This is a bit of a different one from April Henry in that it has ghosts in it rather than just your murder-mystery. Adele has always seen ghosts so when she is lead to the body of her ex best friend Tori buried in a park by her ghost she is surprised but not shocked. What happens next is shocking though, as through twists of circumstance, people begin to suspect HER of Tori's murder, as they were seen having a huge argument at the party before Tori was killed. Adele must fight against people thinking she is either crazy or a murderer to work out who committed the crime, all the while avoiding the aggro that the ghosts she can see throw at her.... Not bad for fans of supernatural and mysteries. ( )

The Lonely Dead
By April Henry
I normally avoid most teen books because of all the teen angst in the books, which somehow is a draw for some audience, but I enjoyed this book. Probably because the plot and supernatural over powered any angst.
This has our main character, Adele, finding her friend dead in an off the beaten path. Adele can hear and see the dead. Her mother and grandmother before her could too and all three were thought to be crazy. Her background is interesting.
What happens when she finds her friend gets tense. No one believes her that she didn't do it, even her grandfather. Then the killer goes after her!
Pretty good! Liked how the ghosts in the cemetery help her too!
Hope there is a sequel! ( )

I love April Henry's books. I chose this book for my "First Chapter Friday" read. I want to entice my students to read more. I had this at home to read and loved the first chapter. Since we read the rest of the period after I read the first chapter, it was the perfect time for me to finish the book.
Adele is a young girl who lives with her grandfather. Both of her parents are dead. When she was young her grandfather took her to a psychiatrist who diagnosed her with schizophrenia. They determined it ran in the family. But what if it isn't schizophrenia? What if her ability to see and speak to the dead is real. She has taken medication for years to keep her from seeing and hearing the dead. All it took was for her to miss one dose and realize how much of life she has missed out on for her to make a conscious decision to not take any more.
Adele is invited by her former best friend to a party at her house. After a few drinks that lead to a mistake she can't take back, she is ousted from her friend's house in front of everyone at the party. It isn't until she is walking home through the park that she comes across her friend. The problem is that her friend is dead. Now Adele has become the prime suspect and possibly the target of the real killer.
The characters were spot on. You have Adele who has gone through a lot of hardships. Then you have her ex-best friend Tori who has issues of her own. All of the characters are believable. April Henry did such a wonderful job of creating her setting I could see it in my head. What I like most is the tension she creates in her novels. It steadily builds. It eases up just a bit then full steam ahead again. There are so many more of her books for me to read. I just have to get them away from my students. It seems that once you talk up any of her books the kids can't keep their hands off of them. I highly recommend this and all of her books. ( )

Ghost mystery, yeah! Im a little unsure about some of the mental illness stuff though. Its kinda anti meds but also kinda not? ( )

This YA thriller stars Adele who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia just as her mother and grandmother were. But the diagnosis is wrong. Adele not only sees but can talk with the dead so long as she is in the same place as their bones are. With her parents dead, Adele lives with her grandfather who believes that she is schizophrenic and has her visit a psychiatrist and take pills.

Adele is seventeen and decides not to take the pills anymore, but isn't telling her grandfather. She finds that her life is much better without the pills. She isn't anxious or sleepy or detached. But she is also seeing the dead again.

One day, while walking home from school, she discovers her ex-best friend Tori in the woods. Tori doesn't know that she is dead. Once Adele convinces her, she wants Adele to find out who murdered her. Tori has no memories beyond the party at her house where she caught Adele kissing her boyfriend Luke and threw both Luke and Adele out of her house. Both Tori and Adele had been drinking a lot. It was a first for Adele but a recurring pattern for Tori.

Adele makes an anonymous 9-1-1 call since she knows no one will believe that she can talk to the dead. And then Adele begins her own investigation to try to find out who murdered Tori. The police, however, think that Adele makes a great suspect and are constantly asking "just a few more questions."

Adele discovers a lot of potential suspect from the creepy next door neighbor, to Tori's dad, to the hunky student teacher that Tori was seeing on the side, to other friends who had reasons to be mad at her. But Adele also fears that she may have murdered Tori herself and forgotten about it in an alcoholic black out.

The story was fast-paced and exciting. I enjoyed Adele's investigations. The only thing I really had a problem with was the idea that the dead hung around their bodies after death. That is one creepy idea!

Fans of the paranormal and thrillers will enjoy this story which was narrated by Piper Goodeve who did a great job with all the characters. ( )