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She Smells the Dead
She Smells the Dead
She Smells the Dead
Ebook187 pages3 hours

She Smells the Dead

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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She Smells the Dead is the first book in the YA Paranormal Spirit Guide series by E.J. 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?

"She Smells the Dead provides something new and fresh to the YA realm."
-Stacey, Flippin' Fabulous: A Reader's Record

"This series is like Nancy Drew meets the Winchester Brother's from Supernatural."
-Natalie, I'd So Rather Be Reading

"I absolutely loved every last delicious page of She Smells The Dead!"
-Mary, Sparkling Reviews

"If you love ghosts, Goths, and a little bit of YA romance, you will want to check this book out."
-Yvonne, Diva's Bookcase

LanguageEnglish
PublisherE.J. Stevens
Release dateAug 19, 2010
ISBN9781452487212
She Smells the Dead

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Reviews for She Smells the Dead

Rating: 3.8428572114285715 out of 5 stars
4/5

35 ratings13 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    First reading rating:3/5Second reading rating: 2.5/5It seems my reading taste has changed in the last seven years.*She Smells the Dead still has an appeal that comes with an MC who has an ability other than the tired she SEES the dead.*A relationship with a strong base of friendship is always A+.*There's room for more in-depth dive into Yuki's paranormal world and Cal's heritage. More story development.*The mystery was too simplistic; and probably would should've been unraveled other than the generous employment of the ouija board.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    To say that this book is rather unlike anything I've ever read before seems a bit of an understatement. I mean where else in YA fiction have you ever found a main character that smells dead people? See them, yup. Sense them, definitely. Smell them? Yuki is absolutely one of a kind in that respect. It was this little fact that first drew me to the book, and then had me hooked by the middle of the first chapter.

    Yuki, also known as Vanessa Stennings, isn't your typical teenage, gothic girl. Her angst filled teenage years are further complicated by her ability to smell dead people. Now before you run away at the thought of rotting corpses, let me assure you that Yuki's ability is much more interesting than that. Her curse is to smell people in a symbolic sense. The scents give her a clue and then she uses these clues to figure out who deceased is, as well as what unfinished business they have left on this Earth. Pretty amazing right?

    What I loved about this story was the originality, both in concept and in characters. Yuki, Emma and Calvin each had their own unique personalities (Bee oppression anyone?) and yet they mesh together perfectly! It was a whole lot of fun following them on their crazy excursions. I was also quite appreciative of the narrative style that E.J. Stevens writes in. We see the world from Yuki's point of view, even becoming a part of her inside jokes. Although I'll admit that Yuki's copious usage of "son of a dung beetle" had me a bit on edge at times, she was likable to the core! I truly fell in love with these characters.

    My one gripe about this story, and it's a small one at that, is just that it is over so quickly! By the time that I was invested and excited about the outcome, it was done. The one thing that keeps me holding on is that I know there will be a second book out soon! I was hoping that She Smells the Dead would have made it to the climax I was expecting, however if the second book deals with that epic night then I am all for waiting. Truth be told I'll be a little impatient, but I'll wait!

