Beautiful Dead

Gr 9 Up—A sequel to Beautiful Dead: Jonas (Sourcebooks, 2010). In life, Daria and Arizona were not close friends, or even acquaintances. But Daria has the ability to see the souls trapped in limbo, the so-called Beautiful Dead, and now she must help Arizona research the circumstances of her sudden demise. Looking into Arizona's death, she discovers a previously hidden younger brother, a secret romance, and a motive for murder. Daria is dealing with her continuing grief over the death of her boyfriend, Phoenix, and chafing against the restrictions on their relationship: he is allowed 12 months on Earth to find out more about his death. The "Twilight" parallels begin to overwhelm the story; the teen couple is passionately in love, circumstances have forced them apart, there is an insurmountable divide between them, and the only possible reconciliation requires immense sacrifice. The behavior exhibited by Hunter, leader of the Dead, borders on abusive, and Daria's meek acceptance of his control smacks of stereotypical gender roles. The climactic flashback and gun battle lack suspense, and the saccharine ending makes the tortured romance of the protagonists that much harder to bear.—Chris Shoemaker, New York Public Library