Ghostgirl [Hardcover]

Instead of doing my own summary of the book, as is my wont, I am going to use the blurb from the back of the book, since it tickled me enough for me to pick up and buy the book: Charlotte Usher wants to be popular. It's all she's ever wanted. And this year she has a plan to make sure it happens. But she's got her work cut out; the popular girls (and more importantly, Damen, object of Charlotte's desire) are completely oblivious to the fact that she even breathes the same air as them. She may as well be dead. So, she choked to death on a gummy bear. Admittedly it's not the most stylish way to die - but why should being dead get in the way of her plans? She'll just have to be a little more creative about achieving her goals..."

It was the gummy bear that got me - that fabulously dark and mordant sense of humour had me chuckling from the off, and I'm pleased to report that the book itself lives up to this. There were continual flashes of that same humour, such as: "A wave of post-mortem depression swept over her once again."

Not only this, but I appreciated some of the sly nods to modern pop culture. One that I am fairly sure the author intended (if she didn't, it was a fantastic coincidence) is where our narrator Charlotte refers to 'Nightmare on Hawthorne Street' - similar in a woodsy way to 'Nightmare on Elm Street'.

This book is like a lovely mash-up of The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, and Beetlejuice with lashings of Buffy and Gossip Girl for good measure. The gothic tone permeates the entire novel, emphasised by chapter quotes from such diverse sources as Evanescence, Sylvia Plath and Johnny Rotten. The dialogue, however, is as witty and snarky as anything that Joss Whedon has penned, helping to make Charlotte and Scarlett both believable and entertaining.

Mention should also be made of the simply gorgeous book itself. Usually when I resort to discussing the cover of a book, it is because I have run out of decent things to say about the novel. With Ghostgirl it is quite the reverse - the cover, internal illustrations, colour palette and beautiful, kooky cartoon character adds a great deal to the reading experience. I would urge you to visit the Ghostgirl website where additional background and even merchandising is available - it is a complete brand, and a very cute one!

The story itself was diverting enough, although full of gentle cliches, but nothing that detracted too much from my enjoyment. When you are writing about high school these days, it is inevitable that a book will feel familiar, thanks to the many books and TV shows that offer up a perspective on the US school system.

I was never completely sure why Damen was so important to Charlotte, but I guess teenage infatuation just is and can't be questioned.

Lastly, I adored the really rather wise little snippets of commentary offered up at the start of each chapter. For example:

I love you, but I'm not in love with you. This is a false distinction. Completely backward if you think about it. Love is love. What's really meant by being "in love", is obsession, addiction, infatuation, but not actual love. Being "in love" is a statement of your own needs and desires rather than an attempt to fulfill another's. True love, on the other hand, is a bridge between two people. It had taken Charlotte most of her life, and all of her afterlife, to come to this realization."

Ghostgirl is a spiky, attitude-driven novel with a warm heart that invites you to care about the characters that tackle both life and afterlife with humour, spite and wit. All I can say is that I am enormously glad I already have the sequel so that I can read more immediately about Charlotte Usher. A delightful surprise.

This book is brilliant! Heartfelt, funny and dark it will appeal to anyone who has felt invisible at some point in their lives! Make sure you get the hardback which is just the most stunning thing of beauty ever - it's even printed with pink inside. Wow!

"Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
And if I should die before I awake,
I pray the popular attend my wake."

This is the year for Charlotte Usher. The year that she's finally going to be noticed. She's finally going to have what she's always wanted: to be a popular girl and fit in with the head cheerleader in the school, Petula Kensington. She feels that the first day of school will be the start of her new life. She'll finally have the attention of the most popular guy in school, Damen. Who is, of course, Petula's boyfriend.

In a way she does start a new life. Although it's actually her afterlife. Poor Charlotte chokes on a red gummy bear just before she leaves her first period physics class and dies. Her hopes of starting over fresh and finally being noticed for once are all crushed in an instant. Especially when she finds out that she still has to graduate even though she's dead! There's a whole class of students from her school who have died and are still attending classes there.

Charlotte isn't giving up, though. She's still determined to win over Damen. And with the help of Scarlet Kensington (Petula's younger sister) she's sure she'll be able to do it. Scarlet can actually see Charlotte and Charlotte isn't about to let that fact go to waste. She figures she can hang out in Scarlet's body and get through to Damen that way. But her new dead classmates aren't liking Charlotte's plans too much and are making it incredibly hard for her to get anything done. Plus, the more time Scarlet spends time with Damen (when Charlotte isn't in her body, that is) the more Scarlet is starting to like Damen herself.

Charlotte is determined to be noticed. She thinks that if she can just get noticed and be popular that she'll finally move on. But is popularity really what Charlotte needs? Or is it just finally realizing that you don't have to be the center of attention to matter?

This book was great. I couldn't really guess what would happen throughout the book, which I always like. Poor Charlotte has such a rough time! Especially in the beginning of her afterlife. But she pulls through and even learns a valuable lesson along the way. I loved Scarlet's character. The way she acts towards her sister is hilarious. They are total opposites in every way. I loved all the nicknames the other dead students have, too. And I thought the ending was cute. It might not have been totally realistic, but then again this book wasn't really all that realistic in the first place. So I thought the ending fit pretty perfectly. I highly suggest checking this book out.

Reviewed by: Breanna F.