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    ghostgirl
    ghostgirl
    ghostgirl
    Audiobook5 hours

    ghostgirl

    Written by Tonya Hurley

    Narrated by Parker Posey

    3/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    With an instrumental role in two hit TV series, writing and directing gigs in independent films, and creative control of video games and award-winning Web sites, Tonya Hurley is a whirling dervish of artistic output. Ghostgirl features Charlotte Usher, a high schooler who can't help but feel no one knows she's alive. Then her nagging fear is confirmed. One day she no longer just feels invisible-she is, in fact, dead and literally haunting the halls.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJul 31, 2009
    ISBN9781440760938
    ghostgirl
    Author

    Tonya Hurley

    Tonya Hurley is the author of the New York Times bestselling series ghostgirl and the Blessed trilogy. She has worked in nearly every aspect of teen entertainment: creating, writing, and producing two hit TV series; writing and directing several acclaimed independent films; and developing a groundbreaking collection of video games. Tonya lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, New York.

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    Reviews for ghostgirl

    3/5

    234 ratings22 reviews

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    • 1/5
      I picked this up because I'd received an advance copy of the sequel, and I thought I should start the series at the beginning. I really, really wish I hadn't found the gilt edged pages and die cut cover so appealing. The book just looked so pretty I wanted to give it a chance, even though I had to force myself to make it through the first chapter.

      The best thing I can say about ghostgirl is that it's a gorgeous physical object. But despite the fun little chapter headings and page decorations, the pretty endpapers and attractive cover sizing, this book was almost impossible to finish because Hurley made it so hard for me to like any of her characters.

      Charlotte, the ghostgirl of the title, is a classic example of a negative teenage stereotype: whiny, self-absorbed, and shallow. Which wouldn't bother me too much, if Hurley did something to subvert the stereotype or add to it in a creative way, maybe even use it to comment on negative teen stereotypes. She does none of those. Charlotte is still an annoying, selfish, cut-out of a character at the end of the novel, despite the plot's climax that's meant to show how she's changed.

      Also, I couldn't help thinking that if this were a book about a guy character who followed a girl character around the way Charlotte follows her crush Damen it wouldn't have gotten reviews calling it cute. I thought it was more than a little creepy how stalkerish Charlotte got once she could follow her crush unobserved.

