Review: The Ghost and the Goth

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade
My rating: 5 of 5 genies
Genre: YA, Ghost, Paranormal Fiction, Fantasy, Humour
Published: June 29, 2010
Pages: 281
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Source: Library Loan
Format: Hardcover
Purchase At: TheBookDepository.com or Amazon.com

Goodreads Summary

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?

My Thoughts

Stacey Kade impresses with The Ghost and the Goth, a thriller debut with loads of laughs to spare. This book was overall just a lot of fun for me! It is pretty decent in terms of pages and perfect in my opinion because the book is short and very sweet. Kade introduces Alona Dare, the un-typical cheerleader and newly dead ex-high school student who hasn't quite managed to, ahem, "pass on." Alona is in need of help, and the only place it seems that she can get it from is Will Killian, the resident weirdo/goth kid with a twist. Will sees ghosts...everyone thinks that he has some weird schizophrenia because of the voices he hears and seizures he slips into now and again, but Will hears the undead and they can get pretty annoying. He keeps to himself, taking into account Alona's death but not really caring until she seeks him out...Alona needs help moving on, because you know, death gets drab pretty fast, and Will is the guy for the job. Only, she has a lot of convincing to do, Will isn't 100% certain that he wants to help her.

The book starts with a kick and one of the most exciting scenes being when the reader watches Alona die; I think that with a starting like that, you could wake anyone up. From then on, the Action never slows down and as more interesting information about both Will and Alona is divulged, it becomes apparent that this book is not your typical YA ghost story. The story is told from both Alona and Will's perspective and constantly alternating, perfect because you get to experience both their point of views and the information feels fuller because it isn't limited.
In terms of characters, they really impressed me. I liked that Will was a sweetheart and that Alona is a bit of one too. Their emotions were well-thought out and authentic and I could sympathize with the situations they went through.

I laughed a lot while reading this, The Ghost and the Goth provides a welcomed shot of humour, wit and enough mystery to keep the pages turning. Readers should keep an eye out for Kade, I have a feeling that this author has more brilliance up her sleeve. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!