Megan Likes Books: Kym Brunner

Info:

Title: Wanted: Dead or in Love
Author: Kym Brunner
Publisher: Merit Press
Publication Date: June 30, 2014
Source: I received a copy in exchange for a honest review.

Synopsis:
Impulsive high school senior Monroe Baker is on probation for a recent crime, but strives to stay out of trouble by working as a flapper at her father's Roaring 20's dinner show theater. When she cuts herself on one of the spent bullets from her father's gangster memorabilia collection, she unwittingly awakens Bonnie Parker's spirit, who begins speaking to Monroe from inside her head.

Later that evening, Monroe shows the slugs to Jack, a boy she meets at a party. He unknowingly becomes infected by Clyde, who soon commits a crime using Jack's body. The teens learn that they have less than twenty-four hours to ditch the criminals or they'll share their bodies with the deadly outlaws indefinitely.

Review:
I wasn't sure what to expect going into Wanted: Dead or in Love, but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. It was a good adventure and I really liked the paranormal aspects.

This one was told using dual POV, alternating between Monroe, a modern teen, and the legendary Clyde Barrow. I usually am not a huge fan of dual POV, but this time it really worked! I appreciated the noticeable differences in their voices and enjoyed the past vs. present differences.

I didn't know much about Bonnie and Clyde going into this book, so I liked that I actually learned a bit of history as well. I'm all for making learning fun!

Like I said, I really enjoyed the paranormal aspects of this book. Being possessed by the spirit of a dead gangster would be terrifying! I found the 'rules' for how being 'half-dead' worked fresh and unique and I really thought they worked.

However, I did have a few minor issues with the characters. All of them. Monroe is the kind of character who constantly makes bad decisions, especially in the first 40 pages or so. Since it was so early in the book, it made it hard for me to like her for most of it, since we didn't have a relationship before she went around going stupid crap. Jack was such a little wiener for most of the book. I understand he was put in a really crappy situation, but it seemed like he did everything that he could to get in Monroe's way. Bonnie was mostly just annoying. She had such a one-track mind and no depth. I did end up feeling pretty bad for her in the end. And Clyde just gave me the heebie jeebies! He came off really sleazy to me with all his pickup lines mixed with his chauvinistic attitude. I definitely couldn't see the attraction there. Also, horniest ghost ever!

Despite my issues with the characters, I really enjoyed this one based on the paranormal aspects and historical information. Recommended for history buffs and fans of alternative ghost stories.