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Ghostgirl (Ghostgirl #1)

by Tonya Hurley (Goodreads Author)

3.32 of 5 stars 3.32 · rating details · 6,839 ratings · 788 reviews

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

And if I should die before I awake,

I pray the popular attend my wake.

Charlotte Usher feels practically invisible at school, and then one day she really is invisible. Even worse: she's dead. And all because she choked on a gummy bear. But being dead doesn't stop Charlotte from wanting to be popular; it just makes he...more

Hardcover, 328 pages

Published August 1st 2008 by Little, Brown and Company

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Nov 13, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Breanna F. for TeensReadToo.com

"Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
And if I should die before I awake,
I pray the popular attend my wake."

This is the year for Charlotte Usher. The year that she's finally going to be noticed. She's finally going to have what she's always wanted: to be a popular girl and fit in with the head cheerleader in the school, Petula Kensington. She feels that the first day of school will be the start of her new life. She'll finally h...more Reviewed by Breanna F. for TeensReadToo.com

"Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
And if I should die before I awake,
I pray the popular attend my wake."

This is the year for Charlotte Usher. The year that she's finally going to be noticed. She's finally going to have what she's always wanted: to be a popular girl and fit in with the head cheerleader in the school, Petula Kensington. She feels that the first day of school will be the start of her new life. She'll finally have the attention of the most popular guy in school, Damen. Who is, of course, Petula's boyfriend.

In a way she does start a new life. Although it's actually her afterlife. Poor Charlotte chokes on a red gummy bear just before she leaves her first period physics class and dies. Her hopes of starting over fresh and finally being noticed for once are all crushed in an instant. Especially when she finds out that she still has to graduate even though she's dead! There's a whole class of students from her school who have died and are still attending classes there.

Charlotte isn't giving up, though. She's still determined to win over Damen. And with the help of Scarlet Kensington (Petula's younger sister) she's sure she'll be able to do it. Scarlet can actually see Charlotte and Charlotte isn't about to let that fact go to waste. She figures she can hang out in Scarlet's body and get through to Damen that way. But her new dead classmates aren't liking Charlotte's plans too much and are making it incredibly hard for her to get anything done. Plus, the more time Scarlet spends time with Damen (when Charlotte isn't in her body, that is) the more Scarlet is starting to like Damen herself.

Charlotte is determined to be noticed. She thinks that if she can just get noticed and be popular that she'll finally move on. But is popularity really what Charlotte needs? Or is it just finally realizing that you don't have to be the center of attention to matter?

This book was great. I couldn't really guess what would happen throughout the book, which I always like. Poor Charlotte has such a rough time! Especially in the beginning of her afterlife. But she pulls through and even learns a valuable lesson along the way. I loved Scarlet's character. The way she acts towards her sister is hilarious. They are total opposites in every way. I loved all the nicknames the other dead students have, too. And I thought the ending was cute. It might not have been totally realistic, but then again this book wasn't really all that realistic in the first place. So I thought the ending fit pretty perfectly. I highly suggest checking this book out.

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9 likes · like · see review

Apr 21, 2012 Lissa rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

I really wanted to like this book. A LOT. I wanted to like it so much that I got its two sequels, Lovesick and Homecoming out of the library at the same time.

But I can’t even finish it. I put the book down at page 227.

The characters are boring and literally make no sense. The writing is worse than juvenile. And there are errors in it that just make me want to tear my hair out: at one point, a character called Scarlet turns up the volume on her iPod to maximum, then calmly has a conversation with...more

11 likes · like · see review

Oct 26, 2008 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Charlotte has worked for this all summer. The first day of school. This year is going to be different, this year she is going to be noticed, this year she is going to get the most popular boy in school. She gets really close too, well she had the whole lab partner thing going for her, until she choked to death on that soft red gummy bear.

She doesn’t show up at the pearly gates instead she’s still stuck in high school only this time it’s high school for the dead. Now her crush really doesn’t know...more

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 02, 2012 Talía rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mjmjmj, never-again, no-way-shit, uh, what-oh-no, yeah-aha

So, there is something I’ve learned from the guy that works at the book store, and that is I cannot trust his or his girlfriend’s opinion concerning books. You see, here is our conversation:

Talía: Hey, do you have any recommendation?
He: Uhm, sure, what kind of books do you like?
Talía: I love dark ones.
He: Oh *stares at her thinking* I know, I know, this book *points at freaking Ghost Girl* is the one for you.
Talía: Really? How comes?
He: Well, my girlfriend read it last week and she loved it. She

...more So, there is something I’ve learned from the guy that works at the book store, and that is I cannot trust his or his girlfriend’s opinion concerning books. You see, here is our conversation:

Now, after reading the book I’ve concluded the dude’s girlfriend is eight years old. You see, I was expecting creepy ghosts and a scary plot but what did I get? A silly girl who choked on a freaking gummy bear? Seriously? No even me, the clumsiest, stupidest person in the world do that. Well, I choke on water, but that’s beside the point…
Okay, let’s talk about the cheesy plot:

