Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Review: She Smells the Dead + Spirit Storm

SHE SMELLS THE DEAD/ SPIRIT STORM
Spirit Guide Novels 1 & 2
E.J. Stevens
Paranormal Young Adult
e-books
Available Now
Received from author for review

THE STORY
Yuki has recently discovered she has a surprising gift, one that she's not sure she would have chosen for herself: she can smell the dead. She can identify a scent unique to the person who died, something she attempts to use in order to find and help the lingering spirit with their restlessness by taking care of whatever business is keeping them from peace.

As though that weren't unusual enough, she also learns her boyfriend and longtime best friend Calvin is alpha of the local werewolf pack and is just now learning to control his change with the help of mentor Simon.

This series follows Yuki, Calvin, Simon and Yuki's best friend Emma as they all find themselves in one supernatural battle after another, juggling spirits, werewolf life, and the difficulties of making a young romance work.

MY THOUGHTS
While the title of the first book calls a rather unsavory picture to mind, our protagonist's penchant for receiving smell impressions that can aid her in the identification of a wayward spirit in need of mortal assistance is actually a rather refreshing concept. Yuki doesn't spend her life bombarded by whiffs of death and decay as one might think, but rather picks up on particular scents such as vinegar or burnt brownies that act as her only sensory clues to who these spirits were when living given she can neither see nor hear them. This basic premise makes for quick and interesting reads, though unfortunately the werewolf angle involving best-friend-turned-boyfriend Cal is far more prominent in both books. Yuki's sensitivity to spirits is linked to Cal's werewolf nature to tie the two disparate worlds together nicely, but we can't help but wish a fascinating gift such as hers might play a bigger role.

Yuki is a spunky goth girl who is both funny and charming, and she embraces the ever-expanding world of the paranormal she's quickly introduced to with little denial. In She Smells the Dead especially there are a few phrases such as "son of a dung beetle" she repeats with somewhat tedious regularity however, continually reminding us of her young age which, for us older readers of young adult fiction, makes her a bit harder to connect to. Her switch from friendship with Cal to something more happens extraordinarily quickly and easily in book one, bypassing some of the delicious tension a transition like that would inevitably cause and leaving us scratching our heads a bit as to why this development didn't happen sooner or why they weren't a couple from the very onset of the story. Their relationship is more interesting and believable in Spirit Storm due to their already established connection, and their interactions are therefore more successful overall.

Books one and two in the Spirit Guide series are well suited for younger readers, touching on a variety of supernatural subjects and detailing the lives of some characters we certainly wouldn't mind learning more about. Conflicts in both books do get resolved with seemingly little effort and fanfare after the buildup though, and given the short page count of both installments, those conflicts could have been expanded upon to add just a few more intricacies to the tale to draw us deeper into this world. That being said, Ms. Stevens shows a lot of promise in her creativity and characterization, her supporting cast of Emma and Simon intriguing us nearly as much as Cal and Yuki do, while Yuki's olfactory perceptions have unlimited plot possibilities moving forward.

Overall series rating: 3/5

34 comments:

  1. This looks like an interesting book; but, like you, the title turns me off a little!

    Kristin @ Better Read Than Dead

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  2. I agree the title is not really apealling. However it does sound like a promising series. Great review Jenny :)

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  3. If someone said son of a dung beetle to me in real life, I'm pretty sure I'm going crack up.

    The series sounds interesting but I don't like that the transition from friendship to romance happens really quickly or that conflicts are solved much too easily. I'll have to pass on this one for now. Great review, Jenny.

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  4. I have always liked the cover of SHE SMELLS THE DEAD and thought the title was pretty gutsy. And I would just like to say - thank god there's no love triangle! :)

    Keeping in mind the book length and quick resolutions, do you think this would make a good recommendation for middle grade readers. Not that they don't appreciate a well developed story with meat on its bones. I just think that a slightly younger audience would be more willing to overlook some of the negatives you pointed out.

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  5. Good two in 1 review :)
    And speaking of something else, I do like these cool covers. Very much indeed

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  6. Sounds pretty interesting. What a horrible title. The concept of being able to smell the dead is a bit odd, albeit interesting. Seems like they didn't need to have the werewolf angel in there - only need so many supernatural elements.

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  7. These sound like fun - I like the covers! I agree the title 'She smells the dead' is not a great one!

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  8. She Smells the Dead? Even knowing the book is not about what it sounds like it's about, the title still creeps me out a little.

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  9. What a wonderful review! I have seen these around and wondered what exactly they were about. I am glad that the character and story show promise! I like it when the secondary characters are as interesting as the primary characters!

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  10. Ive seen this book around and I really love the first cover, her eyes are super creepy but pretty...I agree with everyone though, the title turned me off, smelling dead things?? Um no thanks....

    They do sound a bit interesting though...

    PS- thanks for letting me know those characters were Dragons...where did I get were-snakes???

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  11. I've read both of these books, I don't normally read YA but I loved these. They are quirky and fun. If I were a teenage girl I would love them and as an over 50 woman I love them. Well worth looking into.

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  12. Kristin - It was an interesting concept which I really liked, I just wish we had gotten more about it and maybe a little less with the wolves since they're more common.

    Nic - Agreed, it's not at all, but at least doesn't smell actual dead people, just things unique to them:)

    Zahida - each book is only 150 or 175 pages max, so things just happen fast and I wish she would have made them a little longer and explored the conflicts and the romance a bit more.

