 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Ghostgirl
- By Tonya Hurley
- Genre: Humor
Common Sense Media says
Darkly funny book is full of Goth-chic style.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the main character chokes to death on a gummy bear at the very beginning and proceeds to meet other dead teens. While the mood stays pretty light and darkly humorous (think Beetlejuice), the language can get pretty salty, especially when insults are hurled between sisters. Also, expect plenty of plugs for bands, especially ones that go with the Goth-chic style this book aims for.
What's the story?
High school outcast Charlotte Usher spends her whole summer plotting how to get crush Damen Dylan to notice her. On the first day back, she gets her wish in physics class when he's assigned as her lab partner -- only for her to die minutes later choking on a gummy bear. Attending Dead Ed and living in the dead dorm with other deceased teens do nothing to thwart Charlotte's designs on Damen, however, especially when she learns that a live person, the Goth younger sister of Damen's snotty girlfriend, can actually see and help her. But Charlotte doesn't know how much this help from the living hurts all dead students' chances of finally "seeing the light."
Is it any good?
With a Goth-chic book design and a popular Web site, GHOSTGIRL definitely puts style and dark humor first, but it's not without substance. Each chapter starts with a pithy paragraph about letting go, love, longing, regret -- heavy stuff. That is, right before it launches into shallow-seeming Charlotte's next clueless misadventure led by her one-track mind: Must get boy, alive or dead. This tunnel vision would get annoying if it weren't for other fun characters, like Piccolo Pam the dead guide, Scarlet the live Goth friend who gives Charlotte a "make-under," and Petula the delightfully unscrupulous sister (who gets hers, of course).
But in the end, Ghostgirl isn't quite as clever as it wants to be. With its mix of satire, deep thoughts, physical humor, and heart-tugging romance, it can seem like too much of a hodge-podge at times. And fans may want more than just a taste of dead teen culture -- there are plenty of unanswered questions about their powers, etc. But it's still lots of fun and the perfect complement to a late-night readathon with The Cure cued up on the iPod.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about Charlotte's one-track mind. Why do you think it was so important to her to be popular and get the guy, even after death? When does her dedication get to be over the top? If you could see Charlotte like Scarlet could, would you change places with her temporarily? If so, what would you do in spirit form?
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AGE
THIS BOOK IS KILLER!
I think some people don't get the satire of this book. It is GENIUS! I can not wait for Ghostgirl Homecoming! Ghostgirl is the new Twilight - it's original, hysterical and profound.
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AGE
Interesting take on life
i thought that this book was brilliant and really quite interesting. the language in some parts may not be appropriate but most kids should be able to handle it. charlotte learns alot so i think that everyone could learn a thing or two from this book. i loved it.
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AGE
not good for children, but a good laugh for tweens and up.
i thought it was a very good novel.Yes some of the pages are unaporiate, but its not lilke we havn't heard this stuff before...
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Kid, 11 years old
January 7, 2011
AGE
awesome!
It's awesome! I LOVE GHOSTGIRL! There's swears, so what? I'm 9 and I love it! :)
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AGE
I agree whith peace2422 it really depends, and honestly I don't think that you should have bought that book for your 12 year old if a bit of cursing was a problem. I really do think that she's probably read waaaaaay worse though, and at twelve, I tjink that you may not have to monotor things as feverishly as im sure she understands not to do the things in the book, like commit suicide or chant out the f word. hope this helps!
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AGE
Not good for kids, tweens and teens would like it though.
I read this book when I was 12 and i loved it! The inappropriate part are very brief.
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AGE
VERY BAD BOOK FOR ANY GIRL OF ANY AGE. NOT RECCOMMENDED
WORSE THAN BAD..this book has a SHALLOW content, it's an empty shell. The amount of swear words is disgusting, poor bad taste, suggestions of suicide, suggestions of sexually active young girls, everything you don't want your kid to be or do it's in this book. IT DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE READ BY ANYBODY! I bought it for my 9 year old girl, who is an avid reader, and she pinpointed all the bad things going on here..me and my husband sat down and gave the book a more through inspection and we were disgusted, and threw this junk in the garbage can!..It did not deserve to be given away to ANYBODY.
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AGE
cussing and sex it is a natural part
I loved the book and people need to stop hating on the book because so what if the is cussing and sex it is a natural part of life and if you have NOT given the "Talk" to you childern and they're over 10 you should because if you don't they will find out from friends, movies, books,exetra so please stop hateing on thid book
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Kid, 11 years old
March 30, 2011
AGE
Epic!
I love this book! Just got done reading it... Just cried my eyes out because.... Well you have to read the book :P
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AGE
HORRIBLE!
I started to read the book, completely open minded, as any good reader is with any book. I shut it and walked away after not too many chapters. Charloette, after dying and becoming invisible, sneaks into the boys locker room to watch her crush get changed!! what is THAT?!?! Definitly NOT aprropriate for kids. The crush also watches a girl get changed through a mirror! This is not something I think anyone would want to read. EVER!
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| Author: | Tonya Hurley |
| Illustrator: | Craig Phillips |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Humor |
| Publisher: | Little, Brown and Company |
| Publication date: | August 1, 2008 |
| Number of pages: | 336 |
| Hardcover price: | $17.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 12 - 12 |
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