"Dead Is A Killer Tune" by Marlene Perez

Release Date: September 4, 2012
Publisher: Graphia
Pages: 224

From Goodreads: "A diabolical pied piper comes to town in the the seventh installment of this hot paranormal mystery series. High school freshman Jessica Walsh is a virago, a woman warrior who must protect her hometown from danger. And in the unusual little town of Nightshade, California, trouble is always lurking. At Nightshade’s Battle of the Bands, Jess’s boyfriend Dominic and his band Side Effects May Vary are up against Hamlin, a band so popular that their fans follow them everywhere. Soon, Nightshade’s musicians are doing risky, illegal and even fatal things—and claiming that strange music they heard right before falling asleep told them to do it. Could a diabolical pied piper be sabotaging the Battle of the Bands? It’s up to Jessica and her friends track down the tuneful tyrant."

Like I stated in my review of the previous book in this series "Dead Is A Battlefield" this book didn't really do it for me (I found the characters and situations to be a bit too juvenile for my tastes, the sheer number of characters overwhelming, etc.). That being said, since I reviewed "Dead Is A Battlefield" I have learned that these books are ALA (American Library Association) Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Therefore, while as a reader they may not be entirely to my liking, as a future-librarian I appreciate them more than you can imagine!

The strengths of these books reluctant reader-wise is that they are extremely short, before you know it you have finished it (which always gives a reader, no matter their reading level, a sense of accomplishment for doing so). Furthermore, they present a twist on the paranormal- I mean, have you ever heard of a virago (woman warrior) or read a modern adaptation of the Pied Piper of Hamelin before? Additionally, the world that Perez has built is quite unlike any I have ever encountered before- each and every character is connected in some way, shape, or form to another. Therefore, if you are a fan of the series, you can be guaranteed to see your favourite characters time and time again (while constantly developing new favourites)!

As becomes evident, on a personal level I think that my largest factor impacting my opinion of this series is that I am outside of its targeted audience- I feel that those in the lower ends of the YA spectrum (if not older MG readers) will gobble these up in a heartbeat and ask for seconds! Furthermore, despite my complaints I don't ever feel like I have wasted my time reading this books- they do present me with an hour or so of entertainment that is much appreciated. On a librarian level I recommend them to any reluctant readers or those looking for a different take on the paranormal!

Rating: 3/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.