Death and the Girl Next Door (Darklight, 1)

So the first thing I thought when I read the blurb was "Oooh contemporary! Sounds cool!" and then, immediately after I read the firrst chapter "...IT'S A PARNAORMAL! THAT'S SO COOL" and it was! Because admit it, the blurb does sound contemporary, doesn't it? But trust me, this is definitely the opposite.

Now, for some reason, I've been having issues with characters. Especially the main character. But Lorelei (first of all, very cool name no? I want that name!), but Lorelei was definitely an awesome character! She was just so snarky and quirky, and I had so much fun seeing the story through her eyes! She knew when things were serious, did her best to try and keep peace, and never let any team but hers win. She was stubborn, but didn't ignore warnings and go off on her on like those stupid heroines (there are so many of them...)
The characters all seemed a bit real. Not 100% like they-could-be-real-OMG-no-way but more of an I-would-do-that-too sort of way. Because honestly, I wouldn't kick two big angry supernaturally-strong guys in the shins when they're fighting. on the other hand, I would run out if...well, I can't spoil that, can I?

Ok, the cover and blurb are totally misleading here. While it looks like there was a love triangle between Lorelei, Jared, and Cameron, there really isn't. Cameron just hates Jared. For reasons know to me, and unkown to you. There was a love triangle and just a smidge of insta-love, but the love triangle makes the story more endearing since you see it from the POV of a person not involved. The insta-love between Jared and Lore was more...insta-lust honestly. And speaking of, the make out sessions were...well, let's jsut say they weren't exactly YA lol, but since this is an adult author turning into YA author as well, that can definitely be forgiven!

The paranormal aspects were the best parts for sure.Like I said, at first I had thought that it was contemporary so when Lore had a vision I was just sitting there, gaping at the book. Even more surprising? Her friends knew about her skill and I loved that! Usually, the main character has to hide all these secrets from her best friends, but this is me going "If they're so your best friends..." Anyways, just to clear the air, this is an ANGEL book, ok? No werewolves, no vamps, ANGELS. And this was definitely a twist. Why? Because they also mention time traveling, or at least, something like it and that was definitely intriguing! I immediately wanted to know more!

Randomly, I found it funny that Jared didn't want Cameron to tell Lore what he was. When it was so completely obvious.but maybe that's just for the readers!

This is definitely one you should pick up, especially if you've loved Darynda Jones' adult series, the Charley Davidson series, I think it's called. Angel fans will love this and contemporary fans will too! Death and the Girl Next Door was a laugh-out-loud YA book that was just the right amount of funny and danger. For people who love action and those plot-to-plot type of books, this is definitely one for you! But i'd recommend everyone to buy or at least pick it up. If the first 5 chapters don't suck you in, I'm not quite sure what will.

I am a fan of Jones's Charley Davidson's series and when I heard she was coming out with a YA series I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! Death and the Girl next Door is NOT what I expected. Our Main heroine Lorelei is your typical sophomore, who enjoys hanging out with her two best friends Brooklyn and Glitch. Things start to get weird when the school loner Cameron begins stalking Lorelei, every time she turns around she sees him lurking in the corner. Lorelei always had visions; some come true while others are just random and bizarre. Things get stranger when a boy from Lorelei's vision shows up at her school! Next thing you know Cameron and the mysterious Jared are fighting over her.

I truly wanted to like this book, but I found Lorelei extremely annoying, and the story's mystery too dragged out. I'm probably in the minority who didn't like this book. When Jared first shows up at school, Lorelei didn't really freak out that this is the SAME guy from her vision. Instead she's drooling over how amazingly hot he is, and he of all people noticed someone like her who is pasty white and plain (she said so herself). In another scene in the first half of the book, we have Cameron and Jared fighting over Lorelei, Cameron tells Lorelei to stay away from Jared because he's the dangerous bad guy. While Cameron tries to get Lorelei away from Jared, what does Lorelei do instead? She attacks Cameron and defends Jared! WTH? She doesn't even know Jared and Cameron may be the school's loner but at least she knows of him since the third grade (or was it kindergarten, I forgot). If I was in her situation, I wouldn't trust either dudes.

The book's pacing was slow, I found myself constantly losing interest or not caring about what's going on. In the first quarter of the book, Lorelei is demanding answers to what is going on around her. Why are Cameron and Jared fighting over her? Why are they both so freakishly strong? What is Jared? etc. Instead of getting answers, the characters beat around the bush about it. This drove me nuts! I pushed on hoping that things would get better but not so much. Once I found who was what, I was a little surprised since I wasn't expecting the book to be about certain paranormal beings but it still didn't make up for the majority of the book.

