Review Detail

I'm a huge fan of ghost tales and was excited to be able to read THE DEAD AND BURIED. This intriguing tale is so much more than the usual ghost story. It's also a mystery with a hint of romance.

Jade's family ends up moving to the house of her dreams. If being the new kid at school wasn't bad enough, Jade finds people whispering whenever she's around. Only later does she find out why. The former owner's daughter Kayla died in their house after falling down the stairs. It was ruled an accidental death though the rest of the kids at school think otherwise. It seems others at Jade's new school are hiding secrets, one of which involves what really happened to Kayla. Then there is the ghost of Kayla who refuses to let her killer get away with her death. She ends up possessing Jade's five year old half-brother, threatening to destroy him unless Jade finds the killer. Even in death Kayla is the mean girl.

I really enjoyed this paranormal tale with one wicked, vengeful ghost. Jade sets out to find out the truth of what happened with the help of Kayla's former boyfriend Donovan. She feels a powerful pull toward Donovan and worries whether or not the only reason he seems equally interested might be because of her connection to Kayla.

What worked for me had to be the voice of this story. A subtle creepy factor resonates throughout the pages without going way over the top. I also liked Kayla. She's a vindictive ghost who has her own secrets. She's not the usual misunderstood dead girl rather she brings new meaning to Mean Girl. The mystery behind what really happened wasn't obvious. Each of the supporting characters had valid reasons to kill Kayla. Kane, the popular jock who wanted to be much more than a friend; Donovan, the boyfriend, who was last seen with her; Alexa, the nerdy unfeeling girl, who was bullied by Kayla; Faye, the so-called BFF, who might have her own secret; and even the next door peeping Tom.

I did get confused at first with the diary entries. Only later did I figure out how the diary figured into the revelation. Even then though I loved how the author didn't make it too obvious on what happened. Also the author does a good job showing the first haunting without going way over the top. Just enough creep factor to work.

A page turning tale with a subtle creepiness factor that adds to it's charm. Totally enjoyed this paranormal!