This book and I did not get along.

The synopsis sounded promising. A paranormal mystery and I guess, in a way, that is what it was except it wasn't super mysterious and the paranormal elements were a bit simplistic. I think maybe this book would work better for a younger age group who is perhaps just getting into paranormal mystery stories, as someone new to the genre wouldn't have much to compare this too.

This being said, while I think the writing works best for a Tween category, the topics don't really mesh well with that age group. There is a lot of drinking, binge drinking, talk of binge drinking, sex, party scenes, etc.

So, yeah, maybe not the best thing to buy your 12-year old. Additionally, the overall feel of the book made me uncomfortable. This could completely be me, a personal preference or what have you, decide for yourself but the mental health rep...

I wasn't crazy about it. Adele has been diagnosed with schizophrenia for which she has been prescribed medication. She takes this medication up until the time our story starts when she admits to secretly stopping and hiding the pills. She goes on to say on numerous occasions how much better her life is now that she is off it even though now she is seeing things again whereas before she wasn't. The medication had been dulling her gift to see these dead things.

This is a topic returned to over and over again in the book and I'm just not sure if glorifying going off prescribed medications for serious mental health issues in a teen book is a good thing?

Seriously, though, I don't know. Maybe I was reading into it wrong or I am taking it too literally. I don't know. I have never suffered from a hallucinatory disorder personally so may not be the best judge on this. Besides this overriding issue, however, I did have a few other problems with it. The 'mystery' was pretty apparent from the beginning. The build-up was too long and the conclusion too rushed. There was a lesson in a health class about binge drinking that just got brought up over and over again that was sort of lame. Things got really wacky at the end. Meh. Just not for me. 

Thank you so much to the publisher, Henry Holt and Co., for providing me with an e-ARC to read and review. I always appreciate the opportunity to provide my opinion.

April Henry is my go-to author when my students ask me for fast-paced YA mysteries. This one is a fun addition to the collection. It has all of her hallmarks- interesting characters, twisty plot, and is an overall quick read. I prefer my mysteries without a supernatural bent, but teens will definitely enjoy this one.

April Henry does it again with a book filled with spooks and a tale that will have you turning page after page.

This author is popular in my library, so I was excited to pre-read her newest. Unfortunately, it was a major disappointment. The premise was interesting, but the characters fell flat and it just didn’t feel like her best writing.

Let's be honest. I know you will read this. 

It's April Henry.
Mystery.
Page-turner.
Quick.

I'm not saying you shouldn't.

The Lonely Dead is an interesting take. Adele has been diagnosed with a mental illness because she carries a trait in the female lineage of her family that allows her to see the dead. When she sees the ghost of someone no one else knows has died yet, life gets messy.

I have to say, my favorite part of this book is the take that Adele was misdiagnosed. The author says it's not the case for everyone, but it does make an interesting premise. 

The murder mystery plays out believably.

I just kind of wanted...more...

So, if this winds up being the first in a series about a super cool detective, ghost-seeing girl like Nancy Drew with paranormal powers, I am all in. 

However, if it really is just a standalone and not an introduction to characters and abilities, I feel like it fell short in character development. (A series would continue this and allowances are always made for that.)

So, you should read it if mysteries are your thing. Let me know what you think too!

I liked April Henry's The Body in the Woods, but I couldn't really get in to this one.  Although it started out interesting, I don't think it followed through very well.  Thanks for the opportunity.

Thanks to the publisher for access to this title in return for a fair review.

Adele has been told for most of her life that she has a mental illness, and she takes medication to keep the "hallucinations" at bay. But when she stops taking her pills, the world becomes brighter and she loves feeling more engaged with what's happening around her. Until she starts seeing ghosts again.

When she discovers the body of her ex-best friend, one she just had a big fight with, she's not sure what to do. Soon she finds herself a key suspect in the murder, and, working with the dead she sees and an unlikely ally, she works to solve the mystery and save herself.

As a huge fan of Henry's, I was excited to get this one. It's a great addition to her works, and I would love to see this one turned into a series and see more of Adele and Charlie. Perfect for more reluctant readers who are fans of crime novels, this is a quick read with tons of action and plenty of twists to keep up interest.

