Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley

Rating: 3/5
Age R: PG-13 (some jokes are NOT appropriate for the kiddies)
Release Date: August 1, 2008
Series?- Next book is called Ghostgirl: Homecoming (as if you didn't already know hehe) comes out July 1, 2009
Thoughts:
Charlotte is not popular. The guy she has a HUGE crush on doesn't know she exists. What's worse? He's dating the head cheerleader who's super popular, unlike Charlotte. What's even worse? She is now dead because she choked on a gummy bear.
All Charlotte's ever wanted was to be popular, to be seen. Now that she's dead it seems like there is no way that's ever going to happen. But then..maybe there is.
Charlotte finds out that even though she's dead she is seen by one person. That person is Scarlet. Don't know who she is? Let me tell you. She's the goth chick that doesn't give a crud about being popular and oh yeah, she's Petula's younger sister. Charlotte decides that maybe the only way to be able to go to the other side is to get to kiss the hot guy, Damen, she's been liking for so long. And so begins her adventure.
I liked this book. It was pretty interesting and quite funny. I loved how it is pretty unique in its own way especially since it's not very predictable and lame like girl wants unavailable boy who doesn't know she exists but then suddenly he loves her and they end up together, which is honestly what I thought would happen even if Charlotte was dead. I'm beyond glad that didn't happen. Even if it didn't..I still could not really get into the story. I read the whole thing but had to take tons of breaks here and there because the story was just not that interesting to me. It was interesting but not that much. It was just okay. A quick, easy, semi-entertaining read. I think that maybe it just wasn't my type of book. I couldn't really relate to Charlotte because well I've never wanted to be a Petula, I've never stalkerishly cared for a guy the way Charlotte does for Damen. Seriously the girl had some issues. She took tons of pictures of him and all these silly things. Okay I get she has a crush on him but that doesn't mean she should go around practically stalking the guy. Then again, it's semi-understandable. She rally liked him and couldn't help herself. So I guess I'm not too irked by her actions.
After Charlotte dies she does not go to Heaven or to the afterlife. She basically goes to the in-between-place which in her world is still at her school. She and a group of other teenagers have to continue to go to school except it's a bit different. For one, they have to take a class to learn Deadiquette. All these lessons are so that they can all learn how to find a way to get to the other side.
Another reason why I wasn't a huge fan of this book was because the anticlimactic fight between Charlotte and the "big bad" antagonist (I won't say who, don't want to spoil it) was pretty lame. The issue was resolved too quickly and smoothly for my taste.
So that's what I thought but don't let that make you think you might not like this book.
Here's someone's (akalei228) review:

I was at the library looking for a book. i found ghostgirl, and i wasnt sure i would like it. it looked kindve boring, but once i started to read, i couldnt take my eyes off the book! i thought it was perfect. Tonya used very nice vocabulary within the book. the characters were so realistic, i felt myself becoming like charlotte and scarlet. i have so many petulas and wendys at my school, its hard to fit in. but thankfully, i also have a damen. as she described damen, i pictured him so well, i probably would have fallen for him if he was real. every move that the characters made, every word, i could picture myself, and other people BEING the wendys, petula, prue, damen, mr. brain, sam, metal mike, etc.

the whole point behind the book, is to teach us a very valuable lesson. be yourself, even if you're not popular, you should be proud of who you are. you may feel invisible, but know that some people notice you. i started a facebook a few days ago, i started with just my basic friends. but as i got closer to the end of the week, popular people asked me to be their friend, ME!!! so they must have noticed me.

charlotte may have never thought that she could never be popular, but she tried, and thats good enough for me. as long as you believe in yourself, and dont be conceited and care for others, you can do anything.

You see? It is enjoyable to a lot of others which is why I'm letting you see the different POVs. It's not for everyone. If you've been to a school like that girl up there, you'll be able to relate to Charlotte more. I am honestly not that way. I don't care about the whole popularity thing. I'm okay with just being me and having the friends that I have and who like me for me, just like I like them for being themselves. I'm not saying it's bad or a character flaw to want to be popular. It's only human after all right? I'm just saying, you should be happy with the way you are and not try and change yourself just so you can be "friends" with people who are most likely going to be cruel to you or with people who are probably going to be out of your life in a year or so. Be yourself and be a friend to those that matter, those people with great, nice, sweet personalities that are just waiting for you to find them. :D
As you can see, popularity is a major issue addressed in this book. I love that because well, people deal with this all the time, everyday, many times throughout our lives. Even though I like that, I still didn't find myself loving this book, sorry :(. You should consider those things I pointed out, if you think this book is for you then check it out :D
Note:
I LOVED how at the beginning of each chapter Tonya Hurley quotes some poems and music especially since she quoted my second favorite Smiths song :) She also quoted Radiohead and Belle and Sebastian who I LOVE :D There were some other's I liked but I can't remember.

YOU WILL ENJOY READING THIS BOOK IF YOU LIKE/ARE INTERESTED IN:
-goth
-afterlife and/or the in-between-place
-humor
-hot unattainable guys
-wanting to be popular
-awesome music!---well for the most part, I'm sorry but I'm not a fan of My Chemical Romance and some others mentioned in the book
-haunted houses
-Tonya Hurley-read more about her here. Then check out the Ghostgirl site then if you want buy some Ghostgirl T-shirts at Hot Topic.