Kiss Me Dead

Brooke has been afraid to leave the safety of her home since she witnessed her brother’s soul illegally stolen by a rogue reaper. When her best friend becomes entangled with a one of them Brooke is determined to protect her - even if that means leaving her house and interacting with the handsome and mysterious Christian. Christian is cursed to serve as a reaper and his only way out is to kiss Brooke. She is far from what he expected, however, and when sparks fly between them, they will have to navigate the world of reapers and watchers to find a way to break Christian’s curse and keep Brooke alive.

A new spin on the reaper theme, “Kiss Me Dead” is an excellent YA read with interesting characters that exhibit every shade of black, white, and grey. None of the characters are completely good or evil, nor all powerful. Brooke is smart without being brilliant, caring without being a martyr. Christian is handsome and brooding without being a warrior. The content is dark as well, although not explicit. The relationship between the two main characters is blissfully free of insta-love, and involves a slowly building romance between the two that shows promise for the sequel. The only downside is the somewhat confusing presentation of Christian’s past. The transitions from past to present aren’t always smooth. Minor niggles aside, this is a great read for those looking for a reaper book that does its own thing.

Sarah E. Bradley