Title: Beautiful Dead: Book 1 – Jonas
Author: Eden Maguire
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: Provided by Publisher
Parental Warning: violence, sexuality

“It was the last clear thought I had before the pounding of wings grew louder still   and filled my head.  Hunter stared and the wings beat, like a force field battering me back the way I’d come.  A smothering sensation came over me, and then a panic.  The invisible wings were all around, forcing me to fight with my fists at thin air.  I punched but there was no enemy.  Breathless, turning this way and that, I yelled for Jonas to hep me.”

Summary:
PhoenixRohr was the love of Darina’s life.  When he suddenly dies at the hands of violence she is immediately catapulted into a life of devastation.  Lost in her grief, Darina wanders into a most surprising situation.  As it turns out Phoenix isn’t as dead as one might think.  In fact, he’s undead.

Known as the Beautiful Dead, Phoenix and three other recently deceased classmates — Jonas, Summer, and Arizona — must find closure to unspecified events that leave them hanging in a sort of limbo between true death and life.  Sent back from beyond to their small town the foursome are protected by an overlord by the name of Hunter.  When Darina stumbles upon the group performing some sort of ritual Hunter does everything in his power to scare her away. After she continues to return, proving him unsuccessful in that endeavor, he is convinced by the group to allow her to remain aware of their presence and to help each of them seek the truth that holds them back from moving to the after life.

Opinion:
A short quick read this book kept me entertained.  Despite an underlying tone of sadness there was still a general feeling of hope throughout. Particularly in the romantic areas involving both Darina and Jonas.

I have to say that what made this book the most for me was how the undead were portrayed.  These zombies weren’t shuffling, mindless, flesh dripping brain eaters.  They were angelic and human and supernatural in nature.  Not to be feared in the traditional sense they were, however, quite powerful.  Able to exert mind control and invade the personal space of of our thoughts and emotions.

The love story between Phoenix and Darina is as tragic as one would expect but the love they shared in his after life was equally endearing.  At times I could feel the longing between them jump off the page.  The same hold true for Jonas and the young girl he let behind.  Both bursting with love for each other but unable to act on it.  It was heartbreaking yet inspiring at the same time.

I found the story of Darina been the human connection that allowed the Beautiful Dead to properly investigate the circumstances surrounding the reasons for remaining in limbo to be an interesting take on the zombie story.  It made complete sense and it tied her to the group realistically.  Sadly, this made the ending somewhat predictable (mainly because we know there are more books to come).  Thankfully, for me, the story is much more about the journey to get to that end than what the actual ending was.

It was a journey that I enjoyed.  It was emotional and loving while still somewhat thrilling and in some cases surprising.  It’s certainly a journey I’m interested enough in taking again in book two.

[This review is part of a blog tour arranged by Sourcebooks Fire where you can view a list of the participating blogs]