Dead Gorgeous

by Malorie Blackman

When the mysterious stranger shows up at Nova's parents' hotel, she thinks her luck has changed - until she realizes she's the only one who can see him.

Liam explains he's been here a long time. And he can never leave, no matter how hard he tries.

Soon, Nova begins to piece his tragic story together. But she's hiding a secret of her own - one she's desperate to keep from her family. And now Liam's found her out . . .

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens, Paranormal, Contemporary, Romance

Hardcover

First published August 7, 2002

About the author

An award-winning children's author, Malorie Blackman was honoured with an OBE in 2008. Her work has been adapted for TV and stage.

More information available at:
Myspace
British Council: Contemporary Authors
British Council: Encompass Culture
Channel 4 Learning: Book Box

Reviews

[The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Malorie Blackman is a very well-established and popular YA author in the UK, the same cannot be said here stateside and frankly it's a crime. Ms. Blackman writes the kind of multicultural YA that many of us who bemoan the serious lack of diversity in this genre have been looking for. Yes, she tackles the hard stuff--her Naughts and Crosses series takes a dystopian view of racism and reverses it--but she also handles such issues without being heavy-handed and preachy.

Dead Gorgeous is the story of Nova, a self-aware teen dealing with some serious esteem issues all the while navigating the insanity who happen to be her family. Her parents own a gothic-looking hotel on the English coast and both were amusing characters. I especially loved how the mother talks to herself in the kitchen while making pastries as if she's hosting her own cooking show. Nova has an uber-glamorous sister named Rainbow and rambunctious twin brothers who are always under foot.

Add to this, she now can see Liam, a good-looking boy her own age who just so happens to be dead. Liam has his own issues to work out in spite of being a ghost, and a mysterious guest staying at the hotel may be the key to understanding and finally letting go of a painful past.

Granted, Blackman's books are filled with UK slang which doesn't detract from the overall story. It's like getting a crash course in how to sound British, lol (not really). The fact that she makes her characters of color is like a natural no-brainer. Family dramas and the attendant issues of growing up are universal themes. Too bad many in the YA genre haven't quite figured this out yet.

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice mystery/ghost story that I really enjoyed reading. I liked the various viewpoints, especially the glimpses into Liam's life prior to his death. Nova's eating disorder (bulimia) was quite graphically described - well written, but perhaps one to avoid if this is a difficult topic for you. It is not mentioned in the description of the book (at least not the copy I have) but it features strongly in the plot.

[Selan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before I say anything, it should be stated that one of the main characters has an eating disorder and this is mentioned in detail. There's no warning of it, no indication of it (especially considering that the rest of the book isn't anywhere near as serious), so avoid if that makes you icky. I know some people will avoid that.

Somehow, I think that's the only reason why this book was in the teenager section at all. The rest of the book feels a bit trashy. Even though Malorie Blackman wrote it. I mean, this is the third book I've read by her and although she is good at writing descriptions and feelings...I'm feeling now that her plots leave much to be desired.

The main characters are called Nova and Rainbow. Ooh, how flashy. Their mum and dad are written as pretty quirky and likeable when they are first introduced, but after that they don't seem to do much. They have these two twin brothers called Jude and Jake who do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in the story.

Yes, there's a character who's a ghost. And a love triangle with him. Of course. There's another guy who's an asshole but who...somehow becomes heroic at the end...even though he's proved constantly that he's not very pleasant. I don't know what happened to him, to be honest. It doesn't say.

There's these two old women in the book who walk around in pairs and say cryptic stuff, implying that they know about the ghost, but it's never ever explained and it never impacts on the book. I really don't know what the point of them is.

The ghost's backstory is actually written to be quite serious, I mean there's something that's written like a dysfunctional body and the relationship with his brother. But I mean the rest of the book is so childish and juvenile - yes, I know this is a children's author - but mixing up all these serious issues just throws everything off-guard.

I started liking the book about halfway through since we had a few plot twists, but then it ended in a generic fashion and most of the characters acted and talked in the same way. I didn't really enjoy it at all.

I'll be reading Noughts and Crosses next week, because I've heard that that's the book Malorie Blackman is known for and I REALLY hope it's a lot better than her other books. I haven't read a single one of her other books which is actually enjoyable so far.

Also, I don't know why the book is called Dead Gorgeous. It doesn't revolve around the guy being gorgeous. Dead, maybe, but the title implies it's some supernatural romance and it isn't. It implies it's like a slasher horror book or something which is pretty misleading.

[thelastword · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a book for all ages I'm afraid. Starts of gobsmackingly childish. Made me question my acknowledgement of Malorie Blackman as a emotive writer (perhaps I had read Noughts and Crosses when I was too young?)

Nonetheless, it sorta picks up towards the end, where some characters are given layers. And that's about it really. Maybe kids who think 24 year olds are granpa-old will enjoy this. Definitely not YA.

[Cherrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

For more reviews and book related videos:
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*3.5 stars*

I enjoyed it, it was easy to get into and I didn't feel like it slowed at all but it is definitely meant for a younger reader as I could see what was coming chapters before it happened but I think maybe a younger reader would enjoy it a lot more.
I liked the characters and I liked that the book touched on some delicate subjects as well

[Juliet Lyons · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in a day. Liked the writing and the depth of characters but was thrown off by the cover. I thought it'd be more of a YA paranormal romance, but it wasn't. I probably wouldn't have read it if it wasn't for that misconception. Saying that, I enjoyed the switching narratives and plot, though I still don't really get who the two old ladies were supposed to be... I assume they're gatekeepers of purgatory.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit different to what I expected from cover description.
Nova seems to be the only person who can see Liam. She finds out he's actually a ghost and he's trapped at the hotel her parents run, though he doesn't say why. In fact, quite a lot of the guests are quite mysterious, do any of them also have links to Liam?
I enjoyed the book but it felt a bit childish for me. Not necessarily a bad thing as it is definitely a children's book.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

I reviewed this on my blog as part of Malorie Blackman month- during March 2013 reviews are of books by her- click here for them all- you can see the GIF's that aren't included in the review there!

So, firstly... I recommended it to those anti-crapping-pants people pretty much... So does this mean that it's not realistic enough to be scary? HAHA.
No. It could be considered scary but more the sub-genres... Miss Dawn & Miss Eve *shudders* Malorie can fantastically create characters who are really original... She does this partly by creating mystery but not overdoing it. Liam was pretty mysterious but not the best character in Dead Gorgeous. I think he was a little bit protective and sort of had you’d expect a ghost’s experience to be like. she realizes she’s the only one who can see him. The most scariest thing wasn't the medium aspect of Nova (and perhaps other characters) but the other element...

...GIF...

There were definitely themes I hadn't seen during Malorie Blackman month (or anywhere else for that matter!) but about 85% through I started realizing this was more a YA... And it was written like YA, Trust Me. Once again I've expected a light read & I haven't got one. I should've realized how this book could differ so much from predictions... For starters, how many ghost stories do you know that use the line 'like when my toes learn to chew gum!' or anything of that beautiful nature?
This isn't a heavy read as you may have guessed from that- its sort of middle-depth (she says knowing that at least the themes aren't preachy if a tad repetitive)...
Oh, how many things can I say I liked? A britainization of phrases used is a plus: "Nova put in her twopence worth". And obviously surprises. Who isn't hooked by them?
I thought the ending was fulfilling; I sniffed a little at Miss Dawn's 'Of course not'. I doubt anybody can really see this book's rollercoaster unless they've read it. Predict it? No, sirree.
Don't expect Raye to not shock you. And Andrew... *whistles*
Characterization: 11/10! :D
Once again, Liam didn't seem as special to me as he should've been. I liked him but if I was Nova I'd have reacted a lot differently. Did I mention I don't think I can talk to ghosts?
No...? Basically it's realistic. But not really scary as I can't.

UP NEXT:

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who couldn't love this? A fab piece of work from Malorie Blackman - I expected nothing less from such a highly rated and quite popular in the Young Adult genre.

What I love most about Blackman is the types of topics she handles, self esteem issues, bullying, distopian views of racism and young / teenage love affairs that lead to consequences including pregnancies, lack of coping and adapting and whilst she does all this, she teaches as she goes in a way that doesn't preach or talk at us, which is what makes her books so good.

This one is no different - Dead Gorgeous gives us a young girl called Nova, who's parents run a hotel on the coast and have their hands full with their business and children. Nova suffers with self esteem issues (and I feel the need to add that she has an eating disorder, it's not everyone's cup of tea and it isn't mentioned until further in the book) and to make matters worse she has a friend called Liam that nobody else can see, he's trapped at her parents hotel until he can pass on. I particuarly love the writing in this and how a friend dead or alive can give us guidance in one way or another and though I don't want to share much else 'cos of spoilers but I love how Blackman writes about these key issues that really meant a lot to me and potentially lots of other readers could feel the same too.

[Querinnen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was basically an amalgamation of pointless plot threads, creating a jumbled story that I found all too difficult to enjoy. It wasn't quite a painful read I wanted to give up on, but it is certainly a book I will be getting rid of to free up my shelves.

Trigger warning: eating disorders.
I don't know why they were there and they didn't do much, probably only existing to create a bit of a rubbish conflict. Don't bother with this book if they are something you would rather not read about.

The motivations seemed unnatural. The dialogue seemed unnatural. There were so many pointless characters and perspectives (please tell me, why do Jake and Jude exist?). The twist was predictable at least 50 pages before it was revealed, before they had even hinted at it, and the last few pages of murder fake-out were just ridiculous before Liam left for good. Andrew was just a ridiculous character, Rainbow got on my nerves and the two old women seemed to be representing something that never gets explained.

There is no way I could still get the chronology of the plot in even a semi-right order. The only thing that stops this from being a one star read is that it didn't send me into a slump where I couldn't bare to finish it because it was too painful. It was just a bad book.

[Lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malorie blackman has always been one of my favourite authors and having found Dead gorgeous on my bookshelf I couldn’t help but read it.

Nova’s need to be seen is one many can relate to and Miss Dawn and Miss Eves mysterious characters are both an intriguing and comical duo. A spin off series perhaps??

Honestly read it, it’s a heartwarming story and I’m happy that I read it :)

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was the first book I read on my own and the reason I have carried on reading ever since. I read it in year 7 when I was still in school and now I'm 25. I think it is worth a read because it is a brilliant story.

[Channybe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This iz a reali good book and it'z veri interestin

[Alex*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phenomenal book, this is the only book I have ever read that has brought me to tears. Malorie Blackman is an incredible author and has a beautiful way with words that I have never seen before

[Ephie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book because I had heard of "Noughts and crosses" being a recommended read.

This is a children's book which I didn't know.

I found the style of writing beautiful and cannot understand why the author is not more famous than she is. I will definitely look out for more by her.

The story covers very important but difficult themes which is wonderful and admirable in children's literature.

4 stars rating because the ending is overly dramatic and I didn't understand the role of two of the characters featured.

[Tom O'Brien · Rating 3 out of 5]

This YA novel has a lot going on but keeps the emotions and concerns of its main characters in sight at all times. It treads carefully around some sensitive topics but doesn't shy away from them, which is a difficult balance.

I was impressed by the treatment of sexism, race, feelings of inadequacy, responses to social pressure, domestic violence, and lots more (including a ghost)...

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it. Young adult book, intriguing story line, some exciting plot lines, ending made me cry, in a good way.

I picked up three Malorie Blackmans in a second-hand bookshop and got round to reading them this autumn. Want to read Noughts and Crosses now, seems odd not to have read her most famous one!

[T.S.S. Fulk · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A fun read, but some of the characters and their motivations seemed a bit unrealistic.

[Opticalillusion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought this would make a good read around Halloween. Left me wondering what happened to the characters after the story ended.

[Maisie Okell]

Great book!

[Lenka · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

[Emilija · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books revolves around a thirteen year old girl called Nova, who lives at a seaside beach hotel with her older sister Rainbow (or Raye), her younger twin brothers (Jude and Jake(?)) and her parents. Also inhabiting the hotel are guests, such as Andrew and his parents, Miss Eve and Miss Dawn, Mr. Jackson and his ghost brother Liam, who only one of the twins and Nova can see when he's a ghost. During periods of heightened emotions, others around him can see him as well, such as in the case of Raye.

You read this book from every character's point of view, except the five parents in the novel (Nova's parents, Andrew's parents and Liam's father) which provides both understanding for each character but quite a choppy novel. It could be quite difficult to follow and some parts of the novel felt redundant and / or unnecessary.

The main character, Nova, struggles with her self-image and the fact that she is not classically beautiful like her older sister. Resulting from this, she is bulimic. This story line literally hits you from out of nowhere when you were least expecting it, and Blackman goes into detain about it quite graphically, for instance, Nova eats colourful food first like peas or sweetcorn so that she knows when her stomach is empty when she is throwing up . I felt like this is quite disturbing for a children's novel personally. Surrounding this is Nova's lack of attention from her parents, her annoying brothers and the lack of a relationship between her and Raye, who has gone from her little sister to boys. Her relationship with Liam grows exceedingly quickly as a result, with the book lasting the equivalent of a weekend, with occasional flashbacks to ten years previous in Liam's perspective, as she is the only one able to see and interact with Liam, even when she doesn't want to.

The other main character is Liam, a ghost who died in the area around the hotel ten years prior to the beginning of the book and can only be seen by Nova. His younger brother, Joshua, is a guest at the hotel, and has searched the UK for his older brother, however Liam wants him to leave desperately, occasionally allowing him to turn corporeal. Liam's story line is told through flashback chapters, allowing you to know what happened to him alongside his brother's beliefs and actions in the present. At the end of the novel, after the discovery of his body, Liam attempts to kill Raye so that he is not alone for ever, but Nova stops him from throwing her over a cliff and allowing Liam to move on from the hotel, which he had been stuck at since his death as a result of a mental tie which Liam didn't know about .


Upon finishing this book, I had so many questions;
Who are Miss Eve and Miss Dawn?
Did Nova tell her family about her bulimia?
Did Nova manage to solve her bulimia?
Did Joshua and Father manage to resolve their issues?
Did Raye and Andrew stay in contact?
Did Nova stay in contact with Joshua?
.

Overall, it was a somewhat choppy read, as a result of the changing point of views, but it did provide a clear narrative and understanding and motivation for each character. Parts I didn't feel were plausible, such as the fact that the book is set over one weekend and the strength of Nova and Liam's relationship in that time frame, as well as the fact the hotel is failing anyway - it's set on a seaside. Albeit, it is set in Britain so the British weather may be playing a factor.

Rating = 3 / 5 stars.

[K.R. Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

Synopsys/Blurb: When a mysterious stranger shows up at Nova's parents' hotel, she thinks her luck has changed-- until she realizes she's the only one who can see him...

Liam explains he has been here for a LONG time...and he can never leave, no matter how hard he tries.

While Nova pieces together Liam's tragic story, she is hiding a secret of her own -- one she is desperate to keep from her family. But Liam discovers everything.


Dead Gorgous is a YA ghost story. Nova, the main character, is dealing with some serious esteem issues, and of course in true teen fashion, she doesn't connect with her family. They reside in a gothic-looking hotel -- a setting brought beautifully to life. I loved Nova's family -- especially her older sister Rainbow.

Nova is dealing with some heavy hitting stuff. Blackman approaches it with grace. She is unafraid to broach deep and difficult topics that sadly, affect too many teens. The mystery/ghost story parts are beautifully rendered and some of my favorite parts of the book. I loved learning about Liam, why he is trapped, the events that led to his death and all that entailed. Those chapters are the ones that kept me reading.

There are two characters in the book though, that I still don't know or understand who or what they were -- Miss Dawn and Miss Eve. Were they ghosts? Were they simply quirky, elderly folk? It's never clear and I kept expecting some big twist or reveal, but was left hanging. I would have liked to know their importance, or have them removed from the story as they did little to move along the plot...they were just...there.

All in all, Dead Gorgous is a quick and easy read.

[Jane Hargrave Montaigu · Rating 3 out of 5]

The novel’s catchy title sets the scene with a clever pun –Liam is a teenage ghost who is head-turning gorgeous and starts to appear to the main character, a girl called Nova, aged around 13. She lives by the sea at Phoenix Manor Hotel which is owned and run by her rather harassed but well-meaning parents. Once she has overcome her initial fright at realizing she is seeing a ghost she tries to help Liam while he in turn becomes concerned for her well-being as he discovers she is secretly bulimic. Meanwhile, everyday family life is portrayed very convincingly with realistic dialogue and arguments between the parents, Nova, her stunningly beautiful but rather distant older sister, Rainbow, and their irritating younger twin brothers. These kinds of scenes will be familiar to many young readers. There is also plenty of humour in the portrayal of some of the quirky characters who come to stay at the hotel (rather reminiscent of some scenes in Fawlty Towers).

When Nova discovers that the taciturn guest, Mr Jackman, is in fact Liam’s younger brother who is still trying to find Liam’s body many years after his accident, she tries to help him. Being a ghost story the plot is inevitably rather far-fetched and there are some irritating twists and turns in the narrative which I felt could have been shortened to better effect. However, the novel has a definite emotional impact and some strong messages about the value of life and of family relationships. The reader feels the stark contrast between the rather chaotic but fundamentally warm family life Nova enjoys and the cold isolation of Liam who is caught in a miserable trap of anger and bitterness, only gradually realizing he wishes he had not wasted his chances to be with his own father and brother, however dysfunctional they were as a family. After some deeply moving moments, there is a satisfying ending with plenty for thoughtful readers to ponder on.

It is a full-length teenage novel without any illustrations but is easy to read with plenty of dialogue. I think it is most suitable for individual reading, although certain passages could be selected to be read out in class as inspiring examples of good descriptive writing or realistic dialogue. It is a book that will appeal particularly to girls who would identify with Nova, so is probably most suitable towards the end of KS2 or for KS3 readers.

[Marie Therese · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to review the book Dead gorgeous as an avid fan of Malorie Blackman’s work as a teenager growing up. My favourite book was Noughts and crosses growing up however I believe this a story for early secondary school children as it covers a lot of deep meaning aspects of society as a whole. Therefore I decided to review a book that catered for a younger audience. The summary of the book is a young girl called Nova who feels isolated and left out due to her family’s business and sister who is always too busy to help her until she finally meets a boy called Liam who becomes her friend. However Liam has a secret which not even he realises and story unravels between these two characters. I liked this book, number one because I love this author, who develops ever changing and emotional characters that the reader can relate to. Secondly, it a mystery book which over the course of the read, the reader has to put certain puzzles together to understand the outcome of the book. Appropriate age range is around 9-11 depending of level of ability. I believe that this book could be used in a classroom setting as every chapter delivers suspense unravelling Liam’s secret, and whether Nova can help him, therefore it could be a god story telling book for older children.

[Blake Farron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay so the plot wasn't that interesting, better than I hoped because I was expecting a paranormal romance which isn't really my thing, but instead it's more of a mystery. It's rather generic though, nothing really happens, however the writing and dialogue is nice and quirky (I loved the family’s dynamic with one another) and honestly the reason I enjoyed it as much as I did is because I listened to the audiobook and the narrator does a fantastic job, she was thoroughly entertaining. The book is apparently YA but it reads more like a middle grade.

Word of warning, out of nowhere there's a really serious subplot of a thirteen year old suffering from bulimia, and it's described in aggravating detail. It doesn't mesh well with the rest of the light hearted tone and is quite disturbing for a book with such a young target audience. I've never had an eating disorder myself, but I've been accused of it multiple times so it was quite touching.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick easy read, and I quite enjoyed it, but still felt it didn't live up to Blackman's hype. I really must read Noughts & Crosses.
Dead Gorgeous did keep me engaged, and kept me guessing on several scores. At one point I was almost convinced that ALL the guests were ghosts! I had my doubts about Miss Dawn and Miss Eve even at the end.
Curiously enough, I couldn't find the edition I read listed. The ISBN matches the cover above, but the cover of the one I read was very different. In my opinion, it was better. The dark and brooding hotel in the background and a girl in the foreground.

[Legend That is dylan disaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book (: Only took me a day or so to read, but that's cause when I get into a book - I really get into it! The story was interesting, didn't quite get what the two women were for, didn't see much use for them but anyway. I loved the N&C trilogy and this book was good but not nearly half as good as the trilogy!!
It was nice how different people told different stories, and how eventually Liams past tied in with the present and even though it wasnt at great as N&C i'd still recommend it :D

[Nova · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first ghost story I have ever read (I think). it was a very enjoyable read about a family who had purchased an old manor, refurbished it into a hotel and was trying to run a successful business. However, English weather being what it is means holiday makers prefer to go abroad. Enter Liam, who has personal issues from the past to resolve and Andrew, a spoilt teenage guest. They get involved in the lives of the family members and an odd, permanent guest. This book is about sibling rivalry and family issues with a very satisfactory ending.

[Temple Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

" One of the best authors in my opinion and I love this book just as much as her Noughts and Crosse's series"

Nova wow girl has problems I dont see why she would want to be like hwer older sister Rye when she's clearly a #$%^& but who care's I dont think I could stand there and have a conversation with a ghost.