Review: The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

Author: Stacey Kade
Release Date: June 29, 2010
Pages: 278
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Source: Library

GoodReads Summary: After a close encounter with the front end of a school bus, Alona Dare goes from Homecoming Queen to Queen of the Dead. Now she's stuck here in spirit form with no sign of the big, bright light coming to take her away. To make matters worse, the only person who might be able to help her is Will Killian, a total loser/outcast type who hates the social elite. He alone can see and hear her, but he wants nothing to do with the former mean girl of Groundsboro High. Can they get over their mutual distrust-and this weird attraction between them-to work together before Alona vanishes for good and Will is locked up for seeing things that don't exist?

My Review:
At first, Alona (who is the Ghost for those who haven't read it) drove me absolutely bat-s*** crazy. I literally wanted to smack that hoe. She is SO vapid and narcissistic. And yet, there is also something extremely real about her. She knows who and what she is and is absolutely unapologetic. She is also extremely intelligent in a cold, calculating way. She isn't one of those popular girls who thinks everyone loves them and is crushed when she finds out that all the other kids want is her downfall. She knows she is privileged, and pretty, and she knows that she stepped on a lot of people to get there. While that doesn't really endear her to you, you at least have to appreciate the honesty.

Will (The Goth)was a different story. Though his appearance isn't that much, he is brilliantly witty. His biting sarcasm cuts a hole through even Miss Perfect Alona Dare's airy-fairy security blanket. You pity Will's home situation, and have a strong hatred for his evil therapist and the "hard-ass" principal that is a total jerk. Despite having to see ghosts everywhere, Will is really sweet and you just naturally want to like him. He isn't the typical angsty goth either. He has depth, personality, and hardly any angst at all *smiles* He avoids the dead because otherwise they pester him to the point of looking crazy, and he would like to skip the trip to the nut-house.

What I loved most about Will and Alona collectively, is that they both thought and acted like real teenagers. Will's inability to focus on anything but Alona's legs at times is quite hilarious, especially when there are
murderous ghosts lurking about and all Will is thinking about are legs, legs, legs...lol. Alona too seems to be infected by the teenage disease known as "sex-straction" Occasionally her thoughts wander to how broad
and muscular Will's chest is, and then she can't help but touch his biceps sometimes...lol I know how that is...one time in high school, a friend of mine was flexing and showing off because he had been working
out lately and his muscles were huge...then, seemingly of its own accord, my hand found itself splayed across his thigh...yeah...awkward much? Lol

The plot was really interesting. The problems that Will and Alona deal with are real, the life-situations are difficult, and there are ghostly beings suffused throughout, adding humor, tension, and mystery. There
were some minor characters that I wish we heard more from because they just seemed to be filling up space and I would have liked to see more than that. Death isn't the only thing that's covered by the book. There
is a lot of messed up parental relationships that the two MCs deal with and each situation is unique. The writing was really clever, light, and easy to read. In fact, I got through the book in a little over 2 hours
so it was a quick but awesome read. Stacey Kade is really good at tying paranormal into everyday life. The Ghost and the Goth is a fresh new paranormal that kind of reminds me of contemporary. I suppose this means that it would probably be a good transitional book. I believe I will give the book a 9/10 for sheer cute, ghostly awesomeness.

Happy Friday!

XOXO
~Andra~