Thursday, September 1, 2011

Review: Death Whispers by Tamara Rose Blodgett

Hello all! Today is a book review day. Yay!

Up for today is Death Whispers by Tamara Rose Blodgett. Go here to visit her blog. It's full of information about her and her books, including where to buy them.

Summary on Goodreads.com:
"Almost fifteen-year-old Caleb Hart is a Cadaver-Manipulator in the year 2025.

When teens receive a government-sanctioned pharmaceutical cocktail during school, paranormal abilities begin manifesting... making the teens more powerful than the adults.

After Caleb discovers he has the rare, "Affinity for the Dead," he must do whatever it takes to hide it from a super-secret government agency whose goal is exploitation.

Caleb seeks refuge in his new girlfriend, Jade, until he realizes that she needs as much protection from her family, as he does from the government.

Suddenly, Caleb finds that hiding his ability while protecting Jade and his friends is a full time job; can he escape the government, protect Jade and lose the bullies that are making him miserable?"




My Review:
I'll have to let you find out the answer to that question on your own. 

The thing that stood out to me most in this book was the main character, Caleb. He definitely has his own personality. He seems like a genuine kid who is just finding out the world around him isn't exactly what he thought it was. That itself is what makes this book an interesting read. For me the most confusing and important part of life is those in between years. Where you're not a kid exactly and you're definitely not an adult. You're figuring out the world around you and you're figuring out who you are as a person. That's exactly what Caleb is going through during this book. But he isn't a regular kid, he's also has a twinge of paranormal activity that follows him around, making his life a lot more interesting.

Zombies. I've stated on another book review on this blog that I am not a fan of the undead. While I'm still not a fan of the undead, I did like the zombies in this book. They were creepy and a little comical, but not it a goofy sort of way where you could forget they are dangerous. 

What to watch out for: 
The language the characters use is strong and politically incorrect. It could even be offensive. It's accurate with their age and immaturity, but it is something to look out for. The mother character often chastises the characters who do speak that way. So, it's not like it's viewed as acceptable in the book. It is a sign of the characters immaturity.

Overall, I'd say Death Whispers is an interesting read. I'd recommend it to middle schoolers who are really  into zombies. Parents could use the language as an introduction into a discussion on why it is important to speak correctly and accurately. 

3 comments:

Shannon O'Donnell said...

This is a GREAT and thorough review, Bethany! Thank you. :-)

Meredith said...

A cadaver manipulator sounds like an absolutely awful job! But this book looks awesome. Thanks for the review!

Tamara Rose Blodgett said...

Thanks for reviewing my book, Bethany! Currently, "Death Whispers" is free on Amazon, NOOK, and Smashwords...and book 2, "Death Speaks," released yesterday. :)