Amber Hathaway's Reviews > Dead Is the New Black

Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez is a fun YA paranormal mystery, with a dash of romance.

The story follows high school junior Daisy Giordano as she tries to figure out what is draining the energy from local cheerleaders. Without the psychic powers of her mother and sisters, Daisy is stuck snooping with her handsome friend (or boyfriend?) for leads. Will she live to solve the case, or will the culprit get to her first?

This one was a fast read for me. I kept telling myself one more chapter, okay, maybe one more, and before I knew it, the book was done. For a story involving murder, it’s fairly light. The mystery is a key piece of the story, but it’s also in some ways a coming of age story. You get the usual friendship/family/relationship drama that you might expect from such a tale.

There was a lot I enjoyed. I love how quirky Nightshade is. A town of paranormal ghouls? Yes, please. The sisterly dynamics were good. I appreciated how close all three were, but also it made sense that Rose and Poppy had a bit more of a bond because of their shared psychic powers, leaving Daisy feeling a little left out.

There were some things that irked me as well, such as the occasional slut shaming (e.g., Daisy nicknames a young woman she sees as “Skank”). Some of the scenarios and interactions feel a bit forced and unnatural at times. Like the homecoming bit, it seemed far fetched and cliche, although I can also see why Perez would include it. This is fantasy, not reality, after all. Daisy’s insecurity around Ryan was a little tedious, but on the other hand, I’m the same way, so I can’t fault her too much for it. Sometimes a crush is obvious to everyone except the recipient.

If you’re looking for a light paranormal mystery, you may want to check out Dead is the New Black.

cw: death, murder, disappearance of a parent, physical violence