A Girl, a Ghost, and the Hollywood Hills by Lizabeth Zindel

Pages: 302
Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: Mystery
Notes for parents: Some mature scenes and mild language.

The Inside Cover

It’s winter break, and Holly has come home from boarding school to face her dad’s new girlfriend, Claudia—who also happens to be her mom’s sister. Gross. Holly’s mom died less than a year ago, and already Claudia has taken over her movie production company, her house, and now her husband.
Then the ghost of Holly’s mother appears, claiming that Claudia murdered her. Holly vows to avenge her mom’s death no matter what it takes, but as the stakes get higher, she starts to wonder: What does this ghost really want from her, and why?
Throw in an adorable college guy named Oliver, an all-night house party with a pack of Australian surfers, and a shopping disaster on Rodeo Drive, and you wind up with a Hamlet-inspired ghost story unlike any other.

What the Cover doesn’t tell you:

I found the description to be a bit misleading.

What’s good?

This story had a great concept, based loosely on the story of Hamlet. Characterization was good. Holly was a likeable character and it was easy to sympathize with her situation. The supporting characters were interesting, especially Claudia and her horror movie props. This was a fast and easy read with a simple plot.
Best part: The cover.

What’s not so good?

This was a superficial approach to a story about grief and mental illness. The plot was predictable and the writing was overly detailed (I don’t need to know the color of her umbrella, or what her comforter looks like!) and very passive. Even the romance was boring. Even worse was the dialogue which felt contrived and didn’t convincingly reflect the way teens talk today. At times, the conversations, especially the ones between Holly and Felicia, were awkward and even corny (Dudette?).
Worst part: The end made the story seem pointless.

Recommendations þþooo

I was first attracted to this book by the cover, which promised a tense, supernatural Shakespearean-like mystery. Even the inside cover suggested a ghost story. There was certainly potential here, but it was never realized.

Zindel, Lizabeth. A Girl, A Ghost, And the Hollywood Hills. New York: Viking, 2010. (Hardcover)