Spookygirl

October 22, 2012
In a surprisingly upbeat story about ghosts with unfinished business, 15-year-old Violet has the ability to see and communicate with spirits. Her mother had this gift, as well, but she died during an inconclusive paranormal investigation. Violet is happy to move back in with her father after years with her difficult Aunt Thelma, even if it means living in his new funeral home and helping the recently departed cross over. When she returns to her old school district, where rumors about her family's unusual history still run rampant, Violet encounters Dirk, a dead jock who's still tied to the school, and befriends a Goth wannabe; together they help Dirk and investigate the haunted girls' locker room, which serve as warm-ups for Violet's mission to find her mother's ghost. Despite some underdeveloped elements and a slightly pat finale, Baguchinsky's lightly creepy debut (winner of the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award for Young Adult Fiction) features a straight-talking, level-headed protagonist and smooth storytelling that makes ghost-hunting feel like a skill as practical as cleaning house. Ages 12âup. Agent: Danielle Chiotti, Upstart Crow Literary.

July 1, 2012
Packed with ghosts, poltergeists and even a half-vampire, this book provides a fun ride for teens interested in the supernatural. At age 6, Violet began learning about her ability to see and communicate with ghosts--a talent inherited from her mother, the leader of a paranormal investigative team with Violet's dad. However, her mother's accidental death abruptly ended Violet's training, leaving her with a dad determined to ignore her paranormal abilities and without the knowledge to safely control them. Violet's truncated training isn't problematic until she starts at a new high school with more than its fair share of haunted happenings. Normally Violet has lain low at school, but shortly after her first day here, she gets the nickname SpookyGirl, in part because her dad is a mortician and they live above their funeral home, but also because her school's ghosts, which range from benevolent to deadly, can't seem to leave her alone. Determined to follow in her mother's path, Violet attempts to understand these spirits and finds herself deadlocked in spiritual communication way beyond her abilities. Violet narrates the tale in a straightforward, easygoing past tense that balances humor with suspense. Although pitched as a paranormal adventure, the story's slightly different approach to the nuclear family steals the spotlight with well-defined characters, both living and not-so living. (Paranormal suspense. 12-16)

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January 1, 2013

Gr 9-11-Violet, 15, can see and talk to ghosts, save the one ghost she'd love to chat with-her mother, who died under strange circumstances during a paranormal investigation. Her father, now a funeral-home owner, refuses to talk to her about it. Violet is starting in a new high school where she earns the nickname Spookygirl for talking to a dead football player. With the help of her new Goth friends, she solves a couple of ghostly mysteries, just as her mother did, and decides that she is ready to return to the old house where her mother died and find out the truth about that night. Baguchinsky delivers a funny, fresh story with some chilling scenes and a likable and smart protagonist. Secondary characters, the setting, and the mysteries are all well done, keeping readers entertained and engaged throughout.-Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS, Canada

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