    Final thoughts? Original, fantastic and fun!
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I picked up this book because I thought the cover was beautiful and it sounded interesting. Bad idea. The first thing I noticed was all the errors. This is supposed to be a final book, but it was filled with grammatical errors. I was also annoyed by the characters continued use of “yah”. Can’t they just say “yeah” like normal people?!? I still decided to give it a chance, even with the annoying tidbits I noticed in the first chapters. The story is very fast paced (I actually liked that). The problem was—nothing interesting really happened. There was no bad guy to this story, and the main character just focused on her boring romance with Cal. There are also a lot of stereotypes used in this book: Yuki is the typical goth, her best friend is vegan, etc… I found that a bit annoying. I like books to be different and this one just wasn’t. I would have liked to see more action related to her power and title of the book—smelling the dead! The summary is also misleading, as Yuki completely forgets about her crush in the beginning of the book. Overall, this book wasn’t very believable. It was just a silly story. I was very disappointed with it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I love Yuki!She's strong, brave, smart and knows what she wants. The kind of girl everyone should want to be, but she makes herself a bit of an outcast.Very well rounded character for one with her ability. That vinegar smell, a dead guy. Yep, she really smells the dead. Could you imagine?!I am stuck on the edge of a cliffhanger though, as now I need to get my hands on a copy of the next book in line.Excellent storytelling from EJ, as she takes readers into a whole new dimension of fun! I think people of all ages will love it!And on a personal note, thanks to EJ for adding part of my review in the back of the book, along with others praise for Shadows of Myth and Legend.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    *I received this book free of charge for my honest opinion*My Review: E. J. Stevens writes a beautiful paranormal novel with an amazing cover and a story that will stick with you long after your finished reading. She fits so much in this short novel you never feel like a character is missing something. The characters really make the story what it is!Yuki: With a paranormal gift that is anything but glamorous and would gag me if I had to deal with it, she smells the dead. Her current spirit haunting her makes her smell vinegar all day can you even imagine. Yuki seems to be to be strong and venerable because of her powers all at the same time. She is a goth at school - and called a "witch" by many of the students. Her sense of humor and smart ass remarks she says to herself really tripped me out. With her amazing talents I can't wait to see what's next for Yuki. Calvin: Is Yuki best friend that soon becomes a lot more. For some reason he reminds me of a hippie dude but that may just be in my head. But just as we are getting to know the caring, protective, and loving Calvin something strange seems to be happening and he is avoiding Yuki. Emma: She is Yuki's vegan friend -who to me is the best kind of written friend you can have. She is trustworthy, fun loving, and is very humorous. She is out for bee oppression everywhere and will not stand for it.Simon: A wanna be playboy who becomes Yuki's instructor in all things spiritual. He is annoying,sarcastic, and very helpful in rough situations. *Overall I think this book was well worth the read and I will be reading it again and again. I recommend it to Paranormal lovers, YA, mystery fans. I think young teens could read this with ease of their parents.*
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    E. J. Steven's novel is a combination of paranormal romance and mystery with a good bit of humor thrown in. The main character Yuki isn't really named that, but chose that nickname over her real name Vanessa. You'll have to read the book to see what the nicknames she's been through to see why she chose a nickname. The novel takes place in high school in a small Maine town where Yuki's best friends are Calvin and Emma. Calvin is a huge meat eater, but into meditation and spiritual matters. Yuki is a vegetarian and Emma is completely Vegan. It makes for fun and interesting fodder at the lunch table.The mystery begins when Yuki is overpowered with the smell of vinegar. Both Calvin and Emma know about her strange "talent" and help her in her sleuthing to find the ghost that is connected to the smell. She can't see him or talk to him. She only has a smell to go by. Her parents don't know about her talent so she works around that. And she has to rely on her friends for rides as she doesn't have her driver's license yet, afraid a scent will overtake her and she'll pass out while driving.She has the hots for the bad boy in school Garrett Hamlin but suddenly finds herself attracted to Calvin. She soon finds out why and things get really strange from there. And that's saying a lot since she can smell dead people.This is an easy to finish in one night book. The writing flows quickly, there are no gaps in the story that need explaining except maybe how Yuki came to have her talent. But the story builds momentum leading to the next novel. There are no cliffhangers. It ends with a good conclusion but you know there is more to come. I loved the story between Cal (vin) and Yuki. They'd obviously been friends a long time and they are so opposite it is hard to believe they are friends. She's as goth as they come and he's as outdoorsy as they come, yet they are perfect for each other. He calls her his "Princess Dung Beetle" which she sometimes likes. You'll have to read to see how that came about. There are no betrayals in this book, everyone is a good down to earth loyal friend. The story is told from Yuki's perspective, first person narrative so we get a chance to see inside her head. Her observations, especially in high school are funny.I really loved this story. The romance was just enough. The paranormal was definitely something new and it wasn't just the smelling dead people. I left out a big part so I don't spoil it for you. And the strong friendships were nice to see. The biggest villain at high school this time was a "jock" and not a girl. So yay for the girls we aren't as bitchy as we're portrayed to be!! At least not in this novel.This novel is G rated. Anyone that likes paranormal romance/mystery should enjoy this quick read.