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Dead Girls Detective Agency #1
The Dead Girls Detective Agency
Pop quiz: What would you do if you had to solve your own murder to get anywhere in death?
Maybe if I hadn't slept through my alarm, slammed into Kristin (my high school's reigning mean girl) or stepped in a puddle, destroying my mom's new suede DVF boots (which I borrowed without asking), I wouldn't have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I wouldn't have been pushed in front of that arriving train. But I did, and I was.
When I came to, I was informed by a group of girls that I'm dead. And that because I died under mysterious circumstances, I can't pass straight over to the Other Side. But at least I'm not alone. Meet the Dead Girls Detective Agency: Nancy, Lorna, and Tess--not to mention Edison, the really cute if slightly hostile dead boy. Apparently, the only way out of this limbo is to figure out who killed me, or I'll have to spend eternity playing Nancy Drew. Considering I was fairly invisible in life, who could hate me enough to want me dead? And what if my murderer is someone I never would have suspected?
Maybe if I hadn't slept through my alarm, slammed into Kristin (my high school's reigning mean girl) or stepped in a puddle, destroying my mom's new suede DVF boots (which I borrowed without asking), I wouldn't have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I wouldn't have been pushed in front of that arriving train. But I did, and I was.
When I came to, I was informed by a group of girls that I'm dead. And that because I died under mysterious circumstances, I can't pass straight over to the Other Side. But at least I'm not alone. Meet the Dead Girls Detective Agency: Nancy, Lorna, and Tess--not to mention Edison, the really cute if slightly hostile dead boy. Apparently, the only way out of this limbo is to figure out who killed me, or I'll have to spend eternity playing Nancy Drew. Considering I was fairly invisible in life, who could hate me enough to want me dead? And what if my murderer is someone I never would have suspected?
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 18, 2012
88 people are currently reading
3190 people want to read
About the author
Suzy Cox
7 books46 followersSuzy Cox is deputy editor of Cosmopolitan UK. She lives in London, but she loves New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
September 30, 2012
As kind of gimmicky stories go, The Dead Girls Detective Agency is just the right mix of hilariously entertaining ghost caper and sassy investigative whodunit. Suzy Cox sure has a knack for writing appealing, snarky sleuths who can poke fun at their own deaths, but, at the end of the day, still get across that it is nevertheless a murder investigation. I don’t even think I cared about the problems with having dead people investigate their own murders, starting with, well, they’re dead, because, gosh, this book was so much fun.
I have to start my praise first and foremost with Charlotte Feldman, erstwhile subway rider and currently investigating her own murder, for making this book such a breezy read. The concept’s not hard to grasp - the book’s title alone gives away pretty much the entire setup, dead teen must solve her own murder before she can move on, but Charlotte mixes things up and makes it fun, starting from the very first scene describing her death. Obviously, being pushed off a subway platform, getting run over, and becoming one big red smear on the train tracks is really no laughing matter, but the way Charlotte goes on about things, even her presumed epitaph, “Here lies Charlotte Feldman. She pissed off commuters. A lot.” (because the police had to shut down the trains for two hours during rush hour, see?), those are the priceless things that makes what would otherwise be a dry and angsty book way fun to read about. Charlotte’s got the snark down pat through her introduction to the Detective Agency, learning the rules of the game (she has to figure out who murdered her before she can get the key to the Big Red Door and be let through to wherever ghosts go next), figuring the ins and outs of haunting, and plowing through the suspects (sometimes literally) until she hits the right one, so hers is a story that’s a lot of fun and never a bore to read even if it’s pretty basic when I really think about it.
Along the way, Charlotte’s helped by the other members of the Detective Agency, a trio of girls who definitely make her investigations way more interesting. Nancy’s the by the books Nancy Drew type while Lorna’s more fast and loose with the clues, but Charlotte, Nancy, and Lorna together, they have some pretty good back and forth banter that, while playing to various ghost stereotypes (yes, ghosts can’t imbibe ice cream as a comfort food or wear anything except the out of style clothes they were killed in, truly appalling), are still pretty darn funny when coming from those three, I swear. Not to mention various investigative antics *cough* possessions *cough* that deserve every single snicker I gave them. The only Agency member I wasn’t so sure about at first was Tess, who seemed like the stereotypical ice queen even though Cox drops a couple of hints that there’s way more to her story than meets the eye, and I only wish the big reveal with Tess’s backstory could’ve happened before the very last chapter because those last couple of details completely changed her character and now I’ll never get a true picture of her character, which is actually quite tragic, until any possible sequel.
The actual investigation, interestingly enough, isn’t the focus of the book until after the halfway point; until then Charlotte spends her time getting acclimated to her ghost status rather than pounding the pavement looking for clues or at suspects, although, like I said, Cox’s writing and Charlotte’s voice keeps the story flowing smoothly. If I had one complaint, it’s that Charlotte spends almost all her time either mostly fixated on her boyfriend David for er moving on too quickly after her death or occasionally on kind of stereotypical bad dude slash ghost Edison that she seems to find her murderer only by sheer coincidence because of the murderer’s connection to David rather than a lot of work on her part (don’t worry, that’s not really a spoiler, it’s not like the book gives any other avenues for possible motives for Charlotte’s murder). In other words, it’s always the person mentioned the least. Oh well, even if the investigation wasn’t really smart (and it’s smarter than what the police did, immediately ruling her death an accident) and Cox has to insist on a triangle, Charlotte and her investigative partners’ ghostly escapades entertain until the very last paragraph.
The takeaway I guess is that The Dead Girls Detective Agency is way more fun when it’s about the dead girls than when it’s about the detective agency. That’s not a bad thing though, not when there’s a sassy girl detective slash ghost on the loose.
I have to start my praise first and foremost with Charlotte Feldman, erstwhile subway rider and currently investigating her own murder, for making this book such a breezy read. The concept’s not hard to grasp - the book’s title alone gives away pretty much the entire setup, dead teen must solve her own murder before she can move on, but Charlotte mixes things up and makes it fun, starting from the very first scene describing her death. Obviously, being pushed off a subway platform, getting run over, and becoming one big red smear on the train tracks is really no laughing matter, but the way Charlotte goes on about things, even her presumed epitaph, “Here lies Charlotte Feldman. She pissed off commuters. A lot.” (because the police had to shut down the trains for two hours during rush hour, see?), those are the priceless things that makes what would otherwise be a dry and angsty book way fun to read about. Charlotte’s got the snark down pat through her introduction to the Detective Agency, learning the rules of the game (she has to figure out who murdered her before she can get the key to the Big Red Door and be let through to wherever ghosts go next), figuring the ins and outs of haunting, and plowing through the suspects (sometimes literally) until she hits the right one, so hers is a story that’s a lot of fun and never a bore to read even if it’s pretty basic when I really think about it.
Along the way, Charlotte’s helped by the other members of the Detective Agency, a trio of girls who definitely make her investigations way more interesting. Nancy’s the by the books Nancy Drew type while Lorna’s more fast and loose with the clues, but Charlotte, Nancy, and Lorna together, they have some pretty good back and forth banter that, while playing to various ghost stereotypes (yes, ghosts can’t imbibe ice cream as a comfort food or wear anything except the out of style clothes they were killed in, truly appalling), are still pretty darn funny when coming from those three, I swear. Not to mention various investigative antics *cough* possessions *cough* that deserve every single snicker I gave them. The only Agency member I wasn’t so sure about at first was Tess, who seemed like the stereotypical ice queen even though Cox drops a couple of hints that there’s way more to her story than meets the eye, and I only wish the big reveal with Tess’s backstory could’ve happened before the very last chapter because those last couple of details completely changed her character and now I’ll never get a true picture of her character, which is actually quite tragic, until any possible sequel.
The actual investigation, interestingly enough, isn’t the focus of the book until after the halfway point; until then Charlotte spends her time getting acclimated to her ghost status rather than pounding the pavement looking for clues or at suspects, although, like I said, Cox’s writing and Charlotte’s voice keeps the story flowing smoothly. If I had one complaint, it’s that Charlotte spends almost all her time either mostly fixated on her boyfriend David for er moving on too quickly after her death or occasionally on kind of stereotypical bad dude slash ghost Edison that she seems to find her murderer only by sheer coincidence because of the murderer’s connection to David rather than a lot of work on her part (don’t worry, that’s not really a spoiler, it’s not like the book gives any other avenues for possible motives for Charlotte’s murder). In other words, it’s always the person mentioned the least. Oh well, even if the investigation wasn’t really smart (and it’s smarter than what the police did, immediately ruling her death an accident) and Cox has to insist on a triangle, Charlotte and her investigative partners’ ghostly escapades entertain until the very last paragraph.
The takeaway I guess is that The Dead Girls Detective Agency is way more fun when it’s about the dead girls than when it’s about the detective agency. That’s not a bad thing though, not when there’s a sassy girl detective slash ghost on the loose.
September 30, 2012
This and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes
Cover Impressions: This cover feels very contemporary fiction to me. There is nothing about the cover image that feels supernatural and only the title hints at the paranormal elements that are crucial to the story. I do not feel this one would stand out on a shelf.
The Gist: Having been pushed in front of a subway, Charlotte wakes to find herself in a swanky hotel and in the company of the Dead Girls Detective Agency. Together they must find Charlotte's murderer in order to give her a chance to move on.
Review: This was a very tough read for me and I am surprised that I managed to make it to the end. The Dead Girls Detective Agency had a fun and interesting premise, but the writing, characters and plot were lackluster at best.
From the very first chapter, this novel featured A LOT of dialogue. I get it, Charlotte had to be introduced into this new world and some groundwork had to be laid. However, there had to be a way to accomplish this that did not involve pages and pages of info-dumping with very little in the way of comic relief and no action whatsoever. For the first half of the book, we are forced to endure endless explanations of the rules. What the rules are, who made the rules, how to bend the rules, what happens when you break the rules. This is interrupted occasionally while Charlotte moons over the boyfriend that she left behind, realizes that he is a selfish twit, and then is informed by her ghost-mates that she gets 9 chances to break the rules - so let's go have some fun! Seriously? All that time spent building the world around these rules and then we frivilously toss them out the window so that we can drop in on Beyonce and Jay-Z? That feels cheap to me and makes me angry that I had to sit through Ghost 101 when none of it actually mattered.
The writing featured a great deal of teen-speak that did not feel genuine. In all my years of teaching, I have never heard an actual, honest-to-goodness teenager use an acronym in a sentence. Yet, these teens drop OMG's like a middle-aged parent trying to be "cool" with their kid's friends. The author also chose to engage in one of my serious pet peeves in YA: name-dropping. I know it is tempting. You want your book to be relevant, you want your readers to be able to relate to the characters: "She likes Simple Plan? OMG! I love Simple Plan - we could be BFF's!!" In reality, in stinks of desperation.
The plot of The Dead Girls Detective Agency crawled. I found myself skimming pages, just waiting to get to some action. There were some higher points, like when the girls possessed the cheerleaders (aptly named the Tornahos) but even those did not live up the the potential for hilarity. There was very little in the way of action. We had a few tense moments where the killer is revealed and a few more when Tess and Edison's connection is revealed. I was pretty disappointed at the choice of murderer. I am never a fan when the killer is revealed as being someone to whom we are barely introduced and, in this case, doesn't even warrant a name.
Despite my obvious issues with plot and writing, Cox could have pulled me back in with some kick-ass characters. Alas, this was not the case. The characters felt very cookie-cutter to me: the sweet one, the nerdy one, the fashionista, the bitch, the slutty cheerleaders, the sleazy ex-boyfriend, the new love interest. All of them acted as expected. They didn't do anything exciting and they didn't have any clever, funny or interesting dialogue. Charlotte was incredibly boring, naive and gullible. I was also bothered by the fact that she described herself as a prolific reader - yet she didn't speak like one. At one point she even says "And one time, she helped me with a Shakespeare assignment, because I'd just finished reading Harry Potter and kept getting confused between Halmet and Hagrid and it was completely messing up my essay on why he had issues." Seriously? You claim to read a vast and varied array of books and yet you have trouble distinguishing between two characters? I just couldn't relate to a girl that 1) dumped her best friend the minute she found a boyfriend 2) talked about the boyfriend non-stop for the majority of the book and 3) didn't use her special new ghostly powers to do some serious damage to the slutty cheerleaders and the boyfriend who hooked up with three of them within a few days of her funeral.
The Dead Girls Detective Agency just didn't work for me. I was expecting a fluffy and humorous read, but this one just didn't have enough substance to hold it together.
Teaching/Parental Notes:
Age: 16 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing, talk of "hooking up"
Violence: Murder - pushed in front of a subway
Inappropriate Language: Bitch, Pissed, Ho, Asshole, Slut, Whore
Substance Use/Abuse: None
Cover Impressions: This cover feels very contemporary fiction to me. There is nothing about the cover image that feels supernatural and only the title hints at the paranormal elements that are crucial to the story. I do not feel this one would stand out on a shelf.
The Gist: Having been pushed in front of a subway, Charlotte wakes to find herself in a swanky hotel and in the company of the Dead Girls Detective Agency. Together they must find Charlotte's murderer in order to give her a chance to move on.
Review: This was a very tough read for me and I am surprised that I managed to make it to the end. The Dead Girls Detective Agency had a fun and interesting premise, but the writing, characters and plot were lackluster at best.
From the very first chapter, this novel featured A LOT of dialogue. I get it, Charlotte had to be introduced into this new world and some groundwork had to be laid. However, there had to be a way to accomplish this that did not involve pages and pages of info-dumping with very little in the way of comic relief and no action whatsoever. For the first half of the book, we are forced to endure endless explanations of the rules. What the rules are, who made the rules, how to bend the rules, what happens when you break the rules. This is interrupted occasionally while Charlotte moons over the boyfriend that she left behind, realizes that he is a selfish twit, and then is informed by her ghost-mates that she gets 9 chances to break the rules - so let's go have some fun! Seriously? All that time spent building the world around these rules and then we frivilously toss them out the window so that we can drop in on Beyonce and Jay-Z? That feels cheap to me and makes me angry that I had to sit through Ghost 101 when none of it actually mattered.
The writing featured a great deal of teen-speak that did not feel genuine. In all my years of teaching, I have never heard an actual, honest-to-goodness teenager use an acronym in a sentence. Yet, these teens drop OMG's like a middle-aged parent trying to be "cool" with their kid's friends. The author also chose to engage in one of my serious pet peeves in YA: name-dropping. I know it is tempting. You want your book to be relevant, you want your readers to be able to relate to the characters: "She likes Simple Plan? OMG! I love Simple Plan - we could be BFF's!!" In reality, in stinks of desperation.
The plot of The Dead Girls Detective Agency crawled. I found myself skimming pages, just waiting to get to some action. There were some higher points, like when the girls possessed the cheerleaders (aptly named the Tornahos) but even those did not live up the the potential for hilarity. There was very little in the way of action. We had a few tense moments where the killer is revealed and a few more when Tess and Edison's connection is revealed. I was pretty disappointed at the choice of murderer. I am never a fan when the killer is revealed as being someone to whom we are barely introduced and, in this case, doesn't even warrant a name.
Despite my obvious issues with plot and writing, Cox could have pulled me back in with some kick-ass characters. Alas, this was not the case. The characters felt very cookie-cutter to me: the sweet one, the nerdy one, the fashionista, the bitch, the slutty cheerleaders, the sleazy ex-boyfriend, the new love interest. All of them acted as expected. They didn't do anything exciting and they didn't have any clever, funny or interesting dialogue. Charlotte was incredibly boring, naive and gullible. I was also bothered by the fact that she described herself as a prolific reader - yet she didn't speak like one. At one point she even says "And one time, she helped me with a Shakespeare assignment, because I'd just finished reading Harry Potter and kept getting confused between Halmet and Hagrid and it was completely messing up my essay on why he had issues." Seriously? You claim to read a vast and varied array of books and yet you have trouble distinguishing between two characters? I just couldn't relate to a girl that 1) dumped her best friend the minute she found a boyfriend 2) talked about the boyfriend non-stop for the majority of the book and 3) didn't use her special new ghostly powers to do some serious damage to the slutty cheerleaders and the boyfriend who hooked up with three of them within a few days of her funeral.
The Dead Girls Detective Agency just didn't work for me. I was expecting a fluffy and humorous read, but this one just didn't have enough substance to hold it together.
Teaching/Parental Notes:
Age: 16 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing, talk of "hooking up"
Violence: Murder - pushed in front of a subway
Inappropriate Language: Bitch, Pissed, Ho, Asshole, Slut, Whore
Substance Use/Abuse: None
November 22, 2012
I traded for this book in hopes of getting a quick, hilarious read with an interesting concept. Well, the read is quick...the book has a very interesting and unique concept...but the plot felt flat and I don't have many things I enjoyed. In my opinion, the hardest type of review to write is one for a book you really didn't like. I sit here wanting to be honest with you, but it's hard to highlight the positive points without dwelling on the negatives. So I'm going to try to make this a simpler review, but elaborate on my qualms and share what I adored.
The plot in this one was set up for so many amazing things, though it did fall flat. One day Charlotte was murdered, pushed in front of a train on the subway train track. She then woke up in some type of limbo for murdered teens in New York City where she meets the Dead Girls Detective Agency--Lorna, Nancy, Tess, and supposedly Edison. She can't move on and leave limbo until she solves her murder and gets the key to her freedom, so she embarks on a twisted journey to find her murderer--one the most unsuspecting characters ever.
However, I have to say that the plot was hindered by a lack of humor and odd characterizing. This book was littered with jokes to lighten to the mood of death, but they all fell flat to me. I could see the jokes so obviously there, but the only reaction they were able to solicit from me was the occasional eye roll or the need to just ignore it and keep going. I feel as if the humor was geared more towards a younger teenage who thinks weird sayings and cheesy sarcasm is hilarious. The lack of humor made the book slightly morbid at times because the humor was supposed to override the team of death and it didn't.
Next, the characterization. For the life of me, I could not connect to Charlotte. I didn't agree with her decisions, her thought processes seemed skewed and slightly batty, and I just didn't like her. While Lorna and Nancy were somewhat entertaining every now and then, they couldn't make up for my dislike of Charlotte. I also really didn't like her ex-boyfriend. Truth is, if you love someone who is murdered, you don't go and hook up with half of the cheer-leading squad just because you don't know what to do and they pay a lot of attention to you. He was not a respectable character at all and more often than not, I just wanted to get rid of him.
And I have trouble grasping the motivation for the murderer. We spend the entire book trying to figure out who it is, and while I was shocked because it was the last person I expected, I hated the motivation to take someone's life. It was messed up, to put it honestly. I know you have to be a little messed up in the head to want to murder someone, but this was just a petty excuse that should never lead to murder. I was slightly angered after reading this part of the book because it was so insane. The big climatic moment fell flat because there was no logic in it.
Sitting here reflecting on the book, I think that one of the reasons that I had all of these problems was the writing. It didn't seem that complex. It was very simple, and while I like simple, too simple can sometimes be bad. I feel like more description and attention to detail regarding emotions and descriptions may have allowed me to enjoy this book slightly more than I did. I wish that the creativity behind the plot could have been handled in such a way to create a stronger story with more likable and respectable characters.
The plot in this one was set up for so many amazing things, though it did fall flat. One day Charlotte was murdered, pushed in front of a train on the subway train track. She then woke up in some type of limbo for murdered teens in New York City where she meets the Dead Girls Detective Agency--Lorna, Nancy, Tess, and supposedly Edison. She can't move on and leave limbo until she solves her murder and gets the key to her freedom, so she embarks on a twisted journey to find her murderer--one the most unsuspecting characters ever.
However, I have to say that the plot was hindered by a lack of humor and odd characterizing. This book was littered with jokes to lighten to the mood of death, but they all fell flat to me. I could see the jokes so obviously there, but the only reaction they were able to solicit from me was the occasional eye roll or the need to just ignore it and keep going. I feel as if the humor was geared more towards a younger teenage who thinks weird sayings and cheesy sarcasm is hilarious. The lack of humor made the book slightly morbid at times because the humor was supposed to override the team of death and it didn't.
Next, the characterization. For the life of me, I could not connect to Charlotte. I didn't agree with her decisions, her thought processes seemed skewed and slightly batty, and I just didn't like her. While Lorna and Nancy were somewhat entertaining every now and then, they couldn't make up for my dislike of Charlotte. I also really didn't like her ex-boyfriend. Truth is, if you love someone who is murdered, you don't go and hook up with half of the cheer-leading squad just because you don't know what to do and they pay a lot of attention to you. He was not a respectable character at all and more often than not, I just wanted to get rid of him.
And I have trouble grasping the motivation for the murderer. We spend the entire book trying to figure out who it is, and while I was shocked because it was the last person I expected, I hated the motivation to take someone's life. It was messed up, to put it honestly. I know you have to be a little messed up in the head to want to murder someone, but this was just a petty excuse that should never lead to murder. I was slightly angered after reading this part of the book because it was so insane. The big climatic moment fell flat because there was no logic in it.
Sitting here reflecting on the book, I think that one of the reasons that I had all of these problems was the writing. It didn't seem that complex. It was very simple, and while I like simple, too simple can sometimes be bad. I feel like more description and attention to detail regarding emotions and descriptions may have allowed me to enjoy this book slightly more than I did. I wish that the creativity behind the plot could have been handled in such a way to create a stronger story with more likable and respectable characters.
April 28, 2014
(Source: I own a copy of this book.)
Charlotte is dead, but who pushed her?
I thought this would be good. It wasn’t.
The characters in this were all pretty annoying. They were juvenile, they cared more about shoes than catching killers, and why on earth so many people liked the conceited ape that was David I do not know!
The storyline was also pretty juvenile, and I just could not get into it. I was bored, the things people said were cringe-worthy, and getting to the end was just torture.
The romance was ridiculous, with everybody trying to get with Charlotte’s ex-boyfriend David, and I just didn’t like it.
The ending was also just dull, and quite ridiculous also.
Overall; not impressed,
4.5 out of 10.
Charlotte is dead, but who pushed her?
I thought this would be good. It wasn’t.
The characters in this were all pretty annoying. They were juvenile, they cared more about shoes than catching killers, and why on earth so many people liked the conceited ape that was David I do not know!
The storyline was also pretty juvenile, and I just could not get into it. I was bored, the things people said were cringe-worthy, and getting to the end was just torture.
The romance was ridiculous, with everybody trying to get with Charlotte’s ex-boyfriend David, and I just didn’t like it.
The ending was also just dull, and quite ridiculous also.
Overall; not impressed,
4.5 out of 10.
September 19, 2015
This was a cute but interesting read. I didn't guess who done it, because I think it had an interesting twist that you wouldn't necessarily see coming.
The only thing I grumbled at was Charlotte's reaction to the living. I don't think she had a right to be mad....
But the detective agency was interesting, their rules for the living vs the dead and what they could do were fun to read. all in all, I enjoyed it.
The only thing I grumbled at was Charlotte's reaction to the living. I don't think she had a right to be mad....
But the detective agency was interesting, their rules for the living vs the dead and what they could do were fun to read. all in all, I enjoyed it.
June 30, 2012
This review is also available over at my blog.
__________________________
There's nothing like a fluffy and hilarious read to boost my mood.
The Attesa hotel is a place where teens in the New York City area who have died in mysterious circumstances─usually murder─find themselves ending up in. There, they need to figure out who exactly killed them and therefore obtaining a Key that they'll have to use to unlock the Big Red Door that will allow them to pass on to the next life. When Charlotte Feldman ends up there, she meets other teen girls that are also dead. Nancy (the brainy and responsible one), Lorna (the girl obsessed with anything fashion-related) and Tess (the cold and sarcastic one). They call themselves the Dead Girls Detective Agency. Also lurking around is Edison─the boy with intentions that Charlotte can't seem to figure out. With their help, Charlotte adjusts to her new afterlife and is intent on finding out who her killer is.
It was easy for me to like Charlotte. She was funny and overall very likable. When she was still alive, Charlotte had a boyfriend, David, who she was with for quite a long time. David seemed to be the nice guy and Charlotte had thought that he was her soulmate. But after her death, David is suddenly getting the attention of the popular girls in their school, and Charlotte is furious to find that he soaks up their attention and is using the "broken-hearted boy" act to his advantage. During this time, I was glad that Charlotte didn't mope around and cry all the time. She got over him pretty quickly, actually, and had no trouble seeing him for what he really is: a class-A jerk.
The actual love interest in this book, Edison, well . . . I don't really have much to say about him. He appeared to be your typical brooding bad boy at the start, but I guess he sweetened up eventually. You don't really see much of their romance. They do kiss at one point─very far into the book, thank god─but Charlotte didn't seem to be all that smitten with him, which I think is a good thing.
This book made me laugh out loud several times. The murder mystery element was okay. It wasn't exactly all that exciting, but I did enjoy some parts of it. When it was revealed who was the murderer, I'll admit it was a bit too unexpected. It was actually someone that I think only appeared in one scene of the book. Like, literally, one scene.
As for the ending, the final chapter, it was really irritating. All these bombs started dropping and made me frown and go "Wait, is this really the last chapter?" more than once. It didn't end with a cliffhanger exactly, but it was a very very very open ending. This better be a series or I'm going to flip out. It would be too evil for the author to just leave the book there and not write a sequel.
All in all, this was a pretty funny and fluffy ghost book, with a little bit of murder mystery added into it. I would definitely recommend it.
A review copy of this book was sent to me by HarperCollins via Edelweiss. Many thank you's!
__________________________
There's nothing like a fluffy and hilarious read to boost my mood.
The Attesa hotel is a place where teens in the New York City area who have died in mysterious circumstances─usually murder─find themselves ending up in. There, they need to figure out who exactly killed them and therefore obtaining a Key that they'll have to use to unlock the Big Red Door that will allow them to pass on to the next life. When Charlotte Feldman ends up there, she meets other teen girls that are also dead. Nancy (the brainy and responsible one), Lorna (the girl obsessed with anything fashion-related) and Tess (the cold and sarcastic one). They call themselves the Dead Girls Detective Agency. Also lurking around is Edison─the boy with intentions that Charlotte can't seem to figure out. With their help, Charlotte adjusts to her new afterlife and is intent on finding out who her killer is.
It was easy for me to like Charlotte. She was funny and overall very likable. When she was still alive, Charlotte had a boyfriend, David, who she was with for quite a long time. David seemed to be the nice guy and Charlotte had thought that he was her soulmate. But after her death, David is suddenly getting the attention of the popular girls in their school, and Charlotte is furious to find that he soaks up their attention and is using the "broken-hearted boy" act to his advantage. During this time, I was glad that Charlotte didn't mope around and cry all the time. She got over him pretty quickly, actually, and had no trouble seeing him for what he really is: a class-A jerk.
The actual love interest in this book, Edison, well . . . I don't really have much to say about him. He appeared to be your typical brooding bad boy at the start, but I guess he sweetened up eventually. You don't really see much of their romance. They do kiss at one point─very far into the book, thank god─but Charlotte didn't seem to be all that smitten with him, which I think is a good thing.
This book made me laugh out loud several times. The murder mystery element was okay. It wasn't exactly all that exciting, but I did enjoy some parts of it. When it was revealed who was the murderer, I'll admit it was a bit too unexpected. It was actually someone that I think only appeared in one scene of the book. Like, literally, one scene.
As for the ending, the final chapter, it was really irritating. All these bombs started dropping and made me frown and go "Wait, is this really the last chapter?" more than once. It didn't end with a cliffhanger exactly, but it was a very very very open ending. This better be a series or I'm going to flip out. It would be too evil for the author to just leave the book there and not write a sequel.
All in all, this was a pretty funny and fluffy ghost book, with a little bit of murder mystery added into it. I would definitely recommend it.
A review copy of this book was sent to me by HarperCollins via Edelweiss. Many thank you's!
July 9, 2012
Although I’m repeating myself. I am not a big fan of Ghost Stories, however this synopsis totally grabbed me and I was eager to dig into this mystery/ghost story… and I wasn’t disappointed!
Charlotte – suddenly dead. But how?!
It was easy to get hooked right from the start. Charlotte’s voice was light and had the perfect amount of humor to make me smile despite the fact that she just died! Truly, Charlotte was a great main character I loved her witty personality and her eagerness to make the best out of her new situation.
One might think that the story holds a touch of sadness, since we begin with Charlotte dying! But, this is not the case and made me even like the story so much more. It’s definitely not an issue book, and rather a fun, light story of a girl finding her murderer, dealing with an (ex-) boyfriend and new mysterious boy and the her new (also dead) friends.
Flashed out secondary characters and a cute concept!
Imagine a (not to be seen) hotel full of teenage girls, all ghosts and all trying to uncover the truth behind the latest murderer. Each of the girls from the agency had their own distinct character and together they had everything from bouncy, cute, eager and .. too eager! Seeing those different girls forming a bond over the common dead/ghost status was cute and added to the overall enjoyment of the story!
Suspenseful! Murder! Mystery! A cheating Boyfriend and a new hotness on the horizon…
The story itself was absolutely great and there was never a moment of boredom! From finding Charlotte’s murders to learning what a Ghost can do, do Charlotte’s ex-boyfriends, the story was resourceful and diversified! Then there is Ed – the only boy among the girls and he’s mysterious and it’s hard to get is personality and agenda. This is also the only complain I have – I would have loved to get deeper into his personality but I am sure this is yet to come in the upcoming sequel.
Also, the latest twist was nice but could have been flashed out a little more!
Bottom Line
Cute, Entertaining, Fun and a suspenseful mystery filled with great Characters and a starring genuine heroine makes this book to a cute page-turner. The Dead Girls Agency is an awesome kick off into a new series that will get a place on my reading pile when I’m looking for a light and fun distraction!
Charlotte – suddenly dead. But how?!
It was easy to get hooked right from the start. Charlotte’s voice was light and had the perfect amount of humor to make me smile despite the fact that she just died! Truly, Charlotte was a great main character I loved her witty personality and her eagerness to make the best out of her new situation.
One might think that the story holds a touch of sadness, since we begin with Charlotte dying! But, this is not the case and made me even like the story so much more. It’s definitely not an issue book, and rather a fun, light story of a girl finding her murderer, dealing with an (ex-) boyfriend and new mysterious boy and the her new (also dead) friends.
Flashed out secondary characters and a cute concept!
Imagine a (not to be seen) hotel full of teenage girls, all ghosts and all trying to uncover the truth behind the latest murderer. Each of the girls from the agency had their own distinct character and together they had everything from bouncy, cute, eager and .. too eager! Seeing those different girls forming a bond over the common dead/ghost status was cute and added to the overall enjoyment of the story!
Suspenseful! Murder! Mystery! A cheating Boyfriend and a new hotness on the horizon…
The story itself was absolutely great and there was never a moment of boredom! From finding Charlotte’s murders to learning what a Ghost can do, do Charlotte’s ex-boyfriends, the story was resourceful and diversified! Then there is Ed – the only boy among the girls and he’s mysterious and it’s hard to get is personality and agenda. This is also the only complain I have – I would have loved to get deeper into his personality but I am sure this is yet to come in the upcoming sequel.
Also, the latest twist was nice but could have been flashed out a little more!
Bottom Line
Cute, Entertaining, Fun and a suspenseful mystery filled with great Characters and a starring genuine heroine makes this book to a cute page-turner. The Dead Girls Agency is an awesome kick off into a new series that will get a place on my reading pile when I’m looking for a light and fun distraction!
April 9, 2014
Overall I enjoyed this book. But I had to take it for what it is, a light hearted book aimed at teenagers. If I tried to take it too seriously I would have become disappointed. It was a fun read the story line kept me guessing. I had no clue as to who the murderer was, and how could I? I liked the rules that were laid down and how they banded together to solve murders. But if it was me and I had died, I honestly do not think that would be my reaction. Tess goes to show that bitterness and resentment do not disappear after death.
So there’s Geeky girl -Nancy, is really keen to do the whole detective thing, remind you of Nancy Drew? Then there’s the cheerleader who wasn’t a cheerleader- Lorna, I got confused myself, but I did like how she was a lot smarter than she looked, people underestimated her. The mean girl – Tess, what more can I say, she is a piece of work. Then comes the love interest – Edison, he is an enigma, what is he after?
I only left it a week (busy, busy) to write the review, and I am struggling, sorry.
So if you like books that are a good laugh and maybe make you question how you treat people in life, this is one for you.
4 stars out of 5
So there’s Geeky girl -Nancy, is really keen to do the whole detective thing, remind you of Nancy Drew? Then there’s the cheerleader who wasn’t a cheerleader- Lorna, I got confused myself, but I did like how she was a lot smarter than she looked, people underestimated her. The mean girl – Tess, what more can I say, she is a piece of work. Then comes the love interest – Edison, he is an enigma, what is he after?
I only left it a week (busy, busy) to write the review, and I am struggling, sorry.
So if you like books that are a good laugh and maybe make you question how you treat people in life, this is one for you.
4 stars out of 5
curious
September 21, 2012BEFORE THE BOOK HAS BEEN READ!!! A pre-review!
Ohhhhhhhh-kay, that seems interesting. The blurb . . . kinda attracted me in.
I mean the blurb had voice!!
Look, I'm SOOOOO tired of overly dramatic blurbs that go something like
Princess Shaloobaloo is a very beautiful pretty-pretty princess. One day, on an adventure to the magical kingdom, she meets a beautiful prince. But the prince has a dark secret, and no one knows it. It's Princess Shaloobaloo's job to stalk the prince to find out! But what will she find out?
Will it destroy her? Will it eat all of her insides and turn her into gooey mush?
URRRGH. Sure, that gets me "excited" to read the book, but usually, when I read books with those kinds of blurbs, the insides of the books have that same kind of melodramatic writing, too. (*eyeroll)
But I'll be expecting ACTUAL EXCITEMENT from this book! I'm on a ninjetic search for voice, originality, and a smile!!!
Ohhhhhhhh-kay, that seems interesting. The blurb . . . kinda attracted me in.
I mean the blurb had voice!!
Look, I'm SOOOOO tired of overly dramatic blurbs that go something like
Princess Shaloobaloo is a very beautiful pretty-pretty princess. One day, on an adventure to the magical kingdom, she meets a beautiful prince. But the prince has a dark secret, and no one knows it. It's Princess Shaloobaloo's job to stalk the prince to find out! But what will she find out?
Will it destroy her? Will it eat all of her insides and turn her into gooey mush?
URRRGH. Sure, that gets me "excited" to read the book, but usually, when I read books with those kinds of blurbs, the insides of the books have that same kind of melodramatic writing, too. (*eyeroll)
But I'll be expecting ACTUAL EXCITEMENT from this book! I'm on a ninjetic search for voice, originality, and a smile!!!
April 28, 2014
The Dead Girls Detective Agency looked good, but i quickly realized it was aimed at the younger side of YA.
The characters were all really annoying, so i didn't like any of them.
They all tried really hard to be funny, but everything they said just made me cringe.
The character that i hated the most was Charlotte.
She wouldn't shut up about her boyfriend in the beginning, even though she mentioned not long before that she hated those kind of girls. She still went on about him throughout the story, and it got old really fast.
I was not impressed with the ending at all. It was absolutely rubbish!
Overall, boring, annoying and had a rubbish ending.
I probably would have liked it more if i was 5 years younger.
The characters were all really annoying, so i didn't like any of them.
They all tried really hard to be funny, but everything they said just made me cringe.
The character that i hated the most was Charlotte.
She wouldn't shut up about her boyfriend in the beginning, even though she mentioned not long before that she hated those kind of girls. She still went on about him throughout the story, and it got old really fast.
I was not impressed with the ending at all. It was absolutely rubbish!
Overall, boring, annoying and had a rubbish ending.
I probably would have liked it more if i was 5 years younger.
September 11, 2021
Great!
