Rating: WORTHY!
The very title of this novel strongly suggests that it's worth reading, but I've gone down that path before and been disappointed. I'm happy to report that in this case, it worked out exactly as the title promised - brilliantly!
This is a middle-grade novel about Annabel Craven. It's larded with trope, but at least it's not first person PoV, and the author makes the story work. Anna is the new girl in school, who comes with issues, such as the fact that she lives in Mad Manor - really Maddsen Manor (the sign has some letters missing) which came to her mom Valerie, via a deceased uncle, who evidently could see dead people, and was consequently deemed crazy. Anna's mom is a cosmetologist and hairdresser
On a rebellious impulse one day, Anna befriends school 'freak' Lucy, and shortly after this, Lucy dies. That's when Anna starts getting texts from Lucy. And other ghosts. The texts come in on this phone she found in the cemetery which borders Mad manor - the same cemetery where Lucy met her demise. Now Lucy is asking for help from Anna in getting a message to John, the school hot boy.
Meanwhile Anna is trying to fit in and get along with the clique of wealthy kids, including oddball twins Olivia and Eden, both of whom seem to have a dark side, as well as Spencer - the school photographer, and Millie, who seems also to have a secret life. How this all pans out is the meat of this story which is beautifully written, darkly humorous, and very entertaining. I recommend this for a really good read. It's a pity we don't see more adult books written in this vein.