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    To be honest I was a little skeptical about this one. The title is a little weird for me because I've never heard of anyone "smelling" the dead. Though I like the way the girl on the cover looks so I figured I'd give it a try. Yuki doesn't actually smell the rotting corpse of someone, but she smells something symbolic to them. The only way to stop the smell from driving her nuts is to follow her nose pretty much and try to figure out what the spirit is trying to tell her.Straight from the beginning we are pulled into a mystery about a guy that Yuki has "smelled". She's trying to find out if he died naturally or was actually killed. I thought this was pretty much the story. Boy was I wrong. It felt like I was reading 3 stories inside of one. We start off on the mystery of Mr. Green (the dead guy) then when we're finally getting somewhere with that we switch over to Calvin and Yuki's relationship which appears out of thin air, then the mystery of Calvin and somehow the whole middle of the book is not about Yuki but about Calvin. That was pretty strange...as was the dialect in this book. The most overused phrases were "yah" and "son of a dung beetle". I think if this was told from alternate point of views between Yuki and Calvin it might have went over better. Also there were way too many clues that made it extremely obvious what was going on with Yuki's best friend Calvin. I would've liked it if we were made to just use our brains and figure it out or even let it be a surprise. The ending was just a complete cliffhanger. It was not dark like I was expecting from the summary and the cover but pretty light.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    4.5 StarsFabulous, Fun and QuirkyYuki is pretty much a typical teenager; she is a senior in high school, infatuated with a great looking boy who barely notices her, and has two loyal friends who are behaving strangely. Did I say typical? Let me rephrase that just a bit. Yuki is just coming into some very special powers and she smells dead people. The smells can sometimes haunt her dreams as well as her waking hours. As the book opens, Yuki discovers she is being stalked by the ghost of an old farmer who recently passed on but refuses to pass over. The strong vinegary smell is impossible to ignore and that is how the mystery begins.This is a fun and clever story that will have you cheering for the off-beat, unflappable Yuki as she tries various methods of dealing with her strange gift and prophetic dreams. I laughed aloud at the funny scenes describing her special spirit guide then later as she is gently teased about the sacred scarab...I bet you will, too. Yuki is a resourceful heroine who embraces the idiosyncrasies and foibles of her friends with equanimity. Her wardrobe choices are as unique as she is. Emma, her best friend, is a staunch and loyal ally even though she and Yuki seem as different as night and day. Then there is Calvin, her steadfast and true friend, who is also her anchor and defender. Yuki, Calvin and Emma each come into their own in this outstanding break-out novel for young adults and the young of heart. This is the first book in the Spirit Guide series. The next book, Spirit Storm, has just been released in print format (it is available in Kindle format, too). The third book, aptly titled The Legend of Witch Trot Road will be out later this year. Laurie-J Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Things aren't going well for Yuki. It's just the first day of school and already she is smelling the dead. It's a terrible, strong smell and no matter what she does she can't shake it. So she does the only thing she can do, tries to figure out who it is and why they are with her.With the help of her best friend's Emma and all of sudden hot Calvin, Yuki makes startling discoveries about the mystery behind the smell, and about her abilities.Can I say how creative this story is? Smelling the dead? Wow! Not only is it original but it is done well, and interesting to read about.I liked that this wasn't a makeover story, that Yuki didn't wake up and want to be something she wasn't. She accepted her fate and better yet, she kind of liked it. Sure it made her unpopular, but she seemed to be okay with that, and it was refreshing.Her relationship with Calvin though rocky at first became a really important part of the story and within time it was revealed how much they need one another. Not just as friends but as soulmates.The ending was abrupt, but I look forward to reading the next book in the series to find out what happens. The book is full of mystery and is a great paranormal read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This. Was. Awesome. I've been a fan of E.J.'s poetry for a while because she writes really cool stuff but she's got a knack for Young Adult books! She Smells The Dead was new and different and certainly not a premise that I'm familiar with in the world of mediums. I thought it was unique! I adored the main character Yuki, and her drive to be herself no matter what others thought. I also adored the other "main" character, Calvin. He was a dynamic character and what I would have wanted as a boyfriend at that age. The story itself was fast paced and never boring. It's a great book in my opinion and I recommend that you check it out.