The story is pretty exciting, and I can see myself rereading it! Great choice if you want to read something THAT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR RAYA?
IT HAS GHOSTS AND SUPERPOWERS
SHORT, FAST PACES GREAT. DARKER THAN THE COVER SHOWS BUT NOT A SERIAL KILLER KIDNAPPING STORY WITH DRUGS AND MAFIA OKAY RAYA
Thank you bye its an awesome book
The story is pretty exciting, and I can see myself rereading it! Great choice if you want to read something THAT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR RAYA?
IT HAS GHOSTS AND SUPERPOWERS
SHORT, FAST PACES GREAT. DARKER THAN THE COVER SHOWS BUT NOT A SERIAL KILLER KIDNAPPING STORY WITH DRUGS AND MAFIA OKAY RAYA
Thank you bye its an awesome book
April 12, 2012
"Nancy Drew" meets "Pretty Little Liars" in this fun, frothy debut - here's hoping it's a series!
March 29, 2023
This book made me feel like I was in high school again. I enjoyed the story and all the characters. I really thought I had it figured out and was proven wrong. Now I need to search for the 2nd book.
I would recommend this book to someone who is just getting into mystery books.
I would recommend this book to someone who is just getting into mystery books.
Read
January 29, 2022It was a gripping read and the ending although you would not expect it, was a little disappointing. Definitely read if you are into murder and mystery.
December 21, 2024
bugyuta as fuck
November 29, 2012
For a book about being dead, The Dead Girl’s Detective Agency sure is funny. Charlotte’s voice is awesome. I just want to hang out with her and talk about everything under the sun. But Charlotte’s a little busy, of course- solving her own murder. With a hook like that, I was sold.
Now, obviously, the plot would have to live up to my expectations. Did it? (Just look at the stars at the top of page.)
It’s a tall order to write a book about a girl who recently finds out she’s dead and keep it from being too emo depressing. But again, Charlotte is fun and funny, and it’s her attitude and the absurdity of the situation that keep it light and comical. And it’s a hoot, frankly.
Edison it totally fun too. He’s dark and dangerous, and all the not-allowed ghost stuff they do is tremendously entertaining. He is also delightfully swoon-worthy. (SPOILER) was an appropriate skeeze. Tess was an excellent foil. And Nancy and Lorna were so adorable and charming that I want them to be my friends.
And then there were the parts that weren’t entertaining, but were sad. In a good way. I was a little wary of how such a lighthearted narrator would tackle the weightier parts of death, but I have to say they worked. I actually teared up during a scene in which Charlotte observes her best friend. It was probably a smart choice not to deal too much with Charlotte’s parents, as that would have gotten WAY too heavy and I would have bawled. Every time they were mentioned, though, it was pretty affecting. I love how Charlotte, despite being dead, is able to mature from a slightly patronizing but likable hipster girl to someone a bit more grounded. All it took was being brutally murdered.
I had a minor complaint about some of the high school clichés, particularly the cheerleaders. While they made formidable villains, they were not particularly original, though sometimes that was amusing. They almost became a parody of themselves, which sort of fit in with the tone of the book. And they were admittedly hilarious. But at least the most important part- the ending, the revealing of the murderer- was something I didn’t see it coming. I enjoyed the murderer reveal, though I have a few spoiler-y quibbles I won’t get into. Mostly, I wish the motive for the murder had had more to do with Charlotte herself, rather than those around her.
Another tiny nit-picky still-loved-the-book-beyond-words-but-this-really-irked-me thing was the time Charlotte’s high school started. Yes, I'm anal like that. But any high school where you stroll on in at 9 am is my kind of high school. Meaning I’m not really sure it exists. And if it does, then that’s so not fair.
But seriously, I read this book straight through, laughing uproariously the whole time. I definitely recommend it for a fun romantic romp through the afterlife, full of heart, spunk, and charm. There's no doubt that I'll read what Suzy Cox writes next.
Originally posted at Writer of Wrongs
Now, obviously, the plot would have to live up to my expectations. Did it? (Just look at the stars at the top of page.)
It’s a tall order to write a book about a girl who recently finds out she’s dead and keep it from being too emo depressing. But again, Charlotte is fun and funny, and it’s her attitude and the absurdity of the situation that keep it light and comical. And it’s a hoot, frankly.
Edison it totally fun too. He’s dark and dangerous, and all the not-allowed ghost stuff they do is tremendously entertaining. He is also delightfully swoon-worthy. (SPOILER) was an appropriate skeeze. Tess was an excellent foil. And Nancy and Lorna were so adorable and charming that I want them to be my friends.
And then there were the parts that weren’t entertaining, but were sad. In a good way. I was a little wary of how such a lighthearted narrator would tackle the weightier parts of death, but I have to say they worked. I actually teared up during a scene in which Charlotte observes her best friend. It was probably a smart choice not to deal too much with Charlotte’s parents, as that would have gotten WAY too heavy and I would have bawled. Every time they were mentioned, though, it was pretty affecting. I love how Charlotte, despite being dead, is able to mature from a slightly patronizing but likable hipster girl to someone a bit more grounded. All it took was being brutally murdered.
I had a minor complaint about some of the high school clichés, particularly the cheerleaders. While they made formidable villains, they were not particularly original, though sometimes that was amusing. They almost became a parody of themselves, which sort of fit in with the tone of the book. And they were admittedly hilarious. But at least the most important part- the ending, the revealing of the murderer- was something I didn’t see it coming. I enjoyed the murderer reveal, though I have a few spoiler-y quibbles I won’t get into. Mostly, I wish the motive for the murder had had more to do with Charlotte herself, rather than those around her.
Another tiny nit-picky still-loved-the-book-beyond-words-but-this-really-irked-me thing was the time Charlotte’s high school started. Yes, I'm anal like that. But any high school where you stroll on in at 9 am is my kind of high school. Meaning I’m not really sure it exists. And if it does, then that’s so not fair.
But seriously, I read this book straight through, laughing uproariously the whole time. I definitely recommend it for a fun romantic romp through the afterlife, full of heart, spunk, and charm. There's no doubt that I'll read what Suzy Cox writes next.
Originally posted at Writer of Wrongs
October 19, 2012
This book was okay… that’s it.The Dead Girls Detective Agency could have been really good if not for a few flaws that really bothered me.
The characters were all stereotypes and when I say everyone I mean everyone even the characters that do not even play a big role in the story. I admit Nancy and Lorna were fun characters and I did enjoy reading about them even though they did not have any character development or much depth. Tess(the mean girl) is my second favorite character as she had development and depth. I felt for her and sympathised with her. Edison was a pretty good character to but sometimes I just felt he was there just so Charlotte could have a boyfriend. Charlotte the protagonist of The Dead Girl Detective Agency annoyed me…a lot. She did have her moments but her obsession with her boyfriend bothered me to the point I felt like jumping into the book and shake her for bit. Not ounce did she ever go see her parents, and only ounce did she actually check on her living friend Ali. I thought she was very judgmental and just plain bratty. My first favorite character in the book was the murderer of Charlotte. I do not know why but I felt more sorry for the crazy killer than all the other characters combined.
The story would have been good if there was more investigating than teen drama. I am okay with drama in a story but The Dead Girls Detective Agency made me feel like I was just watching some show about a girl spying on her boyfriend awhile said boyfriend is getting with other girls. The story did take off near the end of the middle part of the book(this saved the book from being a one star). The mystery took off and I started to feel excited as I was about to learn who was the murderer. The killer was someone you would never suspect and I was really impressed with the author when the killer was revealed. My conclusion: story was jut okay.
The writing was really bad in my opinion. When reading this book I was getting very irritated with all the acronyms and abbreviations. Nobody I know speaks using OMG, OMFG, and obv. In my experience they say the whole word or sentence. The dialogue felt forced most of the time and the “funny moments” were never that funny. Sometimes the book could have a really good and emotional moment but then some “funny line” would come in and ruin the moment.
So The Dead Girls Detective Agency was just not my cup of tea.
I give The Dead Girls Detective Agency 2 out of 5 Stars
You can find this review on my blog: http://lalovelystories.wordpress.com/
The characters were all stereotypes and when I say everyone I mean everyone even the characters that do not even play a big role in the story. I admit Nancy and Lorna were fun characters and I did enjoy reading about them even though they did not have any character development or much depth. Tess(the mean girl) is my second favorite character as she had development and depth. I felt for her and sympathised with her. Edison was a pretty good character to but sometimes I just felt he was there just so Charlotte could have a boyfriend. Charlotte the protagonist of The Dead Girl Detective Agency annoyed me…a lot. She did have her moments but her obsession with her boyfriend bothered me to the point I felt like jumping into the book and shake her for bit. Not ounce did she ever go see her parents, and only ounce did she actually check on her living friend Ali. I thought she was very judgmental and just plain bratty. My first favorite character in the book was the murderer of Charlotte. I do not know why but I felt more sorry for the crazy killer than all the other characters combined.
The story would have been good if there was more investigating than teen drama. I am okay with drama in a story but The Dead Girls Detective Agency made me feel like I was just watching some show about a girl spying on her boyfriend awhile said boyfriend is getting with other girls. The story did take off near the end of the middle part of the book(this saved the book from being a one star). The mystery took off and I started to feel excited as I was about to learn who was the murderer. The killer was someone you would never suspect and I was really impressed with the author when the killer was revealed. My conclusion: story was jut okay.
The writing was really bad in my opinion. When reading this book I was getting very irritated with all the acronyms and abbreviations. Nobody I know speaks using OMG, OMFG, and obv. In my experience they say the whole word or sentence. The dialogue felt forced most of the time and the “funny moments” were never that funny. Sometimes the book could have a really good and emotional moment but then some “funny line” would come in and ruin the moment.
So The Dead Girls Detective Agency was just not my cup of tea.
I give The Dead Girls Detective Agency 2 out of 5 Stars
You can find this review on my blog: http://lalovelystories.wordpress.com/
October 9, 2012
Disclaimer: I won this book in a giveaway.
I wanted to like this book. The idea/plot/concept is really good, other than that.... I couldn't really get into it. The characters were just so, ugh. I wanted to throttle them most of the time instead of caring about their hardships and feelings.
David went from the most perfect specimen of human male to douchebag in no time flat. I couldn't understand why Charlotte reacted so strongly when the Queen Bitch kissed him. She was the one putting all the moves on David, whose girlfriend just died and was pretty lost and confused, but suddenly he was the bad guy? Why, I wondered. Then I realized, David needed to step down from the pedestal so Ed, the cliché mysterious and bad guy could get on it. Because he was so infuriating that Charlotte, obviously, couldn't keep away from him. Yeah, right.
I couldn't get past of how much Charlotte kept talking about David and how much they had been in love when it took her, what, four days to start rambling about how green Ed's eyes were or how tall he was and so hoooooooooooooot. Talk about double standard, but wait, it was okay because it was already established that David was a cheating bastard! How convenient.
And what about the rest of the cookie-cutter cast? The bookish by-the-rules Nancy, the fashion airhead Lorna, the bitch Tess, the perfectly blonde and evil cheerleaders, the fat loser Brian, who of course must have disgusting eating habits, talk in technology analogies, have a blog, play Dungeons and Dragons and, God forbid, actually watched Ghost Busters; and Library Girl. Yes, Library Girl. So invisible she doesn't even have a name and so perfectly crazy.
And what about self-righteous Charlotte? She was as every bit judgemental as those Cheerbitches about everything. Listening to Kelly Clarkson, saying "dude", so proud for not knowing Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Evanescence. Like if she was sooo much better than the rest of them because she listened to Death Cab for Cutie or The Artic Monkeys. Give me a break.
The only reason why I'm not giving it a lower rating is because it's passable enough, if you can live through all the obvious tropes and outcomes.
I wanted to like this book. The idea/plot/concept is really good, other than that.... I couldn't really get into it. The characters were just so, ugh. I wanted to throttle them most of the time instead of caring about their hardships and feelings.
David went from the most perfect specimen of human male to douchebag in no time flat. I couldn't understand why Charlotte reacted so strongly when the Queen Bitch kissed him. She was the one putting all the moves on David, whose girlfriend just died and was pretty lost and confused, but suddenly he was the bad guy? Why, I wondered. Then I realized, David needed to step down from the pedestal so Ed, the cliché mysterious and bad guy could get on it. Because he was so infuriating that Charlotte, obviously, couldn't keep away from him. Yeah, right.
I couldn't get past of how much Charlotte kept talking about David and how much they had been in love when it took her, what, four days to start rambling about how green Ed's eyes were or how tall he was and so hoooooooooooooot. Talk about double standard, but wait, it was okay because it was already established that David was a cheating bastard! How convenient.
And what about the rest of the cookie-cutter cast? The bookish by-the-rules Nancy, the fashion airhead Lorna, the bitch Tess, the perfectly blonde and evil cheerleaders, the fat loser Brian, who of course must have disgusting eating habits, talk in technology analogies, have a blog, play Dungeons and Dragons and, God forbid, actually watched Ghost Busters; and Library Girl. Yes, Library Girl. So invisible she doesn't even have a name and so perfectly crazy.
And what about self-righteous Charlotte? She was as every bit judgemental as those Cheerbitches about everything. Listening to Kelly Clarkson, saying "dude", so proud for not knowing Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Evanescence. Like if she was sooo much better than the rest of them because she listened to Death Cab for Cutie or The Artic Monkeys. Give me a break.
The only reason why I'm not giving it a lower rating is because it's passable enough, if you can live through all the obvious tropes and outcomes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2012
The Dead Girls Detective Agency is supposed to be cute, funny, and lighthearted, but it just wasn't for me. I felt like this book was intended for more of a pre-teen audience than young adult. Because of that, it was hard to stay focused on this book. It didn't hold my interest very well, and the characters were a bit immature and flat for my liking. People who like books for the younger teen audience should enjoy it, though!
The narrator, Charlotte, was extremely annoying. She was a stereotypical bratty teenager, and I really couldn't connect with her at all. She was also a weak, boy-crazy girl. She cared more about what her ex was up to than who killed her. Like I said, seriously immature. I can't stand when heroines are obsessed with boys. It's so obnoxious. Furthermore, the supporting characters were flat and stereotypes as well. I really hate stereotypes, and this book was full of them. Even the dialogue was stereotypical "airhead" teenager. It got on my nerves fast and made it hard for me to concentrate. A younger audience may not notice things like that, but I did.
Another thing that disappointed me was the fact that this book wasn't as humorous as I had hoped it would be. The supposed humor felt forced, and it just flat out wasn't funny. The writing was sub-par at best. Cox needs to learn the proper usage of punctuation and not put 5 billion exclamation points after every sentence. It was seriously ridiculous and made me want to throw my Kindle out the window.
The mysteries also weren't that mysterious to me. I don't know if everyone could figure everything out as easily as I did, but there was no mystery about this book to me. The plot dragged for me in places, too. Additionally, the synopsis is a bit misleading... This book read nothing like a Meg Cabot book. I'm a huge fan of her Abandon series. Cabot's books actually have some stuff going on under the surface. This was just all fluff.
Overall, I'd recommend this book as a light read to people 13 and under. They would enjoy it much more than I did, I'm sure.
The narrator, Charlotte, was extremely annoying. She was a stereotypical bratty teenager, and I really couldn't connect with her at all. She was also a weak, boy-crazy girl. She cared more about what her ex was up to than who killed her. Like I said, seriously immature. I can't stand when heroines are obsessed with boys. It's so obnoxious. Furthermore, the supporting characters were flat and stereotypes as well. I really hate stereotypes, and this book was full of them. Even the dialogue was stereotypical "airhead" teenager. It got on my nerves fast and made it hard for me to concentrate. A younger audience may not notice things like that, but I did.
Another thing that disappointed me was the fact that this book wasn't as humorous as I had hoped it would be. The supposed humor felt forced, and it just flat out wasn't funny. The writing was sub-par at best. Cox needs to learn the proper usage of punctuation and not put 5 billion exclamation points after every sentence. It was seriously ridiculous and made me want to throw my Kindle out the window.
The mysteries also weren't that mysterious to me. I don't know if everyone could figure everything out as easily as I did, but there was no mystery about this book to me. The plot dragged for me in places, too. Additionally, the synopsis is a bit misleading... This book read nothing like a Meg Cabot book. I'm a huge fan of her Abandon series. Cabot's books actually have some stuff going on under the surface. This was just all fluff.
Overall, I'd recommend this book as a light read to people 13 and under. They would enjoy it much more than I did, I'm sure.
September 16, 2014
I liked the concept of this novel, ghosts searching for their murderers in New York City, however I felt that the story was centred far too much on Charlotte loving her ex-boyfriend. The protagonist Charlotte's obsession with her love for her ex-boyfriend, which led her to the idea of a beyond the grave love affair, was irritating. Suzy Cox repeatedly highlighted the teen love, which created Charlotte as a winey character. Unsurprisingly, the annoying character of Charlotte created a book that was annoyingly narrated. There was very little humour within the novel, any humour that was present appeared forced and was never really that funny.
Charlotte’s preoccupation with her ex-boyfriend's new love life was focussed on in the novel more than finding her killer; this was therefore very frustrating as the 'true love' between the teen characters became very stereotypical.
Within the novel Suzy Cox used acronyms, such as OMG, OMFG, and WTF. Acronyms are not cool, they are not effective, but they are infuriating. Along with the (very) annoying use of acronyms, Suzy Cox deviated from the traditional italics to highlight and stress words, and instead used capital letters. I also found this decision irritating, however as much as I tried to ignore them, they did not go away.
All of the characters in the book, Charlotte, David, Nancy, Lorna, Tess and Edison were stereotypical. Tess was the typical sarcastic character with an evil glare. Tess, along with Edison, the dark and mysterious male with a troubled past, were the two most complex characters within the novel. However, upon figuring out their characters and motives their actions were predictable.
Overall, I would not recommend this book, unless you want to waste a few hours. This was a humourless, boring and predictable read with annoying characters that lacked depth and that were all stereotypes of students at high school. The end of the book is clearly structured for a sequel, however I will not be revisiting Charlotte and ‘The Dead Girl’s Detective Agency’.
