Scarlett Dedd

Jul 27, 2012 Zabet The Dark Empress of Dark Chocolate rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-books, ghosts

This and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes

Cover Impressions: This cover does not even scratch the surface of the awesomeness that is inside. See those fantastically creepy drawings? Those are EVERYWHERE and they get even better.

The Gist: Scarlett was dead, to begin with. Heh, always wanted to start a review like that. Anyway, in attempting to avoid a painfully awkward class trip, Scarlett Dedd accidentally kills herself - and her entire family. In finding herself Bodily Chall...more

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 24, 2012 Book Chick City rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, book-list-2010, horror, all-hallows-eve-2010, paranormal-ya

Originally posted on my blog: Book Chick City.

"Scarlett Dedd" is a wonderful book combining story with illustration. It's also full of wit, great teenage characters and a fun, ghoulish plot.

Scarlett is pretty much ignored at school, but she does have a few friends who share her love of gory horror movies - sometimes they even try and make their own. But a school trip is imminent and she just cant face the dumb comments that she knows she will get from the other kids at school, so she thinks up a...more Originally posted on my blog: Book Chick City.

"Scarlett Dedd" is a wonderful book combining story with illustration. It's also full of wit, great teenage characters and a fun, ghoulish plot.

Scarlett is pretty much ignored at school, but she does have a few friends who share her love of gory horror movies - sometimes they even try and make their own. But a school trip is imminent and she just cant face the dumb comments that she knows she will get from the other kids at school, so she thinks up a plan that would get her out of going: wild mushrooms. Unfortunately these mushrooms do more than just make Scarlett sick, they make her dead. Her family shortly follows her, after eating her deadly mushroom risotto.

The story follows Scarlett as she comes to terms with her demise - there are lots of funny, but also slightly dark moments where Scarlett tries to kill her friends, Rip, Taz, Psycho and JP, so she won't miss them so much and be so lonely. Scarlett also tries to have fun with her new ghostly abilities by scaring her friends silly, which she thinks is hilarious, at first, until she realises that there are extremely unpleasant consequences for coming into contact with the living.

Scarlett is a great character. I loved her funny, snarky humour and her very teenage voice. There are lots of 'it's so not fair!', which brought a nostalgic understanding smile to my face.

The ending to "Scarlett Dedd" wraps things up nicely but the reader is left with Scarlett meeting two new ghost friends...including a very cute boy-ghost! I hope the story continues as I would love to read more about Scarlett's ghost-life.

However, there was one very small aspect to "Scarlett Dedd" which I found a bit distracting and it was how the text was formatted. Most of the time it was readable and it fit in well with the story, but there are a couple of pages where the text swirls round in circles and the only way to read it is to turn the book round with it - this was too much for me and I ended up skipping those particular pages... younger kids may find this a fun aspect to the book, but I didn't... maybe I'm just too old ;)

VERDICT:

"Scarlett Dedd" is a really enjoyable book and I appreciated the accompanying drawings by the author, they are a great addition, complimenting the story well and add to the already spooky atmosphere... A perfect read for Halloween!
(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 13, 2012 Diane rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ghosts, washyarg, graphic-novel

Scarlett (Scar) is not really excited about the school trip to the World War I trenches, so she decides to make herself sick by eating risotto with mushrooms. Unfortunately, she picks the wrong ones and poisons her whole family. When she "wakes up" sometime later, she realizes that she is a ghost and so is everyone in her family. Not really knowing how to deal with the situation, she gets online and discovers a forum with advice for the newly dead. Deciding that she would be happier if her frien...more

like · see review

Sep 20, 2012 Amy Lignor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There are good YA’s - there are great YA’s - some just so-so - but very rarely does one come along where not only is the plot fantastic and hysterical all at the same time, but the illustrations are phenomenal. This is Scarlett Dedd.

