Review of "She Smells the Dead" by EJ Stevens

It's the beginning of senior year and Yuki's psychic awareness of ghostly spirits is threatening to ruin her life. Her ability to sense spirits of the dead isn't glamorous like the ghost hunting on television.

SHE SMELLS THE DEAD.

The smell impressions are becoming stronger. Yuki is being visited in her dreams, and she suspects that her friend Calvin is involved in something strange. To make matters worse her crush on Garrett is going unrequited, Yuki's friend Emma is on a rampage against bee oppression, and annoying Calvin Miller mysteriously disappears.

Will Yuki be able to focus her powers in time to save the lost soul who is haunting her? Meanwhile, who will save Yuki from following the spirits into the light?

When I picked up She Smells the Dead by E J Stevens, I wondered if I would like it.  I knew that I am friends with E J on Goodreads and that she will be sure to see a copy of my review.  It left me a little worried, because I have a hard time being negative when I know the author will be sure to see it.  ( I would still tell the truth, just a little squeamishly.)

Yay for me!  I liked the book.  No worries now, I get to write a good book review.

The story is narrated by Yuki.  She is a senior in high school, who smells the dead.  At present she is smelling a ghost who smells like vinegar.  She enlists her best friend, Calvin, to help her unravels the mystery as to why he has not "gone into the light." While they are investigating she starts to smell a pesky wet dog.  Then she realizes that Calvin is actually pretty cute. Hmmm.....  You have to read the book to find the correlation.

Yuki's spirit animal is a dung beetle and the kids at school think she is a witch. Obviously, she is not very popular, but she doesn't let it get her down.

Yuki's narration is a bit on the sarcastic side.  I actually like that.  I like a feisty heroine.  There are several things happening in this book at once. No worries about boredom.  It is a Young Adult paranormal/teen romance book, one that I would be comfortable letting my 13 year old daughter read.  Sit back and enjoy!  I am giving it four stars.





There will be another book coming out in this series in 2011.  I will be reading it.  I need to know what happens on Halloween.