Adele has been labelled as schizophrenic since she was young. After talking to animals and people that weren’t actually there and based on the history of the women in her family, it was obvious that Adele suffered from this condition. However, when Adele stops taking her medications, she realizes that her hallucinations were actually dead people and animals. When she stumbles over a classmate’s spirit and murdered body, Adele becomes obsessed with finding the murderer, though many signs point to the fact that she is responsible. Adele is going to need to use her abilities and her budding friendship with two different guys to help find the killer.

I am uneasy about the way that mental illness is portrayed in this novel. It almost feels like mental illness is made up, it creates a dangerous environment surrounding mental health and only briefly addresses these ideals at the end. Also, the main character’s obsession with her health teacher’s explanation of the effects of alcohol seem strange, especially since she frequently talks about it. Barring the mental illness layer, Adele’s abilities and history were interesting.

I realize this book was YA, but it didn't provide me with the thrill or sense of urgency as most mysteries. I found it hard to like Adele, which made it very difficult to connect with her. The idea for the story was intriguing, but I felt like the characters weren't as developed as they should be. The story just didn't do it for me. I would like to try other books by this author because I did like her writing style.

Interesting YA mystery, full of self doubt and suspicion.  Very interesting perspective, trying to keep the victims involved with solving their own murders.

I had read a couple of April’s other books and I loved this premise, sadly I was pretty disappointed. Also, two stars might be too high. 

I wanted to like Adele, but her inner monologue was not something I could settle into. I get that she’s struggling with family history and current events, yet I didn’t feel empathy. All of the other characters are clichéd and flat. No one felt fleshed out and developed as they should have been. 

Plot wise, it was very boring. The reveals were obvious and everything felt dumbed down. And not because I’m not the target audience, more like the reader wasn’t expected to be able to figure it out. There wasn’t a sense of urgency or tension that I expected from a story like this.

Overall, it was an intriguing premise, but the execution didn’t work for me. 

FYI: lots of talk about schizophrenia, mental illness, taking medication, and references to being “plump”. All of this was done in perhaps not the best way. 

**Huge thanks to Henry Holt for providing the arc free of charge**

I LOVE April Henry's books, and The Lonely Dead is a perfect mix of crime and supernatural. Adele's mother and grandmother both died as a result of letting people know they could see the dead, and for most of her life, Adele has been medicated to prevent it. Adele wanted to feel less like a zombie, so she stopped taking the meds for schizophrenia that she's been on since grade school, and once again she can see the dead. It turns out, Adele isn't crazy. Her ex-best friend, Tori, shouldn't be in the park, so Adele is confused when she sees her sitting on a mound of fresh earth. Tori also shouldn't be dead, but sometime after the party Adele last saw her at, someone murdered Tori and buried her in the park. Can Adele and Tori work together to find the killer before they strike again?

Ugh I don’t even know how to word as I write this review. I’ve written and deleted the first sentence about a 100 times. BUT. I guess. Here is the thing, I read an April Henry novel years ago, liked it, and read a BUNCH by her this year. Just looking at the books in the chronological order they were published, it seems that the books have gotten progressively worse? Which is to say, that her later books have lost that kick a lot of her earlier books had.

If you’ve been a fan for a while and coming to this book because you have come to expect some thrill and some mystery from April Henry, you should stay. If you want anything more than that, like character development and to read about people you don’t want to punch just a little, you should maybe scoot along?? IDK. If I were reading my own review, I’d probably choose to read the book because sometimes I ~am~ just craving a quick mystery to take off the edge but The Lonely Dead really doesn’t have much else going for it besides that April Henry basically knows how to write a mystery.

For starters, the girl who died is a bitch. We are supposed to like her better by the end of the novel, but she is a racist bitch and I am NOT HERE FOR THAT SHIT. I will tolerate bullies, I will not tolerate bullies that bully girls by pointing out their darker skin. NOPE. Mind you, there is all but one line that alludes to this but that should give you an idea about the kind of person dear Tori was.

As I’ve grown up and become more aware, I’ve also become more sensitive to books that do the whole “MC is thought to have a mental illness (usually schizophrenia) but can actually see things others cannot.” I think it’s such a fine line to walk and sometimes if not done carefully, it can seem dismissive of people who actually have those mental illnesses and to mental health specialists. I will give April Henry the credit she is due by saying she really does seem to acknowledge this as a larger issue. It did seem a little unnatural, the way it is incorporated within the context of the novel, but I do appreciate the distinction.

As for the actual MC, Adele is SO BLAND. Her entire existence is ‘woe is me’ and she is so dense sometimes. I am pretty sure she is a plot device and not an actual character, lol. So is basically everyone else in this book.

The plot does have a little zing to it in that I became invested enough to continue turning pages even though the characters were basically all cardboard caricatures. I wanted to know who killed Tori and I wanted to the po-po to finally catch the right people. I was also slightly invested in Charlie (who is a sort-of love interest) but he barely had a presence in the book.

UGh. I need to stop talking/typing because this review has also become extremely bland and I am sure anyone reading this wants this torture to end so I WILL SHUT UP SOON. BUT, if you are interested in this book, I say read it if you’re just looking for a quick, semi-engaging read. We need those kinds of books too. If you want actual character development or to have any interest in any of their lives, you should probably not read this book.

So the premise of this book sounded super good for starters. After the first few chapters I was hooked and had to keep reading. I love YA series that have the Mc be able to see spirits and ghosts. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone.

1 star.

I have about 20 pages left but I honestly can't bring myself to read the rest. I've disliked April Henry's writing but for some reason I keep coming back to her books, but I think this was her last chance.

The mental illness and fat rep isn't terrible? It's just not...great.

This definitely reminded me of UNDEAD GIRL GANG and CITY OF GHOSTS because of the paranormal thriller vibe, but I can't recommend this.

* I was sent this for free in advance so I can honestly review it via Netgalley, so thanks so much to the publisher. All thoughts are my own.

Outcast girl sees ghosts. Popular girl dies. You can probably figure out the rest.

Where to start... I love a good ghost story and a little mental illness thrown in is the best, but this book reads as if directed towards a very narrow age group. I don't think anyone over the age of 16 would find it entertaining, and with all the talk of underage drinking, I wouldn't want anyone younger than 14 reading it. So the targeted- but also appropriate- audience for this novel is basically only 15 year olds. Ok maybe 15-17 because the MC is 17, however the girl on the front cover of the book looks 28. So who knows.
Seriously though, can I please complain about how many times Adele was so mystified by her new-found knowledge that sometimes people black out when they drink? There was a good 5 or 6 times she recalled her health class teacher mentioning that sometimes people black out after drinking a lot and don't remember what they did. I felt this was basic knowledge but our MC really seemed to have no clue.
There was also no romance. The book begins w Adele randomly kissing Charlie (maybe just so the author would have a reason to keep him as a character) and before at Tori's infamous party (hate this trope) where she drunk-kissed Luke, Tori's boyfriend. *gasp* not.

"The Lonely Dead" is an okay ghost story for some teenagers.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this title for review. All opinions are my own. 

So . . . where to start with this one. It is classic April Henry fodder-there is a murder, a mystery, and a girl somehow finds herself in the middle of it all. There is a lack of character development and undersold back stories, but you find yourself not really caring because it's quick, it's kinda fun, and you know that most of the middle school kids she is writing for are gonna love it. BUT, this one also has the added weight of not just being a murder-mystery, it is also a paranormal affair since the main character can see and interact with ghosts. This is how she unluckily is the one to discover the dead girl and report it to police. Of course, all of her life, she has been told that she actually has schizophrenia, and that is why she sees things that might not actually be there. The kicker: for the past three weeks she's been ditching her meds because without them "she finally feels alive." 

I am so pissed that April Henry wrote this into the storyline. I want to like this book. I want to buy multiple copies of it for my shelves because I know that she is an auto-recommend for kids in my building. They can NOT get enough of her or murder mysteries, and finding ones that are "gritty" enough for them to enjoy with them delving too far into YA-land can be a challenge. April Henry always comes through for this. But now, to write a story that so heavily relies on the narrator deciding that she has been misdiagnosed, because she doesn't like how she feels medicated, how she questions that some of the others with schizophrenia might also just be misunderstood, seems somewhat irresponsible. Mental illness isn't something to be used as a plot twist.

Final verdict: I'm still on the fence about purchasing this one. I'd recommend it for readers of April Henry and murder mysteries, but understand that you are wading into some murky waters with this storyline.

I had many problems with The Lonely Dead, but I think it all can be boiled down to lazy writing and poor representation. 

This story was told in a very linear way. Once our character found out a new piece of information, she would immediately go to talk to someone who revealed something else immediately. Then, our character would use that information to go find the next person to question. It left little suspense or mystery to the story and everything felt too easy. However, all the information ends up being largely irrelevant to the actual solution. Almost every piece of information given to the reader is a red herring with very little opportunity to solve the mystery for themselves. 

This story also does a fair bit of telling and lays out information so plainly to the reader it's as if the author assumed the audience was too stupid to make the connections unless it was spelled out for them. 

All the characters were overly dramatic with their reactions, and no piece of dialogue felt genuine. Our main character and important side characters remain one dimensional throughout the novel with very little character development. In addition, our villain character's motivations make no sense in the climax.  

Finally, my final complaint with the writing is that it was generally lazy, going so far to time jump out of the climax. 

My last complaint is with the representation, both for mental health medication and fat representation. 

I can not speak from an own-voice perspective about the medication, however it seemed odd how much this book stigmatized medication. While I recognize people have very many reactions to medication and not all our positive (and, of course, the idea is to show Adele doesn't actually have schizophrenia) it ended up demonizing all medication. 

Adele is never explicitly said to be fat, but there are many hints that imply she is, including descriptions of her being "plump," "a bigger girl" and her own preoccupation with how much space she is taking up. While this isn't overtly problematic and can reflect many fat people's experience, her weight has no relevance to the story and to only have her feel negatively about her weight affirms to fat people there is something wrong with their bodies. 

I would not recommend this book to anyone. 

(This book is reviewed on goodreads, twitter and on my channel in my November Wrap Up)

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
Adele has been able to see the dead for a long time, ever since she was young she’s been able to see and talk to them. After she loses her mom she’s taken in by her grandfather. When he becomes aware of her ability he takes her to a doctor and she ends up diagnosed as schizophrenic. Ever since then she’s been on medication, dulled to the world around her and unable to see the dead. Maybe it really was all in her head?
Until one day on her way home, shortly after she quits taking her medicine, a voice calls out to her from the park, and it turns out to be her once upon a time best friend, Tori. Tori who she just recently fought with. Tori who kicked her out of her party. Tori whose sitting there in a tank top and unaffected by the cold, sitting on top of a mound that happens to be where she’s buried.
Adele does what anyone should, she calls the police, but that’s not the end of her involvement. People are suspicious of her. The night Tori went missing Adele had been drinking and caught making out with Tori’s boyfriend. Did she maybe do it in a blackout rage? 
Surrounded on all sides by people who suspect her, Tori calling out for justice from beyond the grave, and her own loss of trust in herself Adele struggles to find out who did it, even if it maybe was her.
I like April Henry, both her and Natalie Richards are my two favorite go-to when it comes to YA mystery. It’s a quick read and fairly enjoyable. A little different then Henry’s usual, but a fun twist. Adele would be a character that would be fun to see in the future, a little older and see how she adjusts to her abilities and what she does, or doesn’t do with them,

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of The Lonely Dead (from NetGalley).  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This one was different from any of the other April Henry novels I have read.  It was still true to her artful, suspense-writing nature, however!    Her characters are so well described, it is easy to both picture and remember them even though there may be quite a few.  I also love that several different outcomes were cleverlly inserted for the reader to consider before the big reveal.  Suspenseful, interesting and original!
A big thank you to NetGalley and April Henry for the ARC!