Synopsis: Signa has been orphaned since she was a child when impossibly, everyone around her perished at a party...apart from her. This is because Signa cannot die, no matter how hard she tries. Taking belladonna berries–in an attempt to poison herself, and speak to Death to ask him why he has ruined her life–she ends up accidentally touching her horrid aunt in limbo and mysteriously killing her newest guardian. Shipped off to the next one, she hopes Death will stay out of it and leave her to be presented to society and live and marry as the wealthy woman she wishes. However, upon arriving at Thorn Grove, she realizes it will not be the home she wishes. Instead, she embarks on a mission with Death himself to figure out who is attempting to poison her cousin and ruin her attempt at a new life.
Plot: I am not the biggest horror reader, but this toed the line of spook perfectly for me. It was the best choice to read this in the fall. Not only were the vibes immaculate, but the setting of the grandiose house with its huge parties, and the haunting whodunnit all together made this perfect. I was intrigued immediately and was left guessing right along with Signa as the mystery unfolded. I did NOT guess the twists at the end, but was left with a little to be desired in terms of explanations, which is why this isn't a 5 star read. Enough questions were answered though, leading this perfectly to the second book and making me quite eager to pick it up.
Characters: Singa was the perfect MC. She was smart and intuitive and made all the right choices, which is exceedingly hard to do in a YA whodunnit. I felt very close to her from the first page and was excited with her development across the line of the story as she discovers her gifts. Death was fantastic and everything I wanted in a snarky possible love interest. They were an intriguing pair and I am looking forward to finding out more about him since he was kept quite a mystery. The side characters were also great and really made this story and Thorn Grove alive. Her family members were fleshed out the perfect amount to add to the story but not take away from Signa's storyline, and I hope they cameo in future books.
I simply adored this and will be started the second ASAP.
4.5/5 stars.
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