ghostgirl

Written by Tonya Hurley

Narrated by Parker Posey

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 31, 2009
• ISBN: 9781440760938

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.

Reviews for ghostgirl

[Bre0498 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Years ago when I read it for the first time, I'm pretty sure I liked it; however, now that I read it again, I can only say that it's horrible, simply no, I didn't like it.

The way it is narrated, the characters, the whole story, everything seemed bland and flat to me. But okay, I understand because the book is from 2008, but still, what a superficial story. Anyway, there are two other books, and since I love torturing myself, it's very likely that I will read them just to see how this story ends. ? (Translated from Spanish)

[ciegaporelpdf · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Maybe if I had read it at fifteen, I would have liked it, but at twenty-eight, I was just wishing to finish it. (Translated from Spanish)

[bookbrig-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

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.

[PlumaGulunga · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Ghostgirl is a book that stands out in bookstores not only for the format in which it was designed but also for its shiny silver and pink colors, as well as the black pages, illustrations, and other decorations that make it visually appealing. Unfortunately, this is the only good thing that can be said about this work. Let's begin with the things that are wrong in this book. First, its main character is a girl named Charlotte Usher who feels invisible at her school. Here is something the author could delve into, but it is overlooked to delve deeper into her obsession with Damen, the popular guy at school who excels in sports but not so much academically, who is the boyfriend of the head cheerleader Petula, the typical queen bee, and from there the reader is dragged into a vortex that screams cliché at the top of its lungs. (Translated from Spanish)

[YesiA98 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The truth is I didn't expect to love this book. I feel like I would have enjoyed it more in my adolescence since it deals with those kinds of emotions commonly felt by teenagers as they start their youth. Personally, I enjoyed the book a bit; I found it a light and entertaining read. A bit exaggerated, but I think that’s what the author wanted to represent. But I have to admit that for most of the book, Charlotte seemed like an annoying, unbearable, and selfish character to me. Yes, I understand that she behaved that way due to how she was treated and her desire to be seen and loved for who she is. But she took it to such exaggerated limits that at times it drove me crazy. I like that in the end she realizes her mistakes, but I feel it was presented in a very vague and somewhat rushed way. Petula, what can I say about her? An insipid character, pulled from the cheap imitation of stolen triumphs. Prue, at first, is portrayed as the worst villain and in the end... Seriously, friends? Scarlet is the only character I was able to connect with partially; I liked her sense of humor and that despite having to face the consequences of everything Charlotte did, she was a good friend. Damen was just the pretty boy, placed as decoration for the girls to fight over him. I liked the book partially, even though it won’t be on my list of memorable books. And despite everything I didn’t like, I will continue with the sequel, showing that as readers we are indeed masochists.

And I know that speaking poorly of this book is terrible. But it's worse not to talk about it at all. (Translated from Spanish)

[MeliBS · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A young adult novel that evokes a range of emotions. (Translated from Spanish)

[Val1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A few months ago, I was looking at the few physical books I have (I read more in digital) and I found this book that I read years ago, Ghostgirl. I loved the plot when I read it back then and wanted to read it again to remember what I had already forgotten over time. I read it a few months ago and today I thought, why not write my review of this book? So here I am. Ghostgirl has a different, innovative plot that is rarely seen in books and quickly captivates you. If you want to read something easy-going that helps you break a reading block, this is the book. (Translated from Spanish)

[DreamersofSerendipity · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

☃️This Christmas, Charlotte wakes up once again full of life! at Hawthorne Institute, as if the tragic incident with the gummy bear had never happened. Suddenly, all the wishes she had before dying return: to be friends with Petula, to win over Damen, and to stop being invisible to everyone. But as she tries to reclaim her previous life, Charlotte will begin to forget her life in the Afterlife. Will Christmas make Charlotte remember who her true friends are?

? We all know the original novel by Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol," well this book is a re-telling of it. Tonya Hurley gifts us another adventure in the story of beloved Charlotte adapted for the Christmas version. It is worth mentioning (for those who are not familiar with the book) that the main story is a trilogy, and this novel was published a couple of years after the last book of the trilogy, so many fans who thought there wouldn't be a continuation were very pleased to learn a bit more about all the main characters and some secondary ones from both the Afterlife and the world of the living.

❄️Hurley’s writing is easy to read, and once it captures you, you can't stop; it has deep emotional undertones that are perfect for this holiday season.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (Translated from Spanish)

[March Delgado · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Point 16 of the annual Folklore challenge from @queenelizabeth09, blind book, completed.
I took it from the "new arrivals" section at the library, with my eyes closed, it can't get more blind than that.
I liked the beginning of the "school for dead teenagers," it's great, unique, and there’s a lot to delve into, but then it relies too much on clichés that, at least in Spain, I haven't seen.
I suppose that in another time I would have liked it more, I would have felt more identified with one of the characters, but, honestly, at this point, there are things that just don’t improve.
I know I would never have been part of the cheerleading team because my flexibility is and always has been the same as a cutting board, but in no school or institute I have been to has there been any of that, so it seems to me that what I read is just another "American thing" (I use that term for things that should only happen there, both in books and movies, sorry if someone is offended).
The book is well written, the characters are well developed, the plot is very clear and has good pacing, but... something just didn't click with me. I was eager to finish the book, my mind wandered in and out of the plot and it's not even 300 pages long. It probably wasn't the book I needed right now. Although I wasn't exactly bored, I don't recommend it. (Translated from Spanish)

[Cris ¿Qué libro leo? · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A final world for the saga. The saga has its own style and a lot of humor. They are young adult books that I remember fondly. A nice story about accepting yourself and the importance of friendship. (Translated from Spanish)

[ItzelPerz29 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love is something one can take out of the heart. (Translated from Spanish)

[itzelvlog · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Before she can rest in peace, Charlotte must return to the tragic scene of her death: the school. She has one last mission to fulfill. She needs to help the person assigned to her resolve some personal issues before the much-anticipated prom. But no one has explained to her what happens when you happen to be in love with your class project... Charlotte would die (again) for love. But if her ticket to the Afterlife involves facing the all-too-familiar feeling of being invisible, perhaps this is more than she can bear... (Translated from Spanish)

[valessire · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

While reading this book I just thought "Cliché," with a certain gothic air.

I really wanted to like this book, but no, Charlotte just made one bad decision after another; it's one of the most stressful books I've read. The story was so cliché that the only unexpected thing was that she drowned with a gummy bear, ha!

I think it's a very basic book and maybe if I had read it, I don't know, at 12 years old I would have liked it, not loved it, but liked it, or maybe if it had been one of the first books I read. But at 19 years old and after everything I've read, I just couldn't take it. There are so many things wrong, like the relationship between Petula and Scarlet; what kind of sister enjoys humiliating her sister in front of the whole school? (Translated from Spanish)

[dvnnico · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Only Charlotte Usher ♥️ (Translated from Spanish)

[DaniiTheBookworm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's been 10 years since I first read this book, and the truth is it's not perfect. The more you grow, the more technical aspects you find that could have been written differently. But the rating I give it is not for the story, but for the girls who once felt like Charlotte (who, as a character, makes you want to give her a few slaps) and the lesson they have ahead of them. The design of the physical book is admirable, and in the following books, the titles of each chapter are a song. (Translated from Spanish)

[Cam140918 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I liked the ending; however, the rest of the book was boring to me. (Translated from Spanish)

[ItzelHernndezAranda · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is a very sweet book as the story it tells is about a girl who loses her life in an accident, and now that she is dead, she finds that she is not alone; she meets other children her age with different personalities and learns to coexist with them. It is a beautiful book recommended for girls aged 8 to 15, and they will surely enjoy it a lot. (Translated from Spanish)

[andy17yaoi · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It felt a bit heavy to me. As if the book had a lot of filler. (Translated from Spanish)

[MissPurple98 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Typical teenage book. Full of clichés. (Translated from Spanish)

[Sofiamiranda2094 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very good. It grabs you from the beginning. (Translated from Spanish)

[Recmakeup · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The weakest of the three. It still has the freshness and fun of the others, but I think they've tried to overdo it. (Translated from Spanish)

[Diana003 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent young adult book (Translated from Spanish)

[fingerpost_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[Viic❤️?? · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read it when I was younger, and at the time it seemed entertaining to me. (Translated from Spanish)

[Edd62 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Charlotte dies, and from her position as a ghost, she generates a series of situations that make her visible to the eyes of the boy she likes, unfortunately a bit too late. Notably, it is very well written; the character is endearing, not condescending, a victim, or guilty; on the contrary, she is filled with sensibility. (Translated from Spanish)

[rabidmunkee · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

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.

[buzzinglibrary · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Promising start, but the ending was illogical and made no sense.

[scote23 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

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.

[karenball_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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.

[acleveland_14 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

she choked on a gummy bear....she died by choking on a gummy bear
the 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