Before the death of the Dedd family, Scarlett had to constantly deal with the ‘dead’ jokes anyway. Not only was the last name a source of teasing, but Scarlett was also the eldest child of the oddest family on the street. They were poor, the house already looked like...more There are good YA’s - there are great YA’s - some just so-so - but very rarely does one come along where not only is the plot fantastic and hysterical all at the same time, but the illustrations are phenomenal. This is Scarlett Dedd.

Before the death of the Dedd family, Scarlett had to constantly deal with the ‘dead’ jokes anyway. Not only was the last name a source of teasing, but Scarlett was also the eldest child of the oddest family on the street. They were poor, the house already looked like a broken-down, haunted chalet, and her father - a writer by the name of Wolfgang - had a garden where he grew some of the most disgusting food so that they could ‘eat healthy’ and save money on groceries. On top of all that, Scarlett was extremely pasty and her best friend’s name is, Psycho.

Along comes a seven-day trip with the school where she’ll have to go and explore the WWI trenches while staying in a youth hostel that makes her sick. Besides all that, Psycho isn’t going, so Scarlett wants to stay home, too. What better way to allow herself an out? Make herself sick.

Well…she decides to make risotto using the wild mushroom that’s found in Dad’s garden. Now the mushroom is supposed to make you sick, unfortunately…it also made her and the rest of the family who decided to eat the risotto leftovers, dead as doornails!

Around the neighborhood people see bikes going along the street with no rider, they hear doors slamming inside the Dedd’s now haunted house - even the windows fog up as if someone is breathing on the glass form the inside. When Scarlett learns that she’s nothing but a ghost, she feels more than a little lonely and decides that to not be alone (and have to be stuck with just her annoying family for the rest of her eternity), she will cause accidents that will take her group of friends out one by one. And hilarity ensues!

As I stated, this is one of those unique books that offers humor, characters you won’t forget, and illustrations that are to die for! (No pun intended).

Until Next Time, Everybody,
Amy(less)

like · see review

Nov 17, 2010 Iffath added it · review of another edition

Shelves: uk-ya

I LOVED Cathy's other illustrated novel Ember Fury, so when a copy of Scarlett Dedd popped through my letter box, I was so excited!

When Scarlett accidentally kills herself and the rest of her family in a horrible attempt to get out of going to the school trip, she has found that being dead is really quite lonely without her friends (Psycho, Ripley, JP and Taz- amazing and crazy names, I know!!)..but it does have some perks! Scarlett's new mission is to try and get her friends to join her, but w...more

like · see review

Oct 26, 2010 Susan Mann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book, such a fun, easy and cute read. There are wonderful illustrations throughout the book which bring the book to life and so many times I laughed out loud. Poor Scarlett, she suffered throughout her short life with humiliation, her strange, crazy and embarrassing parents. Now she has to suffer though her afterlife too.
Her family dies along with her, when she tries to make herself ill so she doesn't have to go on a school trip. She didn't just make herself ill, she killed herself...more

like · see review

Oct 03, 2010 Caroline rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novel, young-adult

Before, there were books with boring straight lines and the odd illustration or two. Then, there was Cathy Brett! I haven't been able to look at a book the same way ever since I finished Scarlett Dedd. Cathy Brett has more than maximise the use of that weird medium that is a book to create something absolutely awesome.

The story revolves around zombie-looking Scarlett Dedd (yes, she already heard the dead Dedd joke, no need to say it again). She is a teenager (aka self-centered, lacking confiden...more Before, there were books with boring straight lines and the odd illustration or two. Then, there was Cathy Brett! I haven't been able to look at a book the same way ever since I finished Scarlett Dedd. Cathy Brett has more than maximise the use of that weird medium that is a book to create something absolutely awesome.

The story revolves around zombie-looking Scarlett Dedd (yes, she already heard the dead Dedd joke, no need to say it again). She is a teenager (aka self-centered, lacking confidence and mainly not very bright), and, to avoid a class trip to France (which is understandable), she accidentally kills herself and all her family. Yes, indeed, it is entirely accidental.
She becomes a ghost and gradually comes to term with her new state and abilities. Her only problem is how alone she feels. She would really like one of her friends Rip, JP, Taz or the hot broody Psycho to hang out with her. Wait, when you think about it, there might be a solution for that...

