• Is it age appropriate?

  About our ratings

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  Not age appropriate for kids under 12, age appropriate for kids over 14; suggested age 12.

• Is it any good?

  4.0

• Common Sense says

  Darkly funny book is full of Goth-chic style.

Why We Rated This for Ages 12–14

The good stuff

• Messages:

  Comeuppance and lessons abound for both live and dead students.

What to watch out for

• Violence:

  Charlotte chokes to death on a gummy bear. Mentions of how other teens died, including car wrecks. A chandelier falls on people; they're unharmed. The dead have some gross attributes (maggots, exposed brains, etc.).
• Sex:

  A dead Charlotte watches Damen undress and gets into bed with him; he senses her presence and screams. Some kissing in a girl's bedroom while the parents aren't home. Talk in Dead Ed about periods.
• Language:

  Insults can get pretty salty, especially between Scarlet and her sister. A fake note is read in class implicating two jocks; it says "I love sticking my hands between your thick, hot, sweaty legs when you hike the football at me." Once, "f--k" is spelled out as a cheer. Plus "t-ts," "s--t," "ass," "dickhead," "whore," "blow me."
• Consumerism:

  You could create a really long playlist with all the bands mentioned here (at least 50), whose lyrics are often quoted as well. A big plug for the movie Delicatessen. Celebrities and snack foods are also name-checked.
• Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

  Not an issue.

What Parents Need to Know

About Ghostgirl

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