UNDEADLY by Michelle Vail

Undeadly
Michelle Vail

Rating: A-
Release Date: 11/20/12
Synopsis:
The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird...

Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper—and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. Within days, she's shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite boarding school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath. 

Life at Nekyia has its pluses. Molly has her own personal ghoul, for one. Rick follows her there out of the blue, for another...except, there's something a little off about him. When students at the academy start to die and Rath disappears, Molly starts to wonder if anything is as it seems. Only one thing is certain—-Molly's got an undeadly knack for finding trouble....

My thoughts on the book:
Undeadly was a unique take on the teen supernatural boarding school story. The characters were well-developed, the plot was intriguing, and the pacing was perfect. I could not put this book down. This is one reaper story you won't want to miss.

In the beginning of the book, Molly was pretty annoying. She was a whiny, spoiled brat. However, the plot was so interesting that I gave her a chance anyway. I'm glad that I did. Her character grew immensely throughout the course of the novel, and by the end, she was a completely new person. I really like the direction her character was taking, and I can't wait to see what happens to her next. My one complaint with the characters is that we didn't get to know any of the secondary characters very well. Since this is a series, though, I assume that there will be more time for relationship building in the next installment. On the plus side of no relationships being firmly built, there was also no insta-love. Yay for that. My favorite characters so far are Henry, Anubis, and Rath. 

The plot is unique for a reaper book and for a boarding school book, and I really loved the incorporation of Egyptian mythology. I'm not going to go into anymore detail about the plot because I'd hate to spoil the novel for you. I'll just tell you that it's super intense and will keep you on the edge of your seat. It's non-stop suspense. Also, it was a quick read. I read it all in one sitting, but unfortunately, it ended on a cliffhanger. 

The world-building was also fantastic. This novel takes place in a world that knows reapers and necromancers exist. There is an open market for making zombies, and they teach necromancy history in public schools. That within itself fascinated me, and I had to learn more about this world. Vail did an excellent job of describing this new reality, and the world felt real to me. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves YA paranormal novels. Give Undeadly a try. You won't be sorry. 

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