Charlotte is one of those girls who nobody notices at school, not even when you sit next to them or step on their foot, nope, it’s like they don’t actually exist… okay, I digress: this particular teenager dies at school because she doesn’t know how to eat gummy bears without choking, but that’s not bad, at least people at school now are familiar with her name… Okay, she ‘falls asleep’ only to wake up and realize she is dead and still she has to go to school, only this school is for dead people. ~~Why would I want to go to school after dying? That’s so unfair, I mean, not only I died, but also I have to go to classes. NO, no, thanks, but no!~~ Charlotte soon finds out being dead isn’t that awful, at least she can spy on Damen, the guy she likes but who never gave her the time of the day… yay… okay, as the story goes, you’ll find Scarlet, Petula’s sister. Petula is the popular girl, a bitch, she is also Damen girlfriend… Well, Charlotte makes friends with Scarlet and uses her (possesses her body) to talk to Damen. Charlotte basically wastes her time on Damen, never paying attention to her dead friends and her duties as a part of their group: she is the last piece to the group so that they could all move on to the light or whatever… but no, our protagonist is too busy being cheesy and selfish.
Oh, my thoughts whilst reading the book were pretty much like this:

Oh, my god, I feel so stupid reading this thing.
Seriously? She choked?? That’s so lame!
Oh, puh- lease, go to the other side!!!
Mommy I want milk!!

Yeah, it was this… er, cute.
But not everything is bad, in fact, I loved the quotes at the beginning of each chapter, I also found the drawings interesting and cute, but the story is too pink for me and the protagonist is too ‘lela’ nop, thank you but I won’t be reading the next books on these series.
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8 likes · like · see review

Apr 19, 2008 Emma rated it 3 of 5 stars

I had really high hopes for Tonya Hurley's novel "ghostgirl" after seeing an advanced reading copy of the novel due out in August 2008 (this despite the fact that the title is all lower case). The book design is really amazing: Taller and narrower than a mass market book, the novel immediately looks different. The dominant colors are pink and black. The cover features a silhouette in what looks like a coffin with a sash that reads "Rest in Popularity." Even the interior of the book is snazzy fea...more I had really high hopes for Tonya Hurley's novel "ghostgirl" after seeing an advanced reading copy of the novel due out in August 2008 (this despite the fact that the title is all lower case). The book design is really amazing: Taller and narrower than a mass market book, the novel immediately looks different. The dominant colors are pink and black. The cover features a silhouette in what looks like a coffin with a sash that reads "Rest in Popularity." Even the interior of the book is snazzy featuring a silhouette by Craig Phillips at the start of each chapter and a loopy border at the top and bottom of each page. In other words, this book looked really cool. Even its marketing campaign is cool. Just take a look at www.ghostgirl.com to see what I mean.

Despite all of that, I'm still not sure how I feel about "ghostgirl." I was hesitant to put this novel as a CLW review at all. But, by the end of the story, it's clear that the main character is trying and she does change eventually and, since that's all anyone can ask, I decided to go with it.

And, now that I've set up the novel more than anyone would have thought possible, on to the review:

Charlotte Usher is virtually invisible at her high school. She's the kind of girl no one would miss if she disappeared suddenly. Even when she does exactly that. To be more specific, she dies. Because of a gummy bear.

Adding insult to injury, Charlotte was certain things were looking up before she died. After a rigorous summer campaign, Charlotte was finally prepared (mentally and physically thanks to intense surveillance and a makeover) to make a play for her crush, Damen Dylan--the guy every girl at Hawthorne High wants to date. Even Damen's snooty girlfriend Petula and her sidekicks, The Wendys, couldn't discourage Charlotte.

With that kind of tenacity, it's not surprising that Charlotte isn't about to let a little thing like being dead get in the way of her goal. Wandering town as a spirit with unfinished business, Charlotte decides to focus on living the life she was so close to having instead of dying with style. Much to the chagrin of her new "Dead Ed" classmates who are all waiting to learn their own lessons and finally rest in peace. What follows is a zany plot involving stalking, possession (don't worry, it's consensual), and a love triangle that has to be read to be believed.

As that description might suggest, this plot--like the book itself--has a lot of potential. Sadly, a lot of that potential is squandered. Charlotte is painfully invisible to her classmates before her death. Unfortunately she remains equally aloof from readers. At points I feel like I can see Charlotte, but not once in the novel did I feel like I knew her. (This is, to a lesser extent, a problem for the other characters as well.) While her desires are obvious throughout the novel, her motivations never quite manifest.

The actual narrative has its own shaky points. Hurley has several characters mention that teen-aged ghosts are too self-absorbed to miss their families, which seemed like an easy (too easy) way to write out an entire part of Charlotte's life. It also leaves the question of why no one tried to help Charlotte make friends before her death unanswered.

