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Death is a Many-Splendored Thing
High School Freshman Zack Thornwood is minding his own business walking home from school when he spots a man with a hole in his head vanish into the earth. Zack then meets Xander Moon, a self-described Hunter of the Dead, who explains that Hole-In-Head-Guy (named Gus) is dead, and that there are a lot of dead people running around pretending not to be dead. And this is a bad thing. Xander gives Zack the ability to spot the dead by their very specific odor (he smells dead people) and the two are off on a whirlwind adventure as they try to thwart the plans of an evil dead woman named Miss Bubbles who is trying to piece together an ancient machine that will allow her to rule over the world with an army of the dead.
179 pages, Paperback
Published May 25, 2022
About the author
David Neilsen
27 books35 followersDavid Neilsen is a classically trained actor and professional storyteller from Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow who has performed all over New York City, Westchester County, and the Hudson Valley. Specializing in traumatizing children for life during the Halloween season, he has performed in such locations as the New York Botanical Gardens, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, and Washington Irving’s Sunnyside in addition to warping minds at various schools and birthday parties. He has also created a number of one-man shows based on the works of author H.P. Lovecraft, as well as an educational show based on the life of Revolution-era British Spy, Major John Andre.
His debut Middle Grade novel, Doctor Fell and the Playground of Doom--published by Crown Books for Young Readrs in 2016--was named an Editor’s Pick by Amazon and was a Semifinalist for Best Middle Grade / Chidlren’s Book in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. His second book, Beyond the Doors, will be published in August, 2017.
Learn more about David on his website. https://david-neilsen.com/
His debut Middle Grade novel, Doctor Fell and the Playground of Doom--published by Crown Books for Young Readrs in 2016--was named an Editor’s Pick by Amazon and was a Semifinalist for Best Middle Grade / Chidlren’s Book in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. His second book, Beyond the Doors, will be published in August, 2017.
Learn more about David on his website. https://david-neilsen.com/
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 5, 2022
Spooks and scares creep around every corner with mysteries and secrets, but embrace it with tons of humor and a character to adore, and it warps into a fun ride.
Zach is a pretty normal, high school kid. He loves playing for the baseball team, has friends, and is trying to figure out how to get the love of his life to go on a date with him. The only snare in his life is that his father passed away when he was young, but his step-dad isn't too bad, either. While walking home after practice, he passes a guy searching through the trees for something, but it's the hole right through the guy's head which has Zach doing a double-take. When the guy disappears into the ground and another many runs up behind, asking where the man went...and if Zach can't tell him, it's the end of the world...Zach's life swings into anything but normal. And it will never be again.
The cover, actually, isn't only grabbing but it says it all. This book slams full-force into what should be scary, but swerves into humor to create an unique and exciting twist. Oh, and see the Indiana-Jones type in the background? Well, that eludes to even more. In other words, this is a read full of all-paranormal-horror but humor, instead, and tons and tons of adventure, too. It makes for a read, which holds tons of surprises, unexpected twists, and makes the tale hard to put down.
Each character is as unique as the writing and plot. Especially Zach fits so well into the atmosphere, that it's hard not to want to be right there with him. He comes across as a very normal teen, a little awkward and insecure but handling life fine. And he over thinks everything. Extremely. The book is written from his perspective and allows the reader into his head, which is a very ramble-y, all-over-the-place spot to be. The hesitation, confusion, and uncertainty make him easy to root for as he encounters one impossible thing after the other. It's fun to watch as he trains to wrap his brain around things and figure it all out...and that never occurs smoothly. So, he's a great hero.
I do recommend this one for upper middle graders and the younger end of the YA audience. Actually, even adults will smirk and smile. It's definitely a dive into fun for those who are willing to give it a go and keep an open mind. I received an ARC and enjoyed the adventure quite a bit.
Zach is a pretty normal, high school kid. He loves playing for the baseball team, has friends, and is trying to figure out how to get the love of his life to go on a date with him. The only snare in his life is that his father passed away when he was young, but his step-dad isn't too bad, either. While walking home after practice, he passes a guy searching through the trees for something, but it's the hole right through the guy's head which has Zach doing a double-take. When the guy disappears into the ground and another many runs up behind, asking where the man went...and if Zach can't tell him, it's the end of the world...Zach's life swings into anything but normal. And it will never be again.
