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Dead City by James Ponti

By day she’s a regular student—by night she belongs to a secret society that polices the undead beneath New York City. Dead City is a brisk, funny, and fearless urban fantasy where friendship, quick thinking, and a trusty blade make all the difference.

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In Dead City, did you enjoy ...

... a secret, snarky monster-fighting life hidden inside a modern city?

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

If you loved how Molly and the Omegas slip from classes into covert runs through New York to police civilized and not-so-civilized zoms—and how that double life ties back to her mother’s secret Omega legacy—you’ll click with the wickedly fun, urban-magic mayhem of Skulduggery Pleasant. Stephanie teams up with a wisecracking skeleton detective to keep Dublin’s magical underworld in check, balancing wit, rules of the job, and breakneck brawls the way Molly juggles Omega protocols and late-night missions.

... clue-driven paranormal investigations tackled by a teen team?

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

Enjoyed watching Molly sift through evidence, stake out suspects, and piece together her mom’s past while the Omegas handle escalating undead incidents around Manhattan? The Screaming Staircase delivers that same case-file thrill. Lockwood, Lucy, and George track deadly hauntings with iron chains, rapiers, and sharp deduction—each mystery unfolding like the Omegas’ zombie probes, where the right clue can save the team and the wrong step can unleash something much worse.

... secret training, rules, and ranks for kids who fight the supernatural?

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

If the Omega briefings, mission protocols, and hard-earned field skills hooked you—the way Molly trains up fast to meet real dangers—then The Lightning Thief scratches that same itch. Percy is thrown into Camp Half-Blood’s hidden world, where drills, capture-the-flag battles, and a first high-stakes quest mirror Molly’s jump from classroom to combat, complete with mentors, codes to learn, and a lineage that changes everything.

... a brave girl narrator who runs toward the supernatural instead of away?

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

If Molly’s courage—leading Omega ops into New York’s darkest corners and refusing to back down from Leveled threats—was your favorite part, meet Cassidy Blake. In City of Ghosts, Cassidy (with her best-friend-ghost Jacob) plunges into the Veil to confront restless spirits across Edinburgh’s most haunted sites. Her fearless curiosity and quick thinking echo Molly’s gutsy leadership when the undead won’t play by the rules.

... a tight-knit squad of smart misfits who become each other’s family on dangerous missions?

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

If the heart of Dead City for you was how the Omegas become Molly’s surrogate family—backing each other up when missions go sideways and her mother’s history casts long shadows—then you’ll love the found-bond warmth of The Mysterious Benedict Society. Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance are recruited for a covert infiltration where trust, complementary skills, and loyalty matter as much as brains, just like the Omegas watching each other’s backs under Manhattan.

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