Angels, Demons & Dead People

This week’s topic Angels, Demons & Dead People is the close cousin of last week’s topic.  Also like vampires and other supernatural creatures angels, demons and the realm of death are very popular themes among YAs.  Why is this?  I think part of this popularity stems from the fact that novels about death give YAs and especially teens the chance to examine the phenomenon ‘at one remove’.  They don’t have to get too close in reality to something that may threaten their sense of immortality.  Or perhaps it is simply the chance to experience death from the perspective of the dying or deceased that is the main draw (who wouldn’t want to know what goes on in a zombie’s head?).  As for angels and demons I think the attraction is one of extremes.  Angel usually represent the extreme of divine justice and the defense of all that is good in the world while demons represent the extreme of pure evil and the spreading of such evil.  Of course there are also fallen angels and ‘good’ demons which only increase the fascination factor.  Since the topic of death is more popular (in my opinion) I’ll be discussing too such books – Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride and Token of Darkness by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes.  

 

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer

This tale is a very interesting and entertaining take on the concept of death that revolves around a fledgling teen necromancer named Samhaim (or Sam for short).  Sam is stuck is a college-dropout working in a dead-end fast-food job, the only bright spots in his life being his friends and fellow co-workers Ramon, Brooke and Frank.  His life becomes much more complicated when a local necromancer, the powerful and psychotic Douglas, discovers Sam has the same powers.  Thus begins a actions game in which Douglas takes increasingly deadly actions in an effort to turn Sam to his cause – the domination of the supernatural community.  This game starts to affect Sam’s friends and family as well with some meeting an untimely end.  Sam has to gain a deeper understanding of his nature and control his powers if he hopes to stand a chance.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can see how it would appeal to teens who want to gain a better understanding of death.  For example, one of the central characters, Brooke, suffers a tragic death early in the story.  She ‘lives’ on as a disembodied head which can still think and feel but is powerless to take action.  This may resonate with teens who also feel powerless and frightened of death because it represents the ultimate end of ‘true living’.  Brooke shows incredible courage in the face of her affliction, however, and by the end of the story has achieved a sort of inner peace and the desire to move on.  Ironically, though she is easily in the worst predicament of any other character, she still serves as Sam and Company’s moral plus emotional compass.

It is also interesting to view death through the eyes of those who control it – in other words necromancers.  Douglas and Sam have radically different views on the subject.  Sam initially sees death as something horrible but inevitable while Douglas sees it as an undesirable condition but one that is profitable to those who can exploit it.  Teens may benefit from the details revealed through both views as each exists in reality as well.  They may come to realize that there are nearly as many views on death as there are people and that death is not as frightening as they think it is.  On a more entertaining note there is something here for nearly every type of reader. Romance buffs will enjoy the somewhat forced but still entertaining romance between protagonist (and Necromancer) Sam and attractive were-hound girl Bridin.  Fans of Horror and gore are treated to several grisly murders including the early decapitation of a main character.  Supernatural followers and fans of the mythological are treated to an insightful look into werewolf culture and the everyday problems of a modern satyr.  Most of all I think teen readers would relate to Sam’s quest to unravel his true identity and discover his place in a world that has seemingly tried its best to ignore or reject him (all things many teens experience).

 

Token of Darkness

This particular story centers on the plight of ex-football player Cooper Blake.  Cooper has been keeping a secret – after a near-death experience in a massive car wreck he woke up in the hospital accompanied by a teenaged ghost named Samantha.  Samantha has no clue who she is other than her name, how she became a ghost or why Cooper can see her.  Cooper goes on a quest to discover these truths and along the way encounters a telepath named Brent, power-hungry witch (and high-school cheerleader) named Delilah and a powerful but arrogant sorcerer named Ryan.  He discovers that not only does he have powers as well but that Samantha may not truly be a ghost but something far more dangerous with an agenda that could put Cooper’s life at risk.

I wasn’t as impressed with this title as with the last.  For one matter the story concerned itself less with death and its meanings and more with personal responsibility.  This was explored using the power-hungry Delilah.  Once she had discovered Samantha’s true nature, Delilah attempted to take advantage of it and gain Samantha’s power for her own.  This nearly resulted in Delilah’s death along with those of Brent and Cooper.  The author’s message to YAs is clearly that they should take care of how their actions affect those around them and that seeking power for the sake of power often leads to disastrous consequences.

Samantha, though not truly a ghost, certainly acts like one for much of the novel.  She floats through solid surfaces, dissipates when touched and never eats.  Her obvious distress at not being able to touch or eat struck me as a reader.  How would I react if I lost those abilities?  Would I also place my desire to inhabit a new body above all else?  YAs who wonder about what happens after death will appreciate the lessons they learn from Samantha’s experiences.