Book Tour Stop (Giveaway Included!): Undeadly by Michele Vail ~ Review and Soundtrack

The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird...

Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper-and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. Within days, she’s shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath. Who seems to hate her guts.

Rath will be watching closely to be sure she completes her first assignment-reaping Rick, the boy who should have died. The boy she still wants to be with. To make matters worse, students at the academy start turning up catatonic, and accusations fly-against Molly. The only way out of this mess? To go through hell. Literally.

Release date: November 20, 2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Purchase Amazon: Undeadly by Michele Vail

Egyptian mythology, reapers, ghosts, necromancy, zombies, secrets, betrayal, revelations, hope. This book is filled to the brim with all those things that make you smile, cringe, gasp, or get misty eyed. 

Molly seems like a typical teenage girl. She's got her eye on a cute boy; she's dreaming about getting her license (and possibly a car); and she makes zombies after school and on the weekends at her dad's emporium. You know. Typical teenage stuff. 

Until her birthday party. After that, Molly's whole world shifts. Her past isn't what she thought it was and her future... well, let's just say it doesn't include cute boys (live ones, anyway) and cars. Poor Molly comes face to face with her destiny ~ at fifteen, oh, excuse me sixteen, that's pretty heavy stuff ~ and no matter how she may try to ignore it, it's always going to find her. That, and she needs to fix the mess she made of Rick. Not to mention going to a new school, trying to make new friends, and keeping up with homework. Totally overwhelming situation, but Molly swings it, discovering a strength within herself she wouldn't have thought possible before all this crap hit the fan.

I love Molly's voice. She's sarcastic, witty, and there was no denying that she was a teenage girl with a lot of growing to do. She's smart and even though she's afraid, she still faces what's put in front of her and takes it on full force. 

The way this book is put together is ... unique. Clever, clever, clever. We switch from the story to Molly's diary, and before every chapter is a quote, barely hinting at what's coming next, from books like The History of Necromancy, Ancient Zombies, and The Secret History of Reapers. I couldn't wait to get to the next chapter, not only because the story was so captivating, but I couldn't wait to see what concoction the author would come up with next. 

Michele Vail uses a crazy number of supernatural elements, but brought together, they totally work. Zombies. Reapers ~ you know, the dudes who take the dead to where they're supposed to go. Ghosts. Necromancers ~ special people who can bring others back from the dead. Anubis ~ Egyptian god of the afterlife. I love a good vampire/werewolf novel, but it's refreshing to read about something completely different ~ something with elements I never would have thought to combine. Awesome. 

The world building was amazing. Everything looks and feels the same as our familiar "real world" for the most part, but in Molly's world, the supernatural are just a part of life. They aren't secrets or something only a select few believe in. No, kids study these subjects in school and it's a rich part of the world's past. Yet another unique aspect. Vail weaves this necromancy/zombie/Anubis stuff into actual history. Seeing a zombie walking around the streets or a ghost doing dishes in the kitchen is an everyday thing in Molly's world. 

The ending left a lot of questions and anticipation for what happens next. Mostly anticipation. I'm am already itching to get my hands on the next chapter of Molly's story ~ very curious to see where her knack for getting in trouble leads us next. 

Highly recommend! Four out of five stars from this reader.

Happy Reading Everyone :)

~ Keely ~

P.S. Keep scrolling for the soundtrack, author's bio, and OH YES, a giveaway! 

:Soundtrack:

1. New Beginning ~ Trapt

2. Arise ~ Chevelle

3. The Grey ~ Icon for Hire

4. Rogues ~ Incubus

5. Closer ~ Kings of Leon

6. Echo ~ Incubus

7. I Walked with a Zombie ~ Kimmi

8. Afterlife ~ Avenged Sevenfold

9. The Collector ~ Nine Inch Nails

10. Don't You Forget About Me ~ Simple Minds

1. New Beginning ~ Trapt

2. Arise ~ Chevelle

3. The Grey ~ Icon for Hire

4. Rogues ~ Incubus

5. Closer ~ Kings of Leon

6. Echo ~ Incubus

7. I Walked with a Zombie ~ Kimmi

8. Afterlife ~ Avenged Sevenfold

9. The Collector ~ Nine Inch Nails

10. Don't You Forget About Me ~ Simple Minds

:Author Bio:

Michele Vail writes young adult paranormal fiction about zombies and reapers. 

She likes reading, dogs, cats, board games, ghost-hunting shows, and Halloween. She believes in magic, in the impossible, and in the restorative powers of chocolate. 

Michele lives happily-ever-after with her Viking and their family.

Vist Michele via

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