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a very quick fun read. I loved the quirkiness of this book. By first impression, meaning the goth girl gracing the cover and the spooky title, I thought I was going in for something dark and gruesome---because really, what sounds more gruesome than constantly smelling the dead. But I was so pleasantly surprised! The main character, Yuki is quirky and funny and pretty confident for someone who gets constant strange looks from her classmates and is rumored to be the school witch. I loved the little addition of the thoughts running through her head throughout the book.This was a pretty complex story---lots of subplots going on here, all of them intriguing! Some I felt could have been fleshed out just a bit more, and the arc of the story shifted just a little so that a major plotline of the book could have been resolved by the end ( I have to assume there will be sequel since the story was leading up to a big event that didn't happen by the end of the book.) I did really enjoy how her power to smell the dead led her on a detective-style mystery! She doesn't actually smell the dead person (that would be gross!), but each ghost's scent is kind of a clue to who they were. One day she is bombarded by the awful smell of vinegar and that is the only clue she starts with on how to put this ghost to rest---the rest of the mystery solving is all up to her awesome Nancy Drew skills! Its also helps that her best friend is an expert reseacher---as well as a devout vegan whose mission in life is to make everyone else feel bad for eating meat and to free oppressed bees everywhere. She was a hoot---someone I would probably be terribly annoyed with in real life, but on paper she was funny and also a great supportive friend to Yuki, which I loved.This was also a love story, and a very sweet one at that. You could tell from the beginning that Yuki, despite her alleged crush on a boy named Garrett, had some suppressed feeling for her longtime friend Calvin. It's cute the way they start out as an almost grade-school style crush where they are constantly teasing each other, and next thing your know they are kissing in his truck. I love how she constantly referred to him so formally as "Calvin Miller" in her head as she lectures him in her thoughts.If there is in fact a sequel, I'll definitely be picking it up to find out what happens on Samhain!! In the meantime, I think I will actually miss being with these characters! I recommend this for a quick, fun read!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I think started a bit slow, but it got better as I go along reading, and before I knew it I was enjoying the read.Yuki can smell the dead. Literally. It was her indicator that a ghost is around when she smells something. With her recently discovered powers, Yuki was helping the world, one ghost at a time, and her latest haunting was from a ghost smelling like vinegar.Enlisting help from her friends, Emma, hardcore vegan and against anything with meat who’s got a knack for concocting salves to nasty teas using herbs, and Calvin, the boy who was into all things mystical, the one who’s spirit animal was a wolf. But was it really just a spirit animal, or something else entirely?I had an impression that this was a ghost story, and that’s what you will initially think when you read the summary, so imagine my surprise when I found out there were wolves as well. I had my reservations, wondering how this element of the story will play out, but it was an interesting mix. Wolves and Ghosts. I don’t think I’ve read anything with both.I liked the way the plot worked out. E.J. was able to blend ghosts and wolves and turn it into something very convincing and believable with her writing. I think this was such a fresh idea, a very promising premise that, if worked out effectively would be a really good story. It’s enchanting and very entertaining!The ending was such a cliffhanger. It makes you wonder just what will happen to Yuki. I myself am anticipating how she’ll be able to deal with her powers and the upcoming Samhain, when she’s most vulnerable against ghosts.Very much looking forward to the sequel!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It's the first day of school and Vanessa Stennings who likes to be called Yuki is overwhelmed by the scent of vinegar, weird right? Well Yuki has a gift, she smells the dead, not like decay or anything like that but instead its more a symbolic scent of the spirit who has come to her for help, her friend Calvin likes to call it smell impressions, anywho this particular spirit smells like vinegar, and the only way to get rid of the spirit is to figure out what it wants! Yuki hasn't ever been popular in school, some of her classmates even call her a witch,because of the way she looks and dresses, but she does have a few good friends. Calvin Miller whom she has known since second grade,Emma, who writes for the school paper and Gordy who is in the Anime club, and thinks Yuki is cool because of her name. Calvin and Yuki share a special bond of knowing who they really are, Calvin was told by his family that he is actually a werewolf , and one summer while he and Yuki was at a Shaman retreat he was told his spirit animal was the wolf, and Yuki's turned out to be the dung beetle, which Calvin loves teasing her about. So with her paranomal powers and his werewolf thing well you could say they have a few things in common! Together they need to figure out their powers while also trying to get to the bottom of Yuki's ghost, all before Samhain (Halloween), the night that ghosts flood the earth, but with romance blooming between the two all Yuki wants to do is attend The Homecoming Dance and wear her corset dress! This is a very quick paced story with a great cast of characters. Yuki's quick wit and her often sarcastic sense of humor was something I loved, the romance that also started developing between Gordy and Emma toward the end of the book was an unexpected twist, and I look forward to how that might develop in a future book. The author wraps up the book very well, but the last sentence of the book leaves us hope that there will be sequel to this one! If your a fan of paranormal fiction, young adult, or mysteries then I highly recommend this book. I was provided a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Book preview

She Smells the Dead - E.J. Stevens

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