful, but I'm glad the series is over now.

[Lupine Smile · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seemed like a quick tour of the world that the author has created for the series. We were shown some old favorites in quick order, but the plot was left behind. There were too many characters and too little intrigue.

[Amber Hathaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine ending to the Dead Is series. If you love Daisy, you'll want to read this one for sure. She has a bigger role in the story, and there is a short story at the end to put a nice finish on Daisy's storyline.

[Celine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, and I loved Marlene Perez's writing. It was great to read about all the main characters and have the original characters from the first few books in it a lot more. This book made me love all the characters more than before! I especially love the ending, when she skipped so many months with Ryan and Daisy. even as I get older, these books will always be my favorite and I will always love the characters.

[Jennifer Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series!!! Very cute had all the right elements when it came to all the characters. I love the added story at the end, which made my heart happy that it ended in the same spot the series started.

[Lucy Ballesteros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure weather I liked it or not. It was all over the place and too many possible suspects. The only thing I did like was how it tied back to Daisy, the original main character. I loved the end for sure.

[Reggie Virus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the series until the last two books. Wasn’t a fan of them changing main characters just to bring Daisy back. But happy this book had her in it. Also the ending <3

[Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites, besides the first one, and I loved seeing a Jessica and Daisy team-up.

[Lose · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

[Bianca · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75

This was a sweet way to end the series! The beginning was paced way too fast but it did start to even out closer to the middle.

[Rose Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still not the biggest fan of Jessica's, but it was a decent ending to the series.
I would've given it 3 stars if it wasn't for that 6 years later chapter at the end

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:
Nightshade is under attack again. Jessica and her verago warriors must fight to keep the town safe, but what are they fighting? People in town can't sleep. They are suffering and dying because of nightmares (shout out to my favorite horror film series, Nightmare on Elm Street). What is going on in Nightshade that is causing these deaths? We have plenty of suspects. Could it be a killer clown? What about the ex-girlfriend who happens to have arrived back in town? Maybe it is one of the other newcomers, including the Scourge or a spooky painter, that have just popped up? How is Jessica going to save her beloved town without losing anymore sleep?

My thoughts:
I generally enjoy this series. Each book is a super quick read. With less than 200 pages, you can easily read this in one sitting and have an enjoyable time. This one did not have the same intensity as some of the previous books. Of course, I had my hopes that the killer clown would be more interesting as a potential plot line, but all of the fluff has been taken out of this story. This is a positive and a negative. The positive part is that you still get all of the essential plot features in a small package. There is a bit of suspense, mystery, and a little romance. The negative is that you don't really get the pull towards the side stories that are going on. They are there to add a little intrigue, but quickly drop off without a clear resolution. Sometimes I would like to go back and investigate a different line of thinking instead of forging straight on towards the end.

[Mary BookHounds · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT

Jessica is starting to get the hang of being a virago and things have been quiet in the town of Nightshade. Her relationship with Dom, the lead singer in Side Effects May Vary is going well, that is until his ex shows up at the invitation of his mother. With nothing to do one night, Jessica and her friends head off to a local art exhibit where the painting look like your worst dreams. After the show, they hang out at the beach where they see a strange ghostly horse and coincidentally, Jessica and two of her sisters are signed up for horse riding lessons at a new farm.

At the farm, Jessica sees a ghostly girl named Sanja, who confesses she is a Mara, a person who can cause nightmares and also the horse they saw at the beach. Soon after a murder is reported quickly followed by her brother's girlfriend going into a coma. When another murder occurs, Jessica starts putting clues together that point to the murderer. Daisy makes a wonderful appearance, helping Jessica solve the crimes with her psychic abilities.

This is a wonderful installment to the Dead Is series and I love how Jessica is learning to trust herself and her abilities more. She is growing from an insecure freshman to a more secure person. I love recommending this series since even the most reluctant reader can easily pick up on the characters and plot. Parents: this one is super safe, just some kissing and bit of alluded to violence.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sophomore Jessica Walsh is concerned about her fellow citizens in Nightshade, California, since so many of them are dying in mysterious ways. When this teen female warrior and her friends set out to solve the mystery of these deaths, they encounter the deadly night mare, a horse that rides through the town, possibly bringing violent ends to others. Or could the murders be traced to the bizarrely macabre artwork on display in some of the victim's homes? While Jessica tries to figure all this out, she is also contending with the arrival of her boyfriend's former girlfriend who wants Dominic back. What's a girl to do? Fight for her guy, of course. There is plenty of action, suspense, and freakiness in the book, enough to satisfy middle graders for a taste for the ghoulish but not intended to frighten them to death.

[Maci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead is Just a Dream by Marlene Perez is about Jessica, a sophomore at Nightshade High School. Jessica lives in the small town of Nightshade where strange things happen in the night. Jessica is a Viagro, a woman warrior, who protects the town from the supernatural beings with bad intentions. But Jessica isn't alone, she has her fellow Viagro's and good friend Daisy. When people are found murdered, Jessica teams up with psychically gifted neighbor Daisy to find the killer before it is to late. This is the 8th and final book in the Dead Is series. I read the rest of this series awhile ago and loved them, and this one is just as good as the rest. I also like the way this book is written, the characters are honest with themselves. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes supernatural/paranormal mysteries.