Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley

Pages: 328

Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: Science fiction / Death / Humour
Notes for Parents: Mild language, vulgarity, gore.

The Back Cover
Sometimes high school really is a matter of life and death.
Charlotte Usher feels practically invisible at school, and then one day she really is. Even worse: she’s dead. And all because of a guy and a gummy bear.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first book in a series.

What’s good?

Charlotte Usher was never popular in high school, but now that she’s dead, she’s hoping to redeem herself. With the help of living girl Scarlet, Charlotte sets out to get the attention of popular guy Damen. The attractive cover and page decorations make this a very physically appealing book. Each chapter begins with a fun heading (“Rest in Popularity”), and a beautiful quote from the likes of Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allan Poe, and Evanescence. It has a nice format that makes it easy to read.
Best Part: The cover

What isn’t good?

The plot was weak. I didn’t like Charlotte at all so I found it really hard to care about anything she did or was supposed to do. The supporting characters were interesting, especially the dead ones, but none were developed enough for me to truly feel invested in them or their cause. The writing itself was not stellar. There were annoying inconsistencies throughout.   
Worst part: Charlotte

Recommendation þoooo

I so wanted to like this book! I love funny books about the dead. But it didn’t deliver. There were some clever moments and it was certainly a good concept, but ultimately, it lacked in almost every way. Sadly, I can’t recommend this book.

Hurley, Tonya. Ghostgirl. New York: Little, Brown & Co., 2008.