Scarlett Dedd - Cathy Brett

Title: Scarlett Dedd

Author: Cathy Brett

Publisher: Headline

Release Date: September 2010

Category: Young Adult/Graphic Novel

Source: Sent to me for review by Headline

Paperback: 270 pages

Summary from Amazon:

You're dead Scarlett...

Previously a poor taste jibe from school frenemies, now a statement of fact. 

Scarlett is absolutely mortified (in more ways than one) to discover that she's accidentally killed herself while trying to get out of a school trip. Even worse, she's taken her entire family with her.
Life as a ghost is pretty dull - if only some of her friends were dead too...

~~~~~

Before, there were books with boring straight lines and the odd illustration or two. Then, there was Cathy Brett! I haven't been able to look at a book the same way ever since I finished Scarlett Dedd. Cathy Brett has more than maximise the use of that weird medium that is a book to create something absolutely awesome. 

The story revolves around zombie-looking Scarlett Dedd (yes, she already heard the dead Dedd joke, no need to say it again). She is a teenager (aka self-centered, lacking confidence and mainly not very bright), and, to avoid a class trip to France (which is understandable), she accidentally kills herself and all her family. Yes, indeed, it is entirely accidental.

She becomes a ghost and gradually comes to term with her new state and abilities. Her only problem is how alone she feels. She would really like one of her friends Rip, JP, Taz or the hot broody Psycho to hang out with her. Wait, when you think about it, there might be a solution for that...

I was unsure what I would find in this book as it is slightly unique, not entirely a novel and not entirely a graphic novel either. But whichever it is, I love it!

The characters are all amazingly hilarious and true to form. I can see real teenagers who hang out doing hardly anything interesting but thinking it might change the world (and make them super famous and rich in the process). I feel that it is the strongest point: all the characters have a very distinct personality and it is simply fascinating to read about them. 


I am loving the whole ghost situation, how they talk to each other and what they can or can't do. There are spooky moments but the general tone of the book is more on the comical side of the force.


The illustrations are amazing. Not only do they add a visual image (duh!) to the text, but they actually insert themselves in the text, and the text itself becomes an illustration at times. It is really fascinating since you hardly realize that the book is part text part illustrations at the end, it becomes Scarlett's story.




This is an absolutely brilliant (graphic) novel. It will appeal to older readers as well as younger (fans of the Goosebumps series in particular) and it is definitely an original experience especially if you are not a regular fan of classical graphic novels/comic books. I can't wait to read Cathy Brett's other book Ember Fury!!