The Ghost and the Goth

by Stacey Kade

The Ghost and the Goth

Book Summary

Dying should have been the worst moment of my life.  I mean, hello, getting run over by a school bus full of band geeks while wearing the regulation gym uniform of red polyester short shorts and a practically see-through white T-shirt?  It doesn’t get more tragic than that. Or, so I thought.

Books Worth Reading:
Books Worth Reading:

Alona Dare is your quintessential popular girl – beautiful, catty, center of attention with a hot boyfriend.  But now, due to an unfortunate run-in with a school bus, she is dead…though certainly not gone.  She is a ghost and needs to figure out how to leave Earth to go to the “bright light.”  Enter Will Killian, the goth kid who can actually see, hear and touch ghosts.  Alona needs Will to help her navigate the ghost world.  Will needs Alona, too.  On top of the normal problems that hearing and seeing the dead might bring, a frightening ghost named Gus has been trying to destroy Will.  Will Alona and Will be able to get past their differences and help each other before it is too late?

Book Review

If you are looking for a fun, light read from a new voice in paranormal fiction, look no further…The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade is the book for you!  There are a lot of things that I loved about this novel:

  1. Two words:  Alona Dare. What a sassy, enjoyable character!  The language that she uses throughout the novel really define her character and give her dimension.  For example, when she is about to be hit she says, “God, buses are so ugly when you see them that up close.”  Kade crafts Alona to have a distinctive voice – she can be self-centered, insensitive and honest-to-a-fault but she still is extremely likable.  Alona grows a lot during the story as well, but not an unbelievable amount.
  2. The relationship between Alona and Will. There was so much tension and banter between the two protagonists.  I loved it!  I was really rooting for them to get together and realize their feelings for each other, even though it would be a little bit creepy.  You could tell that they really cared for each other, and I love how the relationship progressed.
  3. The tone of the book. While there was danger and romance and a paranormal element, the tone of the book was light and fun.  This book is like a glass of ice-cold lemonade on a sweltering hot day.  It was refreshing and just what I needed after reading a string of more serious novels.
  4. There is going to be a sequel! To be honest, I was kind of sad when this book ended.  I wanted more Will and Alona – more banter, more romantic tension, more ghostly encounters!  The characters are that likable.  Never fear, though, friends.  There is going to be a sequel called The Queen of the Dead coming out on June 7, 2011.  Yay!

An enjoyable read with memorable characters.  If you are looking for something a little bit different in the paranormal category, try The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade.  You won’t be disappointed.

Genre: Paranormal romance

Age Recommendation: 13 and up

Rating: 3.9 / 5