Charlotte’s preoccupation with her ex-boyfriend's new love life was focussed on in the novel more than finding her killer; this was therefore very frustrating as the 'true love' between the teen characters became very stereotypical.
Within the novel Suzy Cox used acronyms, such as OMG, OMFG, and WTF. Acronyms are not cool, they are not effective, but they are infuriating. Along with the (very) annoying use of acronyms, Suzy Cox deviated from the traditional italics to highlight and stress words, and instead used capital letters. I also found this decision irritating, however as much as I tried to ignore them, they did not go away.
All of the characters in the book, Charlotte, David, Nancy, Lorna, Tess and Edison were stereotypical. Tess was the typical sarcastic character with an evil glare. Tess, along with Edison, the dark and mysterious male with a troubled past, were the two most complex characters within the novel. However, upon figuring out their characters and motives their actions were predictable.
Overall, I would not recommend this book, unless you want to waste a few hours. This was a humourless, boring and predictable read with annoying characters that lacked depth and that were all stereotypes of students at high school. The end of the book is clearly structured for a sequel, however I will not be revisiting Charlotte and ‘The Dead Girl’s Detective Agency’.
July 2, 2012
This is definitely a fun read! I found the plot line intriguing and compelling, and enjoyed the way that the book kept me guessing without being too far-fetched - well, yes, I realise that a dead girl trying to track down her own murderer is a little beyond the realms of reality, but in terms of the relationships and the reactions of Charlotte, the main character, I found it very convincing.
When Charlotte comes round after being pushed onto the subway track, she understandably cannot believe what the Dead Girls are telling her - that she too is dead, and until she figures out who did it she won't get her key to The Big Red Door that leads to..well who knows what? I found that such an intriguing premise. But it's not the dark read it could have been, because the writing is light and humorous, and the plot skips along at a zippy pace. Charlotte has to get to grips with The Rules, and figure out how to get around New York while conducting her investigations, and there are plenty of amusing scenes as she does so. The most frustrating thing is that her boyfriend David, who seemed to be Charlotte's soulmate and made a lovely speech at her funeral, turns out to be a real waste of space, stupidly flattered by the attentions of the shallow cheerleaders he supposedly hated. But his faithlessness lays the foundations for Charlotte to turn to the much more appealing Ed, who conveniently is also dead. His is the most interesting character in the book, a brooding presence who reminds us of the darker side of murder in New York City - and that an aura of mystery is extremely sexy. The Dead Girls Charlotte finds herself with are likeable characters, each with her own foibles and hidden depths. And New York itself is beautifully described, and is completely integral to the story throughout.
Overall, I thought this was an original and enjoyable read. The ending clearly sets the scene for a sequel, or probably a series, which I'll definitely be interested in reading.
When Charlotte comes round after being pushed onto the subway track, she understandably cannot believe what the Dead Girls are telling her - that she too is dead, and until she figures out who did it she won't get her key to The Big Red Door that leads to..well who knows what? I found that such an intriguing premise. But it's not the dark read it could have been, because the writing is light and humorous, and the plot skips along at a zippy pace. Charlotte has to get to grips with The Rules, and figure out how to get around New York while conducting her investigations, and there are plenty of amusing scenes as she does so. The most frustrating thing is that her boyfriend David, who seemed to be Charlotte's soulmate and made a lovely speech at her funeral, turns out to be a real waste of space, stupidly flattered by the attentions of the shallow cheerleaders he supposedly hated. But his faithlessness lays the foundations for Charlotte to turn to the much more appealing Ed, who conveniently is also dead. His is the most interesting character in the book, a brooding presence who reminds us of the darker side of murder in New York City - and that an aura of mystery is extremely sexy. The Dead Girls Charlotte finds herself with are likeable characters, each with her own foibles and hidden depths. And New York itself is beautifully described, and is completely integral to the story throughout.
Overall, I thought this was an original and enjoyable read. The ending clearly sets the scene for a sequel, or probably a series, which I'll definitely be interested in reading.
December 17, 2012
It's been a few years since I was a teenager, but I have a question: are teens today really that obsessed with fashion, to the point that they know tons of different designers just by looking at an article of clothing? Is this something that just happens in New York City? I'm really not sure, but I felt like this portion of the story was pretty unrealistic. I wouldn't know a Gucci if it hit me in the face, even though I read at least a few issues of Cosmopolitan every year, and I don't know anyone else who would, either. Of course, maybe this is because I went to library school...
With regard to the plot and the people, I'm fairly ambivalent. I gravitated mostly toward the characters that I assume Ms. Cox was trying her best to make fun of: namely, Library Girl (did she ever even get an actual name?) and Nancy, who seemed doomed to be the stereotypical Plain Jane sidekick, content to sit by and be "boring" while the interesting (read: pretty) people get all the rewards. A couple of times, Cox tries to assure us that Charlotte, the main character, really is compelling, smart, and deep, but I felt like it was forced. Charlotte, to me, felt kind of vapid. Did she get a passing grade in any classes other than art? I guess it didn't really matter, since she died and all, but I feel like she really just didn't have a lot to her. I tolerated her by the end of the book, but if I ever met her in real life, I'm certain she would have been the type of person that I just can't stand to be around.
All in all, this made for a perfect book for me to read on the plane; if I hadn't been trapped in the air with nothing else to do, I probably wouldn't have chosen to read this all the way through. It wasn't terrible, it just wasn't that great to me.
With regard to the plot and the people, I'm fairly ambivalent. I gravitated mostly toward the characters that I assume Ms. Cox was trying her best to make fun of: namely, Library Girl (did she ever even get an actual name?) and Nancy, who seemed doomed to be the stereotypical Plain Jane sidekick, content to sit by and be "boring" while the interesting (read: pretty) people get all the rewards. A couple of times, Cox tries to assure us that Charlotte, the main character, really is compelling, smart, and deep, but I felt like it was forced. Charlotte, to me, felt kind of vapid. Did she get a passing grade in any classes other than art? I guess it didn't really matter, since she died and all, but I feel like she really just didn't have a lot to her. I tolerated her by the end of the book, but if I ever met her in real life, I'm certain she would have been the type of person that I just can't stand to be around.
All in all, this made for a perfect book for me to read on the plane; if I hadn't been trapped in the air with nothing else to do, I probably wouldn't have chosen to read this all the way through. It wasn't terrible, it just wasn't that great to me.
May 16, 2014
I have seen The Dead Girls Detective Agency around on the blogosphere but never got a chance to read it. I got a copy sent to me from the publisher to read both books in the series as part of the blog tour, and I got to it as soon as possible. The idea of The Dead Girls Detective Agency sounded interesting, and I wondered how this would work, how would a ghost solve their murder?
The whole learning curve on how to be a ghost isn't as easy as Charlotte or myself expected, and there is the whole 'You Must Follow The Rules' thing going on. Basically Charlotte can only use her ghost tricks if it helps solve her murder, no scaring people, no appearing in front of them, no ghostly activity at all. Talk about a buzz kill.
When I began reading The Dead Girls Detective Agency I found myself falling into this world quickly and easily, and learning about this world as Charlotte does was a good way for me to immerse myself in this book, learning as she does. Some of the tricks she is taught would come in very handy for me, but I think I like the tricks learnt from Edison the best. I liked the different mix of characters in the hotel (not agency as two characters did really participate in the Detective Agency) and seeing how they worked together (most of the time) and bounced ideas off of each other.
The Dead Girls Detective Agency was a likeable read, while it didn't really wow me, I did finish it, and did not expect the ending.
The whole learning curve on how to be a ghost isn't as easy as Charlotte or myself expected, and there is the whole 'You Must Follow The Rules' thing going on. Basically Charlotte can only use her ghost tricks if it helps solve her murder, no scaring people, no appearing in front of them, no ghostly activity at all. Talk about a buzz kill.
When I began reading The Dead Girls Detective Agency I found myself falling into this world quickly and easily, and learning about this world as Charlotte does was a good way for me to immerse myself in this book, learning as she does. Some of the tricks she is taught would come in very handy for me, but I think I like the tricks learnt from Edison the best. I liked the different mix of characters in the hotel (not agency as two characters did really participate in the Detective Agency) and seeing how they worked together (most of the time) and bounced ideas off of each other.
The Dead Girls Detective Agency was a likeable read, while it didn't really wow me, I did finish it, and did not expect the ending.
August 27, 2013
I liked The Dead Girls Detective Agency. It was entertaining. A few things though. The main character, Charlotte doesn't seem too? Pressed? For lack of a better word to find out who killed her. Granted the mind of a teenage girl (even in the afterlife) maybe wouldn't stray to far from her boyfriend. BUT, if said boyfriend wasn't letting your seat in chemistry get cold before he started hooking up with "not his type" cheerleaders (plural) after you are murdered... Maybe you'd see the more urgent issue. Charlotte is pushed in front of the F train. She wakes up in limbo. She is at a sort of hotel with other teenage murder victims. They are there to ease her transition. Lorna, Nancy, Tess, and Edison for one reason or another haven't crossed over through the Red Door. They have their reasons. From wanting to look over and protect their families, to not knowing who killed them. You have to get your murderer to confess in order to cross over. I feel like the Edison character has been done so many times before. The brooding bad yet good boy. Same with the bitchy, blonde head cheerleader Kristen who was on the list of suspects. She may not have done it. But, she got away with way too much. Who did do it came as a total surprise. The last few chapters really came through and made it worth the read. The author did leave it open to a sequel.