Overall I felt this book lacking in the story, character development, and world-building. The world-building didn't feel put together until towards the end of the book where readers finally get some answers. Death and the Girl next Door didn't offer anything new or exciting to the YA genre, the elements found in this book can be found in numerous of other YA title in the market today. This is a start to a new series, and one I won't be continuing. From the other reviews I've seen, many seem to really love this book, so while it wasn't for me it might be for you. I suggest anyone who's still interested in this book to maybe read a chapter sample or excerpt, or borrow from friend/library before thinking about dishing out the $10.

I was so happily thrilled to get in Death and the Girl Next Door as the synopsis sounded like an absolutely fun read. And for the most part, it really was.

Lorelei has had a weird and interesting life so far. And weird and interesting friends to top it off, but back to her life. Lorelei, since a toddler, has always had visions that come and go as they please. Sometimes they are utter nonsense, and at other times they are very eerie predictions of the future. But after slightly brushing by a hot stranger she receives the weirdest vision of all. The hot stranger dressed in weird garb battling scary monster type things. Lorelei pushes the vision out of the way, more intent on the hotness of said boy, but imagine her surprise when the guy shows up the next day at her school! And an even bigger surprise? When he blows off the popular chick to sit with her and her two best friends, Glitch and Brooklyn. But while Lorelei's head is halfway up to cloud nine to find Jared next to her, she also has a very real and immediate fear of Cameron who has not only taken to staring at her intently, but also to an extremely bad habit of stalking her. Talk about a freak out, especially as Cameron is the loner bad boy type who has never taken a liking to any of the females throwing their selves at his blonde chiseled body. And before she can even feel a hint of flattery, Lorelei realizes quickly that there is bad blood between the two boys, and affection seems to be the last thing on Cameron's mind. The two have a definite mutual hate going on, and she seems to be in the middle of it without even knowing why. But leave it to this curious teen to trail after them to get answers, especially after nearly dying, being kidnapped, and either having hallucinations or testifying to the fact that she witnessed actual magic ability surrounding the two fighting boys. Lorelei, who believed life couldn't get more boring, is about to find out just how interesting it really is!

Death and the Girl Next Door was full of LOL moments. The dialogue was witty, fun, and fresh, and had me laughing at the most inappropriate times. (That'll teach me to read in public places). The characters themselves were full of life and a good dose of personality and charm that made each one unique. However, the actual plot had me hanging. I won't ruin it for other people, but let me say Jared was not what I thought he was going to be. I mean...it says "death" in the title, which immediately had images of the grim reaper filling my head. Unfortunately for me, I was every which way from wrong. The plot took a weird turn for me as soon as what Jared really is was fleshed out (most probably due to my prior imaginings), and while it was still highly entertaining, after finishing it I feel like a read a cult novel instead of a fun YA book. Maybe cult is too harsh a word for it as it isn't a deep book, but you get my drift. Also from the synopsis, and cover art, I thought this was going to be a love triangle, but imagine my sadness when I find out is isn't. Death and the Girl Next Door was still a fun read, and I do recommend it, but I vote if you can find it at your local library to borrow it instead of purchasing.

Where do I start? I loved this book so much! The characters, the plot, the everything!

Lorelei/Lor ~ I absolutely adored Lorelei, I loved how stubborn she was. When she wanted something she wasn't afraid to go after it. What she lacked in height she definitely made up for with her feisty personality! I really hated how everyone tried to keep things from her. I feel like everything they kept from her was who she truly was yet no one thought it was appropriate to tell her about anything. Even though she had no clue what was going on or why her world turned upside down after she met Jared she still pushed forward and found the answers she wanted and needed to know. I also love how she didn't put up with any of Cameron and Jared's crap. They're literally giants compared to her but she some how got them to behave, funniest thing ever! Boys, I would be scared of her shine kicks if I were you.

Jared ~ Oh, Jared. Let me love you and your swoon worthy self. I honestly can't say too much about Jared without giving things away but I will say I really did enjoy Jared as a character and it wasn't just because he's drop dead sexy! Even though he definitely has some issues, for lack of better wording, he was a really sweet guy and I loved the relationship he had with Lorelei. I'm so excited to see what's going to happen to him in the next book and I can't wait to see how Lorelei and Jared's relationship develops.

