Book Review: Dancing With Death by Andrea Heltsley

I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for my honest review.
Book Description: Murders have plagued the woods in the past, making them a place of fear. Eighteen year old Wendy and her friends become worried when a new string of murders come to their high school.

After a horrible car accident, Wendy returns to school, going from wallflower to popular overnight. Suddenly she is the center of attention, paying more attention to guys and clothes. Things are heating up for Wendy with more than one guy vying for her affections.

As the murderer edges closer to Wendy she realizes things are changing. She is afflicted with nightmares that are all too real and she herself is undergoing unnatural changes. Learning the truth about her past, could be the key to saving her future.

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Review: The quiet town where 18-year-old Wendy resides is suddenly turned upside down when a string of gruesome murders occur, filling the entire neighborhood with fear. After Wendy herself endures a terrifying car accident she realizes things are changing; including herself. Boys are suddenly paying a lot more attention to her. She's having vivid dreams that shake her to her very core. Will the murderer be found in time or will Wendy become his next victim? Will Wendy figure out why she's changing... and into what?

Pretty early on I encountered a problem that I had first grappled with in Andrea Heltsley's novel Dissolve. The author abruptly switched from past tense, to present, and back again, which I found to be pretty disconcerting. There were also numerous spelling errors, which normally I overlook (especially since the particular copy I read was an ARC), however, these errors were very noticeable. One of them, which popped up several times during the first half of the book, was very unfortunate and often turned touching or serious moments into inappropriately funny ones. But like I mentioned, this was an ARC and I sincerely hope that these errors were taken care of for the final release so people can enjoy the story and not focus on something unimportant.

I had some difficulty connecting with the characters. I felt that, in general, they were all a bit too snobby and shallow for me to relate to. For example, I can't imagine there are many teenagers who can plop down several hundred dollars on one single outfit just to wear to a trashy house party. I feel this makes the characters inaccessible to most readers, and would have preferred it if the characters were a little more down to earth. As for character interaction, it seemed a bit forced. The dialogue was very stiff, almost robotic. The author seems to have a strong aversion to contractions, which is fine when it comes to descriptive paragraphs, but makes for very unnatural dialogue, especially between teens.

This book had its share of flaws, but I did find the story to be an imaginative one. There was enough mystery to keep me reading. It was a fast read, which is always a plus - perfect for young adults. Like I mentioned in my review of her novel, Dissolve, I feel as though Andrea Heltsley is a talented author with a bright future ahead of her.

Jessa's Review: 3 out of 5 stars

Want to read Dancing with Death by Andrea Heltsley? Get it HERE for only $2.99! Want to learn more about the author? Visit her site HERE.

NOTE: This post originally appeared on Once Upon A Book HERE on September 20th, 2012. It is worth noting that since the writing of this review, the book has been professionally edited and rewritten!