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The NecroDancer
Ella thought that going to the ballet was the worst thing she has ever had to do and that was BEFORE she discovered that the dancers on stage were actually a bunch of reanimated corpses controlled by the evil necromancer Albertino.
NOW she has to go to his studio and find and destroy his talisman to save the trapped souls all by herself; since the only other medium she knows, her grandmother, is “too old to run around all day chasing talismans.” And the talisman in question? It sits on Albertino’s big fat finger.
Unfortunately, Ella will learn that the corpses under his control are capable of more than just dancing.
NOW she has to go to his studio and find and destroy his talisman to save the trapped souls all by herself; since the only other medium she knows, her grandmother, is “too old to run around all day chasing talismans.” And the talisman in question? It sits on Albertino’s big fat finger.
Unfortunately, Ella will learn that the corpses under his control are capable of more than just dancing.
- GenresYoung AdultParanormal
43 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 4, 2014
1 person is currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Joanne Boyd
5 books13 followersJoanne lives in Queensland, Australia with her roomie/fiancée Casey and their dog/baby Hercules.
She spends most of her free time reading books or watching TV shows and calling it research. Sometimes she actually does some writing of her own.
She spends most of her free time reading books or watching TV shows and calling it research. Sometimes she actually does some writing of her own.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 19, 2014
Joanne Boyd has a great hit on her hands. When you Wish Upon a Demon (High School Demon Hunters Bk1) is a fast paced, engrossing story from beginning to end. Though made for Young Adults, anyone who reads this book will be hard pressed to find something to dislike about it. I just found another series to follow. Fantastic job, Joanne!
August 10, 2014
Fast, funny and slightly off-the-wall. Ella makes an engaging heroine beset with the problems of dealing with both her own psychic powers and troublesome balletic members of the undead. A good short read - would like to see more of Ella and her Gran.
January 20, 2015
Trent was your average 13-year-old: not too focused on school, socially awkward, complaining about homework, and hanging out with his best friend Annabelle. But that all changed the day he found the note in his math book.
The note told him a demon was controlling someone in his class and would destroy everyone in 10 minutes unless he did something about it. Looking around in shock, he doesn't know what to. The only thing he knows about demons is what he has seen on TV. Thankfully there is someone who knows what to do-his PE teacher.
Trent has now been thrust into a world he never knew existed. He is a Demon Hunter, and now he must be trained like one. As if high school wasn't hard enough...
Joanne Boyd has managed to find the perfect balance between younger and older readers. When You Wish Upon a Demon is a book for everyone.
The minute you start reading you know it is something special. The story and characters grab your attention on page one, and it just gets better the more you read. It is a hard book to put down once you start! The story is fast paced, entertaining, and easy to read without talking down to you.
Boyd's characters are part of the magic of her book. She took the time to fully develop all of them, and made them very human and relatable. They're also believable (even when they're fighting demons :-)). They act like you would expect any normal person would; especially Trent.
Most Hunters grow up surrounded by it and knowing all about it. They even get homeschooled in their Hunting subjects until they reach a certain level. But Trent never knew anything about demons or demon hunters, so he was pretty much thrown into the deep end instead of being eased into being a Demon Hunter. He reacts differently to certain situations than the others do, and I'm pretty sure must of us would be the same way. He's also a teenager-so he's impulsive, stubborn, thinks he knows more than he does, etc. The younger readers will understand him, and the older readers will remember what it was like lol.
Boyd put a lot of heart and thought into When You Wish Upon a Demon and you can really tell. She has written a book for people of all ages, and done it beautifully. It is great for the YA readers, but just as good for the not-so-YA readers. I recommend it for everyone and I can't wait to continue the series!!
The note told him a demon was controlling someone in his class and would destroy everyone in 10 minutes unless he did something about it. Looking around in shock, he doesn't know what to. The only thing he knows about demons is what he has seen on TV. Thankfully there is someone who knows what to do-his PE teacher.
Trent has now been thrust into a world he never knew existed. He is a Demon Hunter, and now he must be trained like one. As if high school wasn't hard enough...
Joanne Boyd has managed to find the perfect balance between younger and older readers. When You Wish Upon a Demon is a book for everyone.
The minute you start reading you know it is something special. The story and characters grab your attention on page one, and it just gets better the more you read. It is a hard book to put down once you start! The story is fast paced, entertaining, and easy to read without talking down to you.
Boyd's characters are part of the magic of her book. She took the time to fully develop all of them, and made them very human and relatable. They're also believable (even when they're fighting demons :-)). They act like you would expect any normal person would; especially Trent.
Most Hunters grow up surrounded by it and knowing all about it. They even get homeschooled in their Hunting subjects until they reach a certain level. But Trent never knew anything about demons or demon hunters, so he was pretty much thrown into the deep end instead of being eased into being a Demon Hunter. He reacts differently to certain situations than the others do, and I'm pretty sure must of us would be the same way. He's also a teenager-so he's impulsive, stubborn, thinks he knows more than he does, etc. The younger readers will understand him, and the older readers will remember what it was like lol.
Boyd put a lot of heart and thought into When You Wish Upon a Demon and you can really tell. She has written a book for people of all ages, and done it beautifully. It is great for the YA readers, but just as good for the not-so-YA readers. I recommend it for everyone and I can't wait to continue the series!!
