Saturday, August 14, 2010

Review: The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

Title: The Ghost and the Goth
Author: Stacey Kade
Genre: YA, high school, ghost, romance
Perfect for: A rainy day

Dying sucks, especially if you're Alona Dare. She expected a bright light, a long tunnel, something supernatural when she was accidentally hit and killed by a school bus before morning gym. What she got, however, was far less exciting. Waking up a ghost, she quickly learned that the afterlife isn't all that great. Watching your boyfriend hook up with your best friend, not being able to touch anything, and lastly, being invisible to everyone are not easy things to get over. Well, make that almost invisible to everyone.

Enter Will, loner goth boy who has inherited a family gift to see spirits. While he's doing all he can to try and distance himself from the ghosts at the school, Alona has a different idea and latches on to him instantly. 'The Ghost and the Goth' is a story about friendship, with a bit romance and humor tossed in.

'The Ghost and the Goth' is a perfect rainy day popcorn read. If you are looking for a book that is light, fun, and not too demanding or mellow dramatic, this is for you! Stacey Kade has some great characters on her hands and has a talent for writing some realistic, humorous teen dialogue without too much 'teen speak'.

The characters are quite likable. Alona, contrary to what you might expect, isn't your typical annoying cheerleader character. She actually has a bit of depth to her. Will, as well, is a fun character. His family background gives him a unique POV. 'The Ghost and the Goth' is one of those rare titles where the characters are both equally likable.

As I stated earlier, the storyline isn't over the top or mellow dramatic. It's light, fun, and popcorn'y, which are three things I tend to enjoy! Kade did well on creating a story that is a quite addicting read. The pace of the story is practically perfect and the plot elements are interesting and refreshing.  While this is a standalone, it could totally become the first in a series.  Actually, I'd be quite interested in seeing where the characters go.

Overall, don't judge this book by its slightly odd looking cover! It's a good read that you shouldn't miss out on. If you need an easy, popcorn read, this is it!

'The Ghost and the Goth' is available at your local bookstore and online now!

2 comments:

brandileigh2003 said...

Thanks for the review-- loved the back and forth with Will and Alona.

Brandi from Blkosiner’s Book Blog

Unknown said...

Awesome review! I'd avoided this one because of my impression that the cheerleader would be kind of ditzy/snobby but you've convinced me to give it a try! I just read this review after clicking over from your post about the sequel - very cool that it will be becoming a series.