I was unsure what I would find in this book as it is slightly unique, not entirely a novel and not entirely a graphic novel either. But whichever it is, I love it!
The characters are all amazingly hilarious and true to form. I can see real teenagers who hang out doing hardly anything interesting but thinking it might change the world (and make them super famous and rich in the process). I feel that it is the strongest point: all the characters have a very distinct personality and it is simply fascinating to read about them.

I am loving the whole ghost situation, how they talk to each other and what they can or can't do. There are spooky moments but the general tone of the book is more on the comical side of the force.

The illustrations are amazing. Not only do they add a visual image (duh!) to the text, but they actually insert themselves in the text, and the text itself becomes an illustration at times. It is really fascinating since you hardly realize that the book is part text part illustrations at the end, it becomes Scarlett's story.

This is an absolutely brilliant (graphic) novel. It will appeal to older readers as well as younger (fans of the Goosebumps series in particular) and it is definitely an original experience especially if you are not a regular fan of classical graphic novels/comic books. I can't wait to read Cathy Brett's other book Ember Fury!!(less)

like · see review

Oct 30, 2010 Rhys rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was a bit of an accident really, dying. She hadn’t planned it at all, it just sort of… happened. It all started when Scarlett picked some mushrooms and decided to make a nice, mushroomy dinner. In fact, it all ended with that too; it killed her. Now she’s a ghost, haunting her house, trying to find ways to get her alive friends to notice her, and she’s got a nasty plan…

Scarlett Dedd is Cathy Brett’s second YA/pre-tween novel. It’s full of illustrations by Cathy Brett, and there are plenty of...more

like · see review

Oct 12, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Scarlett Dedd is SUPER adorable. From it's wonderfully comical and macabre premise to the illustrations that made me think of a horror/goth version of Tank Girl (see Jamie Hewlett). It pretty well captured the ennui involved in being a teenager that holds a great deal of contempt for the mainstream (which I certainly was, so I could relate).

So basically Scarlett Dedd comes from an eccentric family. Her parents are artists and hippies and are kinda poor, so she's stuck wearing thrift store clothe...more Scarlett Dedd is SUPER adorable. From it's wonderfully comical and macabre premise to the illustrations that made me think of a horror/goth version of Tank Girl (see Jamie Hewlett). It pretty well captured the ennui involved in being a teenager that holds a great deal of contempt for the mainstream (which I certainly was, so I could relate).

So basically Scarlett Dedd comes from an eccentric family. Her parents are artists and hippies and are kinda poor, so she's stuck wearing thrift store clothes that don't exactly flatter her pale skin and sunken eyes. But she's found a group of friends that suit her and they make horror movies together. But there is a school trip about to come up and she needs a way to get out of it so she goes looking for mushrooms that will make her sick enough to fool her parents. But she picks wrong and instead makes a deathly poisonous risotto and dies. Then her family finds it, and they eat it, and they die. Then they all come back as ghosts to haunt the house they've been living in. Her friends break in because they're the kind of kids who dig death and other spooky things and Scarlett realized how alone she is so she hatches a terrible plan to kill her friends so they can all be dead together. Being dead apparently makes you a little crazy.

There's a few other things going on that move the story along pretty well and Brett uses some unusual tactics. The story is told in the 3rd person but there's a blog that ghost Scarlett keeps that gives us a little insight into her thought process, as well as a chat room she goes to where there are other dead kids, maybe not all of them trust worthy. And the design of the text isn't always straightforward, it intermingles with some of the illustrations, which is a nice touch but there were two instances where it was particularly annoying. That is, the text wound around itself in circles and I had to turn the book over and over to keep reading it. Sorry man, not cool. The other was that there were often jumps in time that the design of the text didn't indicate. Where there should have been an extra space between paragraphs or something like that, there just wasn't, so it was a little jarring jumping from one scene to another and it took a minute to realize it. Other than those two things, however, I found it a charming and engaging experience.

