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Paranormal Investigator #1
Spookygirl
Violet Addison can chat with the dead, but what really frightens her is starting her sophomore year at a new school. Still reeling from the loss of her mother, Violet is about find herself in the company of ghosts . . . both playful and deadly evil. Standing at the threshold to an unseen world with newfound friends at her side, only Violet can uncover the truth behind her mother’s death and save the family business--paranormal investigation.
279 pages, Hardcover
First published August 16, 2012
26 people are currently reading
1674 people want to read
About the author
Jill Baguchinsky
6 books126 followersJill Baguchinsky grew up fluent in darkness and Disney. She spent much of her life on a barrier island just off the coast of Southwest Florida, where she read way too much Stephen King and dodged more hurricanes than she could count.
Jill still lives in Florida, but after one hurricane too many, she and her mini menagerie of rescue animals moved inland. Aside from the manatees she used to watch in her backyard canal, she doesn’t miss much about island life.
Jill still lives in Florida, but after one hurricane too many, she and her mini menagerie of rescue animals moved inland. Aside from the manatees she used to watch in her backyard canal, she doesn’t miss much about island life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
August 13, 2012
Ahh! Morbid humor! :D
I have to admit, I almost didn't pick up Spookygirl because of its title. I was afraid it would be a bit too cheesy for me, so I'm happy to say that this wasn't the case. Sure there are some... less than mature moments, but overall the humor is very clever and witty: What you would expect from a teenager who has been seeing ghosts her whole life.
Initially I found myself debating between a 3 and a 4 star for this novel. It has quite the predictable plot and parts of the ending are a tad underwhelming, however I can't deny that it's a fun, enlivening novel -- exactly what I was in the mood for -- that I thoroughly enjoyed regardless of its debilitating factors. With Violet's ability to see and communicate with the dead, her father being a mortician, her mother's mysterious death, and friends who go along with her dangerous antics, how is it possible to not get absorbed in this story? Violet's fantastic sense a humor is incredibly amusing, and you can expect to get creeped out a time or two. She's dealing with something evil, something that may actually contradict what her mother has always told her - ghosts can't you you. The secondary characters range from the half vampire (or so he thinks) best friend, to the goth, to the poltergeist pet; all quite charming and unique in their own way, they become good, loyal friends to Violet that, though not notably developed, are great accessories to the story.
Fair warning for romantics, there is a complete lack of romance in this novel. I, for one, found it quite refreshing. There is plenty going on inside this plot that a romantic side story is not required. I never felt like there was something missing, nor did I hope for any romantic developments between any of the characters -- to be honest I didn't even make note of it until I wrote this review. It was a great change to have no distraction from the main plot which was plenty interesting on its own. My one complaint is that it's a little underwhelming when it comes to conclusion of the hauntings. I was expecting something much more sinister from the vibe they were emitting.
All in all, with a great equilibrium of humor and fright, Spookygirl is a quirky, yet creepy read that is bound to entertain you fully.
>An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
I have to admit, I almost didn't pick up Spookygirl because of its title. I was afraid it would be a bit too cheesy for me, so I'm happy to say that this wasn't the case. Sure there are some... less than mature moments, but overall the humor is very clever and witty: What you would expect from a teenager who has been seeing ghosts her whole life.
Initially I found myself debating between a 3 and a 4 star for this novel. It has quite the predictable plot and parts of the ending are a tad underwhelming, however I can't deny that it's a fun, enlivening novel -- exactly what I was in the mood for -- that I thoroughly enjoyed regardless of its debilitating factors. With Violet's ability to see and communicate with the dead, her father being a mortician, her mother's mysterious death, and friends who go along with her dangerous antics, how is it possible to not get absorbed in this story? Violet's fantastic sense a humor is incredibly amusing, and you can expect to get creeped out a time or two. She's dealing with something evil, something that may actually contradict what her mother has always told her - ghosts can't you you. The secondary characters range from the half vampire (or so he thinks) best friend, to the goth, to the poltergeist pet; all quite charming and unique in their own way, they become good, loyal friends to Violet that, though not notably developed, are great accessories to the story.
Fair warning for romantics, there is a complete lack of romance in this novel. I, for one, found it quite refreshing. There is plenty going on inside this plot that a romantic side story is not required. I never felt like there was something missing, nor did I hope for any romantic developments between any of the characters -- to be honest I didn't even make note of it until I wrote this review. It was a great change to have no distraction from the main plot which was plenty interesting on its own. My one complaint is that it's a little underwhelming when it comes to conclusion of the hauntings. I was expecting something much more sinister from the vibe they were emitting.
All in all, with a great equilibrium of humor and fright, Spookygirl is a quirky, yet creepy read that is bound to entertain you fully.
>An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
November 6, 2016
Kind of a cute read but it felt more middle grade than YA, but still, a fun little ghost mystery.
August 25, 2012
Spookygirl: Paranormal Investigator sounded promising, but didn't live up to my expectations. I'm usually a big fan of ghost talkers and this just didn't do it for me, plotwise or characterwise. It seemed like the author had trouble deciding which haunting plot she wanted to make the main storyline and there was a lot of clunky exposition to deal with. I also don't think it was ever explained why Violet, who can see, talk to and sense ghosts, needed to use ghost hunting equipment to, you know, verify that ghosts were at a location or what sort of haunting it was. It seemed particularly redundant since Violet herself is essentially a piece of ghost detecting equipment. Baguchinsky's universe's rules about the ghosts and the afterlife were ill-defined and particularly convenient for all the characters too.
I also wasn't a big fan of Violet, who was incredibly judgmental about everyone, even her friends. For all these "outcast" characters who complain about the evil popular jocks stereotyping them, they sure do a lot of stereotyping and judging themselves. YA authors, if you're going to go with the typical douchebag jocks and cheerleaders as your character's main schoolyard antagonists, actually make them jerks and don't just say they are because they were a letter jacket. I mean, calling the popular people "the void" because they're all so stupid? Hur-dur, how original. Violet mentions she catches the jocks shoving Tim into lockers as evidence of their douchebaggery, but then she plots to and does successfully injure someone in gym class so she can go investigate some ghosts. Plus there was the d-bag move when she erased Emerson Bean's name on a list because it sounded nerdy and stuck-up because oh my god, she just hates gym soooooo much and her pain at having to exercise is more important than whatever dumb reason Emerson put his name on the list first OKAY. Hypocritical much, Violet?
I really did like that Spookygirl had absolutely zero romantic interests for Violet and that there was no love triangle in sight. That was completely refreshing for a paranormal YA novel. I loved every second of having a book actually focus on paranormal stuff instead of having it as the backdrop for a ridiculous romance. The haunting at the end of the book was sufficiently creepy and there was some great suspense build up there. I think Jill Baguchinksy has some potential to grow as an author, once some of the obvious first book errors and style issues get cleaned up and edited out.
I also wasn't a big fan of Violet, who was incredibly judgmental about everyone, even her friends. For all these "outcast" characters who complain about the evil popular jocks stereotyping them, they sure do a lot of stereotyping and judging themselves. YA authors, if you're going to go with the typical douchebag jocks and cheerleaders as your character's main schoolyard antagonists, actually make them jerks and don't just say they are because they were a letter jacket. I mean, calling the popular people "the void" because they're all so stupid? Hur-dur, how original. Violet mentions she catches the jocks shoving Tim into lockers as evidence of their douchebaggery, but then she plots to and does successfully injure someone in gym class so she can go investigate some ghosts. Plus there was the d-bag move when she erased Emerson Bean's name on a list because it sounded nerdy and stuck-up because oh my god, she just hates gym soooooo much and her pain at having to exercise is more important than whatever dumb reason Emerson put his name on the list first OKAY. Hypocritical much, Violet?
I really did like that Spookygirl had absolutely zero romantic interests for Violet and that there was no love triangle in sight. That was completely refreshing for a paranormal YA novel. I loved every second of having a book actually focus on paranormal stuff instead of having it as the backdrop for a ridiculous romance. The haunting at the end of the book was sufficiently creepy and there was some great suspense build up there. I think Jill Baguchinksy has some potential to grow as an author, once some of the obvious first book errors and style issues get cleaned up and edited out.
July 4, 2020
Erm...
What was I thinking?
I'm in a situation. Predicament, more like. You see, right now I'm reading The Tyrant's Tomb by Rick Riordan and I'm absolutely loving it so far. I own the book, it's brand-new, and even signed by the author. Basically it's the pride and joy of my current reading life.
BUT, because of its bookish glory, I am terrified to take it anwhere since something might happen to it. You know, a page might get bent, or it might rain, or somebody might get their awful oily fingers all over the cover. So early this morning, I thought, why don't I just take an older book with me to read? It had to have been 6:30 am, so pretty dark in my room, and I saw this book on my shelf and randomly grabbed it. I had gotten it from a garage sale a few months back (yes, a garage sale, don't judge) for...what, 10 cents? I thought it wouldn't hurt to have a book with me throughout my day.
In fact, I did get many chances to read today, so read this book I did. I'll admit, it starts off like a generic Scholastic middle grade book, but it wasn't that bad. It was easy to read and simplistic. You gotta girl who can see ghosts, so that was kinda cool.
But by page 45 or so you already have a snarky remark with foul language. To anyone who is actually reading this, you're probably thinking, they're just words, and who hasn't heard them before? But to me, this book LOOKS middle grade and is PUBLISHED by a MIDDLE GRADE PUBLISHER, so that kind of content should not be in there.
I pushed on, trying to ignore it, but the writing just flopped. Where exactly was the story going? Basically all it was was a goth girl complaining about school in Florida. As a native, it was becoming a waste of my time. *major eye rolling* The part we actually want to see is really predictable, too.
Another thing I don't understand, scrolling through the reviews, is how many 3 and 4 stars this book got. I mean, yeah, everyone has different opinions, but it's hard for me to see how some people actually enjoyed this book. I can tell you right now, I'm DNFing this. WARNING: THIS BOOK IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
I understand now why the people at that garage sale were trying to get rid of this book.
What was I thinking?
I'm in a situation. Predicament, more like. You see, right now I'm reading The Tyrant's Tomb by Rick Riordan and I'm absolutely loving it so far. I own the book, it's brand-new, and even signed by the author. Basically it's the pride and joy of my current reading life.
BUT, because of its bookish glory, I am terrified to take it anwhere since something might happen to it. You know, a page might get bent, or it might rain, or somebody might get their awful oily fingers all over the cover. So early this morning, I thought, why don't I just take an older book with me to read? It had to have been 6:30 am, so pretty dark in my room, and I saw this book on my shelf and randomly grabbed it. I had gotten it from a garage sale a few months back (yes, a garage sale, don't judge) for...what, 10 cents? I thought it wouldn't hurt to have a book with me throughout my day.
In fact, I did get many chances to read today, so read this book I did. I'll admit, it starts off like a generic Scholastic middle grade book, but it wasn't that bad. It was easy to read and simplistic. You gotta girl who can see ghosts, so that was kinda cool.
But by page 45 or so you already have a snarky remark with foul language. To anyone who is actually reading this, you're probably thinking, they're just words, and who hasn't heard them before? But to me, this book LOOKS middle grade and is PUBLISHED by a MIDDLE GRADE PUBLISHER, so that kind of content should not be in there.
I pushed on, trying to ignore it, but the writing just flopped. Where exactly was the story going? Basically all it was was a goth girl complaining about school in Florida. As a native, it was becoming a waste of my time. *major eye rolling* The part we actually want to see is really predictable, too.
Another thing I don't understand, scrolling through the reviews, is how many 3 and 4 stars this book got. I mean, yeah, everyone has different opinions, but it's hard for me to see how some people actually enjoyed this book. I can tell you right now, I'm DNFing this. WARNING: THIS BOOK IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
I understand now why the people at that garage sale were trying to get rid of this book.
February 2, 2019
I loved Ghost whisperer right up to the last season or so when it jumped the shark. I love the unraveling of the mystery of why ghost hang around and don't move whether it is a light, heaven or something else altogether.
I was so excited to discover a ghost series, but sadly it seems to be a one hit wonder. Even researching the author it seems she has moved on, so treat it as a stand alone and it ends with a solid ending no cliffhanger here.
Violet lost her mother at a young age but even then she knew she had a secret talent. She can see ghost communicate with them solve their problems and use their assistance to create havoc or even protect her.