Cameron ~ Cameron, Cameron, Cameron. Oh how I loved him even though he could be a big jerk. I felt so bad for him, he's like this tough rugged guy on the outside but on the inside he's truly just a lost little boy. I wanted to crawl into the book and hug him so many times or just tell him everything would be okay. I loved how he was towards Brooke. I hope they get a happy ever after because they're so perfect for each other. I think she's sort of like his calm, she's perfect to keep him grounded and help him keep it together. So I'm also really excited to see where their relationship goes in the next book.

Brooke/Brooklyn ~ Brooke is one of Lorelei's bestfriend and she is such a great one! She is always there for Lorelei throughout the book and even when Lorelei asks if she can help with something that's really sketchy she doesn't hesitate to help in anyway she can. She's also hilarious and has a sassy attitude that went perfect with Lorelei's! I love how she always picked on Glitch, the third of the three musketeers. I also love how instead of her just having the hots for Cameron in the book she truly cared about him. It's so cute how the two bestfriends had it for the two bad boys.

Glitch/Casey ~ I loved Glitch so much. I think I laughed the most when he was talking. He is hilarious and also one of the greatest best friends ever. Even when he had his doubts about what Lorelei said he didn't hesitate to help her any way he could, just like Brooke. Whenever he had his little 'nerd' moments I cracked up, he was just a really cute likable character.

Lorelei's Grandparents ~ I adored Lorelei's Grandma and Grandpa so much. I love how they were so willing to trust Lorelei and supported her throughout the book even when they didn't really know what was going on. I didn't like how they kept things from her past a secret but I know it was out of love and they only wanted what's best for her.

After about getting 3/4 into this book I honestly thought I had figured out what was going on and who was who but I was completely wrong and I loved that. I was really afraid that this was going to be really similar to the Fallen series by Lauren Kate and I'm really happy it wasn't. Darynda took elements that are used a lot in YA today and made it her own! I definitely recommend you all read this book when it comes out. I'm really excited for the next book in the trilogy to come out.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy to read and review!

Seller expressed the product was used but played down the severity of its condition. The book was poorly taken care of and shocking in looks. The front cover was all bent up and the book was dirty.

I LOVE Darynda's other adult series (if you haven't, you HAVE to go read First Grave on the Right) so I needed to read these too. I was not disappointed! Very funny, likeable characters (even the not-likeable ones you still have a spot for) with a quickly moving plot to keep you reading.

My only complaint--and it's a big one---

I am not happy that the next one is not out yet. I thought this was a standalone novel, so reading to the end and getting....wait for the next one! made me very unhappy for a few hours. Then I realized, I get more ! I get more than one!

So now I am happy again. Very good book!

Diehard fans of the angel genre may enjoy this book more than I did. Lor is a high school student who sees visions and gets caught up with dueling angels. It's mostly a book about teen girl romance. The angelology is rather puerile and vapid. The author doesn't appear to have given much thought to the angel aspect of the plot as much it is just stupid. Let's just say there are about 100 better angel books out there than this. What rescues this book from the lowest pit of shame and abuse is the writing. It is well written and the author does have a very engaging, sassy, smart mouth writing style that keeps you flipping the pages even though there ain't much to this story behind the style and clever lines. The main character, Lor, is well done, and she did engage my interest. I also enjoyed the secondary characters. It's just the plot...It seemed to spiral from 'what the f***' to the 'oh please, I'm not that stupid.' Right? Or am I?

Rating: 3

The Low Down: Lorelei McAlister lives with her grandparents in the smaller than small town of Riley's Switch, New Mexico. Her parents disappeared ten years ago, and, though Lorelei was with them at the time, she remembers nothing at all about the incident. She spends her time going to school, helping out at her grandparents' store and hanging out with her two best friends, Brooklyn and Glitch. Life's predictable and boring. Well, almost. On occasion, Lorelei has visions.

Things start to get a little strange when Lorelei notices that Cameron, the school loner, is stalking her, even going as far as hanging out all night by her house. Then, as she passes a stranger in the coffee shop, she gets a vision from him. Who is he? Disappearing from the coffee shop, he shows up the next day as a new student at the high school. Breathtakingly handsome, mysterious and - what? - seemingly interested in Lorelei.

Then when Lorelei is run over, then un-run over, by a delivery van, a camera crew in town to film at a local landmark starts to follow Lorelei around. Jared saved her in that accident most unusually and she has to know more. When she's not spending time trying to keep Jared and Cameron from killing each other, that is. Then the secret is out: Jared is the Angel of Death, and he has dared to tamper with and break some rules by saving Lorelei. Because of his feeling toward her, a human. But is her makeup more than human?