It is a young adult book, technically, but I would go further and say it is specifically a tween book. If you have a particularly bright ten year old or a particularly unusual thirteen year old they'd probably like this book. Any kids that are artistically inclined or like horror/mystery/thrillers or "Are you Afraid of the Dark" (is that show still on???), would probably dig this book. The prose isn't particularly sophisticated, but it's not supposed to be. Even though it's told in the third person it's still told from the perspective of a fifteen year old, and it reads like it. It's not like reading my eighteen year old niece's facebook posts though. It's way more interesting than that. thankfully.(less)

like · see review

Sep 09, 2010 Catherine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-print-copy

Well, more a 4.5 but I rounded up here.

In Scarlett Dedd, Cathy Brett combines prose and illustrations to tell a humorous yet heart-filled tale of life and everything after.

The story at the heart of Scarlett Dedd is a simple one – a young girl dies and must become accustomed to her new existence – but it’s the characters that really (if you’ll pardon the pun) bring the whole thing to life. From gloomy-quirky Scarlett to her horribly embarrassing family on one side of the great divide between life...more Well, more a 4.5 but I rounded up here.

In Scarlett Dedd, Cathy Brett combines prose and illustrations to tell a humorous yet heart-filled tale of life and everything after.

The story at the heart of Scarlett Dedd is a simple one – a young girl dies and must become accustomed to her new existence – but it’s the characters that really (if you’ll pardon the pun) bring the whole thing to life. From gloomy-quirky Scarlett to her horribly embarrassing family on one side of the great divide between life and death, and the friends Scarlett left behind, each of them are deftly crafted, both with words and illustration. Indeed, Brett makes a difficult thing look simple with the ease she made me sympathetic – even to the point of nodding along at times – with Scarlett even as she started taking actions that I did not exactly approve of.

The illustrations scattered throughout the pages make for a great complement to the written story. Her artistic style is distinct and has a real flair to it, and it was always a delight to see how the next image was going to interact with the text someway – in fact it was another reason to not put the book down, as I wanted to see what illustration was going to come next. And Brett uses these illustrations to wonderful effect, from simple things like the video rental cards of Scarlett and her friends (expired in Scarlett’s case) to gorgeous two-page illustrations of scenes taking place or settings. Combined with Scarlett’s blog entries and IM conversations between her and other ghosts, the blending of all these things with traditional prose helps make Scarlett Dedd stand out even more in a current YA paranormal already so competitive thanks to so many great books.

There was just one thing that kept Scarlett Dedd from having a full five stars. Occasionally the text was formatted in different ways depending on the scene in question, meaning you would have to tilt the book or twist it around. For the most part this was fine, and I enjoyed doing so – save for two pages. While I understand the reasons behind these two pages, having to constantly spin the book around multiple times became headache inducing, and I was forced to skip until the next non-cyclical page, which was a bit of a disappointment.

Overall, I have one thing to say about Scarlett Dead: Hurry and get yourself a copy, ASAP – you never know how much time you have left. But do be careful until then… especially when it comes to mushrooms.(less)

like · see review

Mar 21, 2012 Stephanie Cover2CoverBlog rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: early-review, ya

Background: Scarlett Dedd is a teenage girl outcast; she lives in a creepy house, is very pale, and is made fun of for looking dead and being a Dedd. The issue is…now she is dead; she only meant to make herself sick, but instead killed herself and her entire family. What a bummer to be dead but still have parents around to tell you what you can and cannot do, and your annoying brother still lurking about.

Review: This is a very interesting read. I like the concept and it is very well written. Yo...more

like · see review

Nov 16, 2012 Kim Heimbuch rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: citybook, owned-hardcopy

Despite this being a teen book, I thoroughly enjoyed sharing this read with my youngest daughter as we followed Scarlett's blog, the story that ensues, and the fantastic illustrations that accompany this book. I don't care who you are, you are never to old for pictures in a book.

