Synopses & Reviews
Sixteen-year-old Lex Bartleby has sucker-punched her last classmate. Fed up with her punkish, wild behavior, her parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape. But Uncle Morts true occupation is much dirtier than that of shoveling manure. Hes a Grim Reaper. And hes going to teach her the family business. Lex quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated entirely by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. Along with her infuriating yet intriguing partner Driggs and a rockstar crew of fellow Grim apprentices, Lex is soon zapping her Targets like a natural born Killer. Yet her innate ability morphs into an unchecked desire for justice—or is it vengeance?—whenever shes forced to Kill a murder victim, craving to stop the attackers before they can strike again. So when people start to die—that is, people who arent supposed to be dying, people who have committed grievous crimes against the innocent—Lexs curiosity is piqued. Her obsession grows as the bodies pile up, and a troubling question begins to swirl through her mind: if she succeeds in tracking down the murderer, will she stop the carnage—or will she ditch Croak and join in?
Review
"Go ahead and die laughing, knowing that the safe transport of your mortal soul will be the summer job of a sweetheart teen with godlike power and discipline problems. A lot of books make me wish I could live within their pages, but I wouldn't mind dying in this one." —Adam Rex, author of Fat Vampire "Creepy and hilarious."—VOYA, 4Q, 5P
Review
"The central mystery is genuinely puzzling, and Lexs narrative voice is funny and fresh. . . . Fantasy fans who like their tales gritty and filled with irreverent humor will be eager for the follow-up."—
Kirkus Reviews "The morbid subject matter is kept in check by entertaining characters, clever twists, and a sly, self-aware sense of humor."—Publishers Weekly "Go ahead and die laughing, knowing that the safe transport of your mortal soul will be the summer job of a sweetheart teen with godlike power and discipline problems. A lot of books make me wish I could live within their pages, but I wouldn't mind dying in this one." —Adam Rex, author of Fat Vampire "Creepy and hilarious."—VOYA, 4Q, 5P "Damico nicely balances the grim subject matter with a heavy dose of humor, and the third-person narration provides some deadpan perspective on Lexs absurd situation that gives the story an appealing tall-tale feel. . . . An intricate and imaginative construction of the afterlife that is as amusing as it is unique."—Bulletin "Teens looking for something new will find this scythe-swinging debut novel to die for. . . . [A] wacky, highly entertaining new series."—Booklist "Creative details, sarcastic humor, and quick-witted dialogue makes Croak rise above other stories of its type."—SLJ
Review
Praise for Croak "Go ahead and die laughing, knowing that the safe transport of your mortal soul will be the summer job of a sweetheart teen with godlike power and discipline problems. A lot of books make me wish I could live within their pages, but I wouldn't mind dying in this one."
—Adam Rex, author of Fat Vampire
"Creepy and hilarious."
—VOYA, 4Q, 5P
Praise for Scorch
"An amusing blend of whimsy and humor with serious drama and blood."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Characters are always as clever as we wish we were. . . . An irresistible blend of impending doom, irreverent humor, hormone-fueled make-out sessions, and creative world-building make this sequel stronger than its predecessor and will leave readers dying for the next book."
—School Library Journal
Praise for Rogue
"A gut-wrenching, laugh-out-loud, gritty, honest and brave ending to an appealing trilogy."
—Kirkus
Review
Praise for the Dead Isand#160;series
"[Perez] delivers a wise-cracking, boy-lusting, determined sleuth of a high school protagonist . . . this quick, lighter-than-air spoof of the undead, cheerleaders and popularity is pure pleasure."and#8212;Publishers Weekly
"A fun ride from start to finish. Perez's smart and sassy style soars."and#8212;Mary E. Pearson, author of the Jenna Foxand#160;Chronicles
"[A] quick, lively romp. . . . Teens looking for a breezy read will find plenty to like here."and#8212;Booklist
"This super supernatural murder mystery is sassy, romantic, and spooky-fun!"and#8212;Cynthia Leitich Smith, author of Tantalize
"Light romance and a paranormal plot are more tongue-in-cheek than scary, making this series a good introduction to the genre for younger readers."and#8212;Booklist
"Breezy style and comic-book plot. . . . Fun."and#8212;Kirkus
Review
2011 Popular Paperbacks Titles Award
An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
"Fans who mourn the loss of TV's Veronica Mars are in for a treat as Perez delivers a wise-cracking, boy-lusting, determined sleuth of a high school protagonist . . . this quick, lighter-than-air spoof of the undead, cheerleaders and popularity is pure pleasure."and#8212;Publishers Weekly "Witty and humorous . . . provides romance, mystery, friendship, adventure, and the supernatural all rolled up in a fast-paced, plot-twisting story."and#8212;School Library Journal
"Starts off with a sweet bangand#8212;lots of plot lines are set in place, and the characters are well drawn and a bit off the beaten track."and#8212;VOYA, (4Q4P) paperback series roundup
Review
"Fans who mourn the loss of TV's
Veronica Mars are in for a treat as Perez (
Unexpected Development) delivers a wise-cracking, boy-lusting, determined sleuth of a high school protagonist named Daisy Giordano. . . . This quick, lighter-than-air spoof of the undead, cheerleaders and popularity is pure pleasure. Teens will be glad to know two sequels are already in the pipeline."
