Loading ...She Smells the Dead by E. J. Stevens
Being a teen with a paranormal talent was not something that Vanessa Stennings could tell many people about. Her two best friends were the only ones she shared the knowledge of her particular talent with. Mostly because it was not something cool and exciting, Yuki (a nickname much preferred over other options), could Smell Dead People. Yeah not so cool when it overwhelms your senses and makes you lose your appetite, even if you were a vegetarian, and really not cool when it is a very pungent vinegar smell which was the particular odor of the current ghost haunting her. Really, who would think having Technosmellor smellavision was cool.
Having a crush on a boy that seems perfect for her since the eighth grade, Yuki, like a lot of teenage girls, does not see what is right in front of her in the form of her best friend Cal Miller (hands up for being guilty of this myself not once but twice). Having Cal and her friend Emma help her investigate her latest haunting, by a man who smelled like pungent cider vinegar is great but something has changed between Cal and her which is making their time together awkward. When being near Cal results in her being overwhelmed with a wet dog smell, Yuki is confused as to what is going on with her BFF especially when he suddenly is more appealing as a crush worthy boy than ever before and she completely forgets about whats his name. Even his nick name for her was beginning to sound a bit better, although being called a Dung Beetle Princess still wasn’t all sweet and snugglie no matter how many stuffed dung beetles he brought her.
Cal knows a bit about what his BFF is going through. Dealing with a paranormal talent had not been as easy for her as it was for him since he had known about his forever. Being a werewolf was in his blood and although yet to come into his full change, he had been trained for what was to come. Making Yuki more aware of things bit by bit, visits to shamans, to herbalists, taking her with him to retreats all to prepare her for her role in his destiny. As his packs born Alpha, his connection to Yuki was more than just a crush or a passing phase and his superior hearing really did not need to listen in when she voices her choice to take her to the Homecoming Dance.
Trying to ignore the changes in Cal, Yuki digs in to the investigation of the mystery vinegar spirit and finds a local connection that proves to be the source of the haunting. Jackson Green, CEO of the Green Orchards Apple Cider Vinegar Company had been laid to rest recently but there was the matter of a missing will and a large chunk of his fortune that was missing which the remaining family was searching for. With the help of Emma, Cal and Cal’s “friend” Simon, they research and find some of the answers they need to begin their search for the link that is keeping Mr. Green trapped. Simon has his own agenda to deal with while there, most especially training Yuki for her destiny beside the packs young Alpha. Taking a break to enjoy just being teens, they head out to the dance but Yuki finds out the hard way that releasing her tension and dancing around the floor has dire consequences for the young shifter who was just watching his girlfriend shine on the dance floor.
Yuki was a smart and intelligent teen who does not waste time mulling over her relationship with her new boyfriend Cal Miller just to increase the “teen angst” factor of the book. It is a quick paced read that moves the main plot along quickly without too many unneeded detours along the way. The mystery of her dealing with the deceased Mr. Green is almost too quickly resolved and I kinda wished there was a little more mystery involved in the situation before the neat and tidy resolution.
When his “talents” begin to surface, Yuki steps up and faces her destiny as the soul mate to Cal and his wolf without looking back at what she might be giving up by accepting this fate at such a young age. I really enjoyed all the characters and look forward to getting my hands on future books as soon as they come to print. They are all very interesting, sassy, smart and captivating. Simon especially intrigues me and I think he will be a very important piece of the puzzle along the way. She Smells the Dead is definitely worth the read. With so many current YA series nearing the end I am glad to find this one in its early stages to keep me entertained.
Book Stats:
- Paperback: 184 pages
- Publisher: Sacred Oaks Press (August 19, 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0984247521
- ISBN-13: 978-0984247523
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Books in the Spirit Guide series in the order they should be read:
She Smells the Dead
Spirit Storm
I am intrigued by this book and I just got to say, the cover is gorgeous!
Sounds like an interesting book. I’m going to check it out. Uh oh another series? I seem to be a series slut. Talk about the worst super power ever smelling dead people. But on the bright side if you ever feel the urge to eat a plate of brownies just sniff out some dead people and you’ll lose your appetite pretty fast I’d imagine.