BOOK REVIEW: THE DEAD GIRLS' DANCE (The Morganville Vampires Book Two) by RACHEL CAINE

Title:   THE DEAD GIRLS' DANCE 
(The Morganville Vampires Book Two)
Author:  RACHEL CAINE
Publisher:  Penguin Books
Pages: 368 Paperback
Acquired:  Personal Purchase


RATING:   
4 OUT OF 5 PSYCHO FRANK STARS!!!


Description from Goodreads:

Claire has her share of challenges. Like being a genius in a school that favours beauty over brains; homicidal girls in her dorm, and finding out that her college town is overrun with the living dead. On the up side, she has a new boyfriend with a vampire-hunting dad. But when a local fraternity throws the Dead Girls' Dance, hell is really going to break loose.

REVIEW:

Well Rachel didn't let me down with Book 2!!  The Dead Girls' Dance is packed with more action, suspense, a touch more sexy and is also picking up speed.

We learn a lot more about Shane in this book. Though the lead is still Claire, the book focuses a lot on opening up Shane's world - both past and present.  His psychotic father returns to Morganville with a severely sinister plan to seek revenge for the deaths of his daughter and wife......and he seems to not care if he loses his son in the process (either living or dead as a loss!).

Claire steps up and matures a touch - in the name of survival......and LOVE!!!  She is braver, more daring and sometimes cunning in her actions.  She has learnt a lot in her short time at Glass House and I am sure there is still a lot to come her way. The passion for Shane intensifies and as a 16 yo she is learning a lot about inner feelings......as well as a society with vampires!!!

Eve has some surprising moments.  The goth girl with what I thought was a tough interior as well as exterior shows us just how much an emotional roller coaster she rides daily.  One minute strapping some handmade stakes and crosses to herself and the next a ball of crying mush!!!

Micheal, Michael, Michael.....!!!  He is one troubled spirit/ghost/half human thingy!!!  He makes a huge decision about his future (after a huge OMG moment at the hands of Frank Collins).... I don't blame him for what he has done - he really had no other choice - and I did kind of pick up what might happen before I read it.  

Monica rears her pretty "ugly" head along with her Monickettes - Gina and Jennifer.  I do have to wonder if Jennifer will be taking a different side further in the series. She seems to be caught up with Monica but has a conscience - which we know that Monica is missing!!

Amelie and Oliver......two waring senior vampire entities!!!  Who will win in the end?  The power struggle between the two will no doubt have some severe casualties.

Well.....I must head off now and sink into the couch and devour MIDNIGHT ALLEY - Book Three of THE MORGANVILLE VAMPIRES. 

ENJOY!

MARISSA

BOOK REVIEW - THE DEAD GIRLS' DANCE by RACHEL CAINE VOLUME 1 - THE MORGANVILLE VAMPIRES # 2

By: Rachel Caine
Published By: New American Library
Released : Available Now
Details: Volume 1 - Paperback , 229 Pages (The Dead Girl's Dance)

RATING: 4 DANGEROUS STARS!!!

Book Blurb : Taken From Goodreads

Claire may have a great roommate and a new boyfriend, but when she's invited to the Dead Girls' Dance all hell breaks loose-literally. Because this time, the living and the dead are ready to tear up the night...





BOOK REVIEW:



I couldn’t help thinking when reading this 2nd instalment in The Morganville Vampires series that I would have liked part of this book to have been tacked onto ‘Glass Houses’, to me personally , it would have given me that extra character depth I was missing from ‘Glass Houses’. Mind you my thoughts are quite redundant in a way as I have no great time lapse between the next 9 books. I can just merrily read one after the other so my thoughts are cleared up almost straight away. Let me explain myself better. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I am currently reading the books in volumes = 2 books per volume. So it’s kind of like I am reading one big book with a bit of an interval in between. I really enjoyed ‘Glass Houses’, but what I read in ‘The Dead Girls’ Dance’, had some great character depth with Shane that I was missing from ‘Glass Houses’. I really ‘felt’ Shane as a character better in ‘The Dead Girls’ Dance’, amongst other things. If Glass Houses had been longer I would have been more satisfied with book 1. I really enjoyed book 1 , but I ‘felt’ book 2 and its characters much better.


There is a whole lot of suspense, anxious moments in ‘The Dead Girl’s Dance’. I really wanted to slap Monica and the Monickettes, HARD!! These girls are uber dangerous. Crikey, they needed to be pulled off that pedestal.


Shane’s father , I can understand his state of mind with his daughter and wife, but I think his mind may have crossed the line into forgetting he has a son, somebody that he should be loving ,not pushing away with blind fury and possibly ending up a bit unstable in the brain department. His devotion to his cause is getting out of control. It’s hurting who he should love, deeply and his methods!!!


I love Eve, even more in this book. She is just a wonderful character who will do anything for anybody in the house, if they are in danger or need her help. She is a stand up character, she has your back.


Amelie is an intriguing character. I feel safe with her, but should I?

I really like the human detectives Lowe and Hess. They helped me to believe that all is not corrupt amongst the humans living in Morganville. There is hope that humans can help each other, aren't afraid to try and do the small bit they can.


The storyline was fast paced , exciting, suspenseful, dangerous and I really enjoyed it. There was some romance, more hot smooches, relationships are forming. We learn more of the magic, I suppose you could say, of the vampire world.


I am a titles girl. I like the title of books to mean something to the story. The Dead Girl’s Dance, is a real cool title, but it was such a small part of the story. When I read the title of the book I imagined something a lot different, lol!! Just a personal observation.


Claire’s character had me just so anxious in his book, as she ran from person to person trying to get the help she needed. I felt as desperate as she felt. I was there for Claire..loL!! I was egging her on. When one dead end faced her, she looked for another opening, anything that would help Shane. I was even trying to think how to get Shane out of his pickle. Rachel had me turning the pages feverishly as I hoped for a solution, but kept getting dead ends for Shane’s safety.


Michael, what has he gone and done!!!


What will Claire do to keep everybody safe????


When reading , I felt like Morganville was the only place on earth. Everyone is surviving Morganville and it’s dangers. I didn’t feel like any other place existed, but Morganville.


Rachel has me trapped ...lol!! I can’t even imagine where the next 8 books will take me. * whispers* I don’t think I will be leaving Morganville ........

Michelle