Book Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Hyperion
Age Range: Young Adult
Publication Date: June 29, 2010

Author Web Page:

After a close encounter with the front end of a school bus, Alona Dare goes from Homecoming Queen to Queen of the Dead. Now she’s stuck here in spirit form with no sign of the big, bright light coming to take her away. To make matters worse, the only person who might be able to help her is Will Killian, a total loser/outcast type who hates the social elite. He alone can see and hear her, but he wants nothing to do with the former mean girl of Groundsboro High.  Can they get over their mutual distrust and this weird attraction between them to work together before Alona vanishes for good and Will is locked up for seeing things that don’t exist?

If I could describe The Ghost and The Goth in just one phrase it would be: Strangely Adorable! The The Ghost and The Goth narrate the story of Alona and Will a little bit after Alona’s death. Narrated in two POVs under the main character’s voices, the story allows the reader to know them and understand the growth process each carry in the story. Alona is the typically perfect girl that exists in every high school and the one secretly envied by everyone, including her friends. Then, we have Will, the boy unknown by Alona’s elite group and the one people stare at twice because of his weirdness. Kade does a great job taking readers throughout a fun path but also learning at the end that there’s hope under everything where you can see the journey and suffering of our narrators at the same time. Alona’s journey and suffering is exactly as the description states; from being the party queen to being dead and stuck between two “worlds”. Will’s deal is to accept a gift which he considers a curse. At the end, Alona would find Will beyond being goth and Will finds Alona is much more than a ghost. The end is emotive, adorable and funny at the same time; making it a great combination for any reader and this could be the biggest compliment I can give the author. Kate thrives on the ability the blend those three in harmony.

The story leaves open possibilities for a sequel and I would LOVE  if the author could turn this story into a series.