Starred review from July 14, 2008
Hurley, an independent filmmaker, debuts with this glittering comedy, a prime exemplar of what might be called demento mori, a growing subgenre of satire about teens who will not or cannot die. Charlotte Usher's plan to catapult herself from the ranks of the invisible to the heights of popularity at Hawthorne High—no possibility for allusion goes unturned—hits a major snag on the first day of school when she chokes to death on a gummy bear. Sent to Deadiquette school along with other teen spirits, she skips out, still determined to woo her longtime heartthrob, never mind that “he doesn't even know I'm alive.” The jokes stay sharp, from the goth girl who gives her a “make-under” to throwaway lines (caught breaking some cardinal rules, Charlotte mutters to herself, “I'm dead”). Plotlines raise the stakes, putting Hurley's consistent wit to the service of classic themes about claiming identity. While the author has a built-in fan base from her ghostgirl Web sites, high-impact design will ensure attention from casual browsers as well. An elaborate die-cut with stamped acetate on the cover dares readers to laugh at a silhouette of a cartoon girl in an open casket, an effect heightened by the extra-tall trim size; inside, pink-and-black graphics liberally adorn the margins, epigraphs to chapter openings, etc. And given the polished dark-and-deadpan humor, it's a natural fit with Gen Y, too. Ages 12–up.
Starred review from August 1, 2008
Gr 7 Up-Charlotte User, an invisible loser, dies just before enacting a plan to catch the cutest guy in school and achieve popularity. She refuses to accept her fate (death by gummy bear) and returns as a ghost with a mission: to go to the Fall Ball with Damen and get a midnight kiss. Hurley combines afterlife antics, gothic gore, and high school hell to produce an original, hilarious satire. Charlotte ambles through death's door and remains a pitiable, selfish, and somewhat annoying heroine. Readers root for her, but cringe at her blunders, too. She blows off her new dead-kid school and classmates, unable to give up her living, breathing crush. Hurley's pitch-perfect dialogue and clever names (Petula, Rotting Rita, Principal Styx) keep readers laughing. Dark, meditative song lyrics and poetry start each chapter while campy, Gothic illustrations frame the pages. Tim Burton and Edgar Allan Poe devotees will die for this fantastic, phantasmal read."Shelley Huntington, New York Public Library"
Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2009
Charlotte Usher is obsessed with being part of the in-crowd, even after fatally choking on a Gummi bear. Keeping tabs on her still-living crush, Damen, and trying to fit in to the afterlife, Charlotte has her hands full. The premise is intriguing and the snarky narration holds promise, but the high concept and flashy design don't compensate for a messy and illogical story.
(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)