Like "Ghost," but less pottery. REVIEW of "The Ghost and the Goth" by Stacey Kade

Why this book?: It just looked cute. Plus, I love the whole idea of two people so incredibly different being forced together.

Disclaimer: Library Book.

Type: Young Adult, Series, Book One, Oh Crap I'm Dead, I see Dead People, Goth boy meets Preppy Girl, Highschool sucks, Evil black clouds, Nice Teeth are a Plus

About the book: Alona is dead. DEAD! This is so not happening. And not only is she dead, but she hasn't moved on to those great fluffy clouds in the sky. Oh no, she wakes up every morning right where she died, the street infront of her highschool. At first it wasn't so bad, getting to see how her funeral went, going around school to see who still missed her - that is, until she caught her best friend making out with her boyfriend. Losing her grip on life, Alona begins to disappear, and afraid of whats happening she begins to cry.

And that's when she notices Will Killian, laughing at her. Not only can he see her, but he's LAUGHING at her. After waking up on the road, once again, she rushed back into the school to find Will already being harassed by a gang of ghosts. And after accidentally claiming Will as her own, Alona becomes his official Spirit Guide. And maybe, along the way, she finds out nobody Will Killian isn't as lame as she first thought.

My Review: Told from alternating perspectives, "The Ghost and the Goth" is a cute tale of two completely different people working together to help Will deal with his abnormal ability. Will can usually just tune the ghosts out with the help of his handy dandy iPod, but Principal Brewster, who has had it out for Will from day one, took it as punishment for being one minute late to class. So Alona, mostly for her own selfish reasons, and a little accidentally, steps in to help out. After all, he's the only one that can see her. The budding relationship between the two is best described as adorable. Will had fantasies about perfect cheerleader Alona in the past, but having her all to himself isn't exactly like he pictured.

"The Ghost and the Goth" is part romance, part coming of age story, with a dash of mystery for that extra spicy flavor. Will is getting attacked by some malevolent ghost, and its up to Alona to help. You can really see the growth in the two characters - with Will finally discovering maybe everything isn't so bad, and the people he trusts aren't so great, and Alona realizing life is not just about perfect hair, perfect shoes, and perfect image. I personally look forward to reading the sequel "Queen of the Dead (A Ghost and the Goth Novel) coming out later this year.

Cover Loving: Yes. Aww, how cute. I think it fits pretty darn well with the book.

Recommendation: Fans of paranormal young adult fiction will enjoy "The Ghost and the Goth." Or if you just love the idea of two people that would never speak to each other normally being forced to work together.

Final Rating: THREE POINT FIVE out of FIVE (3.5/5). Good, enjoyable read. Will continue with the series.

Have you read "The Ghost and the Goth" by Stacey Kade? Tell me your thoughts in the comments. Want to read it? Pick up your copy at Amazon.com! And keep a look out for book 2, "Queen of the Dead (A Ghost and the Goth Novel)" coming June 2011!

Until next time, Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

Review of "Once Dead, Twice Shy" by Kim Harrison

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This was a recommendation. Well, not so much a recommendation as my friend, who also works at the library, just put me on hold for it, so it showed up one day. She said it had angels in it, so of course I should read it. So I did!


Disclaimer: This book is what is commonly referred to as "Library Loot." I did not purchase this book, nor did I receive it in exchange for a review, whether positive or negative.

Type: Young Adult, Angels, Oh crap I'm dead!, series

From the book jacket: "   Madison's prom was killer - literally. For some reason she's been targeted by a dark reaper - yeah, THAT kind of reaper - intent on getting rid of her, body and soul. But before the reaper could finish the job, Madison was able to snag his strange, glowing amulet and get away. Now she's stuck on Earth - dead but not gone. Somehow the amulet gives her the illusion of a body, allowing her to toe the line between life and death. She still doesn't know why the dark reaper is after her, but she's not about to just sit around and let fate take its course. With a little ingenuity, some light-bending and the help of a light reaper (one of the good guys! Maybe... ), her cute crush, and oh yeah, her guardian angel, Madison's ready to take control of her own destiny once and for all, before IT takes control of HER. Well, if she believed in that stuff.  "

Well first off, while this book is officially the first in the series, Madison's story starts in Kim Harrison's novella in the anthology "Prom Nights From Hell," which, unfortunately, I haven't read. This sort of explains why I felt a little lost and confused at the beginning, like I came in right smack dab in the middle of the story. So despite knowing what happens to Madison after her unfortunate Prom experience, I'm on the hunt for the anthology. As well as the second book in this series, "Early to Death, Early to Rise."

As I'm sure most of you know by now, my obsession with Angels is a little nuts. So much so, that I'll read pretty much anything if there are actual angels in it. I can't help myself. So reading this book, I was a little saddened to find I wasn't liking Barnabas, Madison's angel friend. But don't worry, dear readers! I ending up loving the book, and all of the characters in it. Even the evil/bad ones! I'm always pleased when the bad characters are so interesting, or fascinating, that even when you hate them for what they've done, you want to know more about them. Such is a case with two of the baddies in this book. Or maybe they're not so bad? Maybe they're just incredibly flawed, and it's fate that is leading them down this darker road. I'm still not sure which is the truth.

"Once Dead, Twice Shy" by Kim Harrison is a quick read. In fact, I read most of it just this morning after my friend left. It's a good, quick read that I would definitely suggest to others. Though I would add in the warning that the beginning is a little disorienting, because it seems to jump right into things. And even with picking up on it very quickly, I'm eager to read the story that starts it off. And considering how life-changing the ending of "Once Dead, Twice Shy" was, I can't wait to pick up the second book to continue Madison's, and the gangs', story.

I'm going to give "Once Dead, Twice Shy" a FOUR POINT FIVE out of FIVE (4.5/5). As I said, I really did enjoy it, it was a great quicky read, and it would have gotten a perfect score if the beginning wasn't so confusing. It was enough to pull me out of the story and search to make sure I had the first book in the series. If you've read it, tell me how you feel about it. And if not, go read it! Then come back and tell me how you felt about it.

Happy Reading! And don't forget to enter my contest to win a $40 gift card to CSNstores.com!
~!~ Morning Glow