The novel’s catchy title sets the scene with a clever pun –Liam is a teenage ghost who is head-turning gorgeous and starts to appear to the main character, a girl called Nova, aged around 13. She lives by the sea at Phoenix Manor Hotel which is owned and run by her rather harassed but well-meaning parents. Once she has overcome her initial fright at realizing she is seeing a ghost she tries to help Liam while he in turn becomes concerned for her well-being as he discovers she is secretly bulimic. Meanwhile, everyday family life is portrayed very convincingly with realistic dialogue and arguments between the parents, Nova, her stunningly beautiful but rather distant older sister, Rainbow, and their irritating younger twin brothers. These kinds of scenes will be familiar to many young readers. There is also plenty of humour in the portrayal of some of the quirky characters who come to stay at the hotel (rather reminiscent of some scenes in Fawlty Towers).When Nova discovers that the taciturn guest, Mr Jackman, is in fact Liam’s younger brother who is still trying to find Liam’s body many years after his accident, she tries to help him. Being a ghost story the plot is inevitably rather far-fetched and there are some irritating twists and turns in the narrative which I felt could have been shortened to better effect. However, the novel has a definite emotional impact and some strong messages about the value of life and of family relationships. The reader feels the stark contrast between the rather chaotic but fundamentally warm family life Nova enjoys and the cold isolation of Liam who is caught in a miserable trap of anger and bitterness, only gradually realizing he wishes he had not wasted his chances to be with his own father and brother, however dysfunctional they were as a family. After some deeply moving moments, there is a satisfying ending with plenty for thoughtful readers to ponder on.It is a full-length teenage novel without any illustrations but is easy to read with plenty of dialogue. I think it is most suitable for individual reading, although certain passages could be selected to be read out in class as inspiring examples of good descriptive writing or realistic dialogue. It is a book that will appeal particularly to girls who would identify with Nova, so is probably most suitable towards the end of KS2 or for KS3 readers.
While Malorie Blackman is a very well-established and popular YA author in the UK, the same cannot be said here stateside and frankly it's a crime. Ms. Blackman writes the kind of multicultural YA that many of us who bemoan the serious lack of diversity in this genre have been looking for. Yes, she tackles the hard stuff--her Naughts and Crosses series takes a dystopian view of racism and reverses it--but she also handles such issues without being heavy-handed and preachy.Dead Gorgeous is the story of Nova, a self-aware teen dealing with some serious esteem issues all the while navigating the insanity who happen to be her family. Her parents own a gothic-looking hotel on the English coast and both were amusing characters. I especially loved how the mother talks to herself in the kitchen while making pastries as if she's hosting her own cooking show. Nova has an uber-glamorous sister named Rainbow and rambunctious twin brothers who are always under foot.Add to this, she now can see Liam, a good-looking boy her own age who just so happens to be dead. Liam has his own issues to work out in spite of being a ghost, and a mysterious guest staying at the hotel may be the key to understanding and finally letting go of a painful past.Granted, Blackman's books are filled with UK slang which doesn't detract from the overall story. It's like getting a crash course in how to sound British, lol (not really). The fact that she makes her characters of color is like a natural no-brainer. Family dramas and the attendant issues of growing up are universal themes. Too bad many in the YA genre haven't quite figured this out yet.
What do You think about Dead Gorgeous (2002)?
I decided to review the book Dead gorgeous as an avid fan of Malorie Blackman’s work as a teenager growing up. My favourite book was Noughts and crosses growing up however I believe this a story for early secondary school children as it covers a lot of deep meaning aspects of society as a whole. Therefore I decided to review a book that catered for a younger audience. The summary of the book is a young girl called Nova who feels isolated and left out due to her family’s business and sister who is always too busy to help her until she finally meets a boy called Liam who becomes her friend. However Liam has a secret which not even he realises and story unravels between these two characters. I liked this book, number one because I love this author, who develops ever changing and emotional characters that the reader can relate to. Secondly, it a mystery book which over the course of the read, the reader has to put certain puzzles together to understand the outcome of the book. Appropriate age range is around 9-11 depending of level of ability. I believe that this book could be used in a classroom setting as every chapter delivers suspense unravelling Liam’s secret, and whether Nova can help him, therefore it could be a god story telling book for older children.
—Marie Therese