After spending a few years with her Aunt while her father finishes school and opens his own funeral home she wasn't allowed to speak of her ability. Upon returning home and living at a funeral home, she has plenty of ghosts and it seems one has become a pet. When she starts at her new high school and is stuck in gym class the locker room seems to have a ghost who is a bully or different paranormal full of evil and does everything it can to make Violet scared. Instead she finds her mother's equipment and begins her own investigation. With some help from her friends and even the coach she solves that mystery. She also discovers why the dead football jock won't move on and what really happened the night her mother died.
I won't give it 5 stars because I want it to be a series, but as a stand alone it is a 5 star read.
I was so excited to discover a ghost series, but sadly it seems to be a one hit wonder. Even researching the author it seems she has moved on, so treat it as a stand alone and it ends with a solid ending no cliffhanger here.
Violet lost her mother at a young age but even then she knew she had a secret talent. She can see ghost communicate with them solve their problems and use their assistance to create havoc or even protect her.
After spending a few years with her Aunt while her father finishes school and opens his own funeral home she wasn't allowed to speak of her ability. Upon returning home and living at a funeral home, she has plenty of ghosts and it seems one has become a pet. When she starts at her new high school and is stuck in gym class the locker room seems to have a ghost who is a bully or different paranormal full of evil and does everything it can to make Violet scared. Instead she finds her mother's equipment and begins her own investigation. With some help from her friends and even the coach she solves that mystery. She also discovers why the dead football jock won't move on and what really happened the night her mother died.
I won't give it 5 stars because I want it to be a series, but as a stand alone it is a 5 star read.
October 1, 2019
I really enjoyed this book and it always kept me intrigued. I like how the author made the character so relatable. In many ways I felt an actual connection towards the character. I feel like if she was a real person, her and I would be great friends! I will definitely recommend this book to all my friends and family. I would also recommend this book to anyone who likes the supernatural. This book won't disappoint you!
June 20, 2013
Spookygirl: Paranormal Investigator is an easy to read standalone novel in the much beloved genre of teen-girl-sees-ghosts. If that's something you love then this should be a no brainer from the concept alone. I wasn't surprised that I ended up enjoying Spookygirl, but I feel like I can't totally praise it. There were a lot of things in the story that could have been improved upon that I'll be mentioning in this review, but these things didn't really affect my enjoyment because this delivered what I was looking for.
Spookygirl impressed me right off the bat with it's unique take on ghost mythos. The plot is centred around Violet and her first foray into paranormal investigation. In this world paranormal investigation takes on a more legitimate spin then the "reality" TV shows I normally relate the term to. In Spookygirl it's a combination of Ghostbuster science and medium abilities. Not all ghosts are created equal and being able to see them doesn't come with a vast understanding of what they are, what they can do, or why they do it, which makes room for the classic voice recordings, temperature gauging, and EMF readings. I found this concept really interesting and would love to see more ghost YA take on the paranormal investigator angle.
Over the course of the story Violet has a lot of interesting ghost encounters of a vast variety. We have everything from the jock who's back from the dead, to the killer in the haunted mansion, to the ghost that just loves it's squeaky hamburger, to cemetery ghosts, to violent locker-room hauntings. There is a lot of ghostly action! Although it may sound over-crowded, each encounter worked well in the story and kept things moving. This is mostly because the writing knew how to handle it. Although I wasn't always a huge fan of the themes in the book (more on that later) Baguchinsky's writing was very engaging, especially for a debut. I'll definitely be on the look out for whatever she writes next!
Something else that I give Baguchinsky some major credit for is that Violet is a teenage girl who sees ghost, but doesn't fall in love with one! YAY! It's a very nice change of pace to have a YA novel almost devoid of romance, where the main character doesn't for a second think about boys, and instead focuses on more pressing issues. This only makes Violet a better character. Despite having all the social worries most teenagers do, she wishes to embrace her abilities more so than hide them. Although she's not a huge fan of the spotlight she isn't afraid or ashamed of her "Spookygirl" status. It was refreshing to not have a character constantly trying to hide or lie about being able to see ghosts. She's not worried about fitting in when she knows that what makes her special is a good thing. It makes her a stand out among these sort of characters.
Even though I enjoyed Spookygirl it for what it is, there are things that should be noted for the prospective reader on the negative side of the spectrum.
For all it's originality, Spookygirl can come across as rather standard. The characters and plot lines are all pretty predicable and the lack of ghostly rules are sometimes used for convenience sake. This wasn't a problem for me because I went into this expecting something light and easy, but for people looking for something more this might not be it.
The overall theme on the book was one of my pet peeves. This is very much a representation of those high schools where the jocks and cheerleaders are evil and the outcasts are just so darn special because of reasons. It was all rather stereotypical and they were only ever used as characters for Violet and friends to hate rather than anything interesting. These jock characters garner so much scorn, despite only collectively having a estimated total of six or seven lines of dialogue... and one cheerleader's name is Cherry.
Side note: When people wonder why athletes look down on reading, one may be able to make the argument that it's because they're generally represented as one-dimensional and evil. The book had more sympathy with a murdering ghost than the popular crowd. ... I'm just saying.
The only real complaint I have was the occasional sense of deja vu, which I found to be a bit distracting at first. If your a fan of the genre and you've read the Mediator series by Meg Cabot recently, you may have a similar experience when comparing The Mediator's Suze and Spookygirl Violet. I love both of their characters, but it would be very easy to confuse one for the other. Which can be seen as either a good thing or a bad thing.
But these are all minor nick-picks. With all that being said, Spookygirl: Paranormal Investigator should be a go-to for fans of the teen girl sees ghosts genre. It was a lovely read that would, indeed, be an great follow up for fans of the Mediator series (Shadowland) or The Ghost and the Goth and are looking for more of the same.
Spookygirl impressed me right off the bat with it's unique take on ghost mythos. The plot is centred around Violet and her first foray into paranormal investigation. In this world paranormal investigation takes on a more legitimate spin then the "reality" TV shows I normally relate the term to. In Spookygirl it's a combination of Ghostbuster science and medium abilities. Not all ghosts are created equal and being able to see them doesn't come with a vast understanding of what they are, what they can do, or why they do it, which makes room for the classic voice recordings, temperature gauging, and EMF readings. I found this concept really interesting and would love to see more ghost YA take on the paranormal investigator angle.
