Ghostgirl (2008)

ghostgirl is the debut novel from author and filmmaker Tonya Hurley. It is the story of high school senior "Charlotte Usher", The young teenager dreams of becoming popular in school, but before she gets the chance of that OR asking Damen out, she dies from choking on a gummy bear. The young adult novel was published on August 1, 2008, by Little, Brown and Company, and hit the New York Times Bestseller list, Chapter Books, on September 14, 2008. ghostgirl has been printed in several different languages around the world, including Spanish and French. It was followed by a sequel in July 2009 called ghostgirl: Homecoming, and a third book, ghostgirl: Lovesick was released in July 2010.

The audiobook releases of ghostgirl (released August 2009) and ghostgirl: Homecoming (released November 2009), from Recorded Books in 2009, are read by actress Parker Posey and feature a score by Vince Clarke of Erasure fame.

Characters

Charlotte Usher (also called ghostgirl) – the protagonist of the novel, a senior in High school. She has a crush on Damen, and plans to be with him, but chokes to death on a gummy bear before carrying it out. She becomes a ghost after her death.

Damen Dylan – Charlotte's crush and Petula's boyfriend.

Petula Kensington – Damen's girlfriend.

Scarlet Kensington – Petula's sister. A gothic teenager, and the only one who can see Charlotte as a ghost.

Wendy Anderson and Wendy Thomas aka The Wendys – Petula's two best friends, cheerleaders who share the same first name and brain and do everything together.

Dead Ed class – A group of dead teenagers who become Charlotte's new classmates:

Prue or Prudence Shelly – The leader of the dead teenagers. She wants to move on, and thinks Charlotte is shallow and selfish for not helping her classmates. She also belittles Charlotte's obsession with popularity, as she was murdered by a popular boy on the way to a school dance.

Piccolo Pam – A friendly ghost who introduces Charlotte to Dead Ed. Died by choking on her piccolo during a concert solo.

Mr Brain – The class teacher and only adult in Dead Ed. Named because a large portion of his skull is missing.

Metal Mike – A boy with earbud headphones who died listening to metal music his driving test.

Call Me Kim – A girl with several phones who died from radiation from her mobile.

DJ – A DJ killed in a gang fight at a party, caused by his refusal to play popular music.

Deadhead Jerry – A ghost of a hippie boy who died by choking on a cigarette by mistake.

Abigail – The ghost girl who died of drowning.

Suzy Scratcher – A scar-covered girl who died from a staph infection after self-harming with shallow cuts.

CoCo – A fashion-obsessed girl who drowned after passing out in a vomit-filled handbag.

Simon and Simone – Dead twins who tried to out-emo each other.

Buzz Saw Bud – A boy who died in a woodwork accident.

Silent Violet – A girl who never speaks, who is later revealed to have gossiped in her previous life, which led to her death.

Rotting Rita – A visiting German ghost who can produce insects.

ghostgirl: Homecoming

Having graduated, Charlotte is told that she and the other ghosts from "Dead Ed" need to work in a phone bank, where they will answer calls from troubled teenagers in need of advice, acting as the teens' consciences. Before starting, the other ghosts receive 'graduation presents': they are reunited with lost loved ones or dead celebrity idols, and receive spacious apartments. However, Charlotte does not meet her dead parents and must live in a cramped dormitory, and at work she is the only ghost not to receive calls. Feeling left out, she begins to ignore her old friends and spends all her time with Maddy, her dormitory roommate and new co-worker, oblivious to the fact that Maddy is sabotaging her attempts to succeed.

Meanwhile, Scarlet is feeling insecure about her long-distance relationship with Damen just as Petula, who is repeating her senior year, goes into a coma after contracting staph from a pedicure. Feeling guilty, and jealous of Damen's sudden arrival to see Petula, Scarlet uses the possession ritual Charlotte taught her to send herself into a coma and seek out Charlotte's help to find Petula's soul. Instead, Scarlet joins the new Dead Ed class, who help her to move on using "Early Decision", a risky shortcut. Meanwhile, Petula finds herself in a waiting room, accompanied by another coma patient, Virginia Johnson, a young beauty pageant contestant who is disdainful of Petula's fashion obsession, and wants to grow old normally. Gradually, the two begin to bond.

Scarlet arrives at Charlotte's dormitory, much to her delight, and they sneak out to find Petula, accompanied by Maddy. However, after a disagreement at a fork in the road, Charlotte and Maddy leave Scarlet on her own. However, Pam and Prue have come after Charlotte, and they meet up with Scarlet and help her to find Petula's soul by getting directions from Green Gary to the hospital intake office. Meanwhile, Damen is desperately trying to revive Scarlet, and he decides to take Petula to Homecoming in the hope of reanimating her, and therefore ending Scarlet's quest. Maddy and Charlotte follow as Maddy tries to convince Charlotte to possess Petula.

Just as Charlotte is about to complete the possession ritual, Scarlet, Pam and Prue arrive to stop her, and explain that Maddy is a murderous soul from hell attempting to turn Charlotte astray so she can "graduate" her own way. Charlotte explains that she had suspected Maddy the whole time, and had intentionally made Pam and Prue suspicious so that they could help her and Charlotte. Charlotte defeats Maddy, and reassures Scarlet that Damen is only helping Petula for Scarlet's sake.

The group find Petula's soul, just as Virginia dies, and Charlotte accompanies her to Dead Ed. Petula awakes at Homecoming, and Damen quickly leaves to find Scarlet at the hospital, where they reconcile. Charlotte returns to her job at the phone bank, and is finally accepted and reunited with her parents.