Wistful YA~MY SISTER'S REAPER & Giveaway!

Wistful YA is my official meme created to highlight some aspect of young adult literature. If you'd like to join me, you can pick up the meme logo HERE and just post away!

Today, I have a blog tour for you. Yup. I'm a host. Sweet!!! And I've been asked to share my thoughts about a novel written by Dorothy Dreyer. So it's only appropriate that you get the deets on Dorothy first, 'eh? Oh, and don't forget to enter the fabulous giveaway provided below. You have a change to win either a SIGNED copy of Dorothy's book or one of 5 eCopies! Pretty cool...

Meet Dorothy Dreyer. 

She has always believed in magic. She loves reading, writing, movies, and spending time with her family and friends. Half-American and half-Filipino, Dorothy lives in Germany with her husband and two children. 

Website - Facebook Page - Twitter - We Do Write Blog

Goodreads - Barnes And Noble

MY SISTER'S REAPER by Dorothy Dreyer

Genre: YA paranormal
Release Date: May 2013
Publisher: Month9Books - Website - Blogger Central - Facebook - Twitter - Pinterest - Goodreads 

I'd like to thank the publisher for supplying me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Favorite Lines/Passage:  The float creaked again. It was as if the structure atop it was falling in slow motion. The lemmings screamed and scrambled back as Nicole bumped into Emily, and they both went down in a tangle of perfectly tanned limbs. The top half of the peace sign ripped free, slicing toward the ground. A jagged two-by-four plunged toward the ground like a spear, sticking into the dirt inches from Emily's head. Even I had to gasp. Her eyes were wide, her face twisted with fear.

Description: There’s bragging, there’s trying to impress a boy, and then there’s Sixteen-year-old Zadie. Zadie’s first mistake was telling the boy she’s crushing on that she could bring her dead sister back to life. Her second mistake? Actually doing it! When Zadie accidentally messes with the Reaper’s Rite that should have claimed her sister Mara, things go horribly wrong (you think?). Mara isn’t the same anymore—Zadie isn’t even sure she’s completely human, and to top it off, a Reaper is determined to collect Mara’s soul no matter what. Now Zadie must figure out how to defeat her sister’s Reaper, intent on claiming both girls, or let Mara die … this time for good.

NIGHTSTAND WORTHY!

My Splats: Fast-paced action and fluent descriptions carry this tale from ordinary to something more as a teenage girl unearths her fate in defeating her sister's grim reaper.

Zadie is an average high school girl: working father, older and more popular sister, and a BFF who can talk up a storm. Her mother is in the picture, but not really, for reasons the reader eventually discovers.

As the story begins, the reader first hears Zadie's great young adult voice. It's assured and honest, yet a quiet thread of caution weaved throughout. Similar to most teens--they wear one facade on the outside, while keeping another stifled inside. And there is reason for Zadie's apprehension. Something has happened to her older sister, giving the appearance of one thing yet Zadie's gut tells her it's another.

From here, secrets about things Zadie can do begin to emerge, coxing an emphatic nerve with the reader. She's always kept this hidden. Although Zadie's problem(s) is unique, it's relatable and easy to follow.

Zadie just wants to be happy and ignores anything that doesn't seem normal, welcoming her sister, Mara, back to school. But that can't long with Mara acting all weird. Both Zadie and the reader can't help but question everything.

Many mysteries slowly unfold, teasing the reader as each crumb is revealed. When I first began reading, I would have never guessed elements such as faeries and witches would be involved. Let's not forget about the character of reapers either. This technique gave a strong variation on an average tale.

From Zadie's childhood uses of magic and apparent ability to wake her sister from a coma to the witchy lady and her grandson down the street, and her sister's zombie-like demeanor since home from the hospital, it's obvious lots more is going on in Zadie's life than the cute guy at school who sudden paying her attention.

When people start getting hurt and even killed, after being near her sister, Zadie knows danger has upped the ante. With the help of a few, Zadie takes that thread of caution from the beginning of the story and molds it into courage. She's willing to fight for her sister, her family, and a future that seems uncertain. At books climax, there is quite a bit of action that added to the story's appeal.

The writing is what drew me most. Word choice and flow captures confusion and hesitance from the characters beautifully. Setting descriptions are vibrant and the dialog choices are unforced. Ease weaves from one word to the next. Character thoughts and actions progress naturally, feeling quite plausible. The writing style challenged me to read on.

I'd recommend this book to YA and suspense/mystery lovers. There is a ting of romance in there, so romance enthusiasts would surely like it too.

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Do you enjoy reapers stories? If so, why do you think you do?