Common Sense Media Review
By Julie A. Carlson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Revenge plot gets lost in supernatural mishmash.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Edith "Edie" Kramer has been bullied throughout high school by the Teflon crew, a group of beautiful teens. At the beginning of the novel, she wants to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge but is stopped by handsome stranger Kian, who tells Edie she doesn't have to end her life, she can exact revenge instead. Kian gives her three favors to set her plan in motion. Edie soon realizes she's the pawn in a supernatural game that will carry out her revenge -- but hurt the people she loves.
Is It Any Good?
The premise of MORTAL DANGER will make readers pick up the book. Readers will want to see how Edie exacts her revenge on the people who have tormented her throughout high school. However, author Ann Aguirre fails to make Edie a sympathetic character by not showing readers at the beginning of the novel how she was bullied and making us root for her and dislike her tormentors. Readers may groan at the way Edie wants to exact her revenge -- by becoming beautiful so she can infiltrate the group of beautiful people who hurt her. Once Edie becomes beautiful, she suddenly -- and implausibly -- gains self-confidence, poise, and cattiness she never had before and inexplicably befriends some of her bullies. They're actually kind of nice, while Edie's the one making cruel comments. As for Kian, the insta-love interest, Edie starts kissing him shortly after meeting him and abandons all logic due to her love for him. Thrown into the mix is a supernatural game between warring monster groups, as well as the Japanese gang the Yakuza, while the revenge plot goes out the window and the book becomes more about supernatural agencies, urban legends, and creepy monsters than bullying.
Mortal Danger does have some good points, such as Edie being a good friend and daughter. But the plot is very confusing, with everything but the kitchen sink thrown in. It would have been more interesting had the author dug deeper into bullying and how, through Edie's own devices, things start to unravel.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about bullying. What steps would you take to stand up to your bullies? Would you let someone know, such as your parents, a teacher, or another trusted adult?
Why are novels wherein the female protagonist falls instantly in love with a devastatingly gorgeous male character so popular? Does it help move the plot along, or is it a cliché best avoided?
Have you read the books in the Immortal Game series? Why do you think trilogies and longer series are so popular in young adult literature?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , School ( High School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Feiwel and Friends
- Publication date : August 5, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 18
- Number of pages : 384
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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