Scarlett is already odd and comes from the weirdest family in town.It doesn't help her last name is Dedd. She accidentally kills herself in an attempt to get out of going on a school field trip. It took several days for...more

like · see review

Nov 26, 2011 Cara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, ebook, ghosts, horror, net-galley, teen-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · like · see review

Jan 04, 2012 Dawn Vanniman rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received this book from www.netgalley.net in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun, cute story! It's not often that you come across a book for YA with such delightful illustrations! Cathy Brett is not only an awesome author but a fine illustrator.

The story follows Scarlett as she talks about how she managed to find a few friends even though her family is dirt poor and they all wear second hand clothing and buy the outdated food at the grocery store. Her friends share her love of gory movies...more I received this book from www.netgalley.net in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun, cute story! It's not often that you come across a book for YA with such delightful illustrations! Cathy Brett is not only an awesome author but a fine illustrator.

The story follows Scarlett as she talks about how she managed to find a few friends even though her family is dirt poor and they all wear second hand clothing and buy the outdated food at the grocery store. Her friends share her love of gory movies and movie making.

One day Scarlett is reminded of a fieldtrip that she has to go on as part of her History class. She decides she is absolutely not going, no matter what. But she knows if she isn't actually ill, her parents will make her go. So she gets a book on mushrooms and tries to find some to make her 'just a little' sick. However, she fails to read the entire thing and ends up cooking a mushroom dinner that's toxic. Unfortunately, she doesn't get time to take care of the dinner before she succumbs and her family ends up eating it too! Now, she's STILL stuck with them!

Scarlett comes across as a typical teen - somewhat self-centered and doesn't think things through, with some snarky humor. She and her friends have very definite personalities as do her parents and brother. I laughed so much while reading this book! I read it in the airport and on a flight, so got a few odd looks, but it really is that funny!

Scarlett learns how to use her ghostly skills in some pretty funny ways and she enjoys scaring the bejesus out of her friends. She even learns that she can blog! However, she's lonely and misses her friends, so she thinks (with a little push from another ghostly blogger) that she should kill them so they can all hang out again. While not her best idea ever, she does come up with some pretty interesting ideas on how to off them. Of course she eventually realizes that it's not ok to off your friends just because you're a lonely ghost.

The only thing that bothered me...and it could be because of my poor vision (even with glasses): some of the pages are done in a very cute manner like putting the words in a spiral or having them look like they've been left in the rain. I had a really hard time reading those couple of pages. Otherwise this is an amazing book and I'm glad the author left it open in the end so that there could be a second one!(less)

like · see review

Oct 21, 2012 Lisa rated it 1 of 5 stars

Scarlett Dedd accidentally killed herself (and her family) while trying to get out of a field trip. Now the teen goth is a teen ghost, blogging with other ghosts and scaring her friends, but is scaring them enough? How does a ghost “make” friends? There is a lot of British slang - -fun but can be confusing at times. The writing is disjointed, episodes feel disconnected, parts of the story are hard to follow as scenes change with no warning or divisions. The graphic novel style illustrations are...more

like · see review

Sep 22, 2012 Adriana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own

When I heard about this book it said that it was about suicide and killing and when I saw the cover I though it was going to be really dark. Boy was I wrong! I read a review about and it got me to buy the book. I read this in 1 day! I could not put this book down. Cathy did such a cool way of adding drawings threw out the story that made this book fun for me to read. I would recommend this book for everyone.

The way the Cathy describes Scarlett and her family takes me back to my high school days...more

like · see review

Jul 07, 2012 Sarah rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, couldn-t-finish, fantasy-scifi, own, young-adult

I read about 100 pages of this yesterday on my lunch break and when I thought about reading it again on today's lunch break, I couldn't bring myself to care. This book is confusingly written - a couple of times I had to go back and make sure my ARC wasn't missing any pages because the action from one page to the next made no sense and did not flow at all. Additionally, I feel like Brett is trying too hard to be funny and/or shocking and really comes across as neither. I don't care at all about t...more

like · see review

Sep 22, 2010 Dwayne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-reads, for-review

Reviewed @ Girls Without a Bookshelf.

