Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez
Daisy Giordano lives in Nightshade, California a deceptively small town that is “chock full of the unknown, the unusual, and the unexpected.” (pg 190) The Giordano family is infamous for their psychic abilities, except for Daisy who feels like an outcast because she is the “norm” in a gifted family. However, things get stranger when Daisy’s mom starts an investigation on a cheerleader’s unexplained death, and the most popular cheerleader Samantha Devereaux shows up looking like the living dead. In addition, several cheerleaders have been infected by a mysterious illness, which ages them and leaves them with streaks of white hair. Daisy (who is normally the social outcast) decides to join the cheerleading squad to find out if Samantha is a vampire and help her mom solve the murder case. As Daisy further investigates she becomes entangled in a romantic relationship with Ryan (the hottest guy in school and her best friend), and also finds that she’s not “norm” after all.
Dead is the New Black kind of reminded me of the Charmed Series in that it features three sisters with psychic and telekinses abilities who fight and investigate the supernatural. (Except they’re just psychics not witches like in the Charmed Series. This series could definately be turned into a TV show!) In addition, the writing was short, sweet, and under 200 pages making it an easily digestable low-fat mystery. (Also suitable for Ages 12 and up.) I can’t wait to read the next two books in the series!
P.S. The book also comes with a soundtrack related to the characters and storyline! Check it out below!
Playlist for DEAD IS THE NEW BLACK
- “Here Comes Your Man”
—by The Pixies - “Heartbreaker”
—by Pat Benatar - “Evil Woman”
—by ELO - “Another One Bites the Dust”
—by Queen - “Dreamboat 730”
—by Ringside
Definitely putting this on my TBR list! Thanks for posting!
Not more undead cheerleaders! This makes three on our sci fi/fantasy cybils reading lists. Where will it end?????
actually this sounds like a fun one, and I hope I’m able to get to it. The under 200 pages part is a draw.
I have to say, may not be my cup of tea.
However, I love the idea of the playlist! I love books with music in them- Rose By Any Other Name, David Levithan and Rachel Cohn books etc.- but that is such a cute idea! Maybe I’ll get the book just because of that.
Charlotte – So there’s this, Generation Dead, and…? What’s the third one?
I’m sort of soured on the idea of dead cheerleaders too, but your recommendation makes me want to pick it up. I’ve been unhappy with my latest teen urban fantasy reads, so maybe this will be the one to put a smile on my face.
this book is my favorite book in the world i read it 5 times dasiy is my favorite character in this book and samantha is also a favorite
this is a really really good book daisy is a great charater!!!
Loved this book!Even though i would have liked it even more if it was not so short!i loved the romance in it!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have read it 9 times and my favorite characters are Daisy and Ryan!!!
If you liked this book, you’ll LOVE the real-life story that it inspired it!! It is by the world’s only REAL psychic twins,
Linda and Terry Jamison. SEPARATED AT EARTH: THE STORY OF THE PSYCHIC TWINS is available on
Amazon.com. These supernatural sisters are famous for their 9/11 prophecy and scores of other predictions.
They are also famous world-renowned psychic detectives who have solved crimes and cracked the Olivia Newton-John missing person case!