Finally, the tone of the novel is slightly erratic. The novel alternates haphazardly between morbid and flippant at breakneck speeds making the characters seem cartoonish with their odd situations and reactions to them (I'm not even talking about Charlotte being a ghost here)

Yet, I still finished "ghostgirl" and I still did enjoy parts of it. If you can get past the erratic writing and underdeveloped characters, this is an okay book even if it doesn't live up to the hopes created by its design.

Almost in spite of herself, Charlotte does learn her lesson and find peace by the end of the story as she begins to understand that, sometimes, there's more to life than being seen--even in high school.
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7 likes · like · see review

Aug 07, 2008 Heather rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: dead people

Recommended to Heather by: No one

Shelves: young-adult

I really was excited about this book. Then I started reading. Seriously, I kept saying, "Really?" How do books like this get so much money put into them for marketing? It felt like a screenplay switched to a book... but very poorly. It had a lot of "Then she did this," "Then she did this," "Then she did this." I didn't really care about the main character. I couldn't figure out if this book was supposed to be funny and light, or morbid. It would be serious and then switch to this unbelievable sc...more

11 likes · like · see review

Jul 27, 2008 wendy rated it 2 of 5 stars

the cover is cute as hell and there's "wendys" in this!!!!! ;)

okay... i really wanted to like this book...but it just didn't happen so much. i gave it 2 stars but really wanted just 1.5. it's pretty much a ripoff of "heathers", "beetlejuice" and "carrie" set in current times. yet - it doesn't feel like it should be current...nor do i picture charlotte as how she's written. with references to current pop/punk bands, etc...the best thing about this book is it's packaging.

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 05, 2011 Anne Crotty rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-lit

Ghostgirl by Tanya Hurley is a humorous book. It tells the story of Charlotte Usher who spent all summer transforming herself, in order to gain the attention of a popular athlete, Damen Dylan. Charlotte’s plan goes horribly wrong, however, on the first day of school when she chokes on a gummy bear and dies in the school’s physics lab. The rest of the story unfolds as Charlotte continues to try to get close to Damen. She also must learn the ropes at “Dead Ed”(the school attended by a group of dea...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 13, 2009 Bridget rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fic

I picked this up because I'd received an advance copy of the sequel, and I thought I should start the series at the beginning. I really, really wish I hadn't found the gilt edged pages and die cut cover so appealing. The book just looked so pretty I wanted to give it a chance, even though I had to force myself to make it through the first chapter.

The best thing I can say about ghostgirl is that it's a gorgeous physical object. But despite the fun little chapter headings and page decorations, the...more

6 likes · like · see review

Aug 05, 2008 Danyel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Okay, so I picked up this book from the "TEEN" section because the packaging of it was so cute! Unfortunately, the adorable packaging is to make up for a pretty mediocre storyline. However, it does have its moments. Casper meets Beetlejuice meets Gossip Girl....perhaps a nice recommend for a 12 year old.

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 25, 2009 Dinatalia rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was in barnes&noble and this book cuaght my eye, I bought it and I loved it. The amount of creativity that this author put in towards the strory, was awesome.

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 05, 2008 Stacy268 rated it 1 of 5 stars

Recommended to Stacy268 by: arc

Shelves: young-adult

I wanted to like this book. I really, really did! What cute packaging! What a great premise! What bad writing : (
Cliche, upon cliche, upon cliche.

9 likes · like · see review

May 31, 2011 Luu rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult, dropped-series, je-v-preklade

Tejto knihe ublížili dve veci. Masová reklama, a nálepka YA. Obe klamú.

Najprv to prvé. Na Slovensku to bolo masové v tom pravom slova zmysle - kniha sľubovala originálny príbeh, vtip, humor, ľahký sarkazmus, skvelú atmosféru... A možno sa v nej aj všetko nachádza. Prvých 50 strán.

Počas celej knihy som mala pocit, že sa autorka nevie rozhodnúť, pre koho píše. Miestami by som knihu radila do 8-10, inokedy 10-12, a inokedy 14-16: skrátka, tá kniha nie je ani pre YA, ani pre deti, ani pre dospelých....more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 31, 2010 Larissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

Charlotte Usher is a nobody, ignored, overlooked and easily forgotten. She has spent her whole school life being invisible, never popular enough to be cool, never unpopular enough to be ridiculed. But this year is going to be different. Charlotte has spent her holidays hard at work planing, manicuring and making-over her image. This year she is determined to be noticed by all the right people, even if it kills her. Unfortunately for Charlotte that's exactly what happens.

