Review: The Ghost and the Goth (The Ghost and the Goth #1)

Title: The Ghost and the Goth (The Ghost and the Goth #1)
Author: Stacey Kade
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Pages: 281
Challenge: None
Source: Own


My Rating:
 

Alona Dare–Senior in high school, co-captain of the cheerleading squad, Homecoming Queen three years in a row, voted most likely to marry a movie star… and newly dead. I’m the girl you hated in high school. Is it my fault I was born with it all-good looks, silky blond hair, a hot bod, and a keen sense of what everyone else should not be wearing? But my life isn’t perfect, especially since I died. Run over by a bus of band geeks—is there anything more humiliating? As it turns out, yes—watching your boyfriend and friends move on with life, only days after your funeral. And you wouldn’t believe what they’re saying about me now that they think I can’t hear them. To top it off, I’m starting to disappear, flickering in and out of existence. I don’t know where I go when I’m gone, but it’s not good. Where is that freaking white light already?

Will Killian–Senior in high school, outcast, dubbed “Will Kill” by the popular crowd for the unearthly aura around him, voted most likely to rob a bank…and a ghost-talker. I can see, hear, and touch the dead. Unfortunately, they can also see, hear and touch me. Yeah, because surviving high school isn’t hard enough already. I’ve done my best to hide my “gift.” After all, my dad, who shared my ability, killed himself because of it when I was fifteen. But lately, pretending to be normal has gotten a lot harder. A new ghost—an anonymous, seething cloud of negative energy with the capacity to throw me around—is pursuing me with a vengeance. My mom, who knows nothing about what I can do, is worrying about the increase in odd incidents, my shrink is tossing around terms like “temporary confinement for psychiatric evaluation,” and my principal, who thinks I’m a disruption and a faker, is searching for every way possible to get rid of me. How many weeks until graduation? -Summary from goodreads.com

Whatever you do, DO NOT let the cover or title of this book fool you. When I first saw this one I thought, “I’m not to sure.... It sounds SO cliché!”…. Trust me when I say that it might look like it’s going to be silly or just fluff, but The Ghost and the Goth has a good, complex plot with well-developed characters. It will pull you in instantly and won’t let go until you turn that last page.

The story is told in alternating perspectives. On one side we have Alona (typical blonde, gorgeous cheerleader) whom recently died and is now one of the newly dead. On the other side we get Will, (Goth boy extraordinaire) who can “see” the dead. I enjoyed reading the story from both perspectives; they were both very clear and distinct. Alona isn't a very sympathetic character in the beginning until you find out who she really (aka- what turned her into the bitch she is). Will is a sympathetic character from the beginning and I wanted him to find a way to deal with his situation.

While the book did have all the HS clichés, the author managed to make it a light, fun read with likable characters. I had thee biggest grin on my face while reading. The interaction between the protagonists is fun and yet touching. I was secretly rooting for their friendship to turn into something more. I just loved it when they were together! Their comradeship was entertaining and clever. I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so funny and I definitely wasn’t expecting the supernatural plot twists to give it a darker feel at times. Can’t believe this was a debut for Ms. Stacey Kade, she did a phenomenal job. I'd love to read more about Alona and Will. Luckily for me, book 2 is sitting on my bookshelf, waiting to be devoured!