Again, thank you to A Tale of Many Reviews for the opportunity to be a part of the Dancing with Death Tour. Also a big thank you to Andrea Heltsley for stopping by and for providing the book to read and review. Make sure to check out the Linky below to see the other stops on this tour.
(A Dancing Book #1)
by Andrea Heltsley
Published: August 10, 2012
Format Reviewed: ARC eBook
Synopsis:
Murders have plagued the woods in the past, making them a place of fear. Eighteen year old Wendy and her friends become worried when a new string of murders come to their high school. After a horrible car accident, Wendy returns to school, going from wallflower to popular overnight. As the murderer edges closer to Wendy she realizes things are changing. She is afflicted with nightmares that are all too real and she herself is undergoing unnatural changes. Learning the truth about her past, could be the key to saving her future.
My Thoughts:
"Run Wendy. Run as fast as you can. Death is coming and he is coming for you."
Wendy, a regular high school girl, is in a terrible car accident. If not for the mysterious stranger that rescued her - and her new boots - from the car, she would be a goner. But should she have died? After being plagued by nightmares and receiving cryptic messages from someone - or something - Wendy starts to think so. Not to mention that there is a murderer on the loose who just might have his sights on her. Wendy has to figure out what is going on and fast.
This is the third book that I have read by author Andrea Heltsley and I have to say she has a great imagination! When I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I had to read it. While this is not my favorite novel from her, there are some things I really like about Ms. Heltsley's writing. For example, there is constant theme in all her books of the strength of friendship how every main character has a BFF sidekick that never waivers from their side. Also, all of her characters are strong females and use their individuality to their advantage.
In general, I am getting a little wary of the love triangle aspect in all of YA fiction. In Dancing with Death, the triangle is between a new kid that Wendy is immediately drawn to and the hot new school librarian. And even though Wendy is 18, I felt uneasy about the latter match - too student/teacher. But, I can't deny that the scenes between Wendy and her men weren't steamy. Some other things that I did not like was that the dialogue was forced in some places, and the characters, while fun, didn't have much depth. They were stereotypical teenagers and the girls spent a lot of time thinking and talking about what to wear.
What I love about Dancing with Death is the paranormal twists and the mystery woven throughout the book. Who is the murderer? Why do they want Wendy dead? And what about her dreams, what do they mean? And the revealing of Wendy's family's secret history is a surprise and I am looking forward to seeing how that is expanded upon in the next book. Overall, I would say that this is a good start to a new series and those who like YA/Upper YA Paranormal Romance should add it to their shelves.
★ ★ ★ ★
Author Andrea Heltsley
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You are fantabulous! Thanks for reading my book and hosting me:) Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteAndrea~