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Kitty Slade #1
Divine Freaks
"Hey, I'm Kitty Slade. Just your average, normal girl, doing, you know, normal stuff. Got a brother (annoying), a sister (quite annoying) and a grandma (she's awesome). Oh yeah, and one more thing. I can see dead people." When a ghost turns up in her biology classroom, only one thing's for sure - Kitty Slade's life is about to get freaky...
213 pages, Paperback
First published April 20, 2011
8 people are currently reading
267 people want to read
About the author
Fiona Dunbar
47 books44 followersFiona Dunbar is a British author. She was born in 1961 in Hemel Hempstead and as well as being a writer, she is also an illustrator and a graphic artist. She has written and sometimes illustrated books such as the Silk Sisters trilogies and Toon-Head. Her books, The Lulu Baker trilogies, have also been adapted to become a children's TV series called Jinx.
She now lives in Brooklyn, NY.
She now lives in Brooklyn, NY.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 8, 2012
This is the first Kitty Slade story in a long series of books. I first saw this book mentioned by the author over on Girls Heart Books and I decided to give it a try.
The first thing you should know about this book is that it was written and published in England, so a lot of the vocabulary and spellings are a little different than Americans use. I actually enjoyed that aspect of the writing. I haven't read a book like that since I bought my Harry Potter series in Canada just before I joined the American melting pot.
The next thing you need to know is that this book was a load of fun. Essentially it was The Boxcar Children meets Ghost Whisperer. Kitty discovers that she can see ghosts and is soon involved in an investigation to solve a mystery surrounding a very persistent apparition.
The characters were all well developed and I loved every single one of them. Kitty was spontaneous and headstrong, Sam was level headed and smart, and Flossie was just adorable. Maro (the children's grandmother) is warm and loving, yet pretty awesome too. I enjoyed the kid's plotting and their excursions out to collect evidence. I really enjoyed watching Kitty learn how to use and manipulate her gift of communicating with the dead.
It was pretty freaky in some parts, and I got goosebumps several times. If I were 13, this book would have really freaked me out. There was some mild cursing...a lot more than I expected to be in an Middle Grade novel. And I couldn't help but be frustrated at the very end when the family ends up moving out of their apartment after spending the entire book securing a way to stay in it. But I realize that it was the perfect opportunity for the author to open up sequel story lines.
This was a good book to read right around Halloween. It was totally creepy, but the problems all get resolved in the end. It is available in Kindle format on Amazon or as an audiobook from B&N.
Books for Kids
The first thing you should know about this book is that it was written and published in England, so a lot of the vocabulary and spellings are a little different than Americans use. I actually enjoyed that aspect of the writing. I haven't read a book like that since I bought my Harry Potter series in Canada just before I joined the American melting pot.
The next thing you need to know is that this book was a load of fun. Essentially it was The Boxcar Children meets Ghost Whisperer. Kitty discovers that she can see ghosts and is soon involved in an investigation to solve a mystery surrounding a very persistent apparition.
The characters were all well developed and I loved every single one of them. Kitty was spontaneous and headstrong, Sam was level headed and smart, and Flossie was just adorable. Maro (the children's grandmother) is warm and loving, yet pretty awesome too. I enjoyed the kid's plotting and their excursions out to collect evidence. I really enjoyed watching Kitty learn how to use and manipulate her gift of communicating with the dead.
It was pretty freaky in some parts, and I got goosebumps several times. If I were 13, this book would have really freaked me out. There was some mild cursing...a lot more than I expected to be in an Middle Grade novel. And I couldn't help but be frustrated at the very end when the family ends up moving out of their apartment after spending the entire book securing a way to stay in it. But I realize that it was the perfect opportunity for the author to open up sequel story lines.
This was a good book to read right around Halloween. It was totally creepy, but the problems all get resolved in the end. It is available in Kindle format on Amazon or as an audiobook from B&N.
Books for Kids
May 4, 2011
3.5 Stars
This is the first book I have read by Fiona Dunbar and I really enjoyed her writing style. It's witty and fun - making the book a joy to read.
The story follows Kitty and her new found talent of seeing ghosts. Unfortunately the first one she sees is during her biology class! Kind of freaky and somewhat embarrassing since she is the only on who could see him. Also he won't leave her alone. It seems he has unfinished business and wants Kitty to help him....
I loved Kitty. She is very strong minded, which gets her into a tad of trouble, but she's also funny and sweet. I also really liked Sam and Flossie - and really enjoyed that the 'scooby gang' were her brother and sister. There was some really great interaction between all three and I love the way they annoy each other!
