Book Review: Hold Me Closer Necromancer by Lish McBride

Hold Me Closer Necromancer by Lish McBride is a young adult novel which has been a William C. Morris YA Debut Award Nominee (2011) as well as a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults (2011), and the ALA's Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults (2011) Award winner. Samhain Corvus LaCroix, Sam, considers himself pretty normal. He is a college drop out that works at a fast food restaurant with some of his best friends. Sam, Ramon, Brooke, and Frank. Then, one night at work a game of potato hockey in the parking lot leads to a confrontation with Douglas, a necromancer with lots or power and money but a drive for even more. Douglas tells Sam he is a necromancer too, and Douglas has plans for Sam now that he knows about him. Lies, violence, and the discovery of a whole world Sam never knew existed lead him (and readers) on a fast paced ride loaded with laughs.

I think that Hold Me Closer Necromancer has something for everyone. There are high tension moments that will have you on the edge of your seat, and moments of fun that just might make you laugh out loud. The relationships and characters feel so very real, despite the craziness that surrounds them. I think that I might have met some of them in real life. Sam is honest, self deprecating, loyal, and aware of how crazy the world around him has become. There is a sexy werewolf, power hunger necromancer with no reluctance for killing, an elderly neighbor with good intentions, a talking head in a bowling bag, and murderous lawn gnomes, and a dead girl with a penchant for waffles. What more could you want? All of the characters are well-defined, and the action is incredibly fast paced. The only trouble is that occasionally it seemed to move a little too fast, but not so much that I ever became lost or confused.

I highly recommend Hold Me Closer Necromancer to those that like sardonic humor mixed with their paranormal battles of good against evil.It is appropriate for older teens and adults, due to the gore and some adult situations.  If you loved Buffy and Dead Like Me, then you will love this. If you have not watched either series, you are missing out and should find DVD's of them as soon as you finish reading this book. The sequel Necromancing the Stone is currently scheduled for release on September 18th 2012, while Necromancer: A Novella is free addition to the storyline that takes place between the two books. I have not read the novella yet, but I just downloaded it for free, and plan on reading Necromancing the Stone as soon as I can get my hands on a copy.