Ghostgirl
Tonya Hurley
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Release Date: August 1, 2008
Pages: 328
Reading Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 stars

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

And if I should die before I awake,

I pray the popular attend my wake.

Charlotte Usher feels practically invisible at school, and then one day she really is invisible. Even worse: she’s dead. And all because she choked on a gummy bear. But being dead doesn’t stop Charlotte from wanting to be popular; it just makes her more creative about achieving her goal.

If you thought high school was a matter of life or death, wait till you see just how true that is. In this satirical, yet heartfelt novel, Hurley explores the invisibility we all feel at some times and the lengths we’ll go to be seen.

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!

Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley 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.