ghostgirl

ifeelbookish - All Charlotte wants is to be liked. She is a social outcast that is desperate for someone, anyone to at least notice her. Throw in Charlotte's crush, a gummy bear, Physics class, and that's the end of Charlotte as we know it, literally. At the end of Physics class, Charlotte unbelievably chokes on a gummy bear just when Damien her crush, actually notices her. Tragic, isn't it? Well, she ends up in "DeadEd", a class for dead students to "graduate" which simply means to move on. This book is an amazing story of the constant struggle for popularity, and the lengths we'll go to achieve that. Hurley's debut novel really amazed me. It seemed really ironic in the beginning, but as the story progressed I became more engrossed with the story. I love the illustrations, and especially the cover. The story was actually really thought-provoking with a dark twist. Overall, I really liked it, and I can't wait to read the whole series. Lastly, I think this is quite a mature read so I would recommend this to 14+. ~ifeelbookish

Starred review from July 14, 2008
Hurley, an independent filmmaker, debuts with this glittering comedy, a prime exemplar of what might be called demento mori, a growing subgenre of satire about teens who will not or cannot die. Charlotte Usher's plan to catapult herself from the ranks of the invisible to the heights of popularity at Hawthorne High—no possibility for allusion goes unturned—hits a major snag on the first day of school when she chokes to death on a gummy bear. Sent to Deadiquette school along with other teen spirits, she skips out, still determined to woo her longtime heartthrob, never mind that “he doesn't even know I'm alive.” The jokes stay sharp, from the goth girl who gives her a “make-under” to throwaway lines (caught breaking some cardinal rules, Charlotte mutters to herself, “I'm dead”). Plotlines raise the stakes, putting Hurley's consistent wit to the service of classic themes about claiming identity. While the author has a built-in fan base from her ghostgirl Web sites, high-impact design will ensure attention from casual browsers as well. An elaborate die-cut with stamped acetate on the cover dares readers to laugh at a silhouette of a cartoon girl in an open casket, an effect heightened by the extra-tall trim size; inside, pink-and-black graphics liberally adorn the margins, epigraphs to chapter openings, etc. And given the polished dark-and-deadpan humor, it's a natural fit with Gen Y, too. Ages 12–up.

Starred review from August 1, 2008
Gr 7 Up-Charlotte User, an invisible loser, dies just before enacting a plan to catch the cutest guy in school and achieve popularity. She refuses to accept her fate (death by gummy bear) and returns as a ghost with a mission: to go to the Fall Ball with Damen and get a midnight kiss. Hurley combines afterlife antics, gothic gore, and high school hell to produce an original, hilarious satire. Charlotte ambles through death's door and remains a pitiable, selfish, and somewhat annoying heroine. Readers root for her, but cringe at her blunders, too. She blows off her new dead-kid school and classmates, unable to give up her living, breathing crush. Hurley's pitch-perfect dialogue and clever names (Petula, Rotting Rita, Principal Styx) keep readers laughing. Dark, meditative song lyrics and poetry start each chapter while campy, Gothic illustrations frame the pages. Tim Burton and Edgar Allan Poe devotees will die for this fantastic, phantasmal read."Shelley Huntington, New York Public Library"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.