Bad Girl Gone By: Temple Mathews

Synopsis:

Sixteen year-old Echo Stone awakens in a cold sweat in a dark room, having no idea where she is or how she got there. But she soon finds out she s in Middle House, an orphanage filled with mysteriously troubled kids.

There s just one problem: she s not an orphan. Her parents are very much alive.

She explains this to everyone, but no one will listen. After befriending a sympathetic (and handsome) boy, Echo is able to escape Middle House and rush home, only to discover it sealed off by crime scene tape and covered in the evidence of a terrible and violent crime. As Echo grapples with this world-shattering information, she spots her parents driving by and rushes to flag them down. Standing in the middle of street, waving her arms to get their attention, her parents car drives right through her.

She was right. Her parents are alive but she s not.

She s a ghost, just like all the other denizens of Middle House. Desperate to somehow get her life back and reconnect with her still-alive boyfriend, Echo embarks on a quest to solve her own murder. As the list of suspects grows, the quest evolves into a journey of self-discovery in which she learns she wasn t quite the girl she thought she was. In a twist of fate, she s presented with one last chance to reclaim her life and must make a decision which will either haunt her or bless her forever."

Release Date: Aug. 8, 2017
Publishing Co.: A Thomas Dunne Book for St. Martin's Griffin
Rating: ★★★★

Review:

First of all, I received this book from Netgalley and A Thomas Dunne Book/St. Martin's Griffin Press, as well as a physical copy from a Goodreads giveaway, all in exchange for my honest review.

I just absolutely loved the overall concept of this book. This was my first time reading a book from ghost perspectives and let me tell you that "ghost justice" can be an amazing thing and I loved how Temple Mathews molded it in this book. Just the whole idea of you getting your revenge and still going to heaven is enough to make you scream. I just thought this point of view was so cool and it has me geeked out over this whole book. 

This most definitely started out with the creepy vibe and as you all should know, the scariest stories are the ones with creepy ass dolls, or in this case, creepy ass children. I enjoyed helping the characters figure out how they died. It really made me feel involved in the story and part of the pack.

Echo as a person was tap dancing on my last nerve with her "I have to get my life back" rants even though she knows 100% and have so-called 100% accepted the fact that she is dead. She was just so selfish and I didn't get off to a good start with her. 

Which brings me to the subject of character development. I think Temple Mathews did a great job at developing Echo's character. Echo really grew as the story went on and as she found out some things about herself, which made her look at herself in a different light. This by itself changed her as a person, or as a ghost I should say, and it made her really accept her situation for what it is. 

I just can't help but wonder if the story would have been even better had Echo being a ghost not been included in the synopsis. Maybe if we would have found out about her being dead at the exact same time as she did, it would have been a plus 1 for the book. Altogether, I really loved this book and I recommend to everyone especially during Halloween time if you're looking for something a little creepy but not terrifying.