      Mostly, this book, from the characters to the plot to the overabundant pop culture references, annoyed me from beginning to end. Totally not worth the time.
    • 4/5
      Difficult to decide how to rate this book, because there was a good bit that I really liked about it... but it had some definite weaknesses as well.The plot felt like there was just too much going on sometimes. Charlotte, who is obsessed (very) with popular boy Damon, spends the summer making plans for becoming popular and snagging her guy. That's where the story starts. It's looking promising - she gets paired with him a lab partner in physics class. But alas, she immediately choked on a gummi-bear and dies.She ends up in a sort of high school Purgatory, where she and assorted other "dead kids" have to overcome their unresolved issues before they can move on. (Each of the other dead kids seems to have died in a manner that should teach them a moral lesson... The girl who never got off her cell phone died of cancer to her head caused by the phone for instance.) Charlotte is trying to navigate this new social setting, but also keeps going back to watch her beloved Damon.Damon has been dating the cheer leading squad leader, Petula, who is a bullying bitch. Petula has a slightly younger sister, Scarlet, who is a goth girl. Inexplicably, Scarlet is the only person who can see Charlotte. There should have been a reason for this, but there wasn't - which is the type of weakness the book has. Lots of logic problems. Even a book about ghosts should be logical in its own way. Scarlet and Charlotte begin a possession ritual, in which Scarlet can leave her body and commit invisible mischief, and Charlotte can live on in Scarlet's body. This creates some interesting scenarios, both funny and sad, especially when Damon begins to fall for Scarlet. He is now in love with two girls who are alternately sharing one body. They naturally become intensely jealous of each other.The Dead Kids home in this world (an abandoned mansion) is about to be condemned. They have to save it. Lots and lots more little side plot lines tangle up in this.It concludes with a completely illogical, happyish ending... as happy as a story about a dead teenager can be anyway.What I liked: Charlotte was likable, though a bit pathetic in her longing for popularity and obsession with Damon. Scarlet was a cool character, comfortable in her own skin - even when she was out of her own skin. Some of the plot twists were quite entertaining. What I didn't like: As mentioned earlier... too many sub plots, and too little logic to the ghost world. Unlike J.K. Rowling, who set up an extensive set of rules for her magical world and then stuck to them, Hurley seems to just allow supernatural things to happen when they suit her, and not happen other times. The lack of logic was especially noticeable in the conclusion.Side note: The hardcover edition I have is a beautifully made book. Nice, die-cut cover, with a plexi inlay, a nice art noveau type design at the tops and bottoms of all the pages, and silver page edges.
    • 1/5
      I was do excited to read this book. It just didn't live up to expectations. Charlotte is more obsessed with this boy at school than any normal girl would be. I thought this would be more interesting and less of a popularity contest.
    • 2/5
      Promising start, but the ending was illogical and made no sense.
    • 2/5
      I requested this book after reading positive reviews on YALSA's listserv. It disappoints. There are attempts to sound hip by throwing in pop culture references, but they just seem to stand out strongly. I kept rolling my eyes a lot and thought the characters' actions were really unbelievable (and yes, I know this was a ghost story.) Scarlett in particular was difficult to understand.
    • 3/5
      Puns and allusions and wordplay galore in this one! Charlotte Usher is determined that she is NOT going to be one of the invisible wallflowers at Hawthorne High any more. Unfortunately, her plan derails when she chokes on a gummi bear on her way out of first period physics class on the first day of school... and dies. Charlotte discovers that even though she's dead, she still has to graduate! Arriving at Deadiquette school, which meets in the basement, she discovers a class of students who are all learning to resolve their final issues so they can "graduate" and completely leave the world of the living. Charlotte's issue appears to be her massive crush on Damen (uber-cool boyfriend of Petula, queen of all popularity) and her desperate desire to be popular. Charlotte uses Petula's rebel goth sister Scarlet to help her achieve her goals, but Scarlet's got a mind of her own. Besides Scarlet, Charlotte's new Dead classmates are extremely unhappy with her attempts to be part of the living, so Charlotte's got a lot on her hands. Great undead humor for 8th grade and up.
    • 3/5
      she choked on a gummy bear....she died by choking on a gummy bearthe book was alright but the ending was very heart felt.the book would be more of a middle schooler than anything...maybe a high schooler but....a far stretch
    • 5/5