Being dead is not so diff...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 20, 2010 Fábio Ventura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Pela originalidade da sinopse e por ser um género que adoro ler, aguardei ansiosamente pela chegada da obra de estreia de Tonya Hurley ao nosso país. “Ghostgirl” conta a história de Charlotte Usher, uma jovem adolescente cujo único desejo é tornar-se popular e conquistar o rapaz mais giro do liceu. No entanto, constantemente perseguida pelo azar, morre engasgada com um urso de goma e morre. Mas mesmo depois de morta, Charlotte permanece entre os vivos e vai tentar de tudo para, mesmo invisível,...more Pela originalidade da sinopse e por ser um género que adoro ler, aguardei ansiosamente pela chegada da obra de estreia de Tonya Hurley ao nosso país. “Ghostgirl” conta a história de Charlotte Usher, uma jovem adolescente cujo único desejo é tornar-se popular e conquistar o rapaz mais giro do liceu. No entanto, constantemente perseguida pelo azar, morre engasgada com um urso de goma e morre. Mas mesmo depois de morta, Charlotte permanece entre os vivos e vai tentar de tudo para, mesmo invisível, alcançar os seus objectivos.
O que à partida parece uma típica e comercial história para adolescentes, revelou-se uma óptima supresa. “Ghostgirl” é uma autêntica sátira ao estilo de vida dos adolescentes americanos e à busca desmesurada por popularidade. Com uma escrita fluída e totalmente adaptada a um público jovem, cada frase é marcada por um sarcasmo inteligente e por um humor negro que nos arranca um sorriso a cada página que consumimos. Lembrando o estilo de Tim Burton, as personagens são bastante engraçadas e caricatas e facilmente nos identificamos ou envolvemos com elas.
São interessantes as metáforas que a escritora utiliza para satirizar os jovens de hoje, usando para isso uma série de referências culturais facilmente identificáveis no mundo actual. Aproveitando um tema tão trágico e negro como a Morte, ela consegue torná-lo divertido e interessante, relacionando-o com o modo de vida num liceu americano.
Esteticamente, o livro é dos mais bonitos que já vi. Numa estética que relembra a de Tim Burton, todas as páginas são adornadas com efeites e cada capítulos é ilustrado por uma silhueta e uma frase simbólica. Tudo torna a leitura da história muito agradável e rápida.
“Ghostgirl – A Rapariga Invisível” é uma boa aposta da Contraponto e prova porque é que o livro esteve na lista dos mais vendidos do New York Times. Sem grandes pretensiosimos, a história (da morte) de Charlotte Usher cumpre a sua função e cativa o seu público-alvo sem problemas, embora também possa agradar a um público mais velho. Original, inteligente e terrivelmente divertido, “Ghostgirl” é um título obrigatório para quem gosta deste género de literatura.

(Opinião publicada no blog Bela Lugosi is Dead)(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 30, 2009 Truly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“Charlotte Usher, diharap melapor ke ruang 1313” Sebuah pengumuman pengumuman terdengar dari sistem pengeras suara. Di ruang tersebut ia diminta mengisi sebuah formulir. Boks terakhir yang harus diisi adalah C.O.D.

C.O.D bukan Cost In Delivery. C.O.D, Cause Of Death, atau penyebab kematian. Untuk kasus Charlotte Usher adalah tersedak permen kenyal berbentuk beruang.

Siapa yang tidak mau populer? Setiap anak tentunya ingin menjadi terpopuler di antara teman-temannya. Ia meninggal justru saat sedan...more “Charlotte Usher, diharap melapor ke ruang 1313” Sebuah pengumuman pengumuman terdengar dari sistem pengeras suara. Di ruang tersebut ia diminta mengisi sebuah formulir. Boks terakhir yang harus diisi adalah C.O.D.

C.O.D bukan Cost In Delivery. C.O.D, Cause Of Death, atau penyebab kematian. Untuk kasus Charlotte Usher adalah tersedak permen kenyal berbentuk beruang.

Siapa yang tidak mau populer? Setiap anak tentunya ingin menjadi terpopuler di antara teman-temannya. Ia meninggal justru saat sedang memperjuangkan upayanya untuk menjadi gadis yang popular di sekolahnya. Upayanya sepertinya akan segera membuahkan hasil, ia sudah berhasil menjadi partner lab fisika dengan Damen, cowok popular di sekolahnya. namun apa mau dikata, sepotong permen kenyal berbentuk beruang mengakhiri hidup dan mimpinya.

Saat mendadak mati meninggal, kita membawa serta masalah yang belum terpecahkan. Berbagai urusan yang harus diselesaikan sebelum bisa pindah. Hal yang membuat Charlotte Usher berat meninggalkan alam kehidupan adalah perasaannya terhadap Damen.

Ia merasa sebagai sebuah cangkang kosong, begitulah mereka akan mengingatnya selalu. Saat mengetahui Scarlet adik Petuna musuh bebuyutannya bisa melihatnya. Ia menawarkan sebuah kerja sama, perasukan, ia akan memakai tubuh kasar Scarlet untuk beraktifitas sementara itu jiwa Scarlet akan bebas berkelana kemana saja.

