The Book
When Darina’s boyfriend, Phoenix, is the fourth student to die from Ellerton High School, she feels her sanity start to slip away. Why fight when everything is bleak and gray? For Darina, there is no beauty left in the world. She is certain that she’s going crazy when she sees him, and the other high school fatalities, in an abandoned barn. But when Phoenix kisses her, she’s convinced he’s come back… to life? Jonas, Summer, Arizona and Phoenix have been guided back from death by the enigmatic and frightening Hunter, a “babysitter” for souls returned from the dead. The rules stipulate that they can remain in the world of the living for up to one year in order to set right a wrong linked to their deaths. In exchange for being allowed to see Phoenix, Darina agrees to help the undead teens find justice, starting with Jonas—whose year is nearly up! Keeping a barn full of animated, tattooed corpses a secret becomes increasingly difficult as rumors of ghosts and strange happenings rip through the small community. Grief stricken, the townspeople mobilize groups of bikers to explore the country around the town.

Darina must discover who is behind Jonas’s fatal motorcycle accident—without becoming a victim herself—and keep the secret of the Beautiful Dead. She would sacrifice anything to help her beloved Phoenix find peace, but setting him free means losing him forever…

Read the first chapter here.

The Review
It is no secret around here that I am a fan of supernatural young adult fiction. I see a book in this genre and I just have to read it! I was really excited to have the opportunity to read Beautiful Dead: Jonas as it is exactly the type of book I love! I was not let down by this one, and I cannot wait to read the next 3 books in the series.

I liked the idea that the Beautiful Dead have unfinished business and are able to come back to earth in order to settle their business. The characters in this book have all died in the last year, and they all attended the same high school. Naturally this has been a blow to the small town and not everyone is dealing with the losses in the best way.

The first book introduces us to the characters, we get to know some better than others. I am looking forward to getting to know the rest of the characters better, and finding out what their unfinished business is.

The book jumps right into the story, which can be a bit surprising. The relationships are already established so its hard to identify with the great loss our main character Darina feels over her boyfriend of 2 months death. As the book continues to unfold though, the reader is given more insight into their relationship making it all more believeable. A great start to what is sure to be an exciting series.

The Author
Eden Maguire lives in both Colorado and the UK. Her admiration for Emily Bronte's classic, Wuthering Heights, ties in with her fascination for the dark side of life and informs her portrayal of the restless, romantic souls in The Beautiful Dead.


The Publisher
This is one of the first releases of the Sourcebooks Fire young adult division of Sourcebooks. I am looking forward to seeing with this division has to offer in the future!

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