114) Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison

Prom wasn't such a great night for Madison Avery. First she found out her date was a set-up and then a dark reaper killed her. Waking up in a morgue was not the intended outcome of prom night. Then the reaper appears to finish the job and Madison grabs the glowing amulet it is wearing and finds herself in a while new world.

Stuck on Earth but dead, everyone thinks she is still alive and well. Somehow the amulet she stole has given her a body but the bad guys are now out to get her. With a little help from the good guys, Madison tries to see what she can really do with the amulet and maybe even get her life back...and her body.

After following Kim Harrison's 'Hollows' series since it started, it was a surprise to see something new coming out from the author and a shock to see it was a young adult novel. However it is what all the good authors are writing these days, leaving all us oldies getting back in touch with our teen years and being thankful that we don't have to wait for pocket money to buy all these amazing new books.

So was this new book worth my well earned cash? I am still undecided. Madison is nothing like Rachel Morgan (and shouldn't be!) and I found it hard to warm to the dead teen. The start left me slightly confused and I have to say that some of the reaper details were a little complicated to follow. However the story and plot were good and fans of the writer will be impressed with her ability to write something totally different and the change of style.

Once Dead, Twice Shy is a little like the TV series 'Dead Like Me' but more good versus evil. If this is going to be a series I am not sure if I would rush out to buy the next book. While I did enjoy this read it didn't grab me enough to make me want more of the same straight away. Although I am definitely interested to see where the author will take this character in the future.