      Charlotte was invisible in life and, now dead, is still invisible. Damen was the crush that got away. Petula was the queen bee, love of Damen's life, and enemy of Charlotte. Scarlet just wanted to be invisible, get away from her sister's (Petula) shadow, but after realizing she can SEE Charlotte knows she will never be invisible again. When Charlotte starts breaking the rules of Death 101, takes over Scarlet's body, and feels her dreams of being with Damen's are coming true. But when Scarlet begins to have feelings for him too, Charlotte needs to make a tough decision.
    • 5/5
      I actually read this from my school library and I was totally surprised. The cover caught my attention immediately. One of the best books I've ever read because it came with a surprise factor. Would recommend to any YA lover or paranormal lover.
    • 4/5
      Charlotte is determined to make this school year better than last. No one really knows her, especially the love of her life Damon. And when she finally gets a chance to be near him, she chokes to death on a gummy bear, killing her instantly.Charlotte is introduced into life after death, and she isn't happy. She still loves Damon, and she knows if he just got to know her he would love her back. She just needs to figure out how...and that's when she meets Scarlet, the sister of Damon's girlfriend.Scarlet wants to be in the afterlife, Charlotte wants to be in the living, and so they come to an agreement, one that no one...especially the dead are happy about.A great series for the younger audience, ghostgirl not only is an entertaining read but I felt it also has a great message. Learn to accept who you are and don't dwell on things you can't change.I felt for Charlotte, she was a character you wanted to root for, one you wanted to see good things happen to since so many things had gone wrong. She truly wanted to do right, but it never turned out the way she wanted.Scarlet the live best friend turned out to be my favorite character. She had her own struggles from dealing with her preppy cheerleader sister, to beginning to grow feelings for Damon, the boy Charlotte loves. She's witty, smart, and has an awesome taste in music.And the dead friends Charlotte met along the way I enjoyed as well. Learning how they died, what they wanted most, it was fun and I loved every bit of it.I would recommend this to anyone, even people who are not into paranormal. It has love, death, acceptance, denial, regret, excitement, and even some unexpected creepy scenes.An excellent start to the series, I can't wait to read book 2 and see what happens to all the characters I have grown to enjoy.
    • 5/5
      Charlotte Usher is a nobody, ignored, overlooked and easily forgotten. She has spent her whole school life being invisible, never popular enough to be cool, never unpopular enough to be ridiculed. But this year is going to be different. Charlotte has spent her holidays hard at work planing, manicuring and making-over her image. This year she is determined to be noticed by all the right people, even if it kills her. Unfortunately for Charlotte that's exactly what happens.Being dead is not so different from being alive; at least it isn't for Charlotte. However her not being seen ever is putting a dampener on her plans. That is until Charlotte stumbles upon a most unlikely, alive, ally in the most extraordinary of circumstances. What Charlotte says she needs is closure, in order to finally move on and accept her death, but what Charlotte wants is a life and more importantly a kiss.Ghostgirl is a quirky, dark and heartfelt tale that shows that just because you're dead doesn't mean you can't be popular. In Charlotte's desperation to attain her hearts desire she resorts to extreme and forbidden actions, however those actions have consequences affecting not only herself but those around her. With poetry, maggots, cupcakes and musical references the result is a style and tone that is delightfully haunting. Charlotte may be dead but that won't keep her from love.
    • 3/5
      Grades 9-12Charlotte always felt invisible in high school, but now she really is after dying from choking on a gummy bear. Charlotte is in love with Damen Dylan, boyfriend to the popular girl, Petula Kensington. She thinks she has to figure out how to win Damen and become popular to help her with her unresolved issues. Charlotte soon finds a ghost friend and helper Piccolo Pam, but Charlotte keeps messing things up for Pam and the other ghost teenagers Charlotte is suppose to be working with. Charlotte also makes friends with a living girl, Scarlet, who is Petula's younger sister. When Scarlet and Charlotte start to work together things do not turn out the way that Charlotte wants. This book had some funny parts the ways that the students die, funny and creative. The way that Charlotte as well as Scarlet talk are also pretty funny, they have a great sense of humor. When first starting this book I thought it would be suitable for younger teenagers or pre-teens, however the vocabulary is sometimes extensive and there seems to be a lot of sexual tension among many of the students.
    • 4/5
