Dreary & Naughty: The ABC's of Being Deadby Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 5 Naughty tells her dad she wants to live her dream and prompts Dreary to do the same, though his is a more complicated situation.I'm torn on how to feel about the message in this story. On the one hand, kids should be allowed to follow their own dreams and not be forced to continue the family businesses. (I find it interesting that, in the end, the dreams of both main characters are to be artists.) On the other hand, when dealing with incarnations like this my concern is more about why they don't want to and what will happen if they don't. What happens when there's no more Grim Reaper or Four Horsemen? What happens when the Devil dies with no heir to rule Hell? Why have they been raised like humans in the first place? Why have they not been reveling in their otherworldly natures? Once again, it's hard to accept the message when it's difficult to identify with the characters or situation. I like the inclusion of additional characters, though they do make it even harder to believe in alternative futures for any of them. I also like that we're shown one kid who is enjoying the work his dad does, since it seems all the other kids don't. This third book continues to suffer from bad attempts at poetry. In the midst of it all is the "ABC's," but even that's not consistent. Rather that all being ways to die, some are random like "L is for the life, which wasn't that long." The letter is sometimes for a random word in the line of "poetry" rather than an actual part of the death like "H is for hatchet job with piano wire." The one I don' t get at all is "E is for ether, when launching a fire," whose accompanying illustration shows doctors looking shocked over the body of a man in bed with a mask on. It's kind of sad that these ABC's are so poorly done and with such little imagination or effort, especially since these books are supposedly inspired (somewhat) by Edward Gorey's works (who has a famous ABC's of death in The Gashlycrumb Tinies). The only part of it I like is additional commentary after the the scythe versus sickle line and the zombie line. Thankfully this book has the strongest art of the three books. It shows a large variety of characters is a multitude of settings with great attention to detail. It's easier to identify with the teen characters as this story progresses (and compared to the other two books), partially thanks to more animated expressions and body positioning. If you like stories with an emphasis on the Four Horsemen and / or the idea of incarnations rebelling at their role, then check it out. However, if you're just looking for a fun gothic read, it's not quite worth the $14.99 price, mainly due to the failings in the writing. Written: February 6, 2014
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