The Death Catchers

by Jennifer Anne Kogler

Overview

On Halloween in her fourteenth year, Lizzy Mortimer saw her first death spector. Confused at first, Lizzy soon learns from her grandmother, Bizzy, that as descendant of Morgan le Fay, it is their job to prevent fate from taking its course when an unjust death is planned-a job that has been passed down for countless generations. Now that she is old enough to be a death catcher, Lizzy must learn all she can about preventing death from claiming its victims, a job more complicated than a simple warning. Only she didn't expect a feud older than time between two of the sisters of Avalon, Morgan le Fay and Vivienne Le Mort, to culminate on her watch as they try to wipe out King Arthur's last descendant. And their next victim is Drake Westfall, a boy that Lizzy just happens to be secretly in love with. Can Lizzy outwit fate before it's too late?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802723437
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	08/16/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	12 Years

About the Author

Jennifer Anne Kogler is also the author of The Otherworldlies and Ruby Tuesday, which started as her senior thesis at Princeton University. Born and raised in California, she is the youngest sibling to six brothers and a sister and currently attends Stanford Law School.
JENNIFER ANNE KOGLER is the author of The Otherworldlies and Ruby Tuesday, which started as her senior thesis at Princeton University. Born and raised in California, she is the youngest sibling to six brothers and a sister and is currently attending law school.?
www.jenniferannekogler.com

Editorial Reviews

Gr 5–8—In this exciting fantasy, Arthurian legend journeys to the Northern California coast to a community where Morgan le Faye's daughter settled more than 1000 years ago. Writing her story as a letter to her teacher as an argument for why she should pass English despite not having turned in her final project, 14-year-old Lizzy tells how she discovered that she was a Death Catcher like her grandmother, able to see people's impending deaths and prevent them. When she discovers that Morgan's sister Vivienne le Mort is planning to kill Drake, a boy at her school and the last living descendant of King Arthur, and thereby bring about the end of the world, she risks her own life to thwart these plans and save him. Her need to maintain absolute secrecy despite the fact that Drake's name is etched on her wrist while he is under the threat of death lends the story a sense of teenage reality as well as suspense. There is a gentle and sweet romance between Drake and Lizzy, and they are interesting and likable. Lizzy's quirky grandmother is carefully drawn, even though her colloquial speech (dropped "g's" and a plethora of "ain'ts") wears thin. The fantasy elements, specifically the transplanting of the Arthurian myth and the idea that Doomsday will affect the whole world, are not entirely believable, but the realistic aspects of the story are strong enough to carry readers along. This first book in a series will be enjoyed by a wide range of fantasy lovers.—Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City

School Library Journal

[A]n effective blend of elegant mythmaking and genial, homey storytelling ... The romance between Lizzy and Drake is sweet, and the promise for its development in the sequels, along with Drake's future role as king, will surely bring readers back to another visit to Avalon.

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

A creative mix of Arthurian legend, romance, and fantasy ... Characters are richly developed, particularly Lizzy and her grandmother, and the plot's pacing is pitch-perfect.

Booklist

Faced with the essential paradox of prophecy—if you see the future, can you change it?—14-year-old Lizzy Mortimer races to save the people whose deaths she foresees and prevent Doomsday in this uneven modern-day Arthurian tale.

Like all the women on her father's side, Lizzy sees her first "death-specter" at the age of 14. Understandably upset, Lizzy finds help from her aphorism-spouting, Creole spice–loving Grandma Bizzy. When feuding enchantresses from Avalon start appearing in the twee coastal town of Crabapple, Calif., searching for the Last Descendent, Lizzy uncovers the Arthurian origins of her "Hand of Fate" and the high stakes for her amateur sleuthing. Lizzy comes off as younger than 14, even when crushing on high-school senior Drake Westfall, and high-school issues such as bullying, learning disabilities and overbearing/abusive parents receive a heavy-handed treatment. Spunky Bizzy outshines less well-developed characters, but Lizzy begins to blossom in the last few pages. The novel is written as a make-up final paper for English class, with literary techniques—transitions, setting and climax—explained in each chapter, and this framing device distracts from the central action. Despite a robbery subplot and an increasing number of rules about Lizzy's new "gift," foreshadowing is rampant and the end predictable.

Readers looking for rebooted mythology should stick with Rick Riordan.(Paranormal adventure. 10 & up)

Kirkus Reviews