LB Teen

Guardian of the Dead

By Karen Healey (Trade Paperback, 2011)

"You're Ellie Spencer."

I opened my mouth, just as he added, "And your eyes are opening."

Seventeen-year-old Ellie Spencer is just like any other teenager at her boarding school. She hangs out with her best friend Kevin, she obsesses over Mark, a cute and mysterious bad boy, and her biggest worry is her paper deadline.

But then everything changes. The news headlines are all abuzz about a local string of serial killings that all share the same morbid trademark: the victims were discovered with their eyes missing. Then a beautiful yet eerie woman enters Ellie's circle of friends and develops an unhealthy fascination with Kevin, and a crazed old man grabs Ellie in a public square and shoves a tattered Bible into her hands, exclaiming, "You need it. It will save your soul." Soon, Ellie finds herself plunged into a haunting world of vengeful fairies, Maori mythology, romance, betrayal, and an epic battle for immortality.

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- Format: Trade Paperback
- Price: $8.99 US/$9.99 CAN
- ISBN-13: 9780316044387
- On Sale Date: 08/03/2011
- Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Full Details
Formats Available: Hardcover Book, Trade Paperback, Electronic Book
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Karen Healey is a New Zealander living in Australia. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne. She's writing a dissertation on the fan culture of American superhero comics, but her real expertise lies in discerning which of the Birds of Prey is objectively the most awesome (it's a tie between Oracle and the Huntress).

* "Healey has done a wonderful job... This story starts off fast and strong and just builds from there." (School Library Journal, starred review).
* "this book offers likeable characters with mythical heritage, reminiscent of Percy Jackson, tying together myth and reality into a cohesive whole." (VOYA, starred review).
"Fast-paced adventure and an unfamiliar, frightening enemy set a new scene for teen urban fantasy." (Kirkus ).
"Healey's prose is a notch above others... the Maori legends... are a breath of fresh air." (Booklist).
"It's been a long time since a debut novel grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go. From the first chilling mention of the Eyeslash Murderer (Note to self: Keep lights on) through the wonderfully evocative New Zealand setting, the fantastic Maori influence, the creepy school atmosphere, the introduction of funny, whip-smart characters, and the delicious, growing dread that something wicked this way comes, I was as hooked as hooked can be."
"Smart, hilarious, and wholly unique. Healey makes juxtaposing totally modern characters with numinous and ancient magic look effortless."
(School Library Journal).