In the sea of carbon copy one dimensional young adult novels, Stacey Kade's stands out.

"The Ghost and the Goth" had the potential to be really, really bad. It could have delved into a Twilight-esque melodrama replete with characters who grow zero percent, learn nothing, and are instantly the best at everything they do, born to die and fight stereotypical "evil" for all eternity. How nice that someone created a world with clearly defined, easily recognizable good and bad. This book; however, is not that at all.

These people actually have to work for what they achieve by the end. Alona and Will are both in not good places at the beginning. Will is a reluctant medium with no idea what he's supposed to do with his "gift" and Alona is . . . well . . . dead. They both have layers of strengths, weaknesses, and problems that must be dealt with and there is no easy fix. They are each integral to the success of the other.

Amidst the supernatural components of the story, the characters are dealing with real issues such as loss, grades, bullying students and authority figures, social issues, learning to be a kind person, and less than perfect parents. I loved unraveling the plot, laughing at the quirky humor, and learning about these great characters.