Series Review and Giveaway ~ DEATH by Tamara Rose Blodgett

Today I have a series review of the DEATH SERIES, by Tamara Blodgett. I struggled with a way to review each of these books without spoiling them and without becoming redundant. Tough job. So what I decided to do is, spotlight each book, then review the series as a whole.

Almost fifteen-year-old Caleb Hart is a Cadaver-Manipulator in the year 2025. When teens receive a government-sanctioned pharmaceutical cocktail during school, paranormal abilities begin manifesting... making the teens more powerful than the adults. After Caleb discovers he has the rare, Affinity for the Dead, he must do whatever it takes to hide it from a super-secret government agency whose goal is exploitation. Caleb seeks refuge in his new girlfriend, Jade, until he realizes that she needs as much protection from her family, as he does from the government. Suddenly, Caleb finds that hiding his ability while protecting Jade and his friends is a full time job; can he escape the government, protect Jade and lose the bullies that are making him miserable? ~From GoodReads

Published April 1st 2011
Source: Personal purchase

Caleb's in high school now and thinks the chaos of last year is behind him. Unfortunately, a serial killer is on the loose and children are his victims. Caleb agrees to help the police apprehend the murderer...until the killer takes notice of Caleb and his paranormal friends. Carson and Brett remain the bullies they always were and their posse continues to grow. How long can the two groups stay out of each others' way before there's a firestorm of retribution... The Government Graysheets continue to keep tabs on Caleb's every move while Jade's family threatens their relationship. Can they still be together even when events threaten to tear them apart? ~From GoodReads

Published August 29th 2011
Source: Received from author in exchange for an honest review.

Caleb's second year of high school starts off without a hitch until Jade touches the wrong clairvoyance sample that foretells a murder in her future. Will she remain safe even while assisting police officers Garcia and Gale in a race to prevent a cataclysmic death? Sophie and Jonesy aren't seeing things eye to eye, but when her safety is threatened by an attacker targeting Astral-Projection girls, they put their differences aside. The FDA approved depressant has begun to be administered to the teens for suppression of paranormal abilities during sleep for safety reasons. Or so they've been told. Carson and Brett have escalated the violence that they perpetrate and leave Caleb no choice but to reciprocate. After saving the newest member of their group from certain abuse, Caleb knows the bull's-eye is dead center on him. Again. Does Caleb use the undead as a weapon of defense while his group hangs in the balance of imminent peril? ~From GoodReads

Published January 13th 2012

Source: Received from author in exchange for an honest review.

Caleb faces possible jail time for using Clyde as a undeadly weapon. When he's exonerated with probation lasting a year, Caleb has to watch his every action. Tensions run high when after the death of Jade's only relatives, she must live with an undesirable foster family who are anything but what they seem.... Life gets complicated for everyone when the scientists responsible for the paranormal manifestation threaten a parellel world to Caleb's own. In a bid to stop the destruction of their world, while saving his own, Caleb must defend two peoples against the long arm of the Graysheets. Time begins to run against him when he discovers through an unlikely source that his friends have been given a drug that causes progressive insanity. Can he find the antidote in time to save them? To save Jade? ~ From GoodReads

Published May 18th 2012                         
Source: Received from author in exhange for an honest review.

My Review

"The dead spoke, they spoke to me all the time."

 (Death Whispers, 20%)

This series has been on my radar for quite some time now. I actually bought DEATH WHISPERS last summer, I think, and planned to read it at some point. So when the author asked if I might review the series, I knew the time had come.

So what did I think of the DEATH series? I really liked it. The concept was original and smart. Basically, scientist mapped out the human genome and then developed the capability to expand paranormal abilities. Every school-aged child is given a drug cocktail that enhance said abilities. When the children reach puberty, their bodies aren't the only things to develop. Each teen's ability manifests in a different way. Some may become Empaths. Others may become Telepaths, or Telekenesis, or the biggie Affinity for the Dead(AftD). Caleb Hart, series hero, has AftD, and he's the son of the scientist partially responsible for the discovery. Lucky boy. Good thing Caleb has the "J's", his best friends John and Jonesy, and his new girlfriend, Jade. Add in supportive, if quirky, parents and Caleb has support on all fronts.

Beyond the original concept, I love how Blodgett expanded on the story. Caleb and his friends would struggle to survive and solve one complicated scenario, then another would crop up. The first book begins with Caleb, John and Jonesy trying to get the school bullies off their backs. Then they must avoid Caleb, because of his unique abilities, being exploited by the government. Even when Caleb gets out of hot water, the Greysheets are always watching him. And when he's not dealing with the Greysheets, Jade's abusive father is on his case. Oh, and the Affinity for the Dead ability? Not only is Caleb saddled with that, he is also a Cadaver-Manipulator. A necromancer. The dead that Caleb raise obey him, faithfully. He can use them to scare his bullies, or to ward off the bad guys. And sometimes, he loses control of his minions. Not good.

I mentioned the support cast, but they all play a huge role in the books. I really enjoyed Caleb. His voice felt very authentic. He was snarky and sarcastic, but also caring to those he loves. Throughout the series, Caleb is put to the test. He makes some dangerous, unwise choices at times, but mostly for the right reasons. His best friends, the J's, were very funny and always had Caleb's back. I adored Jade. Jade comes from a rough background. She has an alcoholic, abusive father. She was removed from the home and lives in the care of her aunt. A lot of people judge her, but Caleb only sees her for herself, a girl he's crazy about. Their caring, slow-building relationship was probably my favorite aspect of the story. Call me a romantic. Their relationship doesn't exactly go smoothly, though. Jacob's abilities, her family, and circumstances beyond their control put them to the test.  And lastly, Caleb's parents, Kyle and Alicia. I found them to be funny, a great source of comic relief. And most importantly, they're present. They play an actual, big, part in the stories.

So...I do have to say that while I did like Caleb and the snark, it did begin to wear on me after a while. I just felt the internal and external quippiness was a bit much. But, to be fair, teenage boys are a bit much at times, so there's that. ;-) Also, Caleb likes the word "retarded". A lot. Like, he says it so much, it's like he's trying to make a point that he'll say it just because he can. I know words only have the power we give them, but I've never liked that one. So that did bug me. But, I will say that as the series progresses and Caleb matures, he does ease up on the annoying language.
Also, the villains sometimes felt a bit cartoonish to me.

The DEATH SERIES was, overall, a really fun, unique ride. The scientific aspect was clever. The characters were funny and memorable. The action never stops. I think this series would certainly be a hit with teens, specifically teen boys.

You can purchase DEATH WHISPERS at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords


You can purchase DEATH SPEAKS at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

You can purchase DEATH SCREAMS at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

You can purchase DEATH WEEPS at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords


About the author:

Tamara Rose Blodgett is a "thinking-out-of-the box" paranormal enthusiast who lives in Alaska and has worked as a journalist. She is a passionate reader and aside from her writing, considers it her #1 hobby.

In her spare time Tamara's a reluctant serial-re-modeler, project slave and big time, in-her-pants reader (surprise!). She does a great deal of daydreaming about impossible scenarios and events; writing books to capture them in stories for you~ Side note: Gnomes should be exterminated.

BLOG: http://tamararoseblodgett.blogspot.com/

GIVEAWAY

Author Tamara Rose Blodgett is offering one winner all four books in the series.

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