Ternyata, di alam kematianpun Charlotte juga harus tetap menjalani sekolah dan menulis DIEary ,buku harian kematian. Di sekolah barunya Charlotte juga tetap menjadi anak yang tidak popular. Setiap usahanya untuk berinteraksi dengan manusia hidup justru kian membahayakan teman-temannya di alam kematian.Namun ia tetap berusaha agar selalu bisa berada di dekat Damen

Walau pada akhirnya ia harus merelakan Damen untuk Scarlet, namun pengorbanan yang dilakukannya tidak hanya membawa teman-temannya di alam kematian pergi ke kelas yang lebih tinggi, namun juga membuat ia menjadi popular di alam kehidupan. Saat tersemprot cairan pencoklat kulit, tubuh transparannya justru bisa dilihat orang banyak. Dan ia menerima mahkota sebagai ratu pesta dansa. Populeritas yang selama hidup diidam-idamkan justru diperoleh saat ia meninggal

jadi ingat hantu perempuan penunggu kamar mandi di buku Harry Potter, kalo enggak salah namanya Martha. DIa justru ngetop setelah meninggal dan menghantui kamar mandi perempuan
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1 like · like · see review

Sep 11, 2008 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: EVERY SINGLE PERSON ALIVE

So far, this book is really good. It's like nothing I have ever read before, and it's got me hooked.
The way the book is put together, the art, the fonts, the colors and the pages, it's all so beautiful and it's amazingly well-put together.

"Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
And if I should die before I awake,
I pray the popular attend my wake."

**I just got finished with this book, and I freaking love it. It's now one of my favorites. First off, I love how the book starts...more

8 likes · like · see review

Aug 19, 2008 Rasee rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: ...I really wouldn't.

Like many reviewers I really wanted to love this book. First of all, it's one of the coolest looking books I have ever seen! Just seeing it on the shelf at the store made me want to buy it. And who can resist a book about a girl that dies choking on a gummy bear? The book started out with such promise, but very quickly becomes incredibly annoying. All the characters are badly undeveloped in the rush to finish the dull story so it's hard to care about anyone at all. Charlotte, who could have been...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 13, 2008 Christiane rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

What a great premise: "invisible" social outcast and aspiring popular girl Charlotte dies in a freak accident and becomes a ghost literally invisible to her fellow classmates. But what a disappointing book. Charlotte is shallow and impossible to like. The plot is convoluted and impossible to follow. None of the characters are fleshed out into any semblance of actual people. Important things, like why the Goth sister of Queen Bee Petula can see Charlotte while no one else can, are left completely...more

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 02, 2009 Carrie Wilson rated it 2 of 5 stars

Great premise, nice packaging, but overall disappointing. I thought the writing was pretty wooden and plot pretty ludicrous (even for a fantasy book). I finished it only because I was hoping it would redeem itself (it didn't).

1 like · like · see review

Oct 25, 2011 El Templo de las Mil Puertas added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 07-eltemplo, reseñas

"¿Alguna vez te has sentido invisible? ¿Alguna vez has querido sentir la popularidad en tu sangre? Entonces, este es tu libro. Ghost Girl no es la típica historia de instituto a las que estamos acostumbrados. Más bien, Ghost girl es todo menos corriente. Y esto es algo de lo que uno se da cuenta cuando, en el segundo capítulo, su protagonista, Charlotte Usher, se atraganta con un osito de goma y muere. Así de trágico. Así de sencillo. Sin embargo, para Charlotte, que siempre ha pasado desapercib...more

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Feb 12, 2009 Nian rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009

The first time I saw the cover, I thought it was a manga book. The cover art truly blew me away—since when did publishers put that much thought into creating a fantastic cover for a simple book? It looked like it should have been on the shelf advertising tattoo art, or artistic styles, so of course, I was curious to read it. After all, it had a nice premise. Pretty cute, even, in a The Lovely Bones meets The Clique kind of way: Dead girl and girl trying hard to fit in.

The storyline intrigued me...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Kiari Oded rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'll say it again: Tonya Hurley is a freaking genius! The writing style, the plot, the characters, the world this story was built in... All incredible! And the music mentions in the book were stellar! If you get the chance, which I hope you do, read this book. And while you're reading, try listening to the music of The Cure, Radiohead, Death Cab for Cutie (the "Plans" album), and Bon Iver. It heightens the mood of the story and puts you right in the thick of things. Something I rather enjoyed ab...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Alice rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, contraponto, fantasia

Quando, numa das minhas últimas visitas a Lisboa, vi na livraria este pequeno livro cujo trabalho gráfico me fez lembrar vagamente Emily the Strange de Rob Reger não consegui resistir. E ainda bem... Foi sem dúvida uma das leituras mais divertidas dos últimos tempos.

Com uma escrita leve e num tom muito irónico, a autora guia-nos pelos meandros da vida num liceu americano (quer queiramos quer não os nossos não são iguais, e ainda bem - digo eu), centrando-se naquela miúda que ninguém vê e por cuj...more Quando, numa das minhas últimas visitas a Lisboa, vi na livraria este pequeno livro cujo trabalho gráfico me fez lembrar vagamente Emily the Strange de Rob Reger não consegui resistir. E ainda bem... Foi sem dúvida uma das leituras mais divertidas dos últimos tempos.

Com uma escrita leve e num tom muito irónico, a autora guia-nos pelos meandros da vida num liceu americano (quer queiramos quer não os nossos não são iguais, e ainda bem - digo eu), centrando-se naquela miúda que ninguém vê e por cuja falta ninguém chora. Os episódios surreais um pouco ao estilo de Tim Burton começam a tomar conta da narrativa quando Charlotte se engasga com um ursinho de goma e acaba por morrer. E aqui passamos para um dos maiores tormentos do ser humano: o que há depois? O que acontece quando morremos?

Charlotte descobre que mesmo morta continuará com os mesmos problemas e com as aulas... Com vista a que a passagem para um novo plano seja bem sucedida, os jovens defuntos têm que frequentar o Ensino Especial para Mortos mas ali a hierarquia escolar também funciona e os mais populares continuam a não querer prescindir da atenção que sempre tiveram. Aqui há de tudo, jovens populares que morreram a caminho do baile ou por excesso de radiação do telemóvel, jovens que morreram de acidente de viação ou até por terem engolido a flauta, é surreal. Mas esta nova existência não satisfaz Charlotte que continua apostada em ser popular e conquistar o rapaz por quem estava apaixonada. E neste ponto as coisas podem complicar-se.

É uma leitura ligeira e cheia de humor negro e ironia que está longe de agradar apenas aos mais jovens. Penso que qualquer adulto que ainda se lembre de como é andar no liceu e das parvoíces que fazemos nessa fase da vida vai apreciar este livro. Apesar da cor e "alegria" do cenário escolar, toda a envolvência da narrativa é gótica e um pouco dark, o óptimo trabalho gráfico contribui também para nos dar esta ideia, o que pode também fazer com que o livro agrade a todos os que gostam deste tipo de elementos.(less)

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Oct 16, 2012 Rachma Aprilia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiksi, pinjam

Buku ini berkisah tentang Charlotte, yang selalu berusaha keras untuk ‘terlihat’. Ia menghabiskan masa liburannya dengan ‘perombakan diri dosis tinggi’ agar bisa menjadi one of the popular girl. Sayangnya di hari pertama sekolah, ketika akhirnya guru fisika memasangkan dirinya dengan Damen –cowok yang ditaksirnya- dalam satu tim, Charlotte malah meninggal karena tersedak permen gummy bear. Arwahnya kemudian bergabung dengan sekelompok arwah anak lain yang juga sedang menunggu untuk menyelesaikan...more Buku ini berkisah tentang Charlotte, yang selalu berusaha keras untuk ‘terlihat’. Ia menghabiskan masa liburannya dengan ‘perombakan diri dosis tinggi’ agar bisa menjadi one of the popular girl. Sayangnya di hari pertama sekolah, ketika akhirnya guru fisika memasangkan dirinya dengan Damen –cowok yang ditaksirnya- dalam satu tim, Charlotte malah meninggal karena tersedak permen gummy bear. Arwahnya kemudian bergabung dengan sekelompok arwah anak lain yang juga sedang menunggu untuk menyelesaikan ‘urusan yang belum selesai’. Charlotte berpikir Damenlah urusannya yang belum selesai, bahwa ia belum sempat pergi ke Pesta Dansa Musim Gugur bersamanya, belum pernah dicium olehnya. Oleh karena itu, ketika Scarlet, adik Petula –cewek terpopuler di sekolah-, ternyata bisa melihat arwahnya, Charlotte merasa inilah kesempatan untuknya. Mereka bertukar arwah. Charlotte berperan sebagai Scarlet dan mendekati Damen, sementara Scarlet bersenang-senang dengan pengalaman mati suri. Tapi yang menjadi masalah, Scarlet juga jadi menyukai Damen saat ia tidak sedang dirasuki Charlotte? Padahal Damen masih jadi pacar Petula kakaknya sendiri. Di lain pihak, Charlotte harus menghadapi Prue, teman sesama arwah yang paling garang. Prue merasa Charlotte selalu main-main dan akan menghambat perpindahan mereka semua ke dunia lain. Ia selalu berusaha mengacaukan rencana ‘senang-senang’ Charlotte. Nah, apakah akhirnya Charlotte bisa menyelesaikan urusannya? Benarkah Damenlah urusannya yang belum selesai?
Sepertinya popularitas selalu jadi tema yang tak pernah ada habisnya di kalangan remaja. Saya sering membaca novel remaja dengan tema serupa. Tapi saya tidak terlalu menikmati yang satu ini. Hampir-hampir saya berhenti membacanya di bagian awal karena membosankan. Untung setelah Charlotte dan Scarlet sering bertukar tempat, cerita menjadi sedikit lebih seru. Menurut saya, menyedihkan sekali seorang remaja yang begitu berusaha untuk ‘fit-in’, eh...malah meninggal dengan cara seperti itu. Apalagi Charlotte sebenarnya punya banyak kelebihan, ia pintar Fisika, pandai membuat kue dan juga bisa beraksi ala cheers. Tapi karena ia terlalu membenci dirinya sendiri, maka ia menjadi ‘bukan siapa-siapa’. Jika ia saja tak bisa menyukai dirinya sendiri, apalagi orang lain. That’s the point from this book.
(less)

