The Dead Girls' Dance (Morganville Vampires, Book 2)
by Rachel Caine
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Book Summary Information
Author: Rachel CaineBrand: Dutton
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-04-03
ISBN: 0451220897
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: NAL Jam
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780451220899
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of The Dead Girls' Dance (Morganville Vampires, Book 2)
Book Review: Fantastic sequel advances the story, keeps readers hooked
Summary: 5 Stars
Morganville is as crazy as ever in this second volume of Rachel Caine's series. The inhabitants of the Glass House--Michael, Shane, Eve, and protagonist Claire--are under the informal protection of Amelie, the town Founder, but that isn't helping them much. Michael is a part-time ghost and is physically incapable of leaving his house. Shane is loyal to his Ax Crazy father who has come back to town to start a private war. Eve's homicidal brother is rumored to be back in town. Poor Claire is just caught up in the maelstrom of drama, because all the people she loves are embroiled in it, but she's developed a knack for making enemies, too, and bad vamp Oliver isn't likely to forget the trouble she caused him in the past, so with all this major trouble, it's like Claire and company are juggling flaming chainsaws. I like when that happens.
The Dead Girls' Dance is an excellent second-book-in-a-series because every idea and subplot from book one is advanced, complicated, or called into question. In book one, there were no couples, but now Eve and Michael are together and Claire and Shane are almost together, but in neither case do we see anyone swooning or making declarations of undying love. There clearly is a lot of love, both platonic and romantic, between everybody living at the Glass House, but they spend more time showing it by looking out for each other than talking about it. Another thing that changes is Claire's black-and-white view of vampires, which is challenged by Sam, a seemingly kind young vampire, and she also stops thinking of the Morganville locals as total sheep when two neutral cops, Lowe and Hess, offer their assistance. Character development is abundant. The full extent of Shane's loyalty to his family is shown, and because of it he ends up in a cage awaiting execution for murdering a vampire his dad took out. Shane is easy to sympathize with, and his ability to bounce back from tragedy is amazing, considering that he handily wins the Bad Family Olympics in this book: his sister burned alive, his mom was executed by vamps so that it would look like a suicide, and his dad is an abusive drunk who's sobered up just long enough to slaughter as many vampires as he can. Eve develops, but not always in good ways--she may have a death wish, and she's not very good in crises because she'll collapse into tears or go ineffectively psycho as often as she'll save the day. Artistic, responsible Michael is pushed to the breaking point by his limitations, and his struggles are palpable, especially when he makes a bargain that will change his life forever.
There are a few trouble spots amid all this great writing, though. Monica's horrible, but it's strange to hear her insult Claire's fashion sense when she's previously planned to roast her over a fire. I suppose Claire has to say something to her, but trading barbs with a homicidal maniac on the campus quad feels off. One other problem is the serious subplot with Eve's awful brother, which is abruptly dropped. I assume it'll pick up in the next boo, but I wish it hadn't been introduced so soon if it wasn't going to be better woven into this particular story.
A few last things I loved: 1. Claire is poor, and it feels very college-realistic that a $3.50 mocha latte is a big expense for her. This is not a glamorous town, and our heroine probably lives below the poverty line. 2. There's some great gallows humor when Claire looks at vampire bigwig Oliver and thinks, "he killed Michael!" before it registers with her that, actually, a couple of different people have killed Michael by this point, and it's all moot anyway since he doesn't stay dead. 3. I'm fond of ice-cold Amelie. She's ancient and logical and devoid of outward emotion, but her affection for Claire still shines through the poise and apparent indifference. No matter what she does, I can't help but feel that she's ultimately a force for good, and is just hiding it behind extremely complex gambits and social experiments. 4. Cliffhanger ending. Yet again, the immediate problems are solved, but more loom on the horizon and the stakes (no pun intended) have been raised even higher. I need book three, now.
Summary of The Dead Girls' Dance (Morganville Vampires, Book 2)
Claire has her share of challenges. Like being a genius in a school that favors 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.
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