Almost Dead By Kaz Delaney

Almost Dead
Written By Kaz Delaney
Published January 2014
424 Pages
Thank you to Allen and Unwin Australia
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★★★★
Macey's life has been turned upside down. Her mother has left, her father is absent and her two best friends, her brother Seth and his girlfriend Willow, are MIA. On top of that Macey is being visited by ghosts who need her help to 'move on'. But as wild as all that sounds, it's all under Macey's control until a rakish, good-looking spirit called Nick turns up... In her bedroom!

Nick's a spirit with spirit who insists he's not dead, he's astral travelling and has a message for Macey: someone is out to get her. Macey's biting wit has got her in trouble before, so she's not surprised but when the threatening notes start turning up, she's seriously shaken. Does someone want her dead?

It's all rather disturbing but she's finding it hard to focus on who could mean her harm with the annoyingly handsome surf god Finn turning up at the most inopportune times and a father with a rather large surprise of his own.

Is it a case of bad timing? Or are these things somehow connected? And if they are, what on earth should she wear when she's solving the mystery?
Macey Pentecost, sassy justice advocate, social commentator and a reluctant medium to the spirits that gather on the Gold Coast. Heiress to a technology empire, Macey has it all. Boutique designer labels, shoes that cost enough to feed a small nation. What Macey doesn't have is her mother, who has left with her new boyfriend and didn't look back, and a father who spends more time overseas tending to his business, than with his own children. With her brother whisking her best friend away overseas, Macey has never felt more alone... Until she finds Nick in her bedroom.

Nick is a ghost who insists he's not really dead, but hanging on by a thread in the local private hospital. With his dazzling smile and intelligent banter, Nick is a breath of fresh air compared to the elderly beings that usually visit Macey before moving on to the afterlife. But Nick has been sent to her for a reason, he just can't remember what that is. Was it to berate her for the scathing attack on his band? But when a self proclaimed psychic warns Macey that she's in danger, she'll soon realise how true that is.

One cute boy is enough to handle, but when Macey meets Nick's cousin Finn, the sparks begin to fly. It isn't love at first sight, it's annoyance and mild irritation at best. Finn is handsomely sun kissed, a junior surf champion and when it seems Macey is being stalked by a crazed fan of Nick's band Pashon, Finn is waiting in the wings to protect her. Macey's knows all too well that her sass and attitude doesn't leave room for many fans, but who would want to hurt her? That seems the least of her problems right now, when her father arrives home with a secret life in tow. Macey's life is becoming a complicated mess. Her mother is gone, her father is home and she now has the family she's always dreamed of, pity it belongs to someone else.

When friends that Macey didn't realise she had rally around her, her stalker is closing in. Notes left in her home, her school locker, car and text messages on her phone are reaching a peak and Macey has no idea who wishes her harm... But she's about to find out. Sometimes the person you least expect, may just be the one who wants to see your downfall.

Kelly's Thoughts

I loved Almost Dead, it was fun, flirty and impossible to put down. Anyone who's been to the Gold Coast in Queensland, will appreciate the beach loving location and Kaz Delaney drops readers right in the middle of the glitz and glamour. Macey is the ultimate rich girl, right down to her designer shoes, but she's clumsy, cute and extremely likable. Not having read the first book Dead Actually, Macey's story picks up with her mother leaving, her best friend and brother off on an adventure romance, and apart from the ghostly vision of Nick, she's all alone. Technically Nick isn't a ghost, he's still very much alive, but his spirit has been sent to find Macey and warn her of the grave danger she faces, but Nick can't remember exactly what that is.

Finn is the vision of Nick, where Nick is cheeky and flirtatious, Finn is the strong silent type. There is definitely a mutual attraction from the beginning between Finn and Macey, but it develops into somewhat of a relationship based on friendship and both being involved with Nick and his recovery. It's not instant love, and apart from the paranormal aspect, these could be two teens dating in any suburb around Australia. It's realistic and kudos to any author who doesn't force relationships upon characters that wouldn't otherwise work.

It was witty, charming and fun. Set on the Gold Coast, reading this on a stinking hot Melbourne summer day was a breath of fresh air. It's the ultimate Aussie summer read. Seeing this is my first Kaz Delaney novel, it certainly won't be my last. The only way I can compare her is to a song, her book starts off with a catchy melody drawing you in, you fall in love with the narrator as soon as she begins her verse. It reaches a crescendo that you won't see coming, and as those last notes fall, you'll sit back with a sigh and a smile and be grateful for the journey she's taken you on.

My, that was poetic. Should rework that for valentines day coming up and pitch it to Hallmark.

4 comments

  1. Sounds like the perfect book for the weather you're in. I think you should head to the beach :)

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  2. Yes! I'm with you! I reviewed it much the same. I loved how it was set on the GC. That's my first read set there...and my first time with a Kaz Delaney book too. I'm very tempted to find the first one (just have to...find...time). I liked it how it sort of looked like a triangle, but it wasn't. Finn is really nice. And Macey was AWESOME.

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  3. lol, very poetic! Loved how you wrapped up your review :) It was a really great setting, and so well written. It definitely had me hooked. Great review. Thanks for sharing :)

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  4. I love books set in Australia, that way I can relate to them :) sunny Gold Coast would be recognisable too! The romance sounds like it was done perfectly here, great review Kelly.

    Jeann @ Happy Indulgence

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