Review: Don't Die Dragonfly by Linda Joy Singleton

Title: Don't Die Dragonfly

Author: Linda Joy Singleton
Publisher:  Llewellyn Publications
Publishing Date: September 8th 2004

Pages: 232
Genre:  YA Paranormal Mystery

Series: The Seer #1
Source: Paperback

  

After getting kicked out of school and sent to live with her grandmother, Sabine Rose is determined to become a "normal" teenage girl. She hides her psychic powers from everyone, even from her grandmother Nona, who also has "the gift." Having a job at the school newspaper and friends like Penny-Love, a popular cheerleader, have helped Sabine fit in at her new school. She has even managed to catch the eye of the adorable Josh DeMarco. Yet, Sabine can't seem to get the bossy voice of Opal, her spirit guide, out of her head . . . or the disturbing images of a girl with a dragonfly tattoo. Suspected of a crime she didn't commit, Sabine must find the strength to defend herself and, later, save a friend from certain danger.

I had my eye on this book for a long time before I actually picked it to read it. I was wary over the first few pages, the writing style was a little simpler than I was used to, but once I got into the story, I fell in love.

Sabine has physic powers. At her last school she had visions of a boy dying and she failed to stop it from happening. After his death she is kicked out of the school. She in turn goes to live with her grandmother who lives on a farm and starts a new school. She is not thrilled about the idea of her mother sending her away but a fresh start could do some good. Sabine meets some new friends, finds a boy she has a crush on and everything seems to be going great… until the visions start again. After trying to ignore them, she finds herself uncovering a mystery to save a life. Along the way she starts dating, confides in a friend, learns to have fun, and meets a very hot farm hand that she wants to go away.

I really enjoyed this book. It was questionable for me at the very beginning, it is a very simple and quick read and I was worried there wouldn’t be any meat to the characters or story. After a while I was able to enjoy the writing style and found myself liking the characters and lost in the mystery. It was very fast paced and a lot of fun.

The characters were very cliché’ but I really didn’t mind. The story is more about the mystery then strong character growth… which I find as a breath of fresh air after some deep reads. I was able to connect to the characters on a simple enjoyable level. I felt I knew them and they were not too predictable, and found them very likable. Even though they were cliché’ I found myself enjoying the relationships build and grow. I liked the romance and the friendships, each relationship unique.Sabine was a likable character. At times she did get on my nerves, she did make some stupid decisions and she was whiny at times. By the end of the book, I really liked her. I also really liked Manny, one of my favorite characters. He is smart, sarcastic, and a real brat. He knew what he wanted and went after it. I also like Penny. She is annoying at times because she is really perky, but she shows to be a great friend. The only one I didn’t feel a connection too was Josh, he seems pretty cool, but wasn’t a strong voice in the book. I hope to see more of him in the future.
The tone of the book was very fun, the writing style was quick and simple, but the book never felt rushed to me.

I had a lot of fun with this book and plan to read the rest of the series. I would recommend it for fans of mystery and those who love a book that is light and quick, nothing to deep or thought provoking.