Title: DON’T FEAR THE REAPER
Genre: YA Paranormal
All seventeen-year-old Keely Morrison wanted in death was for peace and tranquility to call her home. What she found was that she couldn’t have fallen further from heaven’s grace.
Death was never supposed to be like this. It was never supposed to be the stygian afterlife designed to keep her from reuniting with her murdered sister. It wasn’t supposed to be a dangerous, cruel world where she finds herself caught in a deal between a bounty-hunting reaper and the devil.
The deal isn’t one Keely ever agreed to. She never asked the reaper, a mysterious man in black, to keep her from the iron gates of hell. But, if Keely breaks the rules and avenges her sister’s murder, the devil gets not just her soul, but the reaper’s as well.
Never one to play fair, the devil has sent a rebellious but charming demon to keep Keely from the straight and narrow. In purgatory, everyone has secrets, including the young demon. Has he truly become her friend, or is he the trickster he tells her he is? She must trust her instincts when he delivers her greatest temptation – her sister’s killer. With time for salvation running out, the reaper has a plan – one that could beat the devil at his own game. But, it will change Keely’s fate forever.
DON’T FEAR THE REAPER is a young adult paranormal that deals with love that transcends death, the things we leave behind, and the courage to accept new beginnings. The manuscript is complete at 79,000 words.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
I like this. My one concern is the word stygian. I'm not sure what that even means. Since this is YA, it would seem like as a *grumblegrumble* year-old adult, I shouldn't have to guess at a word that would be used potentially IN the book.
ReplyDeleteI get why she can't reunite with her sister, but I don't really understand the whole rule-breaking/vengeance/soul angle. Basically that third paragraph sticks out for me as weaker than the rest. It could just be me though.
Overall, great premise though :)
I want to read it just to find out how deep the rabbit hole goes. A story taking place in Purgatory is an interesting hook.
ReplyDeleteGreat premise; good hook. Sounds like something I would want to read. :-)
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot out there with angels right now, but I like that she's dealing with demons and the devil instead. A nice flip. I look forward to reading more.
ReplyDeleteI like this one. Death isn't all sweetness and light and angels singing, but demons and reapers! Cool.
ReplyDeleteGood query. Shows characters and plot. Nice going. I'd ask you to send the ms.
ReplyDeleteVery well done-smooth writing, great voice. I'd definitely ask for more...
ReplyDeleteInteresting and intriguing plot. :)
ReplyDeleteLike the premise, plot and the good vs. bad set up in the query.
ReplyDeleteI am also interested that the story is set in Purgatory instead of dead people on earth (gets a bit over done now adays!)
One techincial note, I might add the demon in the 3rd pp name. I get the feeling this might possibly be a love interest ?!
I'd be interested in reading the first three chapters!
I really like the story idea...great, original premise.
ReplyDeleteSounds interesting. I like that it's the flip of all the angel stories out there, and the tone really grabs me. I'd read it.
ReplyDeleteI agree on the "stygian" comment. That word tripped me up, but the rest flowed well. Every sentence gave nice detail.
ReplyDeleteQuery has a good hook - I would like to read more.
This is a very interesting premise. After reading the query, I'm left with a lot of questions.
ReplyDeleteHow did Keely die?
Are her sister's and her death related?
Were they both murdered by the same person, and is this part of the story?
The third paragraph is confusing. Keely is going to hell? Why? Is this a surprise to her? How is Kelly in a position to aveng her sister's murder?
There's a lot to like here; more clarity will make this a stronger query.
Good work.