Author: Tonya Hurley
Series: Ghostgirl (Book 2)
It’s been a while. You know, summertime. And above all, work. Work means that I can read when I get home to get distracted, but I usually have not enough mental strength to write about it.
But enough of my boring life. I’m here to talk about Homecoming, the second part in the trilogy Ghostgirl.
I read the first book recommended by a friend —especially because of the quotes and references to Poe, an author we both like. I enjoyed it a lot because not only there were quotes and references to great writers, but also to music I loved. Despite its lack of originality (except for the fact that the main character is a ghost girl, for example), I loved how this book could lead teen girls —since it’s the main audience for this kind of book— to wonderful literature like Edgar Allan Poe’s.
Since I enjoyed the first book and I can’t have a series unfinished (it has to be really bad to keep me from reading every book), I started this one, Homecoming, expecting great moments fangirling because of the quotes and references, which I had, but in general it wasn’t as good as the first. It was kinda funny because in the first book I hated Charlotte’s attitude and loved Scarlet’s, and within this one I hated Scarlet’s and quite liked Charlotte’s. It’s like the author had just reversed the roles, in such an obvious way that it made me dislike it.
This book is also about Petula, the character that everyone hates in the first book —the popular girl, of course. Here Petula is forced to learn a lesson about life and, well —death. We learn some things about her that make us see her through different perspective. At the end I even ended up loving her as a character, because at least she was the most honest about who she truly is, not like Charlotte or Scarlet who seem to change from this to that at every second.
The book continues on its basic hollow essence —everything seems to be about what others think of you in the end—, but it’s ‘saved’ in my point of view by a couple of life lessons and the fantastic quotes and references. However, it’s not a book I’d recommend to adults (I’m still quite connected with my teen self so it’s okay), and it’s definitely not for every teenage girl either. Without some knowledge and a little maturity, its real meaning could be misinterpreted and twisted to the point of being a little dangerous to young girls.
Since I didn’t want to talk much about the plot for those who haven’t read the first book so I didn’t spoil anything, this review can be confusing and look incomplete, but I hope you don’t mind.
I give it:
Two Patricks.
Also a 3’5/10.
One great thing about the book: you can create an awesome playlist and read it with a soundtrack with the chapter titles, which correspond to songs by various artists:
1. Slender Thread of Hope – Steppenwolf
2. Pushing In The Pin – The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs
3. Bad Connection – Yazoo
4. Epitaph For The Heart – The Magnetic Fields
5. Dead Sound – The Raveonettes
6. Girlfriend In A Coma – The Smiths
7. Imitation Of Life – REM
8. Back In Your Head – Tegan and Sarah
9. Bird On A Wire – Leonard Cohen
10. This Is How I Disappear – My Chemical Romance
11. She Sells Sanctuary – The Cult
12. Die Young, Stay Pretty – Blondie
13. Shadow Of Doubt – Sonic Youth
14. Magic Thought
15. Pretty Vacant – Sex Pistols
16. Bizarre Love Triangle – New Order
17. Tomorrow Never Knows – The Beatles
18. Alone Again Or – Love
19. The Supernatural & The Superficial
20. Divine Comedy
21. We Will Become Silhouettes – The Postal Service
22. Everybody Say I Love You
(Epilogue) This Must Be The Place – Talking Heads
-E
Reading Is Not Easy With Eyes Closed 