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Aug 04, 2012 Heartykiss rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Beschreibung:
Charlotte hat es getan. Endlich hat sie sich die Schuhe gekauft, die sie schon so lange haben wollte. Von nun an wird sich alles ändern, jetzt wird sie nicht mehr unter all den anderen untergehen, schwört sie sich. Außerdem hofft sie, durch ihre neuen Schuhe und ihr neues Styling, die Aufmerksamkeit von ihrem heimlichen Schwarm Damen Dylan zu erregen. Die ganzen Ferien hat sie damit verbracht, die Jahrbücher zu studieren und dabei besonders den beliebten Mädchen ihre Aufmerksamkeit...more Beschreibung:
Charlotte hat es getan. Endlich hat sie sich die Schuhe gekauft, die sie schon so lange haben wollte. Von nun an wird sich alles ändern, jetzt wird sie nicht mehr unter all den anderen untergehen, schwört sie sich. Außerdem hofft sie, durch ihre neuen Schuhe und ihr neues Styling, die Aufmerksamkeit von ihrem heimlichen Schwarm Damen Dylan zu erregen. Die ganzen Ferien hat sie damit verbracht, die Jahrbücher zu studieren und dabei besonders den beliebten Mädchen ihre Aufmerksamkeit gewidmet. Sie wollte um jeden Preis sein wie sie: hübsch, beliebt und einfach perfekt. Am ersten Schultag nimmt sie sich viel vor, doch wie es so ist, klappt nicht alles nach Plan. Als Damen zum Physik Unterricht zu spät erscheint, ist Charlotte die einzigste die noch als Laborpartnerin übrig geblieben ist. Als er das erfährt, ist er nicht sonderlich begeistert fragt Charlotte jedoch trotzdem, ob sie ihm Nachhilfe geben würde. Innerlich machte ihr Herz einen großen Sprung, auch wenn sie wusste, dass an dieser Tatsache nichts romantisch war. Als Damen und sein Gefolge von Mädchen den Klassenraum verließen, wartete Charlotte noch einen Moment. Als sie ihm folgen will, verschluckt sie sich plötzlich an einem der Gummibärchen, die sie vor lauter Nervosität aß. Keiner schien sie zu beachten und sie fällt ihn Ohnmacht. Als sie wieder aufwacht, befindet sie sich in einen merkwürdigen Raum. Über Lautsprecher wird sie in den Raum 1113 gebeten. Dort angekommen, muss sie einige Formulare ausfüllen, was sie schon etwas stutzig werden lässt. Doch als die Sekretärin sie bittet, zu bestätigen, dass sie es ist, die dort auf dem Leichenbett liegt, ist Charlotte mit den Nerven fertig.. Doch schnell merkt sie, dass der Tod auch seine guten Seiten an sich hat..

Eigene Meinung:
Das Buch hat mich wirklich überzeugt. Es ist witzig, spannend und unterhaltsam! Allein die Vorstellung, dass man an einem Gummibärchen erstickt, stirbt und dann das Leben "unsicher" macht, ist lustig und makaber zugleich. Das Buch sollte man am besten an einem kalten, grauen Herbst-Tag lesen, auch passt es wunderbar zu Halloween! ;) An dieser Stelle möchte ich mich beim Fischer Schatzinsel Verlag bedanken, die mir das Buch freundlicherweise als Rezensionsexemplar für meinen Blog zur Verfügung gestellt haben! Ich habe mir bereits den 2. Teil aus der Bücherei ausgeliehen und bin gespannt, wie es weitergeht mit Charlotte und Co.

Fazit:
Ein unterhaltsames Buch für einen gemütlichen Nachmittag! :)(less)

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Jul 18, 2012 A. Rose rated it 1 of 5 stars

If you love The Secret of the American Teenager (a teenage soap opera on ABC Family) and think that the characters are multi-dimensional, realistic, stay true to their original characterization and that the plot is wonderful and cohesive and well written, you may very well like this book. If not, well, you may have the same problems that I have.