      "We all like to think the world ends when we do. The truth is our acquaintances, our friends, and our loved ones all live on, and through them, so do we. It's not about what you had, but what you gave. It's not about how you looked, but how you lived. And it's not just about being remembered. It's about giving people a good reason to remember you." No one really remembers much about Charlotte Usher, except that she's the nerdy girl who died choking on a gummy bear in physics. Not exactly the image she was going for. In fact, Charlotte's quest to create a new image for herself, a popular, trendy, better coiffed one is the very thing that ruined (quite permanently) her life and it continues to be the cause of her ruin in death.Every school has the "it" girls. For Hawthorne High the elite are headed by Petula and her doting butt kissers, the Wendys. Petula, blessed not only with money, popularity, and perfect hair, is also the girlfriend of the school's hottest football star, Damen. Charlotte idolizes Petula, but more importantly, she covets her boyfriend. So it has to be fate that caused Charlotte and Damen to become lab partners in physics right?Wrong.And now Charlotte's dead and she's really annoyed. She was suppose to come back to school, with her new makeover, become popular and get the guy. Death may have caused a little set back but it's no match for her determination and if she can't get what she wanted in life, well by ghost she's going to get it, and him, in death.I picked this up on a whim at the library, due mostly to it's awesome packaging and insanely kick-ass cover. It's this slim, thick, hardback book with silver edged paper with a cut-out silhouette on the cover. Couldn't help myself. I'm a sucker for something shiny. The biggest thing the book has going for it came with reading it- it's VERY good. Morbidly funny and full of all the teen stereotypes I fondly remember from high school, I just loved it. It poked a lot of fun at teenagers at that age, and it was admittedly dead (haha) on. It is a rather ridiculous time in life and I enjoyed the trip back in time. Hurley tells a great story, but her writing really stands out in the little moral lessons she's trying to impart, not only to Charlotte but the reader as well. The character of Charlotte is wholly unlikable, but that's the point. The fact that she ends up tolerable and maybe even having learned a little stays true to the story in that, at that age, we never really got it.At least that's why I took away from the story. But then again I'm an old person reading this so I'm in on the joke. Totally going to read the next one.
    • 3/5
      At first i dindt think I was going to like this book. when I went to the libray to check out books I saw the cover and decided I was going to give it a try. I actually ened up liking it. It was a rather easy read it only took me like 3 hours to get through it. Nevertheless, it was a great story and i wouldnt mind reading it again in the future.
    • 3/5
      Charlotte Usher is your typical teenager - her only problem, she’s basically invisible to the kids in school. She’s the type of person who just blends into the background... has no real friends, isn’t overly academic nor into sports. She is excited this first day of school because she spent her whole summer preparing herself to finally catch the attention of Damen Dylan (yes, he’s the hottest boy in school). Although Damen already has a girlfriend (Petula) - Charlotte plans on not letting anything or anyone get in her way - that includes Petula and her BFF’s - The Wendys. Just as things start looking up for Charlotte when it comes to Damen - she has a mishap with a gummy bear and (dum dum dum) SHE DIES. But she refuses to let something as minuscule as being dead get in the way of her plans. Shortly after her death she learns that she has to complete Dead Ed in place of high school. All “dead” students have to learn something important (something they never learned in life) before crossing over.... and Charlotte is definitely lacking in that subject. Be prepared for possessions (consensual, of course), major stalking issues and even a love triangle.I must confess I purchased Ghostgirl because I fell in love with the cover (it reminded me of Tim Burton and I ♥ anything a-la Tim Burton). I loved the elongated cover and pages, the color scheme, great illustrations, the font, the borders on every page, etc. In between each chapter there was this fantastic little blurb that caught my attention and I just bought it... very spontaneous-like, since I had never really heard of it before.With that said, I had some issues with it. Don’t take me wrong, I did find the story unique at first, but then it slowly disintegrated for me. I definitely could not relate to Charlotte - not even thinking back to when I was her age. She was very shallow and I found some of her actions even annoying at times. Luckily, she did outgrow most of this - but it was towards the end of the book so she didn’t fully redeem herself in my eyes. I did like how the story ended (although it did feel a bit rushed) and I can definitely appreciate the message that the author was trying to convey but it was still confusing and I felt as though it left a few plot holes. There were some great characters and some fantastic lines thrown in that made me laugh, but in the end, I must confess I was disappointed with this.
    • 4/5
