It was a good book, but I expected it to be funnier. ( )

Enh, this was only OK. Beth is a senior in high school and an A student. Suddenly, the cheerleaders recruit her. Turns out the vampires want her. This was fairly slow and not very interesting. ( )

I don't know if it's just Kenner's writing style, I just didn't bond with this book. Beth was a little grating, the storyline was a dragged out in this book and ended quite early for me. I know it's to drag you into reading the next one, but for me, I've got better things to be doing. ( )

Sixteen year old Beth Frasier is a junior in high school and has one goal in mind - to get into a great college and become a Hollywood director. She's already gotten early admission to one college, but her goal is the Tisch School at NYU. To get in she needs a perfect college application. She already has the grades, but she needs some more extra curricular activities. She aims for the drill team, but the cheerleading squad wants her to join. Not only that, but the star quarterback, Stephen Wills wants to meet her after school. She thinks he wants to ask her out on a date, but he has something else in mind and turns her into a vampire. He has his reasons and if she doesn't do what he wants, he threatens to make her undead forever. Beth wants revenge and she, along with her friends Jenny and Clayton, sets out to get that revenge.

"The Good Ghouls Guide to Getting Even" is a nicely done young adults novel. Beth narrates it and author Julie Kenner does a good job of capturing Beth's voice. Beth is a well written and believable character - extremely intelligent, high achieving, not part of the popular crowd, and determined to not only be class valedictorian, but to get into her dream college. While she is excelling in school, her home life is a mess - her parents are divorced and she is shuttling back and forth from living with her mother to living with her father, both of whom are too wrapped up in themselves to pay attention to her, a situation which makes her a more real and sympathetic character. Her friend Jenny is one of the best characters in the book, a good friend, unpopular, but in control over the kids in school in ways they don't even know. Beth's rival for class valedictorian, Clayton Greene, plays an integral part in the book and is another nice character. The popular students - Stephen Wills and his friends and the cheerleaders - all seem like cliches at first, but that changes when the vampire elements come into the book. The vampire parts are okay; Kenner has to explain how the vampires can attend high school during the day and it works but isn't quite believable. In fact, with everything going on at the high school, it's kind of hard to believe the teachers and other adults have no idea there is something going on. Still, the idea of vampires taking over a high school is a fun concept and good reading.

"The Good Ghouls Guide to Getting Even" is part of a new series and ends in a cliffhanger. The next book Good Ghouls Do is