17 year old Ember Denning has made an art of isolating herself. She prefers the dead. She spends her days skipping school in old cemeteries and her nights hiding from her alcoholic father at the funeral home where she works. When her own father dies, Ember learns her whole life is a lie. Standing in the cemetery that’s been her sanctuary, she’s threatened by the most beautiful boy she’s ever seen … seen and rescued by two people who claim to be her family. They say she’s special, that she has a supernatural gift like them…they just don’t know exactly what it is.
They take her to a small Florida town, where Ember’s life takes a turn for the weird. She’s living with her reaper cousins, an orphaned werewolf pack, a faery and a human genius. Ember’s powers are growing stronger, morphing into something bigger than anything anybody anticipated. Ember has questions but nobody has answers. Nobody knows what she is. They only know her mysterious magical gift is trying to kill them and that beautiful dangerous boy from the cemetery may be the only thing standing between her and death.
As Ember’s talents are revealed so are the secrets her father hid and those in power who would seek to destroy her. What’s worse, saving Ember has put her cousins in danger and turned her friend’s lives upside down. Ember must learn to embrace her magic or risk losing the family she’s pieced together.
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Ember had always preferred the company of the dead, she thought it was safer that way, with no one criticizing her every moves and not getting hurt by real alive people. But her fascination with corpse and everything dead had a reason, and it was only until the day that she was supposed to die did she know the truth about herself.
She didn’t want to attend her father’s funeral, knowing how he had drank himself to death. It wasn’t after she was about to die in the hands of a handsome stalker when she was rescued by her long lost cousins who took her to Florida and met a motley crew of paranormal creatures she never realized were real. Her twin cousins, Kai and Tristin were both affiliated with the dead, a reaper and a banshee. Then there’s the wolf pack headed by the feisty Alpha Isa and her mate Wren, plus a human with intelligence far superior than Einstein’s and a coven of witches and grims that turned her world upside down.
Bearing the significant birthmark of a moon, the pack realized Ember was one of them – a reanimator from a family of reapers. She could bring back the dead and turn them into zombies. But the truth was, she was more than that, far more sinister and darker than everyone had assumed. For the power she possessed was something deadly, something that had killed a community twelve years ago, and was now on the verge of breaking out again, wreaking havoc to her pack and the ones she considered family. A power that have abilities that could rival the gods. A power unimaginable.
Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things had been a really fun and adventurous read! I’d like to kick myself for not reading this immediately when I downloaded it. I’ve had this book for a year and was supposed to read it to my kids who love scary stuffs. But when I learned that this was for more middle age readers, I decided to read it myself first. And then life got in the way..
Now… I am flabbergasted! I can’t believe I waited that long to meet Ember, Kai, Tristin and Mace! This book about teenage shifters and witches is a gem! Martina McAtee is a gem herself. I love how she put everything into place, how how she brought life to these characters, how she got me rooting for Mace and rolling my eyes at Tristin and roll on the floor laughing with Kai and Rhys!
There’s a lot I really feel about Ember and her pack. It was everything I never expected and everything I wished for. I’ve always had a soft spot for werewolves and supernaturals, and a badass heroine with deadly attitude. So suffice it to say that Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things is a sure winner for me. Can’t wait to read the next book!
Words aren’t enough for me to express how I love everything about this book. So let me just put it this way… This book is.. Awesome AF
I’ve read this book and the 2nd one. I loved them so much that I was going to buy the 3rd one. Unfortunately, the author hasn’t written it yet. Lol. The characters are well developed and have a lot of depth. Everything is really descriptive and you can see it in your mind. I love the characters and I can’t wait to read the next one! Martina McAfee, PLEASE write the next one! The only thing I had a problem with was the editing. It was AWFUL! Whoever edited those books should be fired. I couldn’t believe how bad it was. She can hire me for less and I would fix every problem in the books. Please fire your current editor! Everything else was awesome and I can’t wait to read the 3rd one!
Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things
Dead Things Series, Book 1
By: Martina McAtee
Narrated by: Kristin Watson Heintz
I liked how this started, mysteries unfolding slowly. The middle of the story has ups and downs, and the ending was good but a little rushed.
I found the plot great! Families of reapers, witches, and shifters, and even a vampire is in here. Family secrets, powers, and intrigue all blend together with characters you hate or love! A good mix of emotions and paranormal override any negative issues. Enjoyable!
Loved the first book and I can’t wait to finish the series. The characters are complex, entertaining, and simply wonderful. I love their personalities and the world that Martina created! It reminds me of a show I’d watch on CW – paranormal, angsty, witty, beautiful people…lots of twists and turns.
Grammar is atrocious, littered with typos. A lot of repetitive sentences and in one glaring error “She didn’t want this but she was a hostage in her own body. Rhys looked to Isa as Ember’s magic sparked from her fingertips. Ember didn’t want this but she was a hostage in her own body.”*
The dynamic of the characters is rather confusing, but worth getting a handle on. For the most part they’re likeable. There are laughs and some tears. As well as a few WTF? moments. I will continue on with the story looking past the editing issues. Especially as I’ve noticed e-books tend to have a lot.
The biggest issue I have is with the part with the tattoo. I am tattooed and there are things in the community, that for the majority of us, can be irksome. Such as: It’s not a “parlor” it’s called a shop. It’s called a tattoo machine not a gun. Couldn’t put ink into paper cups, the paper would erode causing ink to get everywhere. What they do use are this little plastic cups.
Don’t get me started on age restrictions, but since this is not technically our world, that can be overlooked.
*chapter 31 page 194
Amazing!
