Once Dead, Twice Shy By Kim Harrison

Once Dead, Twice Shy is the story of Madison Avery’s forced introduction to death and its mystic world of reapers, seraphs and angels. Although her body is killed and stolen on her prom night, her soul manages to survive by fighting off and stealing her killer's, or (as she comes to find out) a dark reaper's, amulet, which gives her the illusion of a body.

She then enters a world of light vs. dark (which she thinks is good vs. evil), orders and laws and betrayal and denial, all while she is trying to keep her soul alive long enough to get her body back. Somehow she not only seems to discover herself throughout the novel but she also gains genuine friendships found with the most unusual characters.

Kim Harrison ingeniously mixes a macabre concept of death and dying with a magical and intricate afterlife that unknowingly surrounds average citizens every day outside of our sense and thoughts. Humour, strong and beautiful characters, a fast paced plot and an unpredictable twist are all integrated into this fairly complex novel.

I highly recommend this novel to readers who love artistic new worlds, clever turns in the plot and unconstrained female protagonists, all served with a clever twist of wit.