Over the course of the story Violet has a lot of interesting ghost encounters of a vast variety. We have everything from the jock who's back from the dead, to the killer in the haunted mansion, to the ghost that just loves it's squeaky hamburger, to cemetery ghosts, to violent locker-room hauntings. There is a lot of ghostly action! Although it may sound over-crowded, each encounter worked well in the story and kept things moving. This is mostly because the writing knew how to handle it. Although I wasn't always a huge fan of the themes in the book (more on that later) Baguchinsky's writing was very engaging, especially for a debut. I'll definitely be on the look out for whatever she writes next!
Something else that I give Baguchinsky some major credit for is that Violet is a teenage girl who sees ghost, but doesn't fall in love with one! YAY! It's a very nice change of pace to have a YA novel almost devoid of romance, where the main character doesn't for a second think about boys, and instead focuses on more pressing issues. This only makes Violet a better character. Despite having all the social worries most teenagers do, she wishes to embrace her abilities more so than hide them. Although she's not a huge fan of the spotlight she isn't afraid or ashamed of her "Spookygirl" status. It was refreshing to not have a character constantly trying to hide or lie about being able to see ghosts. She's not worried about fitting in when she knows that what makes her special is a good thing. It makes her a stand out among these sort of characters.
Even though I enjoyed Spookygirl it for what it is, there are things that should be noted for the prospective reader on the negative side of the spectrum.
For all it's originality, Spookygirl can come across as rather standard. The characters and plot lines are all pretty predicable and the lack of ghostly rules are sometimes used for convenience sake. This wasn't a problem for me because I went into this expecting something light and easy, but for people looking for something more this might not be it.
The overall theme on the book was one of my pet peeves. This is very much a representation of those high schools where the jocks and cheerleaders are evil and the outcasts are just so darn special because of reasons. It was all rather stereotypical and they were only ever used as characters for Violet and friends to hate rather than anything interesting. These jock characters garner so much scorn, despite only collectively having a estimated total of six or seven lines of dialogue... and one cheerleader's name is Cherry.
Side note: When people wonder why athletes look down on reading, one may be able to make the argument that it's because they're generally represented as one-dimensional and evil. The book had more sympathy with a murdering ghost than the popular crowd. ... I'm just saying.
The only real complaint I have was the occasional sense of deja vu, which I found to be a bit distracting at first. If your a fan of the genre and you've read the Mediator series by Meg Cabot recently, you may have a similar experience when comparing The Mediator's Suze and Spookygirl Violet. I love both of their characters, but it would be very easy to confuse one for the other. Which can be seen as either a good thing or a bad thing.
But these are all minor nick-picks. With all that being said, Spookygirl: Paranormal Investigator should be a go-to for fans of the teen girl sees ghosts genre. It was a lovely read that would, indeed, be an great follow up for fans of the Mediator series (Shadowland) or The Ghost and the Goth and are looking for more of the same.
December 28, 2017
After too long of a stay at her aunt’s house, Violet is finally moving in with her dad after he has completed his training and gotten his funeral home business off the ground. And predictably they live in a tiny apartment just above the funeral home itself. Normally it would be nice and cozy, but it feels a bit cramped with Violet’s pet poltergeist tearing through the place like an enthusiastic new puppy. In fact, Violet has been able to see ghosts her entire life, and now that she’s moved home with her Dad, she wants to get a hold of her mom’s old ghost investigation equipment and explore the former family business. And her first project is to figure out what evil lurks in the girl’s locker room.
I picked this up because I had taken part in ABNA, too and I remember when this won. Though I love the idea of a somewhat goth girl at the center of this story with an ability to see ghosts, I was rather sad that it turned into yet another investigational. Even within the book itself, she ended up doing several investigations. I absolutely loved Buster and his squeaky burger and how she used him as her guinea pig several times and his reactions to things were priceless. In fact, I loved all of the ghosts. They were far more fascinating and had more character to them than the normal people. I even liked her school, though I’m rather sick of high school dramas (at least this one didn’t have the stereotypical bullying that is so prevalent in the indie books right now), and the stereotypes that were presented here did break out of their molds at points. One problem I did have with it was that there were things that contradicted each other. Like that her dad was anti-ghosts and trying to get his daughter to be normal and hoped that she had grown out of seeing ghosts, but he didn’t seem to have any problem with her playing with Buster the poltergeist or cleaning up the ghosts from his work room. And there was the point where she worried she wouldn’t be able to transport Buster, but she had mentioned that she had taken him with her to her aunt’s house which would have obviously involved transporting him. Still, this was a fun light-hearted read and rather humorous at times, with a plucky, determined young heroine not afraid to show off her true colors.
I picked this up because I had taken part in ABNA, too and I remember when this won. Though I love the idea of a somewhat goth girl at the center of this story with an ability to see ghosts, I was rather sad that it turned into yet another investigational. Even within the book itself, she ended up doing several investigations. I absolutely loved Buster and his squeaky burger and how she used him as her guinea pig several times and his reactions to things were priceless. In fact, I loved all of the ghosts. They were far more fascinating and had more character to them than the normal people. I even liked her school, though I’m rather sick of high school dramas (at least this one didn’t have the stereotypical bullying that is so prevalent in the indie books right now), and the stereotypes that were presented here did break out of their molds at points. One problem I did have with it was that there were things that contradicted each other. Like that her dad was anti-ghosts and trying to get his daughter to be normal and hoped that she had grown out of seeing ghosts, but he didn’t seem to have any problem with her playing with Buster the poltergeist or cleaning up the ghosts from his work room. And there was the point where she worried she wouldn’t be able to transport Buster, but she had mentioned that she had taken him with her to her aunt’s house which would have obviously involved transporting him. Still, this was a fun light-hearted read and rather humorous at times, with a plucky, determined young heroine not afraid to show off her true colors.
December 5, 2014
Like her mother, Violet can communicate with the dead. And Violet's mother was teaching her about the paranormal until she died one night during an investigation. Violet was still a kid when this happened and doesn't remember much about her mother, but she knows she can see the dead like her mother did.
After the night her mother died, Violet's father hasn't wanted to talk about it nor did he want anything to do with the paranormal anymore. Between that and partly living with her Aunt, Violet has just had to hide that part of herself.
But now Violet is living with her dad and she's decided to pursue her dream: be a paranormal investigator. And Violet knows she can't go to her dad to learn so she'll just have to do it on her own.
I love reading paranormal books and I think it is neat there are fiction books coming out about teenage paranormal investigator. I became a paranormal investigator when I was 14. I read the first book in the ghost huntress series last year, which is about a teenage who investigates the paranormal. However, I didn't like that one very much. I think this book is so much better.
I like that the character knows not to mess with Ouija boards. They are dangerous. But the whole orbs are just dust thing was brought up. It's a big thing in the paranormal community. Many people that 99% of orbs are dust and if you take pictures of orbs, you're pretty much made fun of. But my group and I have done our experiments of taking orb pictures and we have found it is actually very hard to get dust orbs. Therefore, I believe that most orbs are actually spirits.
As for ghost hunting itself, I don't believe it is dangerous. But you should be careful and know what you're doing. Research the places you want to investigate and don't go to places that are haunted by something bad. Those places need to be left to people who know what their doing and how to take care of things like that.
I like the story in the book and I like the characters. I hope this is just the first in a series because this book was a pretty good start. I think this could become a great series.
After the night her mother died, Violet's father hasn't wanted to talk about it nor did he want anything to do with the paranormal anymore. Between that and partly living with her Aunt, Violet has just had to hide that part of herself.
But now Violet is living with her dad and she's decided to pursue her dream: be a paranormal investigator. And Violet knows she can't go to her dad to learn so she'll just have to do it on her own.
I love reading paranormal books and I think it is neat there are fiction books coming out about teenage paranormal investigator. I became a paranormal investigator when I was 14. I read the first book in the ghost huntress series last year, which is about a teenage who investigates the paranormal. However, I didn't like that one very much. I think this book is so much better.
I like that the character knows not to mess with Ouija boards. They are dangerous. But the whole orbs are just dust thing was brought up. It's a big thing in the paranormal community. Many people that 99% of orbs are dust and if you take pictures of orbs, you're pretty much made fun of. But my group and I have done our experiments of taking orb pictures and we have found it is actually very hard to get dust orbs. Therefore, I believe that most orbs are actually spirits.
As for ghost hunting itself, I don't believe it is dangerous. But you should be careful and know what you're doing. Research the places you want to investigate and don't go to places that are haunted by something bad. Those places need to be left to people who know what their doing and how to take care of things like that.
I like the story in the book and I like the characters. I hope this is just the first in a series because this book was a pretty good start. I think this could become a great series.
March 10, 2017
Reviewed on Lili Lost in a Book
I love a good “I see dead people” sort of ghost story—I just love them! And Spookygirl... it was fantastic!
I guess I should mention that this wasn’t just one ghost story. There were a couple of different ones going on at once. And no, it actually wasn’t overwhelming! The book was so well written that the couple different storylines intertwined perfectly without feeling like there was too much going on. There was the case of the haunted girl’s locker room, the lost painting, and just helping out other stray ghosts along the way... like the one that haunted her dad’s funeral home at the beginning of the book! All this in preparation to tackle the big one—the ghost who killed her mother.
You see, Violet’s mother could also see ghosts and actually started a paranormal investigation company. Violet wants to follow in her footsteps, thus all the ghost hunting/ghost helping. It’s too bad her dad won't even talk about her mom, like, at all. I guess she’ll just have to go at it herself... but with the help of some new friends, of course!
Speaking of, I loved the secondary characters! All the fun, random ghosts Violet encounters on a daily basis, the cute poltergeist pet, the quirky half-vampire (or, you know, that's what he thinks), and the goth girl who I was actually iffy about at first but started to grow on me once Violet started looking for the Black Rose.
As for the climax... it was crazy, but at the same time made me go, “wha?”
I don’t understand how Violet did a thing her mother couldn’t even do. So simple of a thing, really. It was kind of disappointing. But the ending itself was interesting and wrapped things up very nicely.
Spookygirl was a very enjoyable read, overall! It was fun, creepy at times, and even had some humor thrown in for good measure.
(The faux seance scene was my favorite! SO funny!) It had fun ghosts, creepy ghosts, and just plain great characters! I very much recommend this! Can you believe I found this at the dollar store?!
I love a good “I see dead people” sort of ghost story—I just love them! And Spookygirl... it was fantastic!
"Show school spirit? No thanks. I had enough school spirits to deal with already."
--Violet
I guess I should mention that this wasn’t just one ghost story. There were a couple of different ones going on at once. And no, it actually wasn’t overwhelming! The book was so well written that the couple different storylines intertwined perfectly without feeling like there was too much going on. There was the case of the haunted girl’s locker room, the lost painting, and just helping out other stray ghosts along the way... like the one that haunted her dad’s funeral home at the beginning of the book! All this in preparation to tackle the big one—the ghost who killed her mother.
You see, Violet’s mother could also see ghosts and actually started a paranormal investigation company. Violet wants to follow in her footsteps, thus all the ghost hunting/ghost helping. It’s too bad her dad won't even talk about her mom, like, at all. I guess she’ll just have to go at it herself... but with the help of some new friends, of course!
Speaking of, I loved the secondary characters! All the fun, random ghosts Violet encounters on a daily basis, the cute poltergeist pet, the quirky half-vampire (or, you know, that's what he thinks), and the goth girl who I was actually iffy about at first but started to grow on me once Violet started looking for the Black Rose.
As for the climax... it was crazy, but at the same time made me go, “wha?”
I don’t understand how Violet did a thing her mother couldn’t even do. So simple of a thing, really. It was kind of disappointing. But the ending itself was interesting and wrapped things up very nicely.
Spookygirl was a very enjoyable read, overall! It was fun, creepy at times, and even had some humor thrown in for good measure.
"I skipped out of English," [Tim] said, holding up a bathroom pass.
"How long have you been out here?"
"Ten minutes."
"Your teacher's going to think you have some kind of horrible problem."
He shrugged. "If she asks, I'll tell her I went out for Mexican food last night and the refried beans tasted weird."
(The faux seance scene was my favorite! SO funny!) It had fun ghosts, creepy ghosts, and just plain great characters! I very much recommend this! Can you believe I found this at the dollar store?!
June 12, 2019
Cute book, if like to read more!
April 10, 2017
I picked this book up right after it was released, when I was much younger and not as proficient of a reader. I’ve had it on my shelf for years, so I decided to give it a reread since I barely remembered anything about it.
This is the story of a teenage girl named Violet, the daughter of two paranormal investigators, her mother having died mysteriously on one of the investigations. Violet can see ghosts, which makes her life rather complicated. The book starts after Violet moves in with her father and must navigate a new high school.
Though Violet is in high school, this book has a very distinct middle grade feeling. It’s light, silly, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Aside from the occasional curse word, the dialogue feels rather juvenile.
The best part of this novel by far is the paranormal aspects. I have never read another book that centers on traditional paranormal investigation, and I absolutely loved all of those aspects.
Another great thing is that this book has strong friendships and no romance whatsoever.
Violet is this book’s biggest weakness. For someone so set on being an outcast, Violet is incredibly judgemental and shows extreme girl hate and popular-people-shaming.
The stereotyped characters here are the worst. I hate when novels rag on characters for being “popular” or whatever other high school trope.
Those few bits definitely impacted my enjoyment of the novel, but I definitely think younger readers have the potential to get a lot out of this. I would also recommend checking it out if you find paranormal investigation as intriguing as I do.
This is the story of a teenage girl named Violet, the daughter of two paranormal investigators, her mother having died mysteriously on one of the investigations. Violet can see ghosts, which makes her life rather complicated. The book starts after Violet moves in with her father and must navigate a new high school.
Though Violet is in high school, this book has a very distinct middle grade feeling. It’s light, silly, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Aside from the occasional curse word, the dialogue feels rather juvenile.
The best part of this novel by far is the paranormal aspects. I have never read another book that centers on traditional paranormal investigation, and I absolutely loved all of those aspects.
Another great thing is that this book has strong friendships and no romance whatsoever.
Violet is this book’s biggest weakness. For someone so set on being an outcast, Violet is incredibly judgemental and shows extreme girl hate and popular-people-shaming.
“Cherry looked almost agitated enough to cry—not a good idea, considering the gobs of mascara she wore.”
And then Violet four pages later: “I’m not emo, I’m not punk, I’m not scene, I’m not any of that. I’m just me, and I don’t like being stereotyped.”
The stereotyped characters here are the worst. I hate when novels rag on characters for being “popular” or whatever other high school trope.
“See, everyone thinks Dirk was dating that Cherry skank his junior year. She spread that around...but really he couldn’t stand her.” Keep in mind Cherry is an irrelevant side character who has done nothing to warrant being called a skank other than being popular.
Those few bits definitely impacted my enjoyment of the novel, but I definitely think younger readers have the potential to get a lot out of this. I would also recommend checking it out if you find paranormal investigation as intriguing as I do.
December 11, 2012
This was an entertaining story about a young girl named Violet who lives in an apartment above a funeral home with her father. Violet has inherited her mother's ability to see ghosts, the same ability that was responsible for her mother's early death.
The book was full of fun: a pet polterguiest named Buster, ghosts roaming the high school, cemetery pranks, but overall I felt like there were just too many storylines branching off from the main quest. It was like the author couldn't decide which ideas to use and which to leave out so instead threw them all.
Most of the story I found slightly juvenile (younger teens would love!) but the ending was gripping! I would have like to have spent a little more time on Riley Island, but alas, the conclusion and explanation came too quickly and I was left feeling unsatisfied and hungry for more.
The book was full of fun: a pet polterguiest named Buster, ghosts roaming the high school, cemetery pranks, but overall I felt like there were just too many storylines branching off from the main quest. It was like the author couldn't decide which ideas to use and which to leave out so instead threw them all.
Most of the story I found slightly juvenile (younger teens would love!) but the ending was gripping! I would have like to have spent a little more time on Riley Island, but alas, the conclusion and explanation came too quickly and I was left feeling unsatisfied and hungry for more.
January 10, 2013
When you ignore the stupid title and the ridiculous cover, this is actually a pretty good book. Even though it's about a girl that hangs around with dead people, it is still very light-hearted and witty. The characters are incredibly loveable and the story is easy to follow. For those of you who like romance, I will tell you that there isn't really a love interest. There are a couple instances of romance, but they don't involve the main character. One of the things I like most about it is that aside from the main focus of the book (her mom), there are a bunch of little adventures on the side to keep your interest. I would definitely recommend reading this book.
April 18, 2018
Violet can see ghosts or feel them or just plain Ol sense them. After moving in with her dad in his place of business which happens to be the morgue. Violet enrolls in her new school and is instantly pegged as the Spookygirl, Violets mother a Paranormal Investigator aka Ghost Hunter, was well know and is also well dead. A hazard of the job but rumors are that it was murder. Violet meets a pack of emo shoe gazers and ensnares them into her plans to investigate her mothers mysterious death. Along the way she solves the paranormal activitys which seem to be liked to one of her new emo friends. Oh, we also get to meet Buster.. Yeah wait until you meet Buster!
October 15, 2012
Spookygirl is a wonderfully "not fitting in" story for highschool girls. Violet Addison ends up at a new school. She becomes known as Spookygirl because she lives in a funeral parlor with her father. Her secret is bigger than most people can guess, though. She, like her mother, can see and communicate with ghosts. After Violet's mom died seven years ago during an investigation, her dad refuses to talk about ghosts. Violet finds herself in the middle of more than one paranormal investigation and hopes to end up solving the mystery surrounding her mother's death.
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September 14, 2015Main characters are Violet, her friends, her mom, and her dad. The story is that violet can talk to ghost. Her mother can also, her mom dies on a mission to make a ghost go wherever ghost go. Violets dad will not tell her what happened so she finds out her self. I think that she will help ghost still even though it's a dangerous job.
June 25, 2017
This was one of my favorites!
April 7, 2015
A friend of mine bought this book for two dollars and we were both shocked at how amazing the story line was for such a cheap read! Yes it is a bit of a teen read but is still very good. :)
April 5, 2019
I'm used to dead people. They won't leave me alone.
Violet, a high school sophomore, has always known that she's inherited her late mother's ability to see ghosts. In fact, it's only one of a handful of weird things about her. But at her new school, she discovers that there's a dark entity hiding in the girls' locker room, and she realizes that even with her lifetime experience of speaking to ghosts, she's woefully under-prepared for dealing with something of this magnitude. Her first real investigation sparks a need inside her: to finish the investigation that led to her mother's tragic end.
I read this book a long time ago, when it first came out. Since then, I distinctly remembered liking it, but I had absolutely no recollection of what happened in the story, so I figured it was time for a reread. I will say that even though I've read this book before, I can easily see how first-time readers would be a little reserved when it comes to this book. The title gives a certain cheese factor, and combined with the simple cover, it kind of gives off the vibes of a Disney Halloween special. Look beyond that, though, because the book is a light, but engaging read. Still, there are things that in my older age I found a little... annoying, which I'll touch on.
Violet, our MC, is a fun character. Her lifelong ability, combined with her father's job as a mortician, and their apartment above his funeral home, gives Violet a typical "outsider" feel and a sense of morbid humor. At the same time, she's clearly a teenager; she flat out states that she doesn't like to be forced into a stereotypical box, but she has no problems putting others into the boxes she so despises.
The other characters are kind of flat, but interesting, adding to the lightness of the book. They include Violet's incredibly geeky father, their poltergeist pet, Violet's new best friend who believes he's part vampire, and the untouchable goth girl. They all lend a sort of humor to the book. And, on a side note, there is absolutely no romance for Violet in this book, which worked for the better, in my opinion.
The story is made up of many small plot lines converging. To be honest, there are a lot of pieces to this book: the evil entity in the gym, Violet's goth friend's romance, her mother's death, and so on. Yet they blend together to form a book that's not heavy.
What I liked best was the focus on classic investigative style. There are plenty of ghost books out there, but not many put so much emphasis on the investigations the way this one does. Armed with her mother's outdated equipment, Violet sets out to record and corroborate her own experiences, from EMF meters to digital recorders, room thermometers to cameras, and so on. For someone who is completely obsessed with ghost-hunting shows, this really appealed to me.
Spookygirl is a fun read, perfect to slide in between heavier books for a bit of lighthearted entertainment. Don't expect too much out of it, just enjoy the ride.
June 26, 2021
Okay, so... this was not what I expected. I don't know if I initially misread the synopsis or if my mind automatically rewrote it to make it sound cooler in my head, but either way and even if that weren't the case, this book just left me disappointed. There were no surprises, everything/every subplot was wrapped up so neatly and easily, it was terribly cliche, and on top of all that, Violet was your generic stereotypically unlikeable "I'm not like other girls" type main character who thinks she's better than everyone because she shops at Hot Topic The Striped Skull and hates on all the jocks and cheerleaders for the sole reason that they are jocks and cheerleaders. It's honestly such a tiring trope at this point, the "hur de dur all popular and sporty kids are stupid and evil" thing, I could do with never seeing it again, but here we are.
I mean, maybe I'm being too harsh, though giving this even three stars seems like a stretch of my generosity, but this was just... so unoriginal. It's not necessarily awful, I got through it with my teeth ungritted and my brain not melting, there were some okay parts, but I'd definitely place its full audience range as the under 11-12 crowd or even lower, which I decidedly am not part of and have not been for over 8-9 years, though most people who see my face and height would guess otherwise (the amount of times I've been mistaken for a child this past month is ridiculous). Maybe if I had been able to read it when I was younger, I would have enjoyed it a lot more, and maybe not since by that time I was already spoiled by Lemony Snicket and Rick Riordan, but at the age I am now, the writing and situations find themselves lacking and a little too juvenile for my tastes, as does the characterization of the main cast. Like, they're supposed to be teenagers but they act like tweens/preteens or younger at most times, especially Tim. At least that's what it feels like to me.
To be fair, I'm sure someemo elementary or middle schooler out there somewhere would still appreciate this story though. It was quick and cute but nothing special.
I mean, maybe I'm being too harsh, though giving this even three stars seems like a stretch of my generosity, but this was just... so unoriginal. It's not necessarily awful, I got through it with my teeth ungritted and my brain not melting, there were some okay parts, but I'd definitely place its full audience range as the under 11-12 crowd or even lower, which I decidedly am not part of and have not been for over 8-9 years, though most people who see my face and height would guess otherwise (the amount of times I've been mistaken for a child this past month is ridiculous). Maybe if I had been able to read it when I was younger, I would have enjoyed it a lot more, and maybe not since by that time I was already spoiled by Lemony Snicket and Rick Riordan, but at the age I am now, the writing and situations find themselves lacking and a little too juvenile for my tastes, as does the characterization of the main cast. Like, they're supposed to be teenagers but they act like tweens/preteens or younger at most times, especially Tim. At least that's what it feels like to me.
To be fair, I'm sure some
April 20, 2021
This was fun, cute, and had humor! Very hopeful and uplifting, too.
I love that this book emphasized friendships over romance. No romance and no hint of it either! So this is definitely aro-ace friendly, which was great! Refreshing and fun. It didn’t take itself too seriously even when serious subject matter was discussed—it played in its silliness and had heart. I even loved coach lucifer lol! It was predictable but there were some twists I didn’t see coming.
I liked that the big evils were just people, which is a lot like life. Usually it’s only people who are behind the big evils and things we fear, and if we can make them human and meet them one to one, it’s actually more of a level playing field than we realize. Our anxieties and fears make these scary things bigger than they are, and thrive on fear.
I also liked that there wasn’t necessarily combat or fight in the big boss battles, but instead connections and realizations, which I think is a more feminine way of dealing with things in a cool, feminist way of not excusing actions but of healing and moving on—which is a big theme in this book, so it confused me at the end when someone from her past comes to stay...honestly I figured they’d move on, but oh well.
Also the ghost dude in the art room confused me. Like...how does the living person move on knowing he’s right there all the time? What if she wants more friends or a boyfriend and this dude is just...there? I dont know.
I still enjoyed it an recommend it. Sometimes I got a bit tired of Violet’s witty commentary—sometimes it was too much or unnecessary for me, but ultimately it was fun to hear her story!
I love that this book emphasized friendships over romance. No romance and no hint of it either! So this is definitely aro-ace friendly, which was great! Refreshing and fun. It didn’t take itself too seriously even when serious subject matter was discussed—it played in its silliness and had heart. I even loved coach lucifer lol! It was predictable but there were some twists I didn’t see coming.
I liked that the big evils were just people, which is a lot like life. Usually it’s only people who are behind the big evils and things we fear, and if we can make them human and meet them one to one, it’s actually more of a level playing field than we realize. Our anxieties and fears make these scary things bigger than they are, and thrive on fear.
I also liked that there wasn’t necessarily combat or fight in the big boss battles, but instead connections and realizations, which I think is a more feminine way of dealing with things in a cool, feminist way of not excusing actions but of healing and moving on—which is a big theme in this book, so it confused me at the end when someone from her past comes to stay...honestly I figured they’d move on, but oh well.
Also the ghost dude in the art room confused me. Like...how does the living person move on knowing he’s right there all the time? What if she wants more friends or a boyfriend and this dude is just...there? I dont know.
I still enjoyed it an recommend it. Sometimes I got a bit tired of Violet’s witty commentary—sometimes it was too much or unnecessary for me, but ultimately it was fun to hear her story!
June 14, 2018
Spookygirl was a fun and cute read, but it fell short of my expectations. The summary looked quite promising, but wasn't as thrilling as I thought it would be. Violet was likeable enough, but I didn't relate to her much at all. I adored Buster though, so that's something at least. There was a little bit of suspense towards the end that kept me on the edge of my seat, but nothing so captivating I couldn't put the book down.
As others have mentioned, there was almost a complete lack of romance in this book. Which as a huge paranormal-romance fan, I found to be quite disappointing. I was honestly shipping Violet and Tim despite the latter's crush on Isobel and found myself hoping they got together.
Truthfully, had I known there wouldn't be any romance prior to reading this, I probably wouldn't have read it all. There are very few books with no romance that I actually find compelling, and this was not one of them. If you're not much into romance with your paranormal though, then I would say to give this book a shot. It's short and simple. But if you're a big, sappy, romantic at heart like I am, then I would recommend skipping out on this one.
As others have mentioned, there was almost a complete lack of romance in this book. Which as a huge paranormal-romance fan, I found to be quite disappointing. I was honestly shipping Violet and Tim despite the latter's crush on Isobel and found myself hoping they got together.
Truthfully, had I known there wouldn't be any romance prior to reading this, I probably wouldn't have read it all. There are very few books with no romance that I actually find compelling, and this was not one of them. If you're not much into romance with your paranormal though, then I would say to give this book a shot. It's short and simple. But if you're a big, sappy, romantic at heart like I am, then I would recommend skipping out on this one.
October 5, 2020
I recommend this book if you're looking for a quick and interesting read. I really enjoyed this book and it always kept me intrigued. There was always something going on whether it was ghost-related, or romantics between two of Violet's friends. I like how the author made the character so relatable. I felt a connection with Violet in many ways. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the supernatural. One of my favorite lines is "Show school spirit? No thanks. I had enough school spirits to deal with already." After what she had to go through I feel this quote is a big part of the story.
December 6, 2024
I enjoyed this book more than I expected. No, it isn’t great literature, but it’s very good supernatural teen fiction. I really enjoyed Violet’s independence and intelligence. I adore Buster!
Violet’s parents were running a paranormal investigation agency. However, her mother gets killed during an investigation, her dad is accused of murdering her, and Violet ends up spending several years living with an aunt who is TOTALLY anti/supernatural. Violet ends up living with her dad over the mortuary he operates, attending a new high school that seems to mostly despise her. Plus, there’s this evil presence in the locker room….
Violet’s parents were running a paranormal investigation agency. However, her mother gets killed during an investigation, her dad is accused of murdering her, and Violet ends up spending several years living with an aunt who is TOTALLY anti/supernatural. Violet ends up living with her dad over the mortuary he operates, attending a new high school that seems to mostly despise her. Plus, there’s this evil presence in the locker room….
August 29, 2017
I want to start by saying that I picked this up on a whim in a library bookstore for 50 cents. It was one of those books that calls to you and I'm so glad it did. Spookygirl was an awesome quick read with morbid humor and just enough paranormal activity to keep you on the edge of your seat. I was so sad to see that this isn't a series. Baguchinsky did a great job of developing the characters and I would love to learn more about them. The main character, Violet is completely likable and relate able. She's not whiny or bitchy despite the unique talent that she's been given and I love that.
December 19, 2019
This book was a surprise. This was just a book I choose cause of the paranormal in it. But, soon after I found out that it had a lot more action and and elements than just paranormal action. It has a teenage girl who is facing these spirits at home and high school, and she also misses her mom very much. She's been so sad an upset since her mom died. Its only her dad and her against the world. Her dad tries his best to understand her and her problems, but its just hard for him to help her. She's been so shut off and closed up since the passing of her mother. But, finally in the end she opens up and tell hims all. And at the end of the book she finally fits in at school and her and her dad get along good.
March 5, 2023
When I first started reading the writing style wasn't my favorite so I was thinking two to three stars. Almost halfway through the book the writing style had changed and the story really picked up. I'm giving it four stars because there is no sequel and I still don't know who or what buster is.
" I was a little jealous that they could hug each other like that. I mean, even I wasn't able to reach out and physically hug mom. But it made sense, I guess. Some people are just meant to be together, no matter what, and nothing can separate them completely. Not even death."
" I was a little jealous that they could hug each other like that. I mean, even I wasn't able to reach out and physically hug mom. But it made sense, I guess. Some people are just meant to be together, no matter what, and nothing can separate them completely. Not even death."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2018
Violet knows that she inherited her mother’s ability to see ghosts and communicates with the dead.Violet encounters a paranormal activity in the girls locker room.If your an age 10+ and up you should definitely read this book.If you have interests in mystery,horror & suspense genres and if you like fiction books.I would recommend this book because Violet is trying to solve a mystery in the girls locker room, but she is scared and don’t want people to know about this paranormal activity.
January 17, 2022
My niece brought this book on our cruise and I took the opportunity to read it. Not what I was expecting at all, but really enjoyable and hard to put down. I love the pet poltergeist angle. I love that Violet's school experience is portrayed with the same level of angst that I remember experiencing. Things were not handled in the most predictable way or the easiest way. Just right, all around. I do hope this turns into a series because I would like to spend more time in this world.
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