I loved this book what an awesome adventure with lots of romantic suspense, paranormal and tons of mystery. The humor and interactions between the characters were so amusing I couldn’t get over it, experiencing all the feels. The storyline is addicting with nice flow with epic reveals throughout. I adored all the different characters perspectives they are very much appreciated it makes getting to know the characters so much more personal plus I loved all the swoon worthy moments and they were never ending. A must read indefinitely.
I was really drawn into this book by the interesting premise and breathtaking cover. Both are unmistakably justified.
The plot of this book is outstanding. There are so many different elements. A lot of thought went into making this book what it is. There are surprises, twists, and adventure. Everything syncs up so well. It definitely took the author a lot of planning to plot everything out so flawlessly.
One of the things that I enjoyed most about this books was the alternating perspectives. I love stories that are told in this way. Each chapter was told from a different character’s perspective, which adds so much depth to the story.
I have to give mad props to the author for some of the diverse characters in the book. Two of the prominent characters in the book are gay, and their relationship unfolds throughout the book.
The characters really make this story stand out. These characters are so full of life, and the reader can relate to them all so easily. I enjoyed the way that all of the characters interacted with each other. The reader really gets a sense of who these characters are and how each one melds into the story.
The pace in the book is steady. Nothing seems rushed along, and nothing seems to drag. Just perfect.
If I have any qualms about the book, it would only be the need for a good editor. The story may be flawless, but the spelling and grammar errors in the book are far too many to ignore. And I am not talking a handful of errors. These errors stretch across the entire book. I do not lay claim to being an English expert, but the spelling, grammar, and sentence structure errors were enough to frustrate me repeatedly. Otherwise, I would have given this book 5 Stars without hesitation.
The only other thing that I would consider needs improvement would be the world building details. This book is full of dialogue. It doesn’t seem to contain enough descriptive writing. At least, not to my liking. While reading I just couldn’t shake the thought that someone is always talking. Sometimes dialogue isn’t necessary.
I would most certainly give this book a try! I recommend it to all, especially if you have a predilection for paranormal or urban fantasy. This story will stick with you long after you have read the last page.
I got this book free and I honestly put off reading it for a long time but when I read it I couldn’t put it down I had to buy the 2nd one in the series. This is a great YA novel and it really isn’t predictable you fall in love with the characters, their relationships and the love they have for their glued together family. My favourite relationship is definitely Rhys and kai, they are hilarious particularly due to the fact kai talks enough for them both and Rhys communicates with facial expressions and best of all Kai totally understands.
I loved this book! I can’t get enough of the characters or their story. Highly recommend.
I love it so much!!
Holy crap, this book was fantastic. I need the rest of the series, pronto!
The world Ms. McAtee created is phenomenal. It’s so easy to sink into, it feels real. The ‘rules’ of the magic is easy to follow. The characters are beautiful and flawed. Ember, Kai, Tristin, and Mace are all perfectly balanced as the main characters of their respective chapters.
I loved how dark the story was, yet how bright each personality shone.
There were definitely some inspiration feels from Teen Wolf, especially with Tristian and Quinn as a banshee and a normal human, respectively.
Ember, a reaper gets a level up style twist, that turns her into such an epic tragic character, as does her companion, Mace. Their paths colliding creates a new world for both of them. (I won’t spoil it for you, but it’ll break your heart)
I can’t imagine what it must be like in this writer’s head, keeping this story all organized, and so beautifully crafted.
This story is definitely aimed at the more adult YA spectrum, with dark themes, angst, and tension. Adults will love it just as much as teens.
If I had the cash right now (it’s almost Christmas, so not so much) I’d order the next books in the series. This one was a gift, and one I’ll definitely add to my read-it-over-and-over-again shelf.
A few editing slips. A little wordy for my tastes. A can’t put down book. Ember is a hot mess who knows nothing of the extremely complicated world she is very much entrenched in.
I found I couldn’t put this book down. The characters are wonderfully entertaining and snarky. I found it was very well-written, easy to read and captured my imagination without effort… I enjoyed this book thoroughly 🙂
I really liked this book! At some points it seemed like a little too much description but by the end WOW, I am so happy I bought the second one this morning! This is a twist on the paranormal that I have never read before, I am still newish to paranormal but this was really good! The characters are well developed, and it is very clear whose point of view each chapter are in. The transitions were wonderful also! Very well done! Now to start the next book in the series! I don’t picture getting alot done this weekend. No complaints there!
Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things is about Ember, a girl who lives with her drunk dad until he dies and she meets a boy at the cemetery. Things start to go out of control for Ember, a lot of secrets her father has been hiding from her, powers she didn’t know she possessed.This is one of the best paranormal books I’ve read in a long time, and one of the few books I read where Reapers were main characters. The diverse cast of characters alone is a reason to love this book. The plot moves along nicely, leaving very little questions unanswered. As with every great read every new chapter reveals a bit more of information, but continues to build up suspense, enough to keep you intrigued and wanting to keep turning the pages. I am excited to start on book 2 of the series. I highly recommend this book!
This book is absolutely amazing! I loved the different paranormal creatures in this book, and I was surprised by the ending. I can certainly see why this book has won awards! This book is mainly Ember’s story, but the three reapers are the main attraction. I absolutely love Mace! I have a serious book hangover and can’t wait to see what happens next! (update: I have read this book several times now and I fall in love more each time!)
Started strong and interesting. It lost steam and I could not finish it. In all fairness this is not the type of book I normally read.
A little slow in the beginning, but things pick up and definitely worth reading.
Enjoyed this one tremendously. New twist on urban fantasy
Just. Don’t.