The cover, actually, isn't only grabbing but it says it all. This book slams full-force into what should be scary, but swerves into humor to create an unique and exciting twist. Oh, and see the Indiana-Jones type in the background? Well, that eludes to even more. In other words, this is a read full of all-paranormal-horror but humor, instead, and tons and tons of adventure, too. It makes for a read, which holds tons of surprises, unexpected twists, and makes the tale hard to put down.
Each character is as unique as the writing and plot. Especially Zach fits so well into the atmosphere, that it's hard not to want to be right there with him. He comes across as a very normal teen, a little awkward and insecure but handling life fine. And he over thinks everything. Extremely. The book is written from his perspective and allows the reader into his head, which is a very ramble-y, all-over-the-place spot to be. The hesitation, confusion, and uncertainty make him easy to root for as he encounters one impossible thing after the other. It's fun to watch as he trains to wrap his brain around things and figure it all out...and that never occurs smoothly. So, he's a great hero.
I do recommend this one for upper middle graders and the younger end of the YA audience. Actually, even adults will smirk and smile. It's definitely a dive into fun for those who are willing to give it a go and keep an open mind. I received an ARC and enjoyed the adventure quite a bit.
July 23, 2022
Not everything in this world is what it immediately appears to be.
Zach was an interesting and memorable main character who genuinely felt like a moody teenage boy. I’m saying that affectionally as I liked him quite a bit even when he was a little grumpy with the adults in his life who dared to ask him questions or wished to know where he was going late at night. These moments are a normal part of growing up for many teens, though, and I’m glad they were included so naturally here. He was a brave kid who enjoyed taking risks. Both of these traits served him well during his adventure.
There were some pacing issues in the beginning and the middle of the storyline. I found myself wishing for more conflict or plot twists during them. As much fun as it was to see Zach try to navigate normal activities like going to school after he learned how many dead people there were out there who were pretending to still be alive, this didn’t quite give me enough substance to work with. I think there was room for more development here, and I would have gone with a higher rating if it had been included.
Mr. Neilsen did a good job with the world building. He explained exactly what he needed to about this world in order for it to make sense for me as a reader, and the framework he set up made me yearn for more. For example, I’d love to know how the dead handle things like doctor’s appointments or going through airport security due to the many physiological differences between them and the living that can quickly become apparent with a body scan, x-ray, blood draw, or any other close attention paid to the topic. As this appears to be the beginning of a new series, I was glad to see how much space he left himself for the future as well. It will be exciting to see where he goes next.
I’d recommend Death is a Many-Splendored Thing to anyone who is in the mood for adventurous young adult fiction.
Zach was an interesting and memorable main character who genuinely felt like a moody teenage boy. I’m saying that affectionally as I liked him quite a bit even when he was a little grumpy with the adults in his life who dared to ask him questions or wished to know where he was going late at night. These moments are a normal part of growing up for many teens, though, and I’m glad they were included so naturally here. He was a brave kid who enjoyed taking risks. Both of these traits served him well during his adventure.
There were some pacing issues in the beginning and the middle of the storyline. I found myself wishing for more conflict or plot twists during them. As much fun as it was to see Zach try to navigate normal activities like going to school after he learned how many dead people there were out there who were pretending to still be alive, this didn’t quite give me enough substance to work with. I think there was room for more development here, and I would have gone with a higher rating if it had been included.
Mr. Neilsen did a good job with the world building. He explained exactly what he needed to about this world in order for it to make sense for me as a reader, and the framework he set up made me yearn for more. For example, I’d love to know how the dead handle things like doctor’s appointments or going through airport security due to the many physiological differences between them and the living that can quickly become apparent with a body scan, x-ray, blood draw, or any other close attention paid to the topic. As this appears to be the beginning of a new series, I was glad to see how much space he left himself for the future as well. It will be exciting to see where he goes next.
I’d recommend Death is a Many-Splendored Thing to anyone who is in the mood for adventurous young adult fiction.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews