Review: Scarlett Dedd by Cathy Brett

Title: Scarlett Dedd
Author: Cathy Brett
Publisher:  Random House Children
Publishing Date: August 14^th 2012
Pages: 208
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Thriller, Horror
Series: Stand Alone
Source: Digital ARC

Goodreads Summary:

Meet Scarlett Dedd. Scarlett is absolutely mortified (in more ways than one) to discover that she's accidentally killed herself trying to get out a school trip. Even worse, she's taken her entire family with her! Left in limbo, bored to death and fearing her friendless state is terminal, an ominous idea pops into Scarlett's head. Can Scarlett really execute her grim plan? Or will it turn out to be a fatal and very messy mistake?

Review: 

I received a digital ARC copy of this from Netgalley.com. The synopsis interested me and the cover creeped me out. I thought I should give it a shot. I thought this book was extremely entertaining. I have not laughed so much in a book in a very long time.

The story is about a girl, Scarlet who accidently kills herself and her family. This alone is funny; the family’s last name is Dedd, ironic. The author does a great job on creating an atmosphere this is not sad or disturbing but funny. The entire book is dedicated to Scarlett trying to figure out how to kill her friends, only so she can have friends in her world.

The book is full of great illustrations, humorous scenes, and corky, unique characters. Scarlett and her family had me in stitches most of the time. When they find out they are dead instead of freaking, like most people would, they embrace it. Scarlett’s little brother finds new ways of mutilating himself every day, while his father writes children’s books about the incidents and his mother draws for the books. The only one that is not enjoying being dead is Scarlett. She soon gets an idea from online to kill her friends so they can join her.  In the meantime her friends discover that Scarlett and her family are haunting their old house and do whatever they can to film it to become television stars.

This book may seem a little demented at first, I will say it is more suitable for the older teens and young adults, but in the end it was all fun and games and everyone learns their lesson.

Since reading this book I have found others by Cathy Brett that I plan on reading.

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