and#8212;Publishers Weekly (9/01/08 )
Review
VOYA Top Shelf for Middle School Readers 2013 list
* "Quirky, charming and life-affirming, supernatural style."
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"With a strong mystery at its core and fantasy elements, this has potential to appeal to a wide range of readers."
—Booklist
"Fans of Lois Lowry's Giver quartet will most likely appreciate this imaginative tale."
—SLJ
"The fantastical nature of Departures allows the book to stay lighthearted, even as Gabriela explores some of her deepest fears and existential questions. . . .The Wrap-Up List is likely to appeal to fans of the end-of-life issues genre."
—VOYA
Review
"Once again, Perez offers up a clever mix of reality—senioritis, high-school graduation events, part-time jobs, and young love—and paranormal elements. . . . Although familiarity with the other four books in the series will certainly give readers an advantage here, newcomers to Nightshade High will have few problems following the sometimes tense, often humorous plotlines."--
Booklist "For the reader who enjoys a well written mystery with good guys and bad guys who happen to be supernatural beings, this one is a winner. . . . This title will be a favorite for those already a fan of the Dead Is series or someone reading Marlene Perez's work for the first time. Once you start reading, you will be hooked on Daisy and the town of Nightshade."--VOYA (5Q, 4P)
"Psychic Daisy is a character that every reader will love. . . . Filled with twists and turns, any tween through teenager will enjoy reading this book. But, don't be surprised if you can't put it down until you're done with it!"--Romantic Times
Praise for other Dead Is books: "[Perez] delivers a wise-cracking, boy-lusting, determined sleuth of a high school protagonist . . . this quick, lighter-than-air spoof of the undead, cheerleaders and popularity is pure pleasure."--Publishers Weekly "A hit . . . grabbed me with the first page and didn't let go."--Julie Kenner, author of The Good Ghoul's Guide to Getting Even "A fun ride from start to finish. Perez's smart and sassy style soars."--Mary E. Pearson, author of The Adoration of Jenna Fox "[A] quick, lively romp. . . . Teens looking for a breezy read will find plenty to like here."--Booklist "This super supernatural murder mystery is sassy, romantic, and spooky-fun!"--Cythia Leitich Smith, author of Tantalize
Dead Is the New Black is an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
Synopsis
Teenage delinquent Lex's parents ship her off to her uncle's house for the summer, where she discovers a surprising family business as a grim reaper and gets caught up in a mystery in the first installment of a morbidly hilarious new series.
Synopsis
Fed up with her wild behavior, sixteen-year-old Lexs parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape. But Uncle Morts true occupation is much dirtier than shoveling manure. Hes a Grim Reaper. And hes going to teach Lex the family business.
She quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. But Lex cant stop her desire for justice—or is it vengeance?—whenever she encounters a murder victim, craving to stop the attackers before they can strike again. Will she ditch Croak and go rogue with her reaper skills?
Synopsis
Something very strange starts happening in Nightshade the summer that the eldest Giordano sister, Rose, gets a job working at Dr. Franken's research laboratory. People are starting to see double. Doppelgand#228;ngers of Nightshade residents are popping up all over town. Daisy, Rose and Poppy think it's a coincidence, until the rumors start that their father, who disappeared several years ago, has been spotted in town. Meanwhile, Daisy's beau, Ryan is spending all of his time training for football, and like the other guys on the team, he's grown enormous almost overnight. Samantha Devereux's boyfriend's neck has doubled in size since school ended. Could the football players be resorting to extreme measures to win? Between summer jobs, sugar rushes, and beach parties, the Giordano girls get to the bottom of these mysteries and more.
Synopsis
The grimly hilarious first installment in a creepy, campyand#160;new series
Synopsis
Welcome to Nightshade, Californiaandmdash;a small town full of secrets. Itandrsquo;s home to the pyschic Giordano sisters, who have a way of getting mixed up in mysteries. During their investigations, they run across everything from pom-pom-shaking vampires to shape-shifting boyfriends to a clue-spewing jukebox. With their psychic powers and some sisterly support, they can crack any case!
Teenage girls are being mysteriously attacked all over town, including at Nightshade High School, where Daisy Giordano is a junior. When Daisy discovers that a vampire may be the culprit, she canandrsquo;t help but suspect head cheerleader Samantha Devereaux, who returned from summer break with a new andldquo;look.andrdquo; Samantha appears a little . . . well, dead, and all the most popular kids at school are copying her style.
Is looking dead just another fashion trend for Samantha, or is there something more sinister going on? To find out, Daisy joins the cheerleading squad.
Synopsis
A creepy, campy new mystery series
Welcome to Nightshade, Californiaand#8212;a small town full of secrets. Itand#8217;s home to the psychic Giordano sisters, who have a way of getting mixed up in mysteries. During their investigations, they run across everything from pom-pom- shaking vampires to shape-shifting boyfriends to a clue-spewing jukebox. With their psychic powers and some sisterly support, they can crack any case!
Thereand#8217;s a gorgeous new guy at Nightshade High: Duke Sherrad, a fortune-teller claiming to have descended from Gypsies. Even though sheand#8217;s psychic herself, Daisy is skeptical of Dukeand#8217;s powers. But when a teacher who was the subject of one of his predictions ends up dead, she begins to wonder if Duke is the real deal after all.
Maybe if Daisy can track down the teacherand#8217;s killer, she can find out the truth. The only trouble is, all signs point to the murderer being of the furry persuasion. Is Daisy any match for a werewolf? Maybe she is . . . in more ways than she bargained for!
Synopsis
When 16-year old Gabriela's death is foretold by a letter, she must complete her "wrap-up list" before she's forced to say goodbye forever in this smart, funny, compelling, and mysterious young adult novel.
Synopsis
In this modern-day suburban town, one percent of all fatalities come about in the most peculiar way. Deaths—eight-foot-tall, silver-gray creatures—send a letter (“Dear So-and-So, your days are numbered”) to whomever is chosen for a departure, telling them to wrap up their lives and do the things they always wanted to do before they have to “depart.” When sixteen-year-old Gabriela receives her notice, she is, of course devastated. Will she kiss her crush Sylvester before its too late? Friendship, first love, and fantasy artfully mesh in this magically realistic world that ultimately celebrates life.
Synopsis
Its springtime of senior year, and psychic sleuth Daisy Giordano is preparing to say goodbye to Nightshade High. But no college acceptance letters have arrived yet, and shes beginning to worry about where shell end up come fall—and if it will be anywhere near her boyfriend, Ryan. But thats not the only uncertainty Daisys dealing with. Theres a vamps-versus-shifters war going on in Nightshade, and things are so tense that there is talk of canceling the prom. The conflict is carrying over to the Giordano home, since Rose and Daisy are both dating werewolves and Poppys new boyfriend is a vampire.
Can the paranormal community in Nightshade finally find peace? And will Daisy and her friends survive graduation? All of these questions and more are answered in the latest explosive installment in the Dead Is series.
Synopsis
As the creepy little town of Nightshade prepares to celebrate its 200th anniversaryandmdash;on Halloween, of courseandmdash;many of its paranormal residents are receiving mysterious blackmail letters. Psychic teen Daisy Giordano and her sisters set out to find out who is behind the threats. But launching an investigation isnandrsquo;t easy for Daisy with her overprotective father watching her every move. Though sheandrsquo;s is happy to have him back after the years he spent being held captive by an anti-paranormal group called the Scourge, Dad is having difficult time adjusting to home lifeandmdash;and the fact that his little girl is now a senior in high school. He even disapproves of Daisyandrsquo;s boyfriend, Ryan. Can their relationship take the strain?
And Daisyandrsquo;s got even more on her plate: A talented amateur chef, she has won cooking lessons with celebrity chef Circe Silvertongue. After nosing around (with a little help from Circeandrsquo;s pet pig), Daisy begins to suspect the temperamental chefandrsquo;s secrets arenandrsquo;t only in her ingredients. . . .
The fourth installment in this favorite series is full of surprises and scares!
About the Author
Gina Damico grew up in Syracuse, New York. She received a degree in theater and sociology from Boston College, where she was active with the Committee for Creative Enactments, the countrys only collegiate murder mystery improv comedy troupe. She has since worked as a tour guide, transcriptionist, theater house manager, scenic artist, and movie extra. Croak is her first novel. She lives in Boston with her husband, two cats, and a closet full of black hoodies.