Dead Is a Battlefield

From the Publisher

"Light romance and a paranormal plot are more tongue-in-cheek than scary, making this series a good introduction to the genre for younger readers."—Booklist

"Breezy style and comic-book plot. . . .Fun."—Kirkus Reviews 

Praise for other Dead Is books:

"[Perez] delivers a wise-cracking, boy-lusting, determined sleuth of a high school protagonist . . . this quick, lighter-than-air spoof of the undead, cheerleaders and popularity is pure pleasure."—Publishers Weekly

"A hit . . . grabbed me with the first page and didn't let go."—Julie Kenner, author of The Good Ghoul's Guide to Getting Even

"A fun ride from start to finish. Perez's smart and sassy style soars."—Mary E. Pearson, author of The Adoration of Jenna Fox

"[A] quick, lively romp. . . . Teens looking for a breezy read will find plenty to like here."—Booklist

"This super supernatural murder mystery is sassy, romantic, and spooky-fun!"—Cythia Leitich Smith, author of Tantalize

"Once again, Perez offers up a clever mix of reality—senioritis, high-school graduation events, part-time jobs, and young love—and paranormal elements. . . . Although familiarity with the other four books in the series will certainly give readers an advantage here, newcomers to Nightshade High will have few problems following the sometimes tense, often humorous plotlines."—Booklist

Dead Is the New Black is an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

Children's Literature - Veronica Bartles

Jessica Walsh is starting her freshman year at Nightshade High School and she desperately wants to have a normal high school experience. But life in Nightshade is anything but normal. Picking up right where book five leaves off, this sixth book in the "Dead Is" series continues the story of a town where paranormal activities are the norm. Jessica is drawn to Dominic Gray, the new lead singer of her favorite local band, Side Effects May Vary. But he runs hot and cold, sometimes acting as if he likes her too, and sometimes ignoring her completely. Plus, if her frustrating love life is not enough to worry about, now Jessica learns that she is a Virago, a woman warrior chosen to fight any evil that threatens her hometown. And before she even completes her training, she must save her best friend from the new boy at school, who is turning the girls of Nightshade High into love zombies. In a hilarious twist on the paranormal romance craze in current young adult literature, Perez manages to weave together all of the popular paranormal elements into one crazy town, for a story that is sure to entertain. Reviewer: Veronica Bartles

Kirkus Reviews

A high-school freshman learns that she's one of a group of women who fight evil beasties in her supernatural town of Nightshade, Calif. In this sixth installment of the Dead Is… series, Jessica discovers to her dismay that she's a "virago," a woman warrior destined to fight paranormal baddies. Jessica worries, too, about her very best friend in the whole world, Eva, who's been acting strangely since she discovered a new perfume from the town's brand-new business establishment. Jessica also finds herself attracted to Dominic, the hot new singer in the hot new band, who's really, really cute, while she's juggling dates with Connor, who really seems to like her. Meanwhile, Eva joins the groupies hanging around creepy Edgar and becomes ever more hostile toward Jessica, even trying to bite her. It seems that Edgar's perfume turns girls into zombies. Now Jessica has to find a cure and drive Edgar out of town. Stuffed with enough characters to sink a boat, this outing will please established fans, and new readers should be able to figure it out. Perez keeps things super simple by throwing declarative sentences onto the page, but she manages a light tone and some comedy. It all has a decidedly middle-school feel, but it can also appeal to older readers, with its breezy style and comic-book plot. Fun for the right audience. (Paranormal suspense. 10-16)