Spookygirl: Paranormal Investigator

( 3 )

Overview

Winner of the Breakthrough Novel Award Contest—Jill Baguchinsky's quirky, creepy debut

Violet doesn't remember much about her late mother, but she is certain of one thing: she too can see ghosts and communicate with the dead. But when Violet discovers paranormal activity in the girls' locker room, she finds herself ill-equipped for handling the school's ghostly echoes. Through Violet's own investigation and with the help of some unlikely allies, Violet discovers there is a lot ...

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More About This Book

Overview

Winner of the Breakthrough Novel Award Contest—Jill Baguchinsky's quirky, creepy debut

Violet doesn't remember much about her late mother, but she is certain of one thing: she too can see ghosts and communicate with the dead. But when Violet discovers paranormal activity in the girls' locker room, she finds herself ill-equipped for handling the school's ghostly echoes. Through Violet's own investigation and with the help of some unlikely allies, Violet discovers there is a lot she doesn't know about her special skill—and more still that can stand in the way of its power. With sharp wit and determination, Violet sets out to uncover the truth behind her school's haunting, to finish the investigation that led to her mother's sudden death, and to learn why the only ghost she has ever wanted to see is the one that has eluded her forever.

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
In a surprisingly upbeat story about ghosts with unfinished business, 15-year-old Violet has the ability to see and communicate with spirits. Her mother had this gift, as well, but she died during an inconclusive paranormal investigation. Violet is happy to move back in with her father after years with her difficult Aunt Thelma, even if it means living in his new funeral home and helping the recently departed cross over. When she returns to her old school district, where rumors about her family's unusual history still run rampant, Violet encounters Dirk, a dead jock who's still tied to the school, and befriends a Goth wannabe; together they help Dirk and investigate the haunted girls' locker room, which serve as warm-ups for Violet's mission to find her mother's ghost. Despite some underdeveloped elements and a slightly pat finale, Baguchinsky's lightly creepy debut (winner of the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award for Young Adult Fiction) features a straight-talking, level-headed protagonist and smooth storytelling that makes ghost-hunting feel like a skill as practical as cleaning house. Ages 12–up. Agent: Danielle Chiotti, Upstart Crow Literary. (Aug.)
VOYA - Heidi Uphoff
Now that Violet's father has started his business, he is ready for her to move back in with him, at the family funeral home. Starting a new high school as the daughter of a mortician may be a nightmare for a normal teenage girl, but Violet is anything but ordinary. Violet has inherited her deceased mother's ability to communicate with the dead. She keeps busy giving relationship counseling beyond the grave, conducting fake seances for the gothic clique that worships her dark abilities, avoiding attention of "the void" (the brainless jock population), and keeping the troublesome family poltergeist, Buster, in line. Despite these distractions, Violet is determined to restart the paranormal investigation business her parents once ran and expose the truth behind her mother's final investigation that ended with her death. First, however, she must survive PE, which has become even more perilous by the evil presence in the girls' locker room. Baguchinsky drifts through several different threads in her novel, all of which become lost opportunities for greater character and plot line depth. While teenage readers will enjoy the dry humor and sarcasm with which Violet expresses herself, her flippant manner about serious issues and treatment of the only friends she has can make her unlikable. The premise of the novel is unique and full of promise, but the excessive high school stereotypes will not sit well with many readers. Reviewer: Heidi Uphoff
Kirkus Reviews
Packed with ghosts, poltergeists and even a half-vampire, this book provides a fun ride for teens interested in the supernatural. At age 6, Violet began learning about her ability to see and communicate with ghosts--a talent inherited from her mother, the leader of a paranormal investigative team with Violet's dad. However, her mother's accidental death abruptly ended Violet's training, leaving her with a dad determined to ignore her paranormal abilities and without the knowledge to safely control them. Violet's truncated training isn't problematic until she starts at a new high school with more than its fair share of haunted happenings. Normally Violet has lain low at school, but shortly after her first day here, she gets the nickname SpookyGirl, in part because her dad is a mortician and they live above their funeral home, but also because her school's ghosts, which range from benevolent to deadly, can't seem to leave her alone. Determined to follow in her mother's path, Violet attempts to understand these spirits and finds herself deadlocked in spiritual communication way beyond her abilities. Violet narrates the tale in a straightforward, easygoing past tense that balances humor with suspense. Although pitched as a paranormal adventure, the story's slightly different approach to the nuclear family steals the spotlight with well-defined characters, both living and not-so living. (Paranormal suspense. 12-16)
School Library Journal
Gr 9–11—Violet, 15, can see and talk to ghosts, save the one ghost she'd love to chat with-her mother, who died under strange circumstances during a paranormal investigation. Her father, now a funeral-home owner, refuses to talk to her about it. Violet is starting in a new high school where she earns the nickname Spookygirl for talking to a dead football player. With the help of her new Goth friends, she solves a couple of ghostly mysteries, just as her mother did, and decides that she is ready to return to the old house where her mother died and find out the truth about that night. Baguchinsky delivers a funny, fresh story with some chilling scenes and a likable and smart protagonist. Secondary characters, the setting, and the mysteries are all well done, keeping readers entertained and engaged throughout.—Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS, Canada
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780525425847
  • Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
  • Publication date: 8/16/2012
  • Pages: 256
  • Sales rank: 428,268
  • Age range: 12 years
  • Product dimensions: 5.86 (w) x 8.38 (h) x 1.00 (d)

Meet the Author

Jill Baguchinsky considers herself a monster wrangler, muse therapist, and just a little bit spooky. She lives in Florida.

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Customer Reviews

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Sort by: Showing all of 3 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 1, 2012

    A Great Book

    I read this cuz i borrowed it from my friend and could not it down you should totally buy it.

    2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 26, 2013

    Can some one lend me this book?

    I think its great

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 8, 2013

    No text was provided for this review.

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