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Bad Girl Gone
Sixteen-year-old Echo Stone awakens in a cold sweat in a dark room, having no idea where she is or how she got there. But she soon finds out she's in Middle House, an orphanage filled with mysteriously troubled kids.
There s just one problem: she s not an orphan. Her parents are very much alive.
She explains this to everyone, but no one will listen. After befriending a sympathetic (and handsome) boy, Echo is able to escape Middle House and rush home, only to discover it sealed off by crime scene tape and covered in the evidence of a terrible and violent crime. As Echo grapples with this world-shattering information, she spots her parents driving by and rushes to flag them down. Standing in the middle of the street, waving her arms to get their attention, her parents' car drives right through her.
She was right. Her parents are alive but she's not.
She's a ghost, just like all the other denizens of Middle House. Desperate to somehow get her life back and reconnect with her still-alive boyfriend, Echo embarks on a quest to solve her own murder. As the list of suspects grows, the quest evolves into a journey of self-discovery in which she learns she wasn't quite the girl she thought she was. In a twist of fate, she s presented with one last chance to reclaim her life and must make a decision which will either haunt her or bless her forever.
There s just one problem: she s not an orphan. Her parents are very much alive.
She explains this to everyone, but no one will listen. After befriending a sympathetic (and handsome) boy, Echo is able to escape Middle House and rush home, only to discover it sealed off by crime scene tape and covered in the evidence of a terrible and violent crime. As Echo grapples with this world-shattering information, she spots her parents driving by and rushes to flag them down. Standing in the middle of the street, waving her arms to get their attention, her parents' car drives right through her.
She was right. Her parents are alive but she's not.
She's a ghost, just like all the other denizens of Middle House. Desperate to somehow get her life back and reconnect with her still-alive boyfriend, Echo embarks on a quest to solve her own murder. As the list of suspects grows, the quest evolves into a journey of self-discovery in which she learns she wasn't quite the girl she thought she was. In a twist of fate, she s presented with one last chance to reclaim her life and must make a decision which will either haunt her or bless her forever.
261 pages, Hardcover
First published August 8, 2017
24 people are currently reading
2101 people want to read
About the author
Temple Mathews
12 books63 followersA graduate of the University of Washington and a producer at the American Film Institute, Temple Mathews has written dozens of half-hour animation TV episodes and several animated and live action features and direct-to-DVD and video films. Mr. Mathews has sold scripts and/or worked for hire at every major studio in Hollywood. His credits include the Walt Disney animated feature films "RETURN TO NEVERLAND" and "THE LITTLE MERMAID II," and the MGM feature film "PICTURE THIS!"
Temple Mathews was Story Editor on 35 half-hour episodes of "THE JUDGE", a daytime courtroom drama and Story Editor on two seasons of "INSIDE OUT," an anthology series produced by Propaganda Films and Producer Alan Poul ("SIX FEET UNDER"). On that series Mr. Mathews worked with directors Antoine Fuqua ("TRAINING DAY"), Alexander Payne ("SIDEWAYS," "ABOUT SCHMIDT"), Richard Shepard ("THE MATADOR") and others. Additionally, he was Writer and Producer of the feature film ("OFF THE MARK") starring Terri Ferrell ("BECKER, DEEP SPACE NINE") and Barry Corbin ("ONE TREE HILL."). Mr. Mathews lives in Santa Monica with his daughter, actress Manon Mathews
Temple Mathews was Story Editor on 35 half-hour episodes of "THE JUDGE", a daytime courtroom drama and Story Editor on two seasons of "INSIDE OUT," an anthology series produced by Propaganda Films and Producer Alan Poul ("SIX FEET UNDER"). On that series Mr. Mathews worked with directors Antoine Fuqua ("TRAINING DAY"), Alexander Payne ("SIDEWAYS," "ABOUT SCHMIDT"), Richard Shepard ("THE MATADOR") and others. Additionally, he was Writer and Producer of the feature film ("OFF THE MARK") starring Terri Ferrell ("BECKER, DEEP SPACE NINE") and Barry Corbin ("ONE TREE HILL."). Mr. Mathews lives in Santa Monica with his daughter, actress Manon Mathews
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May 16, 2021
One of my favorite tear-jerking anime is Angel Beats! It's about kids who go to a school after death. There, they have to accept their deaths to be reborn (you know, Hinduism). Anyway, they don't remember much about their previous life, at first. But eventually, they do. And this book was a rotten carbon copy of Angel Beats!
Now, of course, there are some differences. I won't list all the similarities because they're countless but executed in a very bad way. Echo, the main character, wasn't exactly a good girl like Otonashi in Angel Beats who is a decent person and a boy. I prayed it won't end in a similar way but of course, it did. Angel Beats was also about healing and accepting but not here. At least not in that sense.
Echo wakes up in a dark room in what is called the Middle house. She learns later that she is there because she was murdered. All the children of the house are there for the same reason. Everyone has a superpower. They want to revenge their deaths so they can reborn. You know Karma. They're ghosts who do abnormal stuff to a point of killing their murders to rest and move on.
As you can see, this is Angel Beats! mixed with Miss Peregrine's house for Peculiar children and Ghostbusters. Wow mixing three different cultures. It was bad.
Echo (I hate her name, stupid reason to give her this nickname) is so annoying and self-centered. The point of this book is that she doesn't stay the same person by the end and she learns from her mistakes. Well, she didn't but I didn't like her nonetheless. I actually wanted to use some quotations from this book to show you exactly why I didn't like the book. But since it's an arc and it might be edited, I might add them when the final copy is released but still, that doesn't explain the use of over 320 exclamation marks in a 250 pages book.
Before her death, she used to love this person called Andy (he called her rabbit and she called him wolfie and oh my God the cringe). After her death, she starts falling for a guy named Cole. He's super hot *eye roll*. It was too much of insta-love for me. Because you see, she starts thinking a lot about him only a day or two after her death. And she's loved Andy, she doesn't want him to be with anyone else. She gets super jealous from this girl who has a crush on her boyfriend and after 2 minutes, she starts kissing Cole. Seriously? So yeah this love-triangle was total non-sense.
I do not approve of what the kids are doing. I liked that in Angel Beats they tried to deal with their situation and accept it but here? It was a mess. The characters lacked a real personality. When she first arrived, you get the idea that there were so many people there but then she made friends and we know nothing about the rest. Also, Echo's power helped the plot too much. Where's the mystery here if she can just enter any person's thoughts?!
I didn't like this book, at least, I finished in less than 2.5 hours so it wasn't a real waste of time. I really wanted to give it a chance but no, sorry.
arc provided via netgalley
Now, of course, there are some differences. I won't list all the similarities because they're countless but executed in a very bad way. Echo, the main character, wasn't exactly a good girl like Otonashi in Angel Beats who is a decent person and a boy. I prayed it won't end in a similar way but of course, it did. Angel Beats was also about healing and accepting but not here. At least not in that sense.
Echo wakes up in a dark room in what is called the Middle house. She learns later that she is there because she was murdered. All the children of the house are there for the same reason. Everyone has a superpower. They want to revenge their deaths so they can reborn. You know Karma. They're ghosts who do abnormal stuff to a point of killing their murders to rest and move on.
As you can see, this is Angel Beats! mixed with Miss Peregrine's house for Peculiar children and Ghostbusters. Wow mixing three different cultures. It was bad.
Echo (I hate her name, stupid reason to give her this nickname) is so annoying and self-centered. The point of this book is that she doesn't stay the same person by the end and she learns from her mistakes. Well, she didn't but I didn't like her nonetheless. I actually wanted to use some quotations from this book to show you exactly why I didn't like the book. But since it's an arc and it might be edited, I might add them when the final copy is released but still, that doesn't explain the use of over 320 exclamation marks in a 250 pages book.
Before her death, she used to love this person called Andy (he called her rabbit and she called him wolfie and oh my God the cringe). After her death, she starts falling for a guy named Cole. He's super hot *eye roll*. It was too much of insta-love for me. Because you see, she starts thinking a lot about him only a day or two after her death. And she's loved Andy, she doesn't want him to be with anyone else. She gets super jealous from this girl who has a crush on her boyfriend and after 2 minutes, she starts kissing Cole. Seriously? So yeah this love-triangle was total non-sense.
I do not approve of what the kids are doing. I liked that in Angel Beats they tried to deal with their situation and accept it but here? It was a mess. The characters lacked a real personality. When she first arrived, you get the idea that there were so many people there but then she made friends and we know nothing about the rest. Also, Echo's power helped the plot too much. Where's the mystery here if she can just enter any person's thoughts?!
I didn't like this book, at least, I finished in less than 2.5 hours so it wasn't a real waste of time. I really wanted to give it a chance but no, sorry.
arc provided via netgalley
March 16, 2017
2 Stars.
Echo Stone is a ghost, though at first she doesn’t know it. She wakes up in an orphanage, called Middle House, after being murdered, surrounded by others just like her. She is confused, having no idea how she got there. All she wants is to find her parents and when she does, they cannot see her and she realizes the truth. While residing in Middle House, Echo connects with Cole, another “orphan” who resides there, while also trying to reconnect with her old boyfriend who is still very much alive, creating a very odd love triangle. After realizing that she is dead and did not die of natural causes, Echo is determined to find out what happened to her. She therefore begins investigating her own death, so that she can move on, one way or another.
Unfortunately, this book just did not work for me. Though the novel was coined as mystery, the author, Temple Matthews, inserted a teenage love triangle with two ghosts and a boy who was very much alive, which just did not work, in my opinion. When all was said and done, the truth behind what happened to Echo wasn’t all that shocking. Further, characters didn’t mesh well, and the story didn’t flow, thus all in all, this book was somewhat lackluster.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Temple Matthews for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 3/16/17.
*Will be published on Amazon on 8/8/17.
Echo Stone is a ghost, though at first she doesn’t know it. She wakes up in an orphanage, called Middle House, after being murdered, surrounded by others just like her. She is confused, having no idea how she got there. All she wants is to find her parents and when she does, they cannot see her and she realizes the truth. While residing in Middle House, Echo connects with Cole, another “orphan” who resides there, while also trying to reconnect with her old boyfriend who is still very much alive, creating a very odd love triangle. After realizing that she is dead and did not die of natural causes, Echo is determined to find out what happened to her. She therefore begins investigating her own death, so that she can move on, one way or another.
Unfortunately, this book just did not work for me. Though the novel was coined as mystery, the author, Temple Matthews, inserted a teenage love triangle with two ghosts and a boy who was very much alive, which just did not work, in my opinion. When all was said and done, the truth behind what happened to Echo wasn’t all that shocking. Further, characters didn’t mesh well, and the story didn’t flow, thus all in all, this book was somewhat lackluster.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Temple Matthews for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 3/16/17.
*Will be published on Amazon on 8/8/17.
July 25, 2017
Sixteen year old Eileen "Echo" Stone awakens in an unknown dark room with no memory of how she got there. Trying to find out what is going on Echo finds herself surrounded by other strange kids and a surly woman that seems to run the place. Echo is told she is at Middle House, an orphanage for troubled kids and immediately argues that her parents are alive and that there has to be some kind of mistake.
With the help of a fellow resident of Middle House Echo makes her way out and to her home which is surrounded by crime scene tape and finds a gruesome bloody scene. Fearing that something has happened to her parents Echo is devastated until she see their familiar car and chases after them only to have the car pass right through her leading Echo to find that she is the actual ghost and Middle House is the in between place she will stay until she finds out who murdered her.
I have been noticing some really low reviews on Bad Girl Gone which had me a bit worried but also extremely curious picking this one up. What I found though was a pretty fun ride with Echo and company that while it's not great literature it's what I think it's meant to be, a cutesy afterlife young adult mystery. I even found Echo's descriptions of her fellow ghosts a bit Beetlejuice like if anyone recalls that waiting room scene with how they died.
The biggest complaint I'm reading about this one is the love triangle involved in the story and possibly because of being warned ahead of time by a fellow blogger I didn't find it that horrible to be included. Echo had a real life boyfriend she can't let go, makes a connection with fellow dead kid hence the love triangle... she's sixteen, sixteen year olds are fickle and in love too easily so I would just say if something like that will bother people then skip this one otherwise give it a fair shot.
As far as the rest of the story, the mystery of Echo's death as she checked off her suspects was decent enough for a young adult read. The idea behind the whole story is a bit recycled as far as the dead looking for closure with this one being they need revenge on the murderers to move on... that in itself could be argued as being realistic since for instance some killers murder more than one so how would it work if one victim got their revenge and another didn't?
In the end though if you don't think too hard about what seems to be meant as simply a fun, light look into the young adult afterlife and simply take it with a few laughs here and there you might just enjoy this one. I'd personally rate this one at 3.5 stars... light entertainment but still enjoyable overall.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
With the help of a fellow resident of Middle House Echo makes her way out and to her home which is surrounded by crime scene tape and finds a gruesome bloody scene. Fearing that something has happened to her parents Echo is devastated until she see their familiar car and chases after them only to have the car pass right through her leading Echo to find that she is the actual ghost and Middle House is the in between place she will stay until she finds out who murdered her.
I have been noticing some really low reviews on Bad Girl Gone which had me a bit worried but also extremely curious picking this one up. What I found though was a pretty fun ride with Echo and company that while it's not great literature it's what I think it's meant to be, a cutesy afterlife young adult mystery. I even found Echo's descriptions of her fellow ghosts a bit Beetlejuice like if anyone recalls that waiting room scene with how they died.
The biggest complaint I'm reading about this one is the love triangle involved in the story and possibly because of being warned ahead of time by a fellow blogger I didn't find it that horrible to be included. Echo had a real life boyfriend she can't let go, makes a connection with fellow dead kid hence the love triangle... she's sixteen, sixteen year olds are fickle and in love too easily so I would just say if something like that will bother people then skip this one otherwise give it a fair shot.
As far as the rest of the story, the mystery of Echo's death as she checked off her suspects was decent enough for a young adult read. The idea behind the whole story is a bit recycled as far as the dead looking for closure with this one being they need revenge on the murderers to move on... that in itself could be argued as being realistic since for instance some killers murder more than one so how would it work if one victim got their revenge and another didn't?
In the end though if you don't think too hard about what seems to be meant as simply a fun, light look into the young adult afterlife and simply take it with a few laughs here and there you might just enjoy this one. I'd personally rate this one at 3.5 stars... light entertainment but still enjoyable overall.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
March 15, 2017
I received this via Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review, all my opinions are my own :)
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2.5 stars for plot but three stars for characters and the writing.
I loved the idea of this but the execution felt... lackluster? Something missing? All the ingredients were there but something was missing from the final result.
The gang of "misfits" at Middle House, odd but awesome group of ghosts (not a spoiler, its in the book blurb) The were very cool. I was jealous of a couple but glad
My favorite out of them was Darby, never really felt attached to Cole, or Andy either really. (And the way her focus kept going back and forth between the two got on my nerves a bit... I can see where she is coming from but it dragged the book down a little... I was more interested in her solving her murder than all that *waves hand around*
Book Cover: Kudos to the cover artists *high five*
Echo struck me as more self-absorbed than Bad really....
The reveal of Echo's killer made sense but it also felt... anti-climatic. More of a "Oh, there you are" type of thing than any real surprise. The haunting of him and how Echo used his
One of those books that is easy to read and good for a rainy day or when you don't feel good but still want something in your hand and to occupy your mind.
I would still say give it a shot:) I don't regret reading it, just wish it had wowed me more.
If she wrote a second book with these characters, I would still read it but I would probably borrow it or get it from the library first.
----
2.5 stars for plot but three stars for characters and the writing.
I loved the idea of this but the execution felt... lackluster? Something missing? All the ingredients were there but something was missing from the final result.
The gang of "misfits" at Middle House, odd but awesome group of ghosts (not a spoiler, its in the book blurb) The were very cool. I was jealous of a couple but glad
My favorite out of them was Darby, never really felt attached to Cole, or Andy either really. (And the way her focus kept going back and forth between the two got on my nerves a bit... I can see where she is coming from but it dragged the book down a little... I was more interested in her solving her murder than all that *waves hand around*
Book Cover: Kudos to the cover artists *high five*
Echo struck me as more self-absorbed than Bad really....
The reveal of Echo's killer made sense but it also felt... anti-climatic. More of a "Oh, there you are" type of thing than any real surprise. The haunting of him and how Echo used his
One of those books that is easy to read and good for a rainy day or when you don't feel good but still want something in your hand and to occupy your mind.
I would still say give it a shot:) I don't regret reading it, just wish it had wowed me more.
If she wrote a second book with these characters, I would still read it but I would probably borrow it or get it from the library first.
July 10, 2017
I'm the first one to review this book, and you have to know that while I didn't like the book, it's not my intention to be mean about it or discourage people to read it. My rating is not the only true rating I wonder why.
Review in a spoiler tag because I feel guilty.
_________________________
Thanks to Netgalley for procuring me this ARC.
Review in a spoiler tag because I feel guilty.
_________________________
Thanks to Netgalley for procuring me this ARC.
January 17, 2018
Wow, I can't believe it. I actually found a book that is a contender for a book that is worse than Twilight.
I never would have read Bad Girl Gone of my own volition since my ban on YA books continues but I won a copy from a Goodreads Giveaway so fair is fair; I read it, I lost a day and a half I will never get back and now here is my honest review, no holds barred.
This was terrible, and not because the writing was childish and immature or that the plot is nothing new. I recall Christopher Pike wrote something similar in the 90s and that was soooo much better.
Bad Girl Gone was awful because:
1. The irritating, painfully aggravating and pathetically named Echo Stone. Despite possessing no qualities of merit, no talent or wit, she has earned the undying devotion of her doormat boyfriend, whose name I plumb forgot, and must possess unseen winsome qualities I fail to comprehend because she also finds herself the object of affection for:
A. Boyfriend's perverted father who had the hots for her
B. Pedophile photography teacher who deemed her his favorite (Just how many pedophiles live in this neighborhood I'd sure like to know)
C. Cole, the ghost boyfriend she has insta-love chemistry with
D. The matron of Middle House who sees Echo as the replacement for the daughter she lost in a tragic accident.
E. How her new group of friends look to her as their leader (although the only thing she seems capable of leading is a course on how to be a selfish brat)
Echo must be some amazing, talented young lady, so much so that they all want a piece of her. She must be incredible.
2. Then we have the ridiculous love triangle between Echo's longing for her boyfriend and Cole (can you have a love triangle with a ghost?) Personally, slut shaming aside, I think Echo is a bit of a skank. She kisses Cole and yet keeps wanting to get back with her boyfriend, despite the reality that she's, you know, dead.
3. The repetitive descriptions of Cole's bedroom eyes and his soft lips and the beating, pounding, ache in her heart and the monotonous use of the word awesome made me gag so many times I needed to find new words for 'gag.'
How about retch, spew, heave, regurgitate, and barf?
Does Mr. Mathews lack a thesaurus? Or Google?
4. The writing is bad, like really bad. Echo is supposed to be 16 but she sounds like she's 10.
5. All the ghosts of murdered children in the house have special powers and, of course, Echo's power is the rare one because, you know, she's so special.
6. The constant reminders from Echo about how she and her boyfriend are true loves and how much she misses him and needs him because, you know, a woman needs a man to be validated because that's the only way she knows her true worth.
7. The setting and environment of Middle House and its inhabitants are poorly described and characterized, the cast of characters two dimensional, you care for no one despite their tragic deaths.
Bad Girl Gone had the potential to be dark, truly frightening and even thought provoking but juvenile writing, an empty character with no depth and a silly ending just made reading this almost as bad as going to the dentist. At least a visit to the dentist is necessary.
Reading this is not.
Also, thumbs down on the ridiculous cover.
I never would have read Bad Girl Gone of my own volition since my ban on YA books continues but I won a copy from a Goodreads Giveaway so fair is fair; I read it, I lost a day and a half I will never get back and now here is my honest review, no holds barred.
This was terrible, and not because the writing was childish and immature or that the plot is nothing new. I recall Christopher Pike wrote something similar in the 90s and that was soooo much better.
Bad Girl Gone was awful because:
1. The irritating, painfully aggravating and pathetically named Echo Stone. Despite possessing no qualities of merit, no talent or wit, she has earned the undying devotion of her doormat boyfriend, whose name I plumb forgot, and must possess unseen winsome qualities I fail to comprehend because she also finds herself the object of affection for:
A. Boyfriend's perverted father who had the hots for her
B. Pedophile photography teacher who deemed her his favorite (Just how many pedophiles live in this neighborhood I'd sure like to know)
C. Cole, the ghost boyfriend she has insta-love chemistry with
D. The matron of Middle House who sees Echo as the replacement for the daughter she lost in a tragic accident.
E. How her new group of friends look to her as their leader (although the only thing she seems capable of leading is a course on how to be a selfish brat)
Echo must be some amazing, talented young lady, so much so that they all want a piece of her. She must be incredible.
2. Then we have the ridiculous love triangle between Echo's longing for her boyfriend and Cole (can you have a love triangle with a ghost?) Personally, slut shaming aside, I think Echo is a bit of a skank. She kisses Cole and yet keeps wanting to get back with her boyfriend, despite the reality that she's, you know, dead.
3. The repetitive descriptions of Cole's bedroom eyes and his soft lips and the beating, pounding, ache in her heart and the monotonous use of the word awesome made me gag so many times I needed to find new words for 'gag.'
How about retch, spew, heave, regurgitate, and barf?
Does Mr. Mathews lack a thesaurus? Or Google?
4. The writing is bad, like really bad. Echo is supposed to be 16 but she sounds like she's 10.
5. All the ghosts of murdered children in the house have special powers and, of course, Echo's power is the rare one because, you know, she's so special.
6. The constant reminders from Echo about how she and her boyfriend are true loves and how much she misses him and needs him because, you know, a woman needs a man to be validated because that's the only way she knows her true worth.
7. The setting and environment of Middle House and its inhabitants are poorly described and characterized, the cast of characters two dimensional, you care for no one despite their tragic deaths.
Bad Girl Gone had the potential to be dark, truly frightening and even thought provoking but juvenile writing, an empty character with no depth and a silly ending just made reading this almost as bad as going to the dentist. At least a visit to the dentist is necessary.
Reading this is not.
Also, thumbs down on the ridiculous cover.
November 7, 2017
This book is one of my favorites, I recommend them from the heart that read it, it is not only because of the beginning but also the end. I hope you like it, be your liking and give it five stars because it really deserves them
February 15, 2017
The idea of this book, while nothing new could have been great: a girl wakes up oin a house for kids and wants to get home. She meets a guy called Cole who goes with her and she discovers that her parents don't see her because she is... dead! Omy! she is a ghost! Turns out she hasn't been able to move on because she hasn't died of natural causes but rather been killed. And so have been all the other kids who are on the house with her. And then, all of them proceed to sort of take off their "masks" and show their true selves, that is, their visage when they were killed. And some of them set off to right the wrongs they were inflicted when tey were killed: one of the kids was killed by his own father, for instance.
The book was looking great. And then the investigation on why she died began. And then it began to drag as nothing happened. And then she began kissing Cole one chapter and her alive boyfriend on the following chapter. And more draging. And more nonsense. And more thinking alongside the lines of: "But is there a plot somewhere?". So I called it quits.
The book was looking great. And then the investigation on why she died began. And then it began to drag as nothing happened. And then she began kissing Cole one chapter and her alive boyfriend on the following chapter. And more draging. And more nonsense. And more thinking alongside the lines of: "But is there a plot somewhere?". So I called it quits.
Read
July 4, 2017DNF @ 6%
*Thanks so much to the publisher for sending me over an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review - thanks so much again!!*
Did I want to DNF @ 6%? No, I did not. Did I figure I might? Probably. After reading a rather bad review of this (from Nicole at A Dance Between Pages), I knew I was in for a struggle. But I knew that this sounded really good and full of a redemption story arc that could be done brilliantly. However, from the moment I started the story, I knew that I was not going to be interested.
This book was just...boring? Although I can't really say that since a lot of things were happening. Echo wakes up in this place that I couldn't quite understand and then there's some creepy dead things or monsters or I'm really not sure because while it had potential to be really cool, I just got confused. Instead of truly investigating the creepiness, Echo's like, ummmmm, I'm just going to sit and hide in this bed.
Which she does until this guy shows up underneath her bed and she chases him for like two seconds until someone tells her that no, she shouldn't be out and about but she's also allowed no questions. It was like, NO QUESTIONS FOR YOU, AND NO QUESTIONS FOR YOU. Echo's then like, why, of course, I'm just going to back to that same bed and think happy thoughts about the first awkward time I met my love of my life, Andy, and he kissed me to shut me up. Happy thoughts.
ANYWAY. Then she wakes up again and she's being yelled at because the guy living underneath her bed somehow transferred his random wetness onto her but still no questions are allowed. Um, this is concerning. Why are no questions allowed? And shouldn't Echo be fighting harder to get the questions answered?? If I woke up at some place with no memory, no idea what it is - I wouldn't just be hiding in my bed. I would want answers, and if they told me no questions allowed, you best believe I would be demanding for a superior or trying to call, oh, I don't know, 911??
I was so bored as well. I didn't connect with anything and if I was skimming at 6%, I knew I was going to have too much of a downhill battle for the rest of the book.
No crowns since it was a DNF and a Snow White rating!
*Thanks so much to the publisher for sending me over an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review - thanks so much again!!*
Did I want to DNF @ 6%? No, I did not. Did I figure I might? Probably. After reading a rather bad review of this (from Nicole at A Dance Between Pages), I knew I was in for a struggle. But I knew that this sounded really good and full of a redemption story arc that could be done brilliantly. However, from the moment I started the story, I knew that I was not going to be interested.
This book was just...boring? Although I can't really say that since a lot of things were happening. Echo wakes up in this place that I couldn't quite understand and then there's some creepy dead things or monsters or I'm really not sure because while it had potential to be really cool, I just got confused. Instead of truly investigating the creepiness, Echo's like, ummmmm, I'm just going to sit and hide in this bed.
Which she does until this guy shows up underneath her bed and she chases him for like two seconds until someone tells her that no, she shouldn't be out and about but she's also allowed no questions. It was like, NO QUESTIONS FOR YOU, AND NO QUESTIONS FOR YOU. Echo's then like, why, of course, I'm just going to back to that same bed and think happy thoughts about the first awkward time I met my love of my life, Andy, and he kissed me to shut me up. Happy thoughts.
ANYWAY. Then she wakes up again and she's being yelled at because the guy living underneath her bed somehow transferred his random wetness onto her but still no questions are allowed. Um, this is concerning. Why are no questions allowed? And shouldn't Echo be fighting harder to get the questions answered?? If I woke up at some place with no memory, no idea what it is - I wouldn't just be hiding in my bed. I would want answers, and if they told me no questions allowed, you best believe I would be demanding for a superior or trying to call, oh, I don't know, 911??
I was so bored as well. I didn't connect with anything and if I was skimming at 6%, I knew I was going to have too much of a downhill battle for the rest of the book.
No crowns since it was a DNF and a Snow White rating!
August 6, 2017
I went into this book with high expectations, but unfortunately, Bad Girl Gone fell flat in my opinion.
One of the things I liked was the overall premise of this story. I thought the opening was extremely interesting and mysterious. I liked the way the author set up the story and the idea of ghosts trying to figure out who murdered them. I also thought the idea of some of the ghosts having paranormal powers was extremely interesting. The main character's power that she developed was really unique and I thought it added a nice twist to the plot.
Unfortunately, I didn't really like the main character, Echo. Echo came off as being extremely self-centered and it became annoying very quickly. I also hated all the nicknames she had and the ones she gave other people. For example; Echo, Rabbit, Wolfie. Those nicknames made me CRINGE.
The romance was also something I was not a big fan of. There was a love triangle that felt forced and unnecessary. The romance was a large part of this book, and I really wanted it to be more of a subplot. I think a slow burn or no romance at all would have better suited this story. I didn't really like any of the romantic interests nor did I believe the romances. I am a romance lover, but this romance didn't do for me and it wish it would have been toned down.
Overall, this book had a great premise, but I wish there would have been more murder and mystery in this book.
2 / 5 Fangs
*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
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One of the things I liked was the overall premise of this story. I thought the opening was extremely interesting and mysterious. I liked the way the author set up the story and the idea of ghosts trying to figure out who murdered them. I also thought the idea of some of the ghosts having paranormal powers was extremely interesting. The main character's power that she developed was really unique and I thought it added a nice twist to the plot.
Unfortunately, I didn't really like the main character, Echo. Echo came off as being extremely self-centered and it became annoying very quickly. I also hated all the nicknames she had and the ones she gave other people. For example; Echo, Rabbit, Wolfie. Those nicknames made me CRINGE.
The romance was also something I was not a big fan of. There was a love triangle that felt forced and unnecessary. The romance was a large part of this book, and I really wanted it to be more of a subplot. I think a slow burn or no romance at all would have better suited this story. I didn't really like any of the romantic interests nor did I believe the romances. I am a romance lover, but this romance didn't do for me and it wish it would have been toned down.
Overall, this book had a great premise, but I wish there would have been more murder and mystery in this book.
2 / 5 Fangs
*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
August 1, 2017
Check out more YA book reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...
Echo wakes up in Middle House, an orphanage... What?! Only her parents are alive! The other kids there aren't hearing her and in fact are quite cruel.... so, of course, she gets out of there! As she deals with losing the love of her life she befriends another boy, Cole. Along the way she realizes she wasn't really the person she always thought she was...
I TOTALLY LOST MY REVIEW!! That has never happened to me before and there is no save or history to restore it... so I'm going to strip mine my review...
What I liked!
-The opening. The blurb does readers a disservice by telling us TOO MUCH about what is going on... that always makes for a boring beginning! And I feel like this happens when there is fear that the hook won't engage readers... I quite bought into the creepy, confusing and surreal nature of the opening few scenes.
-The writing. I love it when writers use tactile senses in their writing and keep the language easy to read. There is a time and place for the heavy "lyrical" writing whereas you can always read an easy narrative.
-The group. We are introduced to quite the group when Echo finally gets her feet under her. I thought they stood out for the most part and had personality, especially the minor characters that appeared again and again.
-The abilities. Echo has a rare ability I enjoyed what she was able to do even if it was contrived! I really loved how the group used their individual gifts together.
-The plot. The actual events of the plot were quite good. They were developed enough to show Echo what kind of person she was. I quite enjoyed this subtle character arc and wished it had been made the focus! I liked how we went through suspects and confirmed how they felt, etc. That part felt like a true mystery fused with this paranormal angle. The subplot with the caretaker was a nice diversion. There is a solidness, a reality to events that the book I read previously lacked...
What I didn't like!
-No "bad girl" teenager. If I was a 16 year old who woke up in the dead of night in a creepy house that is all locked up I'd head to bed after being told I would be punished. A "strong" girl may scream their fool head off and pound their fists but... that doesn't serve the story. Nothing would have happened except she would find out in the morning... While I understand developing a story from what serves the story best... you can see why there is a disconnect for some readers... this especially hit home after the kind of girl Echo was is revealed...
-Echo's ability was contrived. I didn't mind that it was a rare ability nor that she used it often. That was why she is the main character and the other the point of the story, all the other kids could use their abilities that often as well... Because she was able to so easily make people afraid it was quite contrived at the end There can be some cunning used instead of ability... Cole would have been perfect to fill this role!!
-While I loved the group, Cole, the secondary character came across very flat. He reveals how he is killed and I didn't feel like it added much to who he was. He just merrily did whatever Echo wanted him to do. And again with all the kissing before the characters even got to know each other! At least it wasn't ghost sex but come on!! She's a little preoccupied with HER DEATH!
-The thinking didn't really work. The book reads more like fantasy than what the afterlife is like... as it clearly relied on thinking that didn't quite make sense... like who cares who murdered you if you get to be reborn...? No one does, except maybe the living!
-THE LOVE TRIANGLE!! I think of all the negatives this was the worse... A totally lost opportunity to bank on the one thing this story had going for it... NO NEED FOR ROMANCE! We have a boyfriend Echo leaves behind... She's dead (see marketing blurb) and he's not and she has to come to terms with that!! She's dead and after she resolves her death will be put in line to be reborn. So no romance needed! I'd have preferred Cole to be a creepy cunning friend. If this is a series then romance can be added down the road AFTER the BF is mourned. If this is a standalone then it can fly around the blogisphere as a book without romance!
BOTTOM LINE: Great premise needed to lose the love triangle. Without it some of the other problems would be more apparent and could be fixed.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my special perspective at the bottom of my reviews under the typewriter...
Echo wakes up in Middle House, an orphanage... What?! Only her parents are alive! The other kids there aren't hearing her and in fact are quite cruel.... so, of course, she gets out of there! As she deals with losing the love of her life she befriends another boy, Cole. Along the way she realizes she wasn't really the person she always thought she was...
I TOTALLY LOST MY REVIEW!! That has never happened to me before and there is no save or history to restore it... so I'm going to strip mine my review...
What I liked!
-The opening. The blurb does readers a disservice by telling us TOO MUCH about what is going on... that always makes for a boring beginning! And I feel like this happens when there is fear that the hook won't engage readers... I quite bought into the creepy, confusing and surreal nature of the opening few scenes.
-The writing. I love it when writers use tactile senses in their writing and keep the language easy to read. There is a time and place for the heavy "lyrical" writing whereas you can always read an easy narrative.
-The group. We are introduced to quite the group when Echo finally gets her feet under her. I thought they stood out for the most part and had personality, especially the minor characters that appeared again and again.
-The abilities. Echo has a rare ability I enjoyed what she was able to do even if it was contrived! I really loved how the group used their individual gifts together.
-The plot. The actual events of the plot were quite good. They were developed enough to show Echo what kind of person she was. I quite enjoyed this subtle character arc and wished it had been made the focus! I liked how we went through suspects and confirmed how they felt, etc. That part felt like a true mystery fused with this paranormal angle. The subplot with the caretaker was a nice diversion. There is a solidness, a reality to events that the book I read previously lacked...
What I didn't like!
-No "bad girl" teenager. If I was a 16 year old who woke up in the dead of night in a creepy house that is all locked up I'd head to bed after being told I would be punished. A "strong" girl may scream their fool head off and pound their fists but... that doesn't serve the story. Nothing would have happened except she would find out in the morning... While I understand developing a story from what serves the story best... you can see why there is a disconnect for some readers... this especially hit home after the kind of girl Echo was is revealed...
-Echo's ability was contrived. I didn't mind that it was a rare ability nor that she used it often. That was why she is the main character and the other the point of the story, all the other kids could use their abilities that often as well... Because she was able to so easily make people afraid it was quite contrived at the end There can be some cunning used instead of ability... Cole would have been perfect to fill this role!!
-While I loved the group, Cole, the secondary character came across very flat. He reveals how he is killed and I didn't feel like it added much to who he was. He just merrily did whatever Echo wanted him to do. And again with all the kissing before the characters even got to know each other! At least it wasn't ghost sex but come on!! She's a little preoccupied with HER DEATH!
-The thinking didn't really work. The book reads more like fantasy than what the afterlife is like... as it clearly relied on thinking that didn't quite make sense... like who cares who murdered you if you get to be reborn...? No one does, except maybe the living!
-THE LOVE TRIANGLE!! I think of all the negatives this was the worse... A totally lost opportunity to bank on the one thing this story had going for it... NO NEED FOR ROMANCE! We have a boyfriend Echo leaves behind... She's dead (see marketing blurb) and he's not and she has to come to terms with that!! She's dead and after she resolves her death will be put in line to be reborn. So no romance needed! I'd have preferred Cole to be a creepy cunning friend. If this is a series then romance can be added down the road AFTER the BF is mourned. If this is a standalone then it can fly around the blogisphere as a book without romance!
BOTTOM LINE: Great premise needed to lose the love triangle. Without it some of the other problems would be more apparent and could be fixed.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my special perspective at the bottom of my reviews under the typewriter...
September 2, 2020
"May the soul of Elieen "Echo" Stone be welcomed into heaven, where the Lord's compassionate hands will comfort her with eternal love and forgiveness."
But she was there, watching her OWN funeral.
Meet Echo Stone, good girl, sorta bad girl? Most likely. Dead? As a corpse. But she's not a corpse.
After mysteriously showing up at a place called the Middle House, Echo Stone meets some of the inhabitants living there- the group of freaks.
She's not ready to die and leave her mom, dad, or her lover- Andy. But then she meets Cole, who's just as dead.
Echo has to find who her murder was- so she can move on to be reborn. Guess ghosts are real.
And so is unfinished business.
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!! (made me cry quite a bit....)
But she was there, watching her OWN funeral.
Meet Echo Stone, good girl, sorta bad girl? Most likely. Dead? As a corpse. But she's not a corpse.
After mysteriously showing up at a place called the Middle House, Echo Stone meets some of the inhabitants living there- the group of freaks.
She's not ready to die and leave her mom, dad, or her lover- Andy. But then she meets Cole, who's just as dead.
Echo has to find who her murder was- so she can move on to be reborn. Guess ghosts are real.
And so is unfinished business.
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!! (made me cry quite a bit....)
August 16, 2017
BAD GIRL GONE is a a paranormal murder mystery where the ghosts are the detectives serving up justice and revenge. It’s the story of a girl who must come to grips with what happened to her, discover what kind of person she really was and what kind of person she wants to be, and find out who is to blame for her demise.
It is a story with an interesting premise - ghostly sleuths trapped in a sort of purgatory who must solve their murders in order to move on - but suffers from a number of problems with its execution, making for a read that is at times fun and entertaining and at others difficult to stay connected to.
Echo Stone thought she was a nice person, well-liked, a perfect girlfriend. But her murder revealed that she might not have been exactly who she thought she was. Even Andy, the love of her life, had suspicions about her.
With no idea who could have wanted her dead, she’ll have to find a way to fill the gaps in her memory in order to solve her murder and exact vengeance. And she’ll need help from the other residents of Middle House to do so. Including the pranksters, the bully, and the boy who seems determined to win her heart.
At under 300 pages, BAD GIRL GONE is a quick read, although the beginning dragged somewhat due to a bit too much telling and not enough showing. While the character was in the dark about her circumstances, the reader wasn’t, and so Echo’s slow recall of who she was and her discovery of where she was, told in staccato bursts of thoughts and actions, didn’t have the intended impact. But once Echo became aware of what was going on, the pace picked up and the story became easier to engage with.
The murder mystery offered up several suspects and Echo’s actions made many of them real possibilities, keeping readers in suspense for quite some time about the who and the why. The other inhabitants of Middle House with stories of their own added excitement, even if some deviations felt unnecessary to the plot. And the choices Echo was forced to make at the story’s end turned her from a not very likable character into someone with whom readers could sympathize.
But there wasn’t enough detail or depth to make Echo a truly likable character. And with some rather odd and unrealistic phrasing the author used for her thoughts and dialogue, it was a challenge to relate to her.
Another detractor was the romance between Echo and Cole, which felt forced and didn’t flow with the story as it developed. Echo's struggle with her undying love for her boyfriend and her growing feelings for Cole wasn't sufficiently established to make it believable. There was also a bit more language used in BAD GIRL GONE than is typical in YA novels, as well as some off-putting behavior by most of the adult male characters introduced, making the read uncomfortable at times.
The strengths of this story lie in its mystery, its concept, and its conclusion. There are also moments that are achingly sad and those that are hopelessly sweet. But its uneven pace and flow, lack of depth and development, and inconsistent voice, make for a read that doesn’t quite live up to all that it promised.
Original GR comments:
Had mixed feelings about this one. The first 25% was a bit slow and the writing felt a bit clunky. I liked that the author tried to make things a bit of a mystery to readers at first, as things were a bit of a mystery to the character, but the book's description takes away the mystery factor, so it dampens that aspect at the start.
The last half of the story is a quick and engaging read, however. There were parts that were heartwarming and sweet. And I liked the idea of ghostly sleuths who exacted vengeance.
But I did get pulled out of the story often at the outset as some of the writing was a bit too simplistic and then a bit more complex than seemed natural for the character's thoughts. Also some of the phrasing didn't feel age-appropriate for a young female teen character.
There was also a bit more language than I'd seen in a YA book before.
Review TK 8/16/17
It is a story with an interesting premise - ghostly sleuths trapped in a sort of purgatory who must solve their murders in order to move on - but suffers from a number of problems with its execution, making for a read that is at times fun and entertaining and at others difficult to stay connected to.
Echo Stone thought she was a nice person, well-liked, a perfect girlfriend. But her murder revealed that she might not have been exactly who she thought she was. Even Andy, the love of her life, had suspicions about her.
With no idea who could have wanted her dead, she’ll have to find a way to fill the gaps in her memory in order to solve her murder and exact vengeance. And she’ll need help from the other residents of Middle House to do so. Including the pranksters, the bully, and the boy who seems determined to win her heart.
At under 300 pages, BAD GIRL GONE is a quick read, although the beginning dragged somewhat due to a bit too much telling and not enough showing. While the character was in the dark about her circumstances, the reader wasn’t, and so Echo’s slow recall of who she was and her discovery of where she was, told in staccato bursts of thoughts and actions, didn’t have the intended impact. But once Echo became aware of what was going on, the pace picked up and the story became easier to engage with.
The murder mystery offered up several suspects and Echo’s actions made many of them real possibilities, keeping readers in suspense for quite some time about the who and the why. The other inhabitants of Middle House with stories of their own added excitement, even if some deviations felt unnecessary to the plot. And the choices Echo was forced to make at the story’s end turned her from a not very likable character into someone with whom readers could sympathize.
But there wasn’t enough detail or depth to make Echo a truly likable character. And with some rather odd and unrealistic phrasing the author used for her thoughts and dialogue, it was a challenge to relate to her.
Another detractor was the romance between Echo and Cole, which felt forced and didn’t flow with the story as it developed. Echo's struggle with her undying love for her boyfriend and her growing feelings for Cole wasn't sufficiently established to make it believable. There was also a bit more language used in BAD GIRL GONE than is typical in YA novels, as well as some off-putting behavior by most of the adult male characters introduced, making the read uncomfortable at times.
The strengths of this story lie in its mystery, its concept, and its conclusion. There are also moments that are achingly sad and those that are hopelessly sweet. But its uneven pace and flow, lack of depth and development, and inconsistent voice, make for a read that doesn’t quite live up to all that it promised.
Original GR comments:
Had mixed feelings about this one. The first 25% was a bit slow and the writing felt a bit clunky. I liked that the author tried to make things a bit of a mystery to readers at first, as things were a bit of a mystery to the character, but the book's description takes away the mystery factor, so it dampens that aspect at the start.
The last half of the story is a quick and engaging read, however. There were parts that were heartwarming and sweet. And I liked the idea of ghostly sleuths who exacted vengeance.
But I did get pulled out of the story often at the outset as some of the writing was a bit too simplistic and then a bit more complex than seemed natural for the character's thoughts. Also some of the phrasing didn't feel age-appropriate for a young female teen character.
There was also a bit more language than I'd seen in a YA book before.
Review TK 8/16/17
October 3, 2017
This book doesn't work. At all. Apparently the author is a screen writer for the Disney Channel and this is what this book stinks of. It has an identity crisis. It reads like a t'ween movie script that was rejected and hastily fitted for a YA book. I think this is due to the subject matter. It honestly feels like the author was so dead set on this that he couldn't let any of it go (or was too lazy to change things) so there are a lot of Disney elements that don't mesh with the gravity of the subject matter and the age of the book.
There's a love triangle in this book, of sorts. This girl was MURDERED. Really badly. She wants to get revenge. That's the premise of the book. Murder victims have to get revenge to pass on, yet she's still in love with her then boyfriend and the hot boy that's in this home with her.
At one point in the beginning, they all link hands to pronounce judgement on this murderer and it was just so cheesy and chringy, and very, very t'weeny Disney.
The idea of this dead girl and the rest of the book didn't match. Gave up 50% through. I tried though. I tried.
There's a love triangle in this book, of sorts. This girl was MURDERED. Really badly. She wants to get revenge. That's the premise of the book. Murder victims have to get revenge to pass on, yet she's still in love with her then boyfriend and the hot boy that's in this home with her.
At one point in the beginning, they all link hands to pronounce judgement on this murderer and it was just so cheesy and chringy, and very, very t'weeny Disney.
The idea of this dead girl and the rest of the book didn't match. Gave up 50% through. I tried though. I tried.
August 20, 2017
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Young Adult Fiction / Ghost Stories
*Rating* 3.5
*Full Review Pending*
Kind of a twisted story, but overall, a pretty original story about life after death.
*Genre* Young Adult Fiction / Ghost Stories
*Rating* 3.5
*Full Review Pending*
Kind of a twisted story, but overall, a pretty original story about life after death.
Read
February 2, 2023This is one of the worst books I have ever had the misfortune of reading. Not only is the writing style bad and kind of cheesy but the main character is SO oblivious and brainless. The fact that it was written by a middle aged man and was about a 16 year old girl is kind of disturbing and it made a lot of sense after I read it because her whole personality is “the pretty innocent girl who has the hot boyfriend”. I also hated that when they found her killer it wasn’t a big plot twist or reveal, it was kind of like “oh I found him”. Don’t read this book, it’s not worth it.
January 25, 2018
The biggest problem with Bad Girl Gone isn't its YA-typical instalove nor its piney love triangle, although both were major features of the plot. No, what wiped out any entertainment and imagination this book provided and made it completely unpalatable was its inherent "moral", if you will.
Despite the blurbs' labeling of the in-between-life-and-death place the dead kids who comprise the cast of characters wind up in as "purgatory", it doesn't fit any Christian definition of purgatory in that it's not a punishment of any sort – they're only there because they got murdered. It's more of a bardo, a Tibetan Buddhist term describing the state between (among other things) one's death and one's next rebirth, and has no more moral judgment attached to it then a garden-variety waiting room. In this book's narrative, murdered children have some "issues" to work out, and then they get to "move on" – sucked into the pretty light and reincarnated into a fresh, new life. Often this is alluded to as a beautiful thing – generating peace, closure, and redemption. But it reality, the whole reason they're in this afterlife-orphanage-cum-bardo is to
So as you can see, this creates quite the cognitive dissonance between the wildly differing overarching themes and conflicting values presented. It's ultimately just too disjointed and disturbing to feel the least bit warm and fuzzy about.
1.5 stars.
I received an advance uncorrected proof of this book at no cost from the publisher, St. Martin's Griffin, via Goodreads Giveaways, but was otherwise not compensated for my honest review.
Despite the blurbs' labeling of the in-between-life-and-death place the dead kids who comprise the cast of characters wind up in as "purgatory", it doesn't fit any Christian definition of purgatory in that it's not a punishment of any sort – they're only there because they got murdered. It's more of a bardo, a Tibetan Buddhist term describing the state between (among other things) one's death and one's next rebirth, and has no more moral judgment attached to it then a garden-variety waiting room. In this book's narrative, murdered children have some "issues" to work out, and then they get to "move on" – sucked into the pretty light and reincarnated into a fresh, new life. Often this is alluded to as a beautiful thing – generating peace, closure, and redemption. But it reality, the whole reason they're in this afterlife-orphanage-cum-bardo is to
So as you can see, this creates quite the cognitive dissonance between the wildly differing overarching themes and conflicting values presented. It's ultimately just too disjointed and disturbing to feel the least bit warm and fuzzy about.
1.5 stars.
I received an advance uncorrected proof of this book at no cost from the publisher, St. Martin's Griffin, via Goodreads Giveaways, but was otherwise not compensated for my honest review.
September 6, 2024
Made it about 4 pages in. The writing is obnoxious and rigid. Absolutely no personality or feeling to any of it.
March 21, 2018
This is the type of book I didn't want to put down. I just had to find out what was going to happen next and how to was going to end! Loved it!
July 25, 2017
I received this book from Goodreads.
Just a warning.
This is one of those rare occasions where my emotionally charged reaction is entirely my fault and probably wont have the same hold on other readers. Plus, this review is a rushed hot mess.
Bad Girl Gone was 256 pages of a bittersweet, emotional roller-coaster. If I had read this book only two months ago, I wouldn't have batted an eye about the topic of a teenage girl waking up deceased in an supernatural orphanage for murdered children who can only pass on after finding their killer and achieving revenge.
Seriously, I wouldn't have. I probably wouldn't have given it such a high rating, either.
My family has recently experienced a very similar tragedy.
Initially, I was hesitant about starting this book, but I figured I could handle it....
I ended up crying sporadically throughout the whole thing. But I couldn't put it down.
At first, the concept of an innocent, violently killed child of any age stuck in the 'in-between' because of what some monster did to them had my body boiling with rage. Don't they, above anyone, deserve some peace after that?
The heavy, jagged stone that used to be my heart has lodged in my throat, choking me.
It wasn't long before I warmed up to the idea. I started feeling an ugly, terrible glee of the thought of a kid being able to haunt the #$%# out of their killer so bad that they died. I enjoyed reading the fictional hauntings done by Echo and her friends. I would have preferred a more gruesome and creative death for the killers, but this is a YA book. Emphasis on the young
I probably should have stopped reading this book because of how much I cried through parts that weren't even sad. But I had to know who killed Echo as much as Echo needed to know. I...needed to know badly.
This book is undeniably cheesy and Mary Sue, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm glad there was a sappy, happy ending and Echo found some peace and happiness after that horrible evil was done to her. I enjoyed reading Bad girl Gone despite, well...everything.
Just a warning.
This is one of those rare occasions where my emotionally charged reaction is entirely my fault and probably wont have the same hold on other readers. Plus, this review is a rushed hot mess.
Bad Girl Gone was 256 pages of a bittersweet, emotional roller-coaster. If I had read this book only two months ago, I wouldn't have batted an eye about the topic of a teenage girl waking up deceased in an supernatural orphanage for murdered children who can only pass on after finding their killer and achieving revenge.
Seriously, I wouldn't have. I probably wouldn't have given it such a high rating, either.
My family has recently experienced a very similar tragedy.
Initially, I was hesitant about starting this book, but I figured I could handle it....
I ended up crying sporadically throughout the whole thing. But I couldn't put it down.
At first, the concept of an innocent, violently killed child of any age stuck in the 'in-between' because of what some monster did to them had my body boiling with rage. Don't they, above anyone, deserve some peace after that?
The heavy, jagged stone that used to be my heart has lodged in my throat, choking me.
It wasn't long before I warmed up to the idea. I started feeling an ugly, terrible glee of the thought of a kid being able to haunt the #$%# out of their killer so bad that they died. I enjoyed reading the fictional hauntings done by Echo and her friends. I would have preferred a more gruesome and creative death for the killers, but this is a YA book. Emphasis on the young
I probably should have stopped reading this book because of how much I cried through parts that weren't even sad. But I had to know who killed Echo as much as Echo needed to know. I...needed to know badly.
This book is undeniably cheesy and Mary Sue, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm glad there was a sappy, happy ending and Echo found some peace and happiness after that horrible evil was done to her. I enjoyed reading Bad girl Gone despite, well...everything.
August 21, 2017
I love the cover of this one and I think the premise was unique and brilliant. Those are the two reasons why I decided to read this book. I enjoyed the first chapters especially when Echo didn’t know she was a ghost. I kept wondering how she will find out and the aftermath of that discovery. The first chapters were poignant. My heart broke for her as she came to terms with the fact that she was dead.
Another thing that I enjoyed was the ghost haunting. I thought that was creepy and fascinating. I was spooked and since then, I keep wondering if there are spirits hanging around us. Perhaps, there is one right now standing over my shoulder as I write this review…spooky! I liked the ghost adventures especially when they tackled bullies and the bad guys.
However, I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I thought I would. I thought there would be some mystery around who killed Echo but I found the reveal to be quite underwhelming. For once, I wished my guess was right since I had someone else in mind. I don’t think that Echo was likeable and I don’t like love triangles even if they involve the living and the dead. Another issue that I had with the story was a plot-line about the mistress at Echo’s institution. I still don’t know what was going on with that angle. In the end, I liked the premise and parts of the books but didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would.
Another thing that I enjoyed was the ghost haunting. I thought that was creepy and fascinating. I was spooked and since then, I keep wondering if there are spirits hanging around us. Perhaps, there is one right now standing over my shoulder as I write this review…spooky! I liked the ghost adventures especially when they tackled bullies and the bad guys.
However, I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I thought I would. I thought there would be some mystery around who killed Echo but I found the reveal to be quite underwhelming. For once, I wished my guess was right since I had someone else in mind. I don’t think that Echo was likeable and I don’t like love triangles even if they involve the living and the dead. Another issue that I had with the story was a plot-line about the mistress at Echo’s institution. I still don’t know what was going on with that angle. In the end, I liked the premise and parts of the books but didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would.
July 13, 2024
I did NOT like this book. Almost DNF at 10 pages but wanted to stick through to see what was happening. If an actual 16 year old girl had written it, I could be a lot more forgiving. But a grown adult man wrote this book and knowing that made it all the worse. The sentences are short and choppy; there’s no descriptive writing at all- it’s very “tell tell tell”. There’s a disturbingly high amount of adult male characters lusting after a young teen girl (ok 2 but we only meet like 5 adults the whole time); no side characters stories are told satisfyingly… I don’t know. I feel I could go on.
I also personally choose to not read books that feature sexual abuse of a child and would never have read this one had I known. If it was at least well written, I probably wouldn’t even leave a review and chalk it up to me choosing a book that wasn’t meant for me. But again, this is not a well written book. The only redeeming factor is that it was short and an easy read so I only wasted a few hours of my time.
I also personally choose to not read books that feature sexual abuse of a child and would never have read this one had I known. If it was at least well written, I probably wouldn’t even leave a review and chalk it up to me choosing a book that wasn’t meant for me. But again, this is not a well written book. The only redeeming factor is that it was short and an easy read so I only wasted a few hours of my time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2021
I considered giving this two stars because of the heavy topics it deals with, but decided against it since they aren't that well-handled anyway.
The writing is just so bad. Echo (who is named like that for the dumbest reason I've ever heard) reads like a preteen, not a 16-year old. She is, in fact, so dull that I can't fathom why basically every male character falls over themselves to be with her. And don't get me started on the love triangle. Both parties are so fucking bland, it's like she's making out with a cardboard box.
There's also a scene toward the ending that made me really uncomfortable and isn't discussed enough in my opinion.
Oh yeah, and the way this book tries to be a mystery for the first couple of chapters is beyond annoying. You're dead, asshole. Stop acting like a fool.
The writing is just so bad. Echo (who is named like that for the dumbest reason I've ever heard) reads like a preteen, not a 16-year old. She is, in fact, so dull that I can't fathom why basically every male character falls over themselves to be with her. And don't get me started on the love triangle. Both parties are so fucking bland, it's like she's making out with a cardboard box.
There's also a scene toward the ending that made me really uncomfortable and isn't discussed enough in my opinion.
Oh yeah, and the way this book tries to be a mystery for the first couple of chapters is beyond annoying. You're dead, asshole. Stop acting like a fool.
August 8, 2017
First of all, I received this book from Netgalley and A Thomas Dunne Book/St. Martin's Griffin as well as a physical copy from a Goodreads giveaway, all in exchange for my honest review.
I just absolutely loved the overall concept of this book. This was my first time reading a book from ghost perspectives and let me tell you that "ghost justice" can be an amazing thing and I loved how Temple Mathews molded it in this book.
If you want to read my full review, and I know you do, just click on my blog link!!! >>> http://poeticbutterflyreview.blogspot...
I just absolutely loved the overall concept of this book. This was my first time reading a book from ghost perspectives and let me tell you that "ghost justice" can be an amazing thing and I loved how Temple Mathews molded it in this book.
If you want to read my full review, and I know you do, just click on my blog link!!! >>> http://poeticbutterflyreview.blogspot...
March 30, 2017
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review.
The characters, writing style, and plot were all lackluster. The conversational writing style was a little bit too informal, and the protagonist tended to ramble about things that turned out to be totally unimportant.
The characters themselves were two-dimensional, and some of the most interesting ideas that I expected the book to explore, such as what it means to live well, were barely explored. The plot, too, lagged constantly - while all the elements of a good novel were present, there was a distinct failure in execution.
The characters, writing style, and plot were all lackluster. The conversational writing style was a little bit too informal, and the protagonist tended to ramble about things that turned out to be totally unimportant.
The characters themselves were two-dimensional, and some of the most interesting ideas that I expected the book to explore, such as what it means to live well, were barely explored. The plot, too, lagged constantly - while all the elements of a good novel were present, there was a distinct failure in execution.
June 12, 2023
This book had an odd start, but I started to really get into the story when Echo realized she was dead and needed to find a way to resolve her unfinished business. As she learns about her new ghostly state and makes friends with fellow ghosts, Echo also tries to uncover what happened to her - she haunts her high school rival, her boyfriend, and others. Echo is not a perfect person and I appreciated how she learned to confront her own flaws. This was an engaging read, nearly a thriller, with plenty of paranormal elements.
September 13, 2018
Foi uma leitura rápida e gostosa para passar um tempo se divertindo. Nada muito além disso. Um livro para adolescentes, com clichês e momentos previsíveis, mas legal para para se distrair um pouco. Excelente para intercalar com leituras mais densas.
March 28, 2017
There is maybe some content in this book that has the potential to be, at the least, a better book. But the writing is too fast paced to be good right now.
September 22, 2022
it was really good. towards the ending of the book it had a very unexpected twist to it and i really liked it!
August 9, 2017
I enjoyed reading this book. It was a quick easy read that kept my interest throughout the book. The story line is about a girl that dies and isn't allowed to move on until she solves her murder. I went into this book expecting a YA story and I feel that's what I got. If you are looking for an easy read I would recommend this book.
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