Best Thang `Bout It: I was so excited when I found out that Darynda Jones had penned a Young Adult novel. I absolutely love her Charley Davidson series and am, at this very moment, panting for the next one (I'm next in line at the library). She's a fab writer who can really set a mood, make well-rounded characters and keep you interested in what you're reading. In this tale, Brooklyn and Glitch are the best. The story is well-paced.

I'm Cranky Because: Maybe I was too excited about this one, so my hopes were higher than they should have been. This book was missing some of the snap and sparkle and sexiness that her adult books wear like a second skin. I know she has to tone down some things for this younger audience, but I never felt even a low simmer. I don't know if Lorelei needed more sass, `cause Brooklyn has it in buckets, but she needed more dimension, I guess. Jared was a tiny bit of a cardboard cut-out for me, too. I thought the secondary characters were much better defined.

To tell the truth, an angel story really has to knock my socks off these days, especially if they are of the fallen angel/Nephilim genre. There are many really good stories that have been out for a while that are, well, a little more interesting. This is a series, so maybe this book was supposed to be mostly set-up? Yes, there was a complete story arc here, but I needed a little more action.

And, to make a really stupid comment, I like my angel stories to be a little less (wait for it - here is comes) religious.

Should You?: I had a vision where I saw you reading it. You liked it.

Death and the Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones was published on October 2, 2012 by St. Martin's Griffin.

Genre: Young Adult Fiction Fantasy Paranormal Romance Angels
Ages: 12 and up

OK, let me just start out by saying, "HOLY COW! Darynda Jones is one heck of a witty writer!" If I would have made a hash mark for every funny one-liner, I would have filled up a five-subject notebook by the time I finished this book. The banter between the characters is one of my very favorite parts of this book.

I really loved the premise of this story. It wasn't until I was half way through that I realized that the angsty Jared and Cameron were [NOT TELLING!]. I'm not gonna lie, my biased dislike of [NOT TELLING!] kicked in, but I wedged those feelings down deep and kept reading anyway. And I'm glad I did, because it was not one of those [NOT TELLING!] stories that usually grinds at my last nerve. It was unique enough and I cared enough about the characters to keep reading. Besides, I HAD to find out where the animosity between Jared and Cameron came from. :)

Another BIG PLUS? No love triangle. There is a clear winner for Lorelei, our heroine, and it's a good pairing. They're both badass with complicated pasts to sort out. And that's EXACTLY what's bringing me back for book two in the series. I hope book two will bring some answers to pieces that had me a little confused in this installment.

Darynda Jones also writes an adult series called the Charley Davidson series. I am going to pick that up, too, because of all the things I liked about this book, Darynda's writing style may be my favorite.

I really love Darynda Jones Charley Davidson series which is why I was excited to get my hands on her new YA novel Death and the Girl Next Door, but *sighs* I was not a fan of her latest novel, it fell short of what I expected. Do not get me wrong I loved the witty banter and humor that she thankfully also brought to this series but the plot and the characters were all too cliched.

My two pet peeves in YA books are love triangles, which thankfully there was none of that and my biggest pet peeve which is insta-love and this novel had that in big bold capital letters INSTA-LOVE, it was just a little too much. Actually this was one of those books where the romance came first and then the actual plot which by the way there were quite a few plot holes as well. Not to mention I got so annoyed with being reminded how hot Jared is. I get it the guy is sexy...jaw dropping gorgeous etc lets just move on from that.

Now as for the actual characters Lorelei had the classic case of she is beautiful but doesn't know it, and considers herself a plain Jane. One thing that bugged me was when she died and was brought back to life she didn't question it all, just accepted it. Accepted everything really, about who Jared was, what Cameron was and then her and what her role was in all of it, she just took it all with stride. Which of course made her a very unrealistic character and in no way relatable. As for Jared he was an old being and it showed when compared to Lorelei and her friends. Jared had a maturity level that Lorelei and her friends didn't possess which also made the two hooking up seem so unlikely to really happen. None of the characters really grabbed me the only two that made somewhat of an impression were her friends Glitch and Brooklyn they are the reason I'm giving this book an extra half star.

I'm still a little upset that I didn't love this book seeing what an amazing author Darynda Jones is, I had really high hopes for this one and like I said I love her other series, but this series of hers is just not for me. There were too many things that I couldn't get past to really enjoy the book. Overall Death and the Girl Next Door was just a little too all over the place that I do not see myself picking up the next book in the series.