Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Harcourt, Inc. (First Edition)
Pages
190
Description
Fantasy. Mystery. Young Adult Fiction. HTML: Welcome to Nightshade, California�??a small town full of secrets. It's home to the pyschic Giordano sisters, who have a way of getting mixed up in mysteries. During their investigations, they run across everything from pom-pom-shaking vampires to shape-shifting boyfriends to a clue-spewing jukebox. With their psychic powers and some sisterly support, they can crack any case! Teenage girls are being mysteriously attacked all over town, including at Nightshade High School, where Daisy Giordano is a junior. When Daisy discovers that a vampire may be the culprit, she can't help but suspect head cheerleader Samantha Devereaux, who returned from summer break with a new "look." Samantha appears a little . . . well, dead, and all the most popular kids at school are copying her style. Is looking dead just another fashion trend for Samantha, or is there something more sinister going on? To find out, Daisy joins the cheerleading squad. This ebook includes a sample chapter of DEAD IS A BATTLEFIELD.… (more)
Description
Welcome to Nightshade, California—a small town full of secrets. It’s home to the pyschic Giordano sisters, who have a way of getting mixed up in mysteries. During their investigations, they run across everything from pom-pom-shaking vampires to shape-shifting boyfriends to a clue-spewing jukebox. With their psychic powers and some sisterly support, they can crack any case! Teenage girls are being mysteriously attacked all over town, including at Nightshade High School, where Daisy Giordano is a junior. When Daisy discovers that a vampire may be the culprit, she can’t help but suspect head cheerleader Samantha Devereaux, who returned from summer break with a new “look.” Samantha appears a little . . . well, dead, and all the most popular kids at school are copying her style. Is looking dead just another fashion trend for Samantha, or is there something more sinister going on? To find out, Daisy joins the cheerleading squad.
Series
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2008-09-01
Physical description
190 p.; 7 inches
ISBN
9780152064082
Similar in this library
Lexile
640L
User reviews
LibraryThing member EKAnderson
Daisy is the youngest of three girls. Their mom is a police psychic, and her two older sisters, Poppy and Rose, have supernatural abilities as well. As the sole "normal" in the family, Daisy is less than pleased to be excluded when her mom asks Rose to help her on her latest case. Teens seem to be
Dead is the New Black is a fun whodunnit with a few laughs and a different take on vampires and ghouls. However, it is sadly ill-paced, laden with too much set-up in the first few chapters, characters who accept too quickly the strange phenomena surrounding them, and dialogue that tries too hard to be witty without adding anything to the plot. This is the first in a series, which gives hope that later books might show signs of improvement, but where this clearly takes cues from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Perez has a lot to live up to if she wants these characters to be anymore than a cheesy flash in the pan.
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dying of mysterious causes in Nightshade, and there isn't a single lead. Daisy enlists her best friend - and, admittedly, her crush - Ryan to investigate on her own. When the head chearleader starts acting decidedly undead and members of the squad start dropping like flies, Daisy even tries out as a replacement in order to get crack the case. But what Daisy and Ryan never anticipated was the layer of secrets just beneath the surface of Nightshade's small-town exterior, and they may have gotten themselves into more than they bargained for.Dead is the New Black is a fun whodunnit with a few laughs and a different take on vampires and ghouls. However, it is sadly ill-paced, laden with too much set-up in the first few chapters, characters who accept too quickly the strange phenomena surrounding them, and dialogue that tries too hard to be witty without adding anything to the plot. This is the first in a series, which gives hope that later books might show signs of improvement, but where this clearly takes cues from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Perez has a lot to live up to if she wants these characters to be anymore than a cheesy flash in the pan.
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LibraryThing member ohioyalibrarian
Daisy can't understand why suddenly, at Nightshade High School, dead is the new black. Ultra popular cheerleading captain, Samantha, returns to school in the fall looking like a goth queen, dragging a coffin around behind her and wearing a strange silver amulet around her neck. Soon, everyone's
This is cute, fun, got some humor, somewhat silly. A quick ulta nonserious read.
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imitating her style. Not only that, but girls on the cheerleading squad start acting half-dead too, looking pale, sporting zombie eyes, and a few even end up in the hospital with some strange disease that no one can diagnose. What's going on? Can Daisy and her psychic mom and sisters save the day? Find out in Dead is the New Black. This is cute, fun, got some humor, somewhat silly. A quick ulta nonserious read.
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LibraryThing member pacey1927
This is the first in a series of Paranmormal adventure's aimed for young adults 12 years and up. I am not in the market range but I enjoyed this story very much before passing it along to my stepdaughter. I intend to read the other books in this series as well. This book tells the story of Daisy, a
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non-psychic child who lives with her mother (a psychic) and her sisters Rose and Poppy, who both have psychic abilites. Daisy feels like she doesn't quite fit in. With her family or at school. But suddenly Nighshade's cheerleaders are becoming very deathly ill..its almost like something is literally sucking the life from them. As a favor to her ex-best friend Samantha, Daisy joins the squad. From that vantage point, Daisy and her new boyfriend start to investigate the murder of a teenage girl who shows up walking and talking to the pep rally...It soon apparent that Nightshade has more than its fair share of odd beings. This story was quick and quirky and fun. It definetly caught and kept my attention and my step-daughter loved it. The writing is well done and the characters are well crafted. The paranormal jukebox is just one of many great touches. I think this book will captivate any teen or pre-teen and maybe their parents. I recomend this book as lighthearted, clean, paranormal fun. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheLibraryhag
Daisy is used to life in Nightshade, her home town, being not exactly normal. Afterall, her mother and sisters all have psychic abilities that they use to try to solve crimes. So normal Daisy is sort of left out, until cheerleaders at Nightshade start dressing and acting strange. Could a vampire be
This is a short fun read. Daisy and her friends are enjoyable and the mystery is pretty good. I think I will be visiting the mysterious town of Nightshade again and soon.
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the cause?This is a short fun read. Daisy and her friends are enjoyable and the mystery is pretty good. I think I will be visiting the mysterious town of Nightshade again and soon.
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LibraryThing member kayceel
I do love supernatural mysteries, and when they involve teenage girls falling for their best male friend (who has suddenly become super hot) while trying to solve a mystery that might just involve vampires...well, I'm gonna devour it, of course.
Daisy is a charming lead, and I'd like to read more
However, much was introduced in this obviously first book in a series (is Ryan a normal, too? Where did Daisy's dad disappear to?), that I'm interested in following up, so I'll be checking out _Dead is a State of Mind!_
Daisy is a charming lead, and I'd like to read more
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about her. She's smart and sarcastic, and her best friend Ryan sounds *dreamy*. The mystery is a bit lackluster, and the wrap-up was ridiculously brief - on one page Daisy still isn't sure who to trust, the next she's at the bad guy showdown. Huh? The villain was a complete joke, to make matters worse...However, much was introduced in this obviously first book in a series (is Ryan a normal, too? Where did Daisy's dad disappear to?), that I'm interested in following up, so I'll be checking out _Dead is a State of Mind!_
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LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
I like the book but it was definitely aimed at the teen crowd, but our heroine, Daisy, acted like a teenage girl, with friends, interests, older sisters, busy Moms, everything. Not only that, but Daisy reminded me a lot my myself when I was in highschool, even including the ex-best friend who ran
As for the plot, It was a bit predictable. There was a few week spots, namely the romance between Daisy and the next door neighbor. It read like Nancy Drew Meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Also, there was so many plot elements introduced that the main story, pretty girls getting sick and dying for no reason, sometimes got lost. And, since this is a start of a brand new series, those side plot elements were never closed.
Overall, I think teen girls are going to love this. The book is sweet but not cloy. Daisy's love for Ryan is described as how a real teenager feels, with doubts, and Oh My God I'm so happy, and jealousies that every very first love has. Even the preppy cheerleader is more than just a cardboard character with lots of money. I think this is a very appropriate book for that junior or highschool girl who has read Twilight one two many times.
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in the popular crowd :) The author, Marlene Perez, knows small town schools and the kids who go there.As for the plot, It was a bit predictable. There was a few week spots, namely the romance between Daisy and the next door neighbor. It read like Nancy Drew Meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Also, there was so many plot elements introduced that the main story, pretty girls getting sick and dying for no reason, sometimes got lost. And, since this is a start of a brand new series, those side plot elements were never closed.
Overall, I think teen girls are going to love this. The book is sweet but not cloy. Daisy's love for Ryan is described as how a real teenager feels, with doubts, and Oh My God I'm so happy, and jealousies that every very first love has. Even the preppy cheerleader is more than just a cardboard character with lots of money. I think this is a very appropriate book for that junior or highschool girl who has read Twilight one two many times.
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LibraryThing member sbrew1
Readers Annotation:
Daisy is the only one in her family that does not have physic abilities. When she hears that her mom is stumped on a case she decides to help her mom out with the case in secret. She is determined to find out who the soul sucking vampire is that targeting teenage girls all over
Plot Summary:
Daisy is the only “norm” in a family with physic abilities. When she discovers her mom is stumped on a case involving the mysterious death of a cheerleader she decides to do some super sleuthing with her best friend Ryan Mendez. Daisy and Ryan sneak into the town “refrigerator” to look at the girls body. They discover a stamp on the girls hand for the The Black Opal a uber-trendy club that all of the popular teens hung out at on Saturday nights. Samantha Devereax the captain of the cheerleaders hasn’t been friends with Daisy since sixth grade. When three of the schools cheerleaders fall ill with a strange white steak in their hair she asks Daisy to try out for the cheer team. Daisy makes the cheer team and Ryan starts asking her out. All of a sudden Daisy is part of the popular crowd. Ryan and Daisy continue investigating the case and all the while Daisy begins to have strange things happen around her. Things move magically, a jukebox at the diner seems to play just the right song and she begins to realize that maybe she is not as normal as she thought she was.
Evaluation:
This book was not a typical vampire book. Although it has vampires in it, the story does not center around vampires. The main character of the book is starting to come into her own psychic abilities. The villain in the book is a vampire who sucks the souls out of their victims to stay young and beautiful. This is a murder mystery that keeps you guessing as to who is the murderer, kind of a Nancy Drew meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It is an interesting combination that will have even the most reluctant reader laughing and reading on.
Daisy is the only one in her family that does not have physic abilities. When she hears that her mom is stumped on a case she decides to help her mom out with the case in secret. She is determined to find out who the soul sucking vampire is that targeting teenage girls all over
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town. Plot Summary:
Daisy is the only “norm” in a family with physic abilities. When she discovers her mom is stumped on a case involving the mysterious death of a cheerleader she decides to do some super sleuthing with her best friend Ryan Mendez. Daisy and Ryan sneak into the town “refrigerator” to look at the girls body. They discover a stamp on the girls hand for the The Black Opal a uber-trendy club that all of the popular teens hung out at on Saturday nights. Samantha Devereax the captain of the cheerleaders hasn’t been friends with Daisy since sixth grade. When three of the schools cheerleaders fall ill with a strange white steak in their hair she asks Daisy to try out for the cheer team. Daisy makes the cheer team and Ryan starts asking her out. All of a sudden Daisy is part of the popular crowd. Ryan and Daisy continue investigating the case and all the while Daisy begins to have strange things happen around her. Things move magically, a jukebox at the diner seems to play just the right song and she begins to realize that maybe she is not as normal as she thought she was.
Evaluation:
This book was not a typical vampire book. Although it has vampires in it, the story does not center around vampires. The main character of the book is starting to come into her own psychic abilities. The villain in the book is a vampire who sucks the souls out of their victims to stay young and beautiful. This is a murder mystery that keeps you guessing as to who is the murderer, kind of a Nancy Drew meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It is an interesting combination that will have even the most reluctant reader laughing and reading on.
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LibraryThing member 59Square
Kearsten says: I do love supernatural mysteries, and when they involve teenage girls falling for their best male friend (who has suddenly become super hot) while trying to solve a mystery that might just involve vampires...well, I'm gonna devour it, of course.
Daisy is a charming lead, and I'd like
However, much was introduced in this obviously first book in a series (is Ryan a normal, too? Where did Daisy's dad disappear to?), that I'm interested in following up, so I'll be checking out _Dead is a State of Mind!_
Daisy is a charming lead, and I'd like
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to read more about her. She's smart and sarcastic, and her best friend Ryan sounds *dreamy*. The mystery is a bit lackluster, and the wrap-up was ridiculously brief - on one page Daisy still isn't sure who to trust, the next she's at the bad guy showdown. Huh? The villain was a complete joke, to make matters worse...However, much was introduced in this obviously first book in a series (is Ryan a normal, too? Where did Daisy's dad disappear to?), that I'm interested in following up, so I'll be checking out _Dead is a State of Mind!_
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LibraryThing member Reacherfan
This is a pretty good start to the series. I'd call it "Buffy lite". It's not really fair to compare this series to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but it really can't be helped.
Welcome to the town of Nightshade (How can you not love that name, it's a great name for this kind of setting). It seems that
Over all it was a pretty good read. It had some great chars and interesting plot twists. For me, it was kind of heavy on the romance. We read a lot about Daisy and her friend, who at times is more than a friend, and boyfriend. I'd like to have had more time on the baddies than her love life. I'd also like to have Daisy's powers grow, and we see them develop as times goes on, and less of the romance. I'll be interested to see how she turns out in the upcoming books.
As I said, it was a pretty good read, not a perfect one, but one that held my interests for the most part. I look forward to the other books.
Welcome to the town of Nightshade (How can you not love that name, it's a great name for this kind of setting). It seems that
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some creature is stalking the halls of NIghtshade high school, and is picking of the cheerleaders one by one. One of the town residents, Daisy, comes from a family of psychics. The only problem is that she's the only one in her family that isn't a psychic. It's up to her and her friend, Ryan, to get to the bottom, why and who are picking off the cheerleaders. The baddie is interesting, really doesn't kill it's victims, not really. Over all it was a pretty good read. It had some great chars and interesting plot twists. For me, it was kind of heavy on the romance. We read a lot about Daisy and her friend, who at times is more than a friend, and boyfriend. I'd like to have had more time on the baddies than her love life. I'd also like to have Daisy's powers grow, and we see them develop as times goes on, and less of the romance. I'll be interested to see how she turns out in the upcoming books.
As I said, it was a pretty good read, not a perfect one, but one that held my interests for the most part. I look forward to the other books.
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LibraryThing member saffron12
Very enjoyable book. . . Daisy thinks she is the only "normal" one in her family (she doesn't think she has ESP powers like her mom and sisters). . . but does have an investigative spirit, and sets out to solve the mystery of who is sucking the souls of the cheerleaders.
LibraryThing member Kaybowes
The town of Nightshade is not like any other town. There are psychics, werewolves, vampires, etc. Daisy is the only normal one in her family -- or is she? Are the vampires trying to take over? Why do cheerleaders keep keeling over? Daisy discovers her powers and with the help of Ryan, the chief of
Mystery or Werewolves list? Could fit either.
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police's son, she solves the mystery and stops the vampires.Mystery or Werewolves list? Could fit either.
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LibraryThing member KatnissEverdeen
Good, but could have been more exciting for the conclusion. Would read the other books in the series, but only after Mockingjay comes out!
LibraryThing member MyBookAffair
I really enjoyed Daisy and her adventure through the town of Nightshade. This book had it all; werewolves, psychics, vampires, and mystery. Daisy is determined to help her psychic mom figure out who is killing girls around town even though she has no psychic abilities of her own. She enlists the
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help of her long time best friend Ryan, who happens to be the police chief's son and the cutest boy in school. The characters in the book were so adorable and really had me laughing and falling in love with them. I thought I had the mystery solved pretty early on, but then the author threw in a little twist and confused me there for a bit. I hadn't really heard of this book until I received the forth book, Dead Is Just A Rumor to review. I figured I'd read them in the order written to better review the forth. I'm so glad I did. I read this in one day easily as it's a quick, fun and light read. Perfect for a summer day by the pool or beach. I hope you will pick up this book and have as much fun with it as I did. If you do be sure to stop back by and let me know what you thought. Show Less
LibraryThing member highvoltagegrrl
This is definitely a teen book from start to finish. It’s a light read, no heavy messages weaved through the plot, and it’s a lot of fun. I love how being “dead” is the hot new thing that the most popular girl in school is pushing this week. We follow Daisy, a not so popular girl on her
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ride of figuring out just what is going on in her creepy little town of Nightshade. Everyone in her family has a paranormal gift and she just wants to be accepted both at home and in school. There are no overly complex plot twists, but the story is well written to keep you glued to the pages and ready for the next in the series. I only wish for more character development so that I would care more about what happens to them. Show Less
LibraryThing member CaMc0506
I randomly picked up this book when I forgot a book to read in class. It was really good!! It kept me on my toes, and was unpredictable. That is a quality I look for in books. I highly recomend reading it.