    Jennifer - Yes, I think this would work for younger readers, there's some kissing but it's all very sweet and innocent and there's not a lot of violence. I think younger readers would be more forgiving of things moving quickly as well where as older readers will likely want more development as I did.

    Blodeueudd - I really like the covers as well, they're lovely:)

    Alison - The way she used her ability was really interesting once you got past the whole smelling the dead thing, and I wanted more time with her spirit cases and maybe a little less with the wolves. She did a good job linking Yuki's gift to the wolves, but Yuki's cases and the wolves' problems were still separate.

    Leanna - No, it just brings all sort of unpleasantness to mind doesn't it? The stories were fun though.

    Amanda - Me too. Even when I've read it and know what it entails, I still wrinkle my nose when I read it:)

    Felicia - Thanks! I love when secondary characters are really intriguing too, and Simon is a personal favorite of mine in these books:)

    Tina - Hahaha I have no idea where you got were-snakes, but they would definitely freak me out. That's one thing I would not want to be able to shift into:)

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  13. Loves to dive - Glad you enjoyed them! They were quirky which I liked:)

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  14. I have seen this series around and always wondered about it. Thanks for the review Jenny!

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  15. I agree with the title, I wouldn't pick this up without a recommendation. Great review, Jenny!

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  16. Before I even started reading your review, I was thinking about the slightly gross title! And then I read the first sentence and think, "Jenny reads minds!" Thanks for explaining the title. :P
    Anyway, this series sounds pretty creative! It's a bummer the romance was too instantaneous. Thanks for the review! :)

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  17. Hmmm... The titles and covers are wicked creepy dude... I DO like the cover of book 2 better!!

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  18. Not many books I read have a goth girl as the main character so that's something new and different for me to read.

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  19. I think I'd like to have a little more connection to the characters, but how can I resist the title of that first book? :) I do like the idea of promise of the author's creativity. Sounds like if I don't get to these, I might like later books by her.

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  20. Hi! I'm excited I found your site. I love to read YA and write it too :) It seems like you can help me find good stuff. I'm always stressed out at the bookstore, trying to decide.

    I like your reviewing style. It sounds honest and it is very descriptive. For instance, I already know, in spite of a couple of interesting points, that I would not like to read this book. I'm kinda tired of werewolves. I'm ready for the next big thing. And since you said this book plays that angle a bit much. It turns me off.

    Great! One less book to cause me stress at the bookstore :)

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  21. LOL! It's true, the title of that first book brings smelly thoughts to mind. I've kind of wondered about these books. That first cover always looked like she was dead more than anything. The goth aspect would definitely explain that. :D

    Jen
    In the Closet With a Bibliophile

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  22. The cover and title reminds me of a movie that Tim Burton would do. LOL. I'm a bit tired of the insta-love that's going on in YA right now and I'm sad to see that the boyfriend's werewolfness (ha, I just created a word!) steals the show instead of her unique powers. I don't think this one is for me but I appreciate your awesome and honest review, Jenny!

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  23. Yeah, with you on the title. But they were both fun, quick reads and I'm happily recommending them to some of my students. I'm not the biggest fan of the werewolf angle, though. I really liked it at the beginning of the first book when it was more paranormal mystery that focused on Yuki and her gift.

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  24. I avoided this book because of the title--and because the cover model made me think it was a zombie story. And I'm am NOT a fan of zombies. However, I'm highly addicted to best-friend-turned-boyfriend stories (witness my love of The Body Finder) and I am now adding this to my ever increasing TBR list.

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  25. Sounds like a great read, though I hate when problems are solved so quickly in the end. I am interesting in seeing how I would feel about Yuki and Cal's relationship. Thanks for another awesome review, Jenny! =D

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  26. The smelling super power sounds similar to the one the main character of Ashes has. It's a pretty neat concept! I agree that the werewolf side story seems unnecessary though.

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  27. Fabulous, fabulous review. I love the premise of these books, and I think E.J. will be a big writer someday. I do think the title is still funny though ;)

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  28. I kind of like the title of book one. It's unique and makes you think, Huh? LOL

    As you've probably noticed, I have a habit of repeating phrases, and now I want "son of a dung beetle" to get stuck in my head. I think I need to retire, HOLY CROW. *snorts*

    Thanks for reviewing this series, Jenny. I'd been curious about it.

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  29. I've seen these pop up a few times and I'm intrigued. Given the short length, I may just have to give these a try.

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  30. Awwwww.... Sorry you didn't enjoy them as much as I did! While the transition from friends to more was not as smooth as that of Jay/ Violet (TBF), I thought that it was really cute! Can't wait to see what you think of the third book!

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  31. I read them both, too and loved your reviews!

    The books are to short, not enough time to really get into some of the finer aspects. Hopefully the third book will be a bit longer :o]

    Great reviews, thanks for sharing!

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  32. I love the covers and the title! I won a gift pack from E.J. and I have a shirt that says She Smells the Dead and has the first cover on it! And a poster of the second cover. I wear the shirt around and no one ever takes a second glance. They might at school, but that should be a good thing. I can't find bk. 2 but Jenny you did a great review. I love Yuki's character and you are right about the side characters being just as interesting!

    Heather

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  33. Your reviews are so good. Like newspaper good.

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  34. Honestly, it's the covers that are making me drool. They sound really good and I see why the rating may not have been higher for you due to not connecting with the character and a few plot points.

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