      All Charlotte wants is to be popular. So for the new school year she has a new look and she is going to try out for cheerleading. Another thing she wants more than anything is to get the most sought after guy in school, Damen.Right when things start to go the right way with Damen Charlotte ends up choking on a gummy bear. But she isn't going to let a little thing like being dead stop her from getting what she wants.This book was really different from anything i've read before. It was funny, and weird, and a little cheesy, but the plot kept it going at a fast pace. This book has everything, cheerleaders, gummy bears, love, death, and rotting corpses. I also like the style of the book cover, and the silver on the edges of the pages, and there are color and designs in the book, very fancy for a book that's under $20.
    • 3/5
      Charlotte Usher is dead but she isn't taking it very well. She's pissed that a gummy bear did her in and she isn't about to let a little thing like death stand in the way of her getting the perfect Midnight Kiss from her high school crush or winning the respect of Miss Popularity.I only had one major problem with this book - I could not stand Charlotte! She was selfish, shallow and well, kinda stupid to boot. Surprisingly, this didn't ruin the book for me :)Through the course of her mandatory attendance Dead Ed with the other Dead Kids, and all the trouble she gets herself into trying to win over her crush Damen, Charlotte meets up with some pretty cool characters. My favorite is Scarlet - the only living person who can see Charlotte.There were some plot holes to contend with - no mention of Charlotte's family - the fact that there wasn't even 1 person who Charlotte was friendly with before she died - the stereotypical popular girls who in the end, really didn't play all that big a part in the story. I could go on but I don't want to give the wrong idea. I actually really liked this book. A quick read, funny at times, with likable characters (ok, maybe not Charlotte, but I liked everyone else :)Hurley has written a sequel and I'm curious to see how the story plays out further.All and all - I give 3 stars.
    • 3/5
      I really liked this book. It was very appealing with the window pane front cover, silver page edges and the unique way it was set up. I think teens would be drawn to this book and then keep reading because of the familiar content. The only weakness I noticed is that about 2/3 way into the book it sort of dragged. It could also have gone into more detail of Prue (one of the dead kids) and her effect on the fall dance.
    • 4/5
      First off, I'd just like to say this is probably the coolest book I've ever seen! The hardcover is awesome! The lining of the pages are silver, with cool designs on every page. Plus the cover, is like a coffin with the shadow of the main character. It's also a unique size, which just adds more to it!Tonya Hurley's Ghostgirl was a fun read with a great plot! While some of the characters were rather stereotypical, it was still great to read about Charlotte and her "quest to popularity" even when she's dead. The basis of the plot was an original placed within today's high school setting. Charlotte, the main character, got on my nerves some of the time, she needed to get over herself. But that's just part of the story.With her debut novel, Tonya Hurley definately put a new spin on that of the afterlife.
    • 3/5
      I have mixed feelings about this book. I think the concept (girl dies while choking on a gummy bear and has to find her way to happiness in the ghostly world) is funny, and I definitely cackled out loud at a few parts. But it just doesn't work as well as I'd hoped. The quotes from musicians, bands and authors at the beginning of each chapter were charming, but I don't think the teens of today will relate to them. Also, the numerous pop culture references are going to be outdated within 2 years.However, if I was a teenager reading this in 1992 (which I was...), I would've loved this book. The main characters, Charlotte and Scarlet, remind me of myself at that age. However, that makes me concerned that the author is writing this from an early to mid 30s point of view as her life as a teenager, instead of a 2008/2009 teen... But, if you're going to judge the book solely by its cover, it's beautiful. Definitely the most unique, gorgeous cover and stunning pages of 2008...
    • 2/5
      This was a cute idea and execution, with a bit of moral thrown in, but it never achieved anything more, unfortunately. In the end I felt like all the characters were almost cartoonish. An entertaining enough read but not a keeper.
    • 3/5
      Though the packaging is *gorgeous* and the plot (girl, dying to be popular, dies - but instead of "moving on" she must figure out what she left undone and fix it) intriguing, the book doesn't live (heh) up to it. The author is too tongue-in-cheek - it feels as if she spends much of the book very amused at how very clever she is... It's chock full of pop culture references - overflowing, in fact - and frankly, I think many of the references are too old for the intended audience. It's also almost insufferably preachy. Ug. It did have amusing moments, but all of the above complaints, along with the stilted plot developments (some are detailed, some jump forward in such a bare fashion I reread sections thinking I had missed something. Nope. Just sloppy writing.), overwhelm it's charms. It just felt so...smug. Very disappointed.