Cathy Brett's Scarlett Dedd is the first graphic novel I've read in years. I do not have a lot to compare Scarlett Dedd to, but even for a non art enthusiast, I was blown away by the illustrations in this book - so brilliantly done! It's very detailed, very vivid and so real to life. I can look at them over and over again and never tire.

Scarlett Dedd is not only one of the best illustrated novels I've ever come across, it's also one of the funniest. Scarlett,...more Reviewed @ Girls Without a Bookshelf.

Cathy Brett's Scarlett Dedd is the first graphic novel I've read in years. I do not have a lot to compare Scarlett Dedd to, but even for a non art enthusiast, I was blown away by the illustrations in this book - so brilliantly done! It's very detailed, very vivid and so real to life. I can look at them over and over again and never tire.

Scarlett Dedd is not only one of the best illustrated novels I've ever come across, it's also one of the funniest. Scarlett, our protagonist, dies in the stupidest (her words, not mine!) way, and or the most pathetic of reasons - you have to read the book to discover how, as doing so is one of the fun things about this book. Scarlett Dedd feels like an interactive novel, as I was always looking forward to the next illustration and find myself examining all the details and matching it with the text when I do. I also hugely enjoyed the conversations in this book - they are genuinely british, what with the British slangs. I absolutely love it!

I'll have you know that I probably damaged my guts laughing my head off at all Scarlett's antics. She's such a fresh, vivacious and infectious character, I wanted to pull her pictures off the page and bring her to life. She's determined and resilient, albeit a little misguided. Her naivety sometimes grated at my nerves, but this book shows an in depth character development and maturity, in which Scarlett discovers the thin line between right and wrong, her own strength and weakness and ultimately her place in life (afterlife?). The supporting characters are just as fun. Teens and adults alike are just as mischievous and entertaining as Scarlett.

There appears to be a lack of emotions from the secondary characters though -interestingly, apart from Psycho (lol!), who both fancies and is fancied by Scarlett, her friends seem to find it fascinating that she's dead rather than mourn her death the traditional way. That, and the way they used Scarlett's haunting as a means to popularity rather than to communicate with Scarlett, are one of their traits that I disliked but nevertheless enjoyed. There was little tension in the book and I was not particularly drawn to the climax, but I found myself giggling with fun anyway - there's a huge potential for a sequel for more of Scarlett's ghostly adventures, and it would be quite fun to accompany the Dedds on another fun-filled episode!
(less)

like · see review

Jan 24, 2011 Michelle (Clover Hill Book Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: brit-author-challenge-2011

The cover on the Amazon picture for this looks rather dull. In the flesh, the yellow you can see is actually luminous, giving the book a spookier feel to it then you might otherwise think from the picture above.

From the start Scarlett Dedd is fast paced and upbeat, even about death. Cathy Brett uses dry humour all the way through, which I think represents teens really well....and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Scarlett and her family are the oddities of their community, whilst Scarlett doesn't accept...more

like · see review

May 15, 2013 Raven rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Just look at that cover. That art reminds me of Gorillaz. How could I not pick this up and read it? I didn't even read what it was about. Just saw the interesting cover and figured I could read it in a day, no problem.

It was sort of a problem. It took me a while to really get into it. And the layout of the prose was really annoying. I LOVED the illustrations, but there was one point where the words went around in a tiny circle on the page and I had to keep turning the book to read it. If I lost...more

like · see review

Apr 08, 2012 JennRenee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-march-read, challenge-2012-spring-read, read-2012, non-series-read

see more reviews http://jennreneeread.blogspot.com/

I received a digital ARC copy of this from Netgalley.com. The synopsis interested me and the cover creeped me out. I thought I should give it a shot. I thought this book was extremely entertaining. I have not laughed so much in a book in a very long time.

The story is about a girl, Scarlet who accidently kills herself and her family. This alone is funny; the family’s last name is Dedd, ironic. The author does a great job on creating an atmosphere...more

like · see review

Dec 25, 2010 Jazz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Scarlett Dedd is one of the first books that I have read in my rediscovery of YA literature, and it was certainly a treat. It is a funny, intelligent, teenage story that is well written, well presented and has an authentic teenage voice in the person of Scarlett.

I have written a little synopsis for you:

Scarlett is your typical teenager in so many ways, yet she is also quite different, unique. Like any typical teenager she is unhappy with her family life, though she is sure she has more reasons...more

like · see review

May 31, 2011 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own-print, read-in-2011, signed, for-review-read

Scarlett has always been a bit of a misfit and apart from a couple of close friends she is pretty much an outcast at school. This hasn't been helped by her quirky family and her second hand clothes. She doesn't want to go on the school trip but her plan to make herself too ill to go backfires when she accidentally kills her entire family. As a ghost she is lonely and desperately misses her friends but can she find a way to communicate with them?

I'll start by saying how much I loved the drawings...more Scarlett has always been a bit of a misfit and apart from a couple of close friends she is pretty much an outcast at school. This hasn't been helped by her quirky family and her second hand clothes. She doesn't want to go on the school trip but her plan to make herself too ill to go backfires when she accidentally kills her entire family. As a ghost she is lonely and desperately misses her friends but can she find a way to communicate with them?

I'll start by saying how much I loved the drawings and different text effects that appear throughout the book, Cathy Brett is a talented illustrator and I spent a lot of time looking at the details in the pictures as I was reading. I loved the way you had to turn the book around to different angles to be able to read some of the writing, it made for a fun read that I'm sure even the most reluctant reader would enjoy.

In the first few chapters I found myself feeling quite sorry for Scarlett, her family really didn't make it easy for her to fit in at school and be accepted and I could relate to the teasing she suffers from. However, after Scarlett and her family died I found myself liking her less and less as the story progressed. Her "poor me" routine may have been understandable but it grated on my nerves and I really didn't like the course of action she decided to take to ease her loneliness. It made for a funny story but I found her attitude disturbing and really wanted to shake her out of it! Despite the things she was doing I didn't even find myself feeling any sympathy for her friends who to be honest weren't the nicest of people and wouldn't be the kind of friends I'd want to hang out with.

I enjoyed the story for it's uniqueness and the quirky humor and would probably enjoy a sequel more because Scarlett does seem to come to her senses towards the end of the book. If you're looking for something unusual and fun to read then you might want to give this one a try but I'd probably recommend it more for younger readers who are less likely to worry about the issues I had with the story.(less)

like · see review

Aug 30, 2010 Sammee (I Want to Read That) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review-read

3.5 Stars

When Scarlett accidentally kills herself and her whole family in a botched attempt to make herself ill in order to avoid a week long school trip, she finds being dead is a bit lonely! Missing her friends so badly she starts to think it would be a great idea if she could arrange it so they can join her...

I liked how the story was written in third person. This worked well as it meant we get to hear from all the characters - I really liked the banter between her friends as well as Scarlett...more

like · see review

Oct 15, 2010 Vicki rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was very intrigued by this book. It sounded really fun and the illustrations inside were fantastic. Unfortunately it didn't quite live up to my expectations and I found it a little difficult to read.

It begins well enough. Scarlett is a pretty typical teenager- self conscious, shy and completely embarrassed by her very strange parents. She's a misfit at school and apart from her handful of Emo friends, doesn't fit in at all. Desperate to avoid a school trip she decides to make herself ill to av...more I was very intrigued by this book. It sounded really fun and the illustrations inside were fantastic. Unfortunately it didn't quite live up to my expectations and I found it a little difficult to read.

It begins well enough. Scarlett is a pretty typical teenager- self conscious, shy and completely embarrassed by her very strange parents. She's a misfit at school and apart from her handful of Emo friends, doesn't fit in at all. Desperate to avoid a school trip she decides to make herself ill to avoid going. Just a little sick would do, put Scarlett accidentally kills her whole family with poisonous mushrooms. So far the book is pretty funny, I liked Scarlett's despair at her frankly bizarrely weird parents and could sympathise with her about not wanting to go on the school trip.