November 20, 2016
This book was pretty good aside from the few clique relationships and some predictable scenes. The killer no one would have ever guess-- the library girl. the one who blends into the background and no one even knows she's alive. The one girl who seems sweet but turns out to be a stalker and a psychopath. Ed and Charlotte becoming a couple was easily foreseen as soon as she dotted on how cute he was even though he was the opposite of David. David going to hang out with the popular crowd was predictable as well. I mean 3 of the "most gorgeous cheerleaders" we're hitting on him the minute Charlotte was out of the picture. Also Tess turning out to be nice after admitting that the only she was (as she put it) a bitch was because couldn't risk liking Charlotte. She wanted Charlotte's key so she could move on even though she couldn't find her murderer. Tess and Ed's little brother being an item before Tess and Ed's murder was definitely a surprise since everyone thinks that Tess and Ed were a couple. This book definitely keeps you reading, I mean I finished this in a manner of hours for fun! What teenager reads for FUN?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2014
First thoughts in the first chapter? Fuck. This is going to be horrible.
Luckily, the strange and admittedly anticipating plot line had me hooked despite the poor and bland writing. The ideas that turned up in this novel were fun, admittedly BUT I'M SUPER PISSED THAT THEY CAN'T FLY. WHY ARE FLYING GHOSTS ILLOGICAL? MURDERED GHOSTS TRYING TO FIND THEIR KILLER TO GET INTO THE AFTERLIFE IS WHAT'S ILLOGICAL HERE, NOT THE FLYNG. AND PORTING? SERIOUSLY? T_T NO.
But otherwise this book was fun and suitable for an audience that want to edge in to the universe of YA novels. Murderer was unsuspected but... I don't know. I like having to know the murderer, ever heard of twists Suzy Cox? Is it just me? Anyway, it all.... wasn't bad. Oh and the character annoying.
Luckily, the strange and admittedly anticipating plot line had me hooked despite the poor and bland writing. The ideas that turned up in this novel were fun, admittedly BUT I'M SUPER PISSED THAT THEY CAN'T FLY. WHY ARE FLYING GHOSTS ILLOGICAL? MURDERED GHOSTS TRYING TO FIND THEIR KILLER TO GET INTO THE AFTERLIFE IS WHAT'S ILLOGICAL HERE, NOT THE FLYNG. AND PORTING? SERIOUSLY? T_T NO.
But otherwise this book was fun and suitable for an audience that want to edge in to the universe of YA novels. Murderer was unsuspected but... I don't know. I like having to know the murderer, ever heard of twists Suzy Cox? Is it just me? Anyway, it all.... wasn't bad. Oh and the character annoying.
April 3, 2014
I liked the concept of this book. If you are a teen who gets murdered, you have to solve your murder before you can move on. In Charlotte's case, she really has no idea who killed her. Not a clue. She and the other dead girls are on the case, but some of the things she discovers about herself are hard.
This was an ok read. I liked some parts and some parts were a little weird.
This was an ok read. I liked some parts and some parts were a little weird.
Want to read
October 26, 2012This sounds right up my street! Can't wait for it to come out, and I will be counting the days for sure! (:
April 16, 2015
I loved it!I loved how the author wrote it. I couldn't put it down!
February 24, 2020
This book was an ok read. Not amazing but also not terrible.
3 CON's:
1) The references to actors, shows, films, singers, bands and songs. - Ok, so if a book references some famed 'thing' normally I don't mind as it's done maybe once or twice. This book was LITTERED with these references. From Jack (Titanic) to Edward & Bella (Twighlight) to Leonardo Di Caprio (in a seperate reference from the earlier 'Jack' one) to Robert Pattinson (in a seperate reference from the earlier 'Edward & Bella' one). It was just too much and I felt that the author could have substituted her 'famous things' for better standard metaphors.
2) 'Like this, like that, like - like - like -like'. Yep, this is a Young YA book through and through. Ive read many YA books in my life but the word 'like' has never come up as much as it has in this book. 'like, does he love her?' she asked. 'like, I don't understand,' she said. This over use of the word like (in my view) isn't fun in every day life anyway let alone this much in a book. It makes it more Juvenile than it needs to be.
3) The AMOUNT of times we DEVIATED from the plot. Oh. my. goodness! This book could have been cut in half (by taking out the 'famous things' metaphors, all the over-used 'like's and the amount of general deviation! I came into this bo0k so excited over the premise (dead girl needs to work out who killed her in order to be able to move on from limbo) but we spent SO much time deviating from that plot. I get that grieving is an untimed thing and that there needs to be some kind of reference to the process of being dead but seriously it was riduculous how many times we deviated from anything necessary. To quote an editor I know 'If I doesn't matter to the story, don't put it in'.
3 PRO's:
1) The cons aside it was a good book. The plot (deviations aside) was executed really well and I enjoyed going on this journey to work out who killed the protagonist.
2) The 'magic systems' (and I say that loosely, as it's more 'what a ghost can and can not do' syetems) was also really interesting and I very much appreciated the dynamics between the 'goody-goody rule abiding character' and her rules vs the 'dark and broading they're-not-telling-you-everything character' rules. Very fascinating read of 'some' (apparently there are more books in the series which I assume will explain more that they can do) of the things ghosts can do.
3) The final climax. OH MY GOD just AMAZING! I though we'd reached the final climax a chapter before hand (I wont spoil it here) but then right at the end of the book we had a 2nd (final) climax and it was insanely good as I couldn't have predicted it at all!
Video Review: https://youtu.be/2NxZvPxbbbc
All in all this book 'had' so much potential. I just wish the editor had taken out all 3 cons (above) OR better yet, had asked the author to write this as an adult 'ghost mystery'.
This was the first mystery I've read (I think ever but atleast) this year and for a genre I don't read it wasn't a bad book. If my cons are something you like/love or can look past, you will absolutely love this book and might even want to read the rest of the series (I am very loosely considering the rest I just don't know if I will yet - and if I do it wont be for a few months as I need some time away from this world).
2/5 STARS.
3 CON's:
1) The references to actors, shows, films, singers, bands and songs. - Ok, so if a book references some famed 'thing' normally I don't mind as it's done maybe once or twice. This book was LITTERED with these references. From Jack (Titanic) to Edward & Bella (Twighlight) to Leonardo Di Caprio (in a seperate reference from the earlier 'Jack' one) to Robert Pattinson (in a seperate reference from the earlier 'Edward & Bella' one). It was just too much and I felt that the author could have substituted her 'famous things' for better standard metaphors.
2) 'Like this, like that, like - like - like -like'. Yep, this is a Young YA book through and through. Ive read many YA books in my life but the word 'like' has never come up as much as it has in this book. 'like, does he love her?' she asked. 'like, I don't understand,' she said. This over use of the word like (in my view) isn't fun in every day life anyway let alone this much in a book. It makes it more Juvenile than it needs to be.
3) The AMOUNT of times we DEVIATED from the plot. Oh. my. goodness! This book could have been cut in half (by taking out the 'famous things' metaphors, all the over-used 'like's and the amount of general deviation! I came into this bo0k so excited over the premise (dead girl needs to work out who killed her in order to be able to move on from limbo) but we spent SO much time deviating from that plot. I get that grieving is an untimed thing and that there needs to be some kind of reference to the process of being dead but seriously it was riduculous how many times we deviated from anything necessary. To quote an editor I know 'If I doesn't matter to the story, don't put it in'.
3 PRO's:
1) The cons aside it was a good book. The plot (deviations aside) was executed really well and I enjoyed going on this journey to work out who killed the protagonist.
2) The 'magic systems' (and I say that loosely, as it's more 'what a ghost can and can not do' syetems) was also really interesting and I very much appreciated the dynamics between the 'goody-goody rule abiding character' and her rules vs the 'dark and broading they're-not-telling-you-everything character' rules. Very fascinating read of 'some' (apparently there are more books in the series which I assume will explain more that they can do) of the things ghosts can do.
3) The final climax. OH MY GOD just AMAZING! I though we'd reached the final climax a chapter before hand (I wont spoil it here) but then right at the end of the book we had a 2nd (final) climax and it was insanely good as I couldn't have predicted it at all!
Video Review: https://youtu.be/2NxZvPxbbbc
All in all this book 'had' so much potential. I just wish the editor had taken out all 3 cons (above) OR better yet, had asked the author to write this as an adult 'ghost mystery'.
This was the first mystery I've read (I think ever but atleast) this year and for a genre I don't read it wasn't a bad book. If my cons are something you like/love or can look past, you will absolutely love this book and might even want to read the rest of the series (I am very loosely considering the rest I just don't know if I will yet - and if I do it wont be for a few months as I need some time away from this world).
2/5 STARS.
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