Thanks to goodreads and the publisher for my free copy!

I have a weirdly specific soft spot in my heart for main characters who are... kind of morbid girls. So when I found out that Maggie, the main character of Guardian, helped the dead move on to the afterlife and she was an undertaker's daughter, I was already sold. And this book didn't disappoint.

I think the part I was most impressed with was the characterization, and that especially comes to play with respect to Serge's character. At the beginning of the book, he's -- well, the word "bully" doesn't seem strong enough. He's horrible towards Maggie. He's so hateable. And I couldn't stand him until... until suddenly, I was worrying about him, caring about him, tearing up over him. And that shift happened so imperceptibly, so naturally that it took me by surprise but felt right at the same time. I can't even imagine the work that must have gone into Serge's character, because wow, he was portrayed so well.

Maggie's a fantastic character, too -- I really enjoyed her as a protagonist, especially with her practical attitude towards the whole ghost thing. And I also loved that Maggie's dad and Nancy were so involved in the story. It's always nice when parental figures don't just drop off the face of the earth in YA fiction.

And finally, I should mention the plot. Paranormal stuff isn't usually my thing, but this kept me interested. And, more than that, it made a lot of sense and felt real, which is saying something given the subject matter.

And now, I'm looking forward to checking out more books by this author (and crossing my fingers for a sequel!). ( )