However, after the families death, when they become ghosts, I started to struggle with this book. I've never read a book with amazing illustrations like Scarlett Dedd and while they were fantastic, for me the story suffered because of them. I think this is just down to personal taste and many people will appreciate the humour of Cathy Brett's writing. I on the other hand prefer more character development which was lacking in this book and I didn't feel I was able to connect with any of the characters at all. The plot seemed a little jumpy and vague at times and I really wanted more than I got from it. I was also pretty disturbed by some of Scarlett's antic's where her friends were concerned once she is dead!

Another problem I had was with the text layout on some pages. It doesn't stick to the usual format and there are almost blacked out pages, pages where the text goes round in circles etc. I struggled to actually read some of it so skipped these pages and they didn't really work for me.

The book is littered with blog post written by a dead Scarlett as well as entries from a chat room for the deceased. I thought these were a very clever touch and I liked reading Scarlett's blog which did make me giggle. Cathy Brett's take on the afterlife is certainly unique and quirky. I can see why lots of people would love Scarlett Dedd, especially reluctant teen readers. It's very different to anything else out there. With a ton of fantastic illustrations it isn't as text heavy as other books and can easily be dipped in and out of and Brett's writing is witty and fun.

I really wanted to love Scarlett Dedd but sadly it just fell a bit flat. While I appreciate the wit and genius artwork (also by Cathy Brett) in the end I concluded that this style of book just wasn't for me.(less)

like · see review

Sep 21, 2010 Sophie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: uk-author, for-review

After loving Cathy Brett’s debut, Ember Fury, last year, I was very excited to see if Scarlett Dedd could live up to it. But it was even better.

It really became evident just how talented a woman Cathy Brett is. As well as fun and lively illustrations, her writing is animated and so easy to fall into. Her style and execution is fresh and much appreciated in a genre that’s becoming more and more samey and clichéd. Both the illustrations and writing complimented each other beautifully and made Scar...more

like · see review

Dec 10, 2011 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Scarlett Dedd was a strange book. When Scarlett un-purposely kills herself and the rest of her family in a horrible attempt to get out of having to going on the school trip, she has found that being dead is really quite lonely without her friends :(Psycho, Ripley, JP and Taz- (what strange names?!),..but it does have some good points! Scarlett's new plan is to try and get her friends to join her, but will it all work out?! A great story for anyone who loves icky picky exciting books!!

like · see review

Jan 19, 2013 Inky rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have never come across a teen book like this before. It tells the tale of a girl named Scarlett. To avoid a school trip, she eats a poisonous mushroom... and it kills her, as well as the rest of her family. She becomes a ghost, haunting the house she lived in. But being a ghost is no fun without your friends. So Scarlett has to take drastic action.

The style of the book was quirky, with some nice illustrations. I could also really understand the characters- they were very believable. And it is...more

like · see review

Sep 26, 2012 Kim Baccellia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm really enjoying the voice of this YA paranormal of a girl who ends up offing not just herself but her whole family. At times hilarious, others times morbid, this hybrid book is sure to appeal to reluctant readers out there!

YA Books Central review: http://www.yabookscentral.com/explore...

like · see review

Jan 05, 2011 Bianca rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Really was not a fan. A pretty fast read so at least it did not take up much of my time, though it felt like it as I had to force myself to continue reading it. I can see the appeal to some young people though. Pretty dark and gruesome in some places. Some of the oneliners were good but on the whole not really something I would recommend.

like · see review

title link	preview: Scarlett Dedd
avg rating	preview: Scarlett Dedd Goodreads rating: 3.48 (91 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12982342-scarlett-dedd?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333578389l/12982342.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12982342-scarlett-dedd?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Scarlett Dedd by Cathy Brett[/url]

Scarlett Dedd

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (2)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Cathy Brett

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Scarlett Dedd

Scarlett Dedd

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (2)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Cathy Brett

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Scarlett Dedd

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (2)