John Belushi is Dead
Kathy Charles
Publisher: MTV
Release Date: August 24, 2010
Pages: 320

Rating: 4.5 stars

IN THE END WE ALL FADE TO BLACK.

Pink-haired Hilda and oddball loner Benji are not your typical teenagers. Instead of going to parties or hanging out at the mall, they comb the city streets and suburban culs-de-sac of Los Angeles for sites of celebrity murder and suicide. Bound by their interest in the macabre, Hilda and Benji neglect their schoolwork and their social lives in favor of prowling the most notorious crime scenes in Hollywood history and collecting odd mementos of celebrity death.
 

Hilda and Benji’s morbid pastime takes an unexpected turn when they meet Hank, the elderly, reclusive tenant of a dilapidated Echo Park apartment where a silent movie star once stabbed himself to death with a pair of scissors. Hilda feels a strange connection with Hank and comes to care deeply for her paranoid new friend as they watch old movies together and chat the sweltering afternoons away. But when Hank’s downstairs neighbor Jake, a handsome screenwriter, inserts himself into the equation and begins to hint at Hank’s terrible secrets, Hilda must decide what it is she’s come to Echo Park searching for . . . and whether her fascination with death is worth missing out on life.

John Belushi is Dead is an awesome read. I hadn’t heard a lot about it, but I am super happy I decided to read it. I was charmed by the characters and fell in love with the story.

John Belushi is Dead has a slower start, but don’t let that throw you! Soon you will be so captivated by the story that you won’t put it down til the last page is turned. Thestory was so fascinating – it was a bit morbid and definitely off the beaten trail. I loved all the random celebrity tidbits it included, even though many of them were about their deaths.

John Belushi is Dead dealt with a lot of emotions and was quite thought provoking. All the characters had a very different story to tell, and they all brought aspects and emotions from each to the story. There was a nice mix between the more serious scenes and the lighter scenes.

The characters were really well written. I really liked Hilda. She grew a lot throughout the book, which was nice. Benji kind of gave me the creeps. Justin and Hank were my 2 favorites characters of the book – they both had their charms and brought a lot to the story.

I wholeheartedly suggest this one. It was a book I will now be suggesting to everyone.  I had so much fun reading, as I got so caught up in the story. I am very excited to see what Kathy Charles will come up with next.

Cover Rating: B-