Daisy and her family are caught in the middle of a were/vampire feud when attacks start happening to both sides of the battle. Daisy's boyfriend is a were and one sister is dating a were and the other is dating a vampire. What a mess. Daisy is certain that the attacks are actually being done by members of the Scourge, a group determined to destroy all supernaturals. She and her family and friends must find the true culprits before all out war is declared.

This series is just great. They are short fast reads that have adventure and pack a lot of truth about family, friendship and loyalty. Teens and tweens will enjoy these books. ( )

Like the four previous books in the Dead Is series, Dead is Not an Option is a cute, quick, fun read about Daisy Giordano, her family, their town of Nightshade and the bevy of supernatural creatures that live there.

Now a senior, Daisy is looking at colleges and wondering whether she will be leaving Nightshade--and whether she and her boyfriend Ryan will be going to different schools. But with no acceptance (or rejection) letters in sight for Daisy, she needs somewhere else to focus her attention. Of course, this being Nightshade, distractions are never in short supply.

There's a bit of a Fangs versus Fur (vamps against shifters) war going on with former friendships crumbling and new fights breaking out every day. Even if Daisy's own home. With one sister dating a vampire and the other two dating werewolves things are getting a little tense.

Can things settle down enough for Daisy to graduate and figure out where she's going?

I really enjoyed that Dead is Not an Option built on storylines from earlier books and also started new ones. It's nice to have characters that grow throughout the series--you get to see them achieve things but also change as they age.

This fifth book, however, seemed to lose course partway through. It started as a Vamps vs Shifters in an all out war around Nightshade story and I liked that. It was sort of a West Side Story meets Twilight fandom. But then that sort of fizzled out. It was resolved, but it sort of just stopped being the central storyline.

The ending did tie up some loose ends from other books in the series and some things were resolved from earlier books that I was happy to see. Overall, though, I think the book wasn't as strong as the others in the series.

(read thanks to NetGalley & the publisher HMH) ( )

I devoured these books in three days, they were so much fun to read. I assume this is the final book in the series and that makes me sad, because I really enjoyed the series and getting to know the characters. Perez throws some big twists at us in this last book, which I didn't expect. But everything resolves, if not perfectly, then satisfactorily enough for me. Though I'm not necessarily a fan of tied up and neat endings, it works well for the Dead Is series. ( )

I am really sad to see this series go. I have read every single book and loved it. I know that this series is not a popular one, I really wish more people knew about this series because it is good! I love characters, the plots, and the town.

Through the series I have seen Daisy grow. Not only as a person but as a friend, girlfriend, daughter and a learning psychic. She has gone above anything else, putting everyone else before her self. She helped out people when they needed it and she has been there. Daisy is one character I would love to have as a best friend. She is friendly, loyal, and above all nice.

I really enjoyed this book because I finally learned the secret at the end. Through the series, we see Daisy struggle to found out who is in charge of The Scrounge. A secret society hell bent on killing the paranormals in Nightshade. Daisy has solved case after case involving other paranormals deaths or attacks. I am glad that she figured out the leader and put a final stop the that hateful society.

I am sad to see certain characters go as I have come to like those characters very much. Ms. Perez definitely did a great job trying up all loose ends and giving the story a happy ending. At first I was worried but I knew she would end the book on a good note.

The Dead Is series is a great series that everyone should read. It fun, dark, adventurous and has that great paranormal touch that everyone will love. ( )

This is book 5 in the "Dead is... series.
1. Dead is the New Black
2. Dead is a State of Mind
3. Dead is So Last Year
4. Dead is Just a Rumor

My thoughts:
Although this book easily stands alone, I would suggest reading the whole series - in order. I enjoyed the story, but there were some references to previous happenings that left me feeling, not that I was lost but that I wished I had read the first four books before this one.

The characters are wonderful! I have to say that Lil (the jukebox) is my favorite supporting character! You can see that the characters have been well-developed during the series because they are so cohesive and their relationships are solid. The new relationship in the book is Poppy and her vampire boyfriend. The addition of Count Dracule is great.

The story line keeps you interested and wanting to know more. The author keeps you in the dark and guessing about the identity of the "bad guy" until virtually the end.

This is a great YA paranormal read! I would recommend it to anyone grade 8 and above. ( )