The Good Parts: The Cover, the Interior Formatting

The Bad Parts: Everything Else

I got this book on sale when Borders was going out of business. It was so...more

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May 15, 2012 Mikaela rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Mikaela by: My friends.. Jezieneth and Hannah

Hmm.. well, i think Charlotte was actually selfish. She only thought of her self. She couldn't accept the fact that she died because she choke eating a gummy bear. -.- and i was like, "seriously?! a gummy bear?! O.o man, what a lame way to die." just when her crush, Damen is her Physics partner. damn... too bad. I never thought that even you're dead, you still have classes. BUMMER! haha XD She was new! It's weird how others died. Talking on the phone, listening to loud music, rotting, hit and ru...more

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Apr 20, 2012 MJ Labrador rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. it’s good I mean, AWESOME :)) Fiction/Humor book written by Tonya Hurley. The story is about an high school outcast named Charlotte Usher. She spend her summer planning how to get the attention of her crush Damen. Accidentally on her first day of class, she gets her wish in a physics class where she was assigned as his lab partner. After a few minutes she died because of choking on a gummy bear. She attended the “Dead Ed” and lived in the “dead dorm” together with the other deceased teens. This...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Lunática Pirate rated it 2 of 5 stars

La portada me ha encantado, ¿A ustedes que tal?.
Ví el libro en una página de una librería española y me llamó demasiado la atención la contraportada, una chica invisible socialmente que de buenas a primeras muere por un osito de goma. Es el primer libro que leía donde el autor mata a la protagonista en los primeros capítulos, así que esperé a que llegará a tierras colombianas para comprarlo y me he llevado una grata sorpresa. A parte de una portada bella, las hojas están adornadas con flores ros...more La portada me ha encantado, ¿A ustedes que tal?.
Ví el libro en una página de una librería española y me llamó demasiado la atención la contraportada, una chica invisible socialmente que de buenas a primeras muere por un osito de goma. Es el primer libro que leía donde el autor mata a la protagonista en los primeros capítulos, así que esperé a que llegará a tierras colombianas para comprarlo y me he llevado una grata sorpresa. A parte de una portada bella, las hojas están adornadas con flores rosas arriba y abajo, antes de iniciar cada capítulo hay una cita famosa o parte de canciones además de una imagen completamente negra de la protagonista, y para completar el regalo detrás de ella viene una página negra con un pequeño resumen de lo que va el capítulo sin develar nada importante.
Charlotte Usher es la típica adolescente asocial que no tiene amigos y sufre por ser como Petula Kensington, la chica más popular del colegio, que tiene por novio a Damen Dylan, un gran jugador de fútbol. Charlotte se muere por ser parte del grupo de Petula por lo que durante las vacaciones de verano traza un plan para hacerse un puesto en su grupo pero termina completamente mal… Después de una clase de física donde, para su última suerte, había sido emparejada con Damen, éste le habla y le pide ayuda para física pues no puede perder su plaza como jugador, por el nerviosismo se atraganta con un osito de goma que la lleva a muerte por asfixia.
Algunos mantienen que después de la muerte está el paraíso, pues la autora nos muestra que para los adolescentes después de la muerte se encuentra la clase de Muertología, dedicada a enseñarnos como ser buenos muertos y pasar al otro lado en compañía de más adolescentes muertos. En esa clase Charlotte encuentra compañeros con nombres singulares, como Call me Kim, Piccolo Pam y Metal Mike; y para poder pasar al otro lado TODOS deben cumplir su asunto pendiente, pero para nuestra querida Charlotte ese asunto pendiente tiene que ver con Damen y el baile de Otoño.
En su desesperación por ganarse el corazón de Damen, Charlotte intenta introducirse en el cuerpo de Petula pero ésta la rechaza y, en cambio, termina poseyendo a su hermana menor, Scarlet Kensington, una chica de amante de lovintage. Entre una cosa y la otra, Charlotte y Scarlet se hacen amigas, la última le ayuda a la primera a dejar este mundo y la primera le ayuda a la segunda a encontrar el amor en la persona menos esperada.(less)

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About Tonya Hurley

New York Times bestselling ghostgirl author, Tonya Hurley, has credits spanning all platforms of teen entertainment. Her first novel, ghostgirl was an instant best-seller and has received starred reviews from the literary publications Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, VOYA and School Library Journal. Her second book in the series, ghostgirl: Homecoming, was released July 1, 2009. The ghostgirl audiobooks...more

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Quotes from Ghostgirl

“Being in love with someone who doesn't even know you exist isn't the worst thing in the world. In fact, it's quite the oppostie. Almost like passing in a term paper that you know sucked, but having that period of time where you haven't gotten your grade back yet -- that kind of exhale where you haven't been rejected, although you pretty much know how it's going to turn out.” — 175 people liked it

“You can't have it both ways. Love is too powerful to hide for very long. Deny it and suffer the consequences. Acknowledge it and suffer the consequences. Revealing it can either be shameful or it can be liberating. It is for others to decide which it will be.” — 111 people liked it

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