LibraryThing member lrobe190
Everyone in Daisy's family is psychic... except her. She appears to be a "normal" like her father who mysteriously disappeared a year ago. Daisy's mother uses her talent to solve crimes and when teenage girls in the town of Nightshade begin to die mysteriously, Daisy decides to solve the case
This is a light, humurous and entertaining read. In general, I'm not a huge fan of the vampire genre, but this one was fun. The romance beween Ryan and Daisy is a realistic teen romance and the focus is more on psychic talent than vampirism. This is the first book in the "dead Is... series by Perez. Read by Suzy Jackson.
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herself. She is aided in her task by her best friend Ryan. When she and Ryan discover that cheerleaders in their high school seem to be targets and the killer appears to be a particularly vicious form of vampire, Daisy joins the cheerleading squad to get investigate. Daisy soon finds herself in grave danger; Ryan is starting to become more than just a "friend; and most importantly of all, Daisy discovers she has some psychic talent after all!This is a light, humurous and entertaining read. In general, I'm not a huge fan of the vampire genre, but this one was fun. The romance beween Ryan and Daisy is a realistic teen romance and the focus is more on psychic talent than vampirism. This is the first book in the "dead Is... series by Perez. Read by Suzy Jackson.
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LibraryThing member liga1996
i love this book so much i read it in three days and thats very short for me . i would definetly read this again.
LibraryThing member ShRa9
This book was very good.It is all about how a girl named Dasiy and her sisters have paranomal powers but Dasiy doesnt have them yet.Later in the book she gets them and along the way she sovles a strange mystery haveing to do with the cheerleading sqaud.
LibraryThing member fanchon33
This book was really enjoyable. It was easy reading, had humor, and a mystery that was cleverly solved. Daisy and her childhood friend, Ryan, try to solve the mystery of who or what is attacking teenaged girls in Nighthaven. Here is her chance to prove she is a valuable member of her family (who
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all have psychic powers, except for her). With witches, vampires, and werewolves as just a few of the paranormal beings she meets, Daisy faces her task with humor and a little bit of trepidation when she realizes she would have to join the cheerleading squad to solve the mystery. Show Less
LibraryThing member booklover327
This book is amazing. I like its word usage and it is perfect for teenage readers. It is written well but can use some more sensory detail/imagery in it. It kept me hooked which is something I love about books. This is overall a great book.
LibraryThing member callmecayce
Loving this series! It's a lot of fun and really easy to read, which means it's a nice distraction. I like the growth of all the characters and the sub-plots that stuck around from the first book. Daisy makes a fun and great detective and her revelations are often quite amusing.
LibraryThing member LauraT81
Dead is the New Black, the first of a paranormal, young adult series, is about Nightshade, a strange town where a soul-sucking vampire is on the loose attacking teenage girls. Daisy, the typical girl from a not so typical family, tries to save the day in between dating her new boyfriend and
The novel begins interestingly enough, but the plot takes too many convenient turns with randomness tossed in. That isn't so bad, except when combined with some bad dialog and clichéd and repetitive inner monologue. Not horrible, but I think I'll skip the rest of the series.
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becoming a new cheerleader. The novel begins interestingly enough, but the plot takes too many convenient turns with randomness tossed in. That isn't so bad, except when combined with some bad dialog and clichéd and repetitive inner monologue. Not horrible, but I think I'll skip the rest of the series.
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LibraryThing member librarian1204
Great title, which was the only thing I really liked about this book.
Vampires are hot for the girls but this one didn't seem that good.
Vampires are hot for the girls but this one didn't seem that good.
LibraryThing member Mykake
Good YA book. I am in the rest of them now.
LibraryThing member TeachrBkMom
While all the other women in her family have psychic powers, Daisy does not. This doesn't stop her from secretly trying to solve a murder mystery on her own and with the help of her soon-to-be boyfriend & old friend, Ryan, son of the Police Chief. Daisy's mom frequently helps the police solve cases
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with her psychic abilities. This case in their town of Nightshade begins to have supernatural - vampire - overtones & the next thing you realize is there are a whole host of supernatural creatures living in this odd town. To help solve this murder, Daisy joins a very pale cheerleading team, goes clubbing, kisses the cute Ryan, and discovers she might not be as "normal" as her family of psychics always thought. A quick satisfy & quirky mystery. No blood, even though we're talking vampires, werewolves, etc... This is book one of 8 in Marlene Perez' series that has been really popular with middle school girls. Now I know why! Show Less
Awards
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (Selection — 2009)
Call number
YA B Per