November 20, 2014
Trent is your average high school boy....he doesn't really seem to like class that much...he has a crush on "Annabelle" (the cute girl next door who's been his only real friend since childhood)...and he thinks some of his teachers and class mates are crazy!...But they're not really crazy...just possessed by demons! Things get even more complicated when Trent finds out that he has to help save Annabelle and the other students from these pesky paranormal predators, because he,and a few others, are descended from a long line of "Demon Hunters". Now math and history classes are taking a back seat to studying sword play and hand to hand combat! As if learning to identify, fight and destroy demons wasn't hard enough, now some new kid is also trying to get between him and Annabelle. What's a rookie teen demon hunter to do? Can Trent learn to trust his instructors and team, or is the prospect of losing the girl he desires more than he can handle? "When You Wish Upon a Demon" is a fun YA paranormal adventure by Australian independent author Joanne Boyd. It's probably the first in a series (don't want to give away the ending) and has a lot going for it. It's available on Kindle and is a fun, fast read that mixes in adventure, laughs and paranormal thrills in equal measure (I also love the "Scooby-Doo'esque" cover). It's pretty safe for kids of all ages and the humor makes it a fun read for adults too! I look forward to reading the further adventures of young Trent the Demon Hunter in the future!
August 12, 2014
Ella is a lot like any other teenager ...oh yeah, except she and her "Gran" are mediums who can communicate with the dead! When Ella and Gran attend the ballet, Ella soon discovers that the bodies of the dancers on stage might be spinning and twirling, but that doesn't mean that they are alive. Now it's up to Ella and some helpful ( and not so helpful) spirits to find out who is controlling the dead dancers and not letting them rest in peace. "The NecroDancer" is a fast, entertaining read that blends paranormal/zombies with a quick, "comic-like" pace to create an enjoyable story that YA readers will find easy to get into! Ms. Boyd spins a fun yarn that could easily become a series with the further adventures of Ella and her unique abilities returning to further entertain us!
June 28, 2014
Sure, there are lots of zombie books and stories out these days. It's a growing niche. But those zombies all shuffle and moan. Joanne Boyd's zombies dance. As in, ballet.
Teenage protagonist Ella is a medium reminiscent of Melinda Gordon in "Ghost Whisperer". But with less baby doll lingerie and more spunk. In this short story (38 real pages), book 1 in a prospective series, she must confront a necromancer reanimating corpses as his own dance company.
It is a fun, light read, well-edited, with a jazzy cover, well-suited to your bus-ride home after a long day at the office. Watch for more of Ella's adventures in the future.
Teenage protagonist Ella is a medium reminiscent of Melinda Gordon in "Ghost Whisperer". But with less baby doll lingerie and more spunk. In this short story (38 real pages), book 1 in a prospective series, she must confront a necromancer reanimating corpses as his own dance company.
It is a fun, light read, well-edited, with a jazzy cover, well-suited to your bus-ride home after a long day at the office. Watch for more of Ella's adventures in the future.
April 5, 2015
When You Wish Upon a Demon is the story of Trent, an average American teen, and his secret life as a Demon Hunter. Ms. Boyd has created a lovable, realistic hero in Trent that is destined to become a classic in his further adventures. As a retired teacher, I'm always looking for great reads to recommend to my colleagues still in the classroom, and this is one of them. Ms. Boyd takes the universal unspoken desire to be a hero, and coupled it in a modern-day high school situation, and then threw DEMONS into the mix. Well written and fast paced, an enjoyable YA tale that will appeal to all. More please, Ms. Boyd.
July 1, 2014
This is a fantastic debut novel by a strong new young adult author. I would recommend this book for anyone 9 years and up (I'm 27 and still loved it!). It reminds me of the Teen Power Inc./Raven Hill Mysteries series from Emily Rodda that I used to love when I was around that age, but with more zombies (I always thought Ms Rodda's books could use more zombies).
For fans of Sophie and the Shadow Woods, Buffy, and just general girls-fighting-the-undead antics. Give it a read, I promise you won't regret it.
For fans of Sophie and the Shadow Woods, Buffy, and just general girls-fighting-the-undead antics. Give it a read, I promise you won't regret it.
July 24, 2014
The Necrodancer is a light and entertaining read for someone looking for a quick dip in the zombie pool or in Ella’s case a quick turn on the zombie dance floor.
The short story follows Ella a young medium who although knows she harnesses this gift still does not know all there is to being a medium. With the little help of a ghost and a bit of inner strength she takes you on a journey that’s sure to keep you wanting more.
The short story follows Ella a young medium who although knows she harnesses this gift still does not know all there is to being a medium. With the little help of a ghost and a bit of inner strength she takes you on a journey that’s sure to keep you wanting more.
April 8, 2014
Very Cool Story
The Necrodancer is a fun, entertaining young adult story that readers of all ages will enjoy. I am a zombie book lover and this book did not fail to satisfy that side of me. I read this story while I had physical therapy. My doctor laughed at me, for I had a smile during my treatment. A very cool story worth the read.
The Necrodancer is a fun, entertaining young adult story that readers of all ages will enjoy. I am a zombie book lover and this book did not fail to satisfy that side of me. I read this story while I had physical therapy. My doctor laughed at me, for I had a smile during my treatment. A very cool story worth the read.
March 22, 2014
15 year old Ella should have been in school. Instead she had to find a way to release a basement full of ballet dancing zombies. This is the story of "the dancing dead" for the young person in your life. A well told story. Very interesting and imaginative.
August 5, 2014
Loved this book, very interesting combination of horror and humor! Can't wait for the next one.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews