Beautiful Dead Book 1: Jonas (The Beautiful Dead)

Beautiful Dead was a lot different than I expected, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The beginning was a little slow, but I had a hard time putting the book down. Darina's unique and fun attitude kept the plot moving and there wasn't a slow moment. There were a variety of sub-plots and Maguire tackled the zombie idea with a new twist. The Beautiful Dead are actually a group of people, well zombies. But not just your average flesh eating zombies, the Beautiful Dead were almost normal looking with special powers. I was at the edge of my seat at quite a few scenes and I really liked the character and plot development. Beautiful Dead started off in what might seem like an awkward place but Maguire nailed it and created a haunting tale that many readers will enjoy. Phoenix was very sweet- I liked the romance in this book and Darina and Phoenix were perfect for each other. Their relationship was realistic and honest. Mystery, romance, and the undead were all tied together in this great debut.At first, some people might be a little wary as the plot seems a little too unique, but the more you read, the more you get involved in the book. Darina is witty and in control, a refreshing character that added a lot to the novel. I liked the rest of the Beautiful Dead, even seemingly begrudging Hunter. Once you realized his reason for being angry at Darina, readers could feel for him. It was easy in Beautiful Dead to hate the bad characters and love the good ones. I also really liked the character names. They went from a range of unique to common. Phoenix, Arizona, and Darina to Matt, Logan, and Jordan.In addition, I really like how Maguire is writing this series. The first book is about Jonas, the second Arizona, and so on- very awesome! And of course I really like the covers. They work perfectly with the book. I'm guessing that's Darina on the cover? It looks like I would picture her! Also, the font of the title is very cool!In the end, Beautiful Dead was an original and well written novel, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, Beautiful Dead: Book Two- Arizona!Rating;Plot: 9/10Characters: 9/10Ending: 8.5/10Enjoyment: 8.5/10Cover: 8.5/10--Overall: 43.5/50 = 87%

Eden Maguire introduces us to our protagonist, Darina, who is dealing with the deaths of four students from her high school within the past year; Jonas, Arizona, Summer, and Phoenix. The last one hit home, Phoenix being her boyfriend of two months. But, in Darina's depressed state, she thinks she sees Phoenix alive, so she follows him...and discovers the world of the Beautiful Dead.The Beautiful Dead is actually the four students, along with four other people, who have died within the past year. At the head is a man named Michael, who is cold and distant to Darina. They try to control her mind and make her forget, but her love for Phoenix is too strong, so she makes a deal. In order to retain knowledge of their little zombie state, she has to help each on of them take care of unfinished business so they pass on.And so the story unfolds. We are met first with Jonas, who died when he crashed his motorcycle, severely wounding his girlfriend, and a former friend of Darina's, Zoey. Darina begins to delve into the mystery, all the while trying to cope with only seeing Phoenix in small time frames, and dealing with some other not-so-nice townsfolk.The first half of the book did not impress like I thought it would. There was an info dump (which was a one-time thing, thankfully) and the romance between Darina and Phoenix was already established, so it kind of felt flat. The only concept I found new in their love was that both people were equally devoted, and while it had TWILIGHT shadowing, Phoenix is never abusive or cruel or monstrous. He still shows love and affection like a normal teenager who is entrapped by the bindings of true amour. The characters were pretty good, but nothing spectacular. And the plot was interesting, if somewhat ripping off Ghost Whisperer.It was somewhere around a certain plot revelation that the story began to speed up, and change for the better. Darina was a nice character, but Zoey really had my attention. She wasn't too amazing as a character, but she was interesting, and I loved reading about her lost love with Jonas. It appealed to my romantic side quite well. And it was near tear-inducing despite the cliche of the situation. I also enjoyed the mythos added to the book involving the Beautiful Dead - they become slightly darker and troubled. And that really sets it apart from the light paranormals we see. This book deals with death. With people dying. And it doesn't shy away from it. Which is cool, and welcomed, especially among the almost too happy paranormal books we see today.Overall, it was a pretty good book. The writing was good, and the plot elements were cool despite being a little contrived. The characters were just enough to keep me going, though the myth and the romance could use with a good expanding and fleshing out along the way. Maguire has an interesting series starter, and while it wasn't anything spectacular, it appealed to my romantic side and my love of paranormal stories. Needless to say, I will be picking up book two, because it's an enjoyable paranormal series despite some flaws that come with the territory. And I enjoy the covers. They are cool and Gothic, while at the same time not too insane. But that's just another reason I'll keep reading.A side note: Maguire talks about influences involving WUTHERING HEIGHTS, and I can really see it well. I think some of it is a little shallow for teen readers, but it's an interesting perspective, and fits with the book's darker atmosphere.Reviewed by: John Jacobson, aka "R.J. Jacobs"