The mystery aspect is fun and well plotted. There are snippets of information and clues that have them trying to solve what happened/is happening. Some things happened a little too easily despite the characters putting themselves in potentially dangerous situations - but since this is aimed more at a tween audience I guess that is somewhat expected. I did really like the ending and think it sets up the rest of the series. The opportunities for many more stories feels unlimited and I'm interested to see what what Kitty faces next!
A promising start to what I'm sure will be a fun series! I'm looking forward to Fire and Roses when it's published later in the year.
This is the first book I have read by Fiona Dunbar and I really enjoyed her writing style. It's witty and fun - making the book a joy to read.
The story follows Kitty and her new found talent of seeing ghosts. Unfortunately the first one she sees is during her biology class! Kind of freaky and somewhat embarrassing since she is the only on who could see him. Also he won't leave her alone. It seems he has unfinished business and wants Kitty to help him....
I loved Kitty. She is very strong minded, which gets her into a tad of trouble, but she's also funny and sweet. I also really liked Sam and Flossie - and really enjoyed that the 'scooby gang' were her brother and sister. There was some really great interaction between all three and I love the way they annoy each other!
The mystery aspect is fun and well plotted. There are snippets of information and clues that have them trying to solve what happened/is happening. Some things happened a little too easily despite the characters putting themselves in potentially dangerous situations - but since this is aimed more at a tween audience I guess that is somewhat expected. I did really like the ending and think it sets up the rest of the series. The opportunities for many more stories feels unlimited and I'm interested to see what what Kitty faces next!
A promising start to what I'm sure will be a fun series! I'm looking forward to Fire and Roses when it's published later in the year.
April 6, 2019
Very light hearted and easy to read. The story had some more grown up aspects to it that I liked, although the narration from a teenager gets a little grating at point.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. The premise was interesting and the dynamic of the book was endlessly fun.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. The premise was interesting and the dynamic of the book was endlessly fun.
July 23, 2020
Very light hearted and easy to read. The story had some more grown up aspects to it that I liked, although the narration from a teenager gets a little grating at point.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. The premise was interesting and the dynamic of the book was endlessly fun.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. The premise was interesting and the dynamic of the book was endlessly fun.
January 18, 2024
Great story. Love the characters and the twists and turns. Alvaro is by far the most surprising character in the book. Love the gran and the kids are great. Brave and take everything in their stride. Really impressed and can't wait to read more
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2018
Great book, love it!
January 4, 2025
I just love the whole kitty slade series
July 24, 2011
The first thing that I thought of when I first heard of Divine Freaks is that it sounds a lot like Tamsyn Murray’s My So-Called series (which I loved). The idea, writing style just seemed very similar and while there are similarities they are very different books.
For a start Divine Freaks is more focused on solving a crime and the ghost part of it is more of a twist, a way of getting a case to investigate if you like. The crime for this book featured around the ghost in her biology classroom – ‘Rat Man’ (don’t you just love that nickname). And I’ll leave it at that.
From the very first page Fiona’s writing grabbed me and pulled me in, like Tamsyn’s writing it is funny and descriptive and makes for quite a light hearted read which whisks past in the blink of an eye.
Kitty herself seems like a fun character – I can easily see her character getting into all sorts of trouble simply by being somehere without her doing anything. She has that kind of personality which means people (notably teachers) don’t instantly trust what she’s saying (and lets face it in this kind of book not many people would!). This inevitably leads to some hilarious situations and with ghosts thrown into the mix as well – it is really is very hard to put down.
I just have to mention Maro, the Gran – she was as the blurb says ‘Awesome’, definitely one of the cooler Grans around.
Overall it’s a fun, fast paced read perfect for any lovers of crime with a twist of paranormal – I will certainly be looking out for more Fiona Dunbar books in the future.
Source: Publisher
For a start Divine Freaks is more focused on solving a crime and the ghost part of it is more of a twist, a way of getting a case to investigate if you like. The crime for this book featured around the ghost in her biology classroom – ‘Rat Man’ (don’t you just love that nickname). And I’ll leave it at that.
From the very first page Fiona’s writing grabbed me and pulled me in, like Tamsyn’s writing it is funny and descriptive and makes for quite a light hearted read which whisks past in the blink of an eye.
Kitty herself seems like a fun character – I can easily see her character getting into all sorts of trouble simply by being somehere without her doing anything. She has that kind of personality which means people (notably teachers) don’t instantly trust what she’s saying (and lets face it in this kind of book not many people would!). This inevitably leads to some hilarious situations and with ghosts thrown into the mix as well – it is really is very hard to put down.
I just have to mention Maro, the Gran – she was as the blurb says ‘Awesome’, definitely one of the cooler Grans around.
Overall it’s a fun, fast paced read perfect for any lovers of crime with a twist of paranormal – I will certainly be looking out for more Fiona Dunbar books in the future.
Source: Publisher
September 23, 2011
Devine Freak
Is a fantasy book. It's about a girl who can see ghosts. She lives in a apartment with her brother, her little sister and her grandma because her parents are dead. But the mediate of the apartment has a shop under it and wants to make the shop bigger so they have to move from the apartment. But the children don't want to move and kwon that the shop keeper does something bad so they try to find out what. After they follow him in restaurant and eavesdrop him they find out with who he works together so they spy him and find out where his college lives. They spy the college and find out that he uses dead heads from animals and decorate them and than the seller sells them in the shop for To many money. At the same time they find that a ghost is in the school in the laboratory and find in the since lab a cabinet with Daedalus animals in glasses in it. The girl helps the ghost from the since lab. At the end they call the police and the seller goes into prison. The family buys an caravan and drives with it around the world while they get teaches by the grandma.
Is a fantasy book. It's about a girl who can see ghosts. She lives in a apartment with her brother, her little sister and her grandma because her parents are dead. But the mediate of the apartment has a shop under it and wants to make the shop bigger so they have to move from the apartment. But the children don't want to move and kwon that the shop keeper does something bad so they try to find out what. After they follow him in restaurant and eavesdrop him they find out with who he works together so they spy him and find out where his college lives. They spy the college and find out that he uses dead heads from animals and decorate them and than the seller sells them in the shop for To many money. At the same time they find that a ghost is in the school in the laboratory and find in the since lab a cabinet with Daedalus animals in glasses in it. The girl helps the ghost from the since lab. At the end they call the police and the seller goes into prison. The family buys an caravan and drives with it around the world while they get teaches by the grandma.
December 15, 2012
I enjoyed this book, as others have said I liked the fact that although there was a supernatural element to the plot it was also a pretty straight forward crime story. I would recommend this to kids who also like St John's Laura Marlin series as I think it would appeal to a similar audience.
December 30, 2011
TOOK A WHILE FOR ME TO GET INTO THIS BOOK, BUT ONCE I DID WAS QUITE A GOOD BOOK ABOUT A YOUNG 13 YEAR OLD THAT CAN SEE DEAD PEOPLE QUITE WITTY, ANOTHER CHILDREN BOOK WILL BE GETTING THE NEXT BOOK TO READ.
April 1, 2012
This book was ok. I found it a little bit predictable and slow paced. it didnt really have a shocking- knockout story line but it is an interesting idea. I will probably read the next one. i just hope it has more substance than this one.
January 27, 2012
I found this book very good and I'm about to turn 14.. I found it exciting and there's always something new on the next page, I loved finding out wh the killer was.. would definatley reccomend this book! (can't wait to get the next one fire and rises:D)!
July 4, 2011
Awesome!!! Can't wait until Fire & Roses!!!
When I saw this in scholastic I thought it will be rubbish but it was mUCH< MUCH better than I expected!!!
YOU MUST READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I saw this in scholastic I thought it will be rubbish but it was mUCH< MUCH better than I expected!!!
YOU MUST READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 22, 2011
I adore this cover. There's something to it that made me know I had to read it.
I would of gave this book five stars if it hadn't been so gory.
But Its still brilliant.
I would of gave this book five stars if it hadn't been so gory.
But Its still brilliant.
April 4, 2018
This book was okay, but not so special or memorable in my opinion. I think I would have enjoyed it more when I was twelwe, but not now, and I don't think I will continue reading the series.
August 2, 2012
I liked this book!!! Very much actually... I live all books about underworld creatures and spirits and stuff... So.. It was a REALLY good book!!
November 26, 2013
i think this is an awesome book that has lots of twists and turns and i hope other people find it interesting to!
March 17, 2014
This book is probably good if you're 12.
May 1, 2014
It may be a book for younger readers but I certainly loved this book from all the events that were happening
August 10, 2014
this fantasy book is really good and the plot is a little bit freaky(in a good way!)and it really captured my attention the whole way through....
August 13, 2015
loved this ghostly series an easy ready but still a great one x
December 29, 2015
Good, promising series, yrs 5-6
Read
January 30, 2016cant wait for my sister to lend me the next book
December 16, 2014
Girl sees ghosts, gets help from them, deals with complicated family life, isn't a bad read.
April 23, 2017
i remember picking this book up from my school library in year 6 and getting creepy (creepy good) vibes after reading the first page. i just remember loving everything about this series so 5*!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews