Book Review: Three Quarters Dead by Richard Peck

Publication Date: October 2010
Pages: 208

Series: no
Acquisition: received an ARC at BEA10

Summary:

Kerry is chosen by the coolest clique in school and so she thinks life has finally begun. But then it seems all over when her three friends are killed in a shocking car accident. Or are they? Only weeks after the accident, Kerry receives a text from one of the girls: We're all 3 here at my aunt's in the city. Take the 3:50 train. B there. Exhilarating, terrifying suspense is crossed with a thought-provoking examination of peer pressure in Richard Peck's return to his contemporary teen- and ghost-story roots. This is a master author's gift to the Gossip Girl/Twilight generation: his own smart, stylish, and fun take on the paranormal. (from Goodreads)

My thoughts:
Richard Peck is one of my favorite authors of all times. He has been publishing books in the early 1970s and I grew up reading his stories. He is an amazing story teller and Three Quarters Dead is a shinning example of everything I love about his writing.

There is something fundamentally creepy about this book. I didn't actually like many of the characters but my dislikes worked for the story. The setting was somewhat ordinary but the plot was so well developed that it didn't matter. The ghosts? Not like any I have encountered before.

The additional aspect of modern day teen peer pressure added a layer to this story and for me, helped to enhance the creepiness of the ghost story itself. Kerry had issues before her 3 supposed best friends died but after their car accident, things really start to get interesting.

Final verdict:
Loved it! The creep factor alone would have been enough to make me pick up this one. Also getting the rich story telling of Richard Peck made this book truly enjoyable for me. If you're looking for something different in YA books, Three Quarters Dead might be for you. Especially if you like ghost stories - scary ones.

And as an added bonus, for me at least - it's not part of a series. It was refreshing to know that after the last page was turned, the story was over. At least for the readers. The characters in this one though, very much have a mind of their own.

Overall Rating:

5 / 5 Stars

Linkage Love:
Penguin
Author's Fantastic Fiction page
Goodreads

Tidbits:
*Richard Peck was at BEA last May and he signed my copy of Three Quarters Dead. He is such a sweet man and I'm so happy I had the chance to meet him :)