Queen of the Dead (a Ghost and the Goth Novel) (Ghost and the Goth Novels)

by Stacey Kade

[rakesandrogues]

After finishing up The Ghost and the Goth earlier this summer, I was ecstatic to hear that the book was going to have a sequel. Despite the fact that I thought that The Ghost and the Goth tied up nicely, I was very curious to see how the story would continue. While QUEEN OF THE DEAD was an overall enjoyable read, it was not as great as the first book.

I think what prevented me from really enjoying this book was the fact that it was a lot more serious. What I loved about The Ghost and the Goth was that it was a paranormal novel that didn’t take itself too seriously. QUEEN OF THE DEAD was heavier in terms of plot than the first and it took a while to get used to the change of pace.

While the plot was no longer light and fluffy, I did appreciate that this plot gave the characters more depth. Will learns more about his dad who had committed suicide, and Alona watches helplessly as her parents learn to move on after her death. Both characters face certain things that they have been avoiding and sets up areas for character growth.

In my review of The Ghost and the Goth, I did question how Kade was going to pull off the romance between Will and Alona. Realistically, speaking: Alona’s a ghost. How is this supposed to work out? I’m so glad that Kade tackled this dilemma in the sequel. I actually thought that this would happen, and it was a lot of fun actually reading the scene.

With that said, I was disappointed with the development – or lack thereof – of the romance between Will and Alona in this book. I know the two love to bicker, but I was really hoping that one of them would confront their feelings already. The fact that nothing really happened between them (so close but not quite) really frustrated me as a reader.

Even if the sequel doesn’t live up to the first book, I’m still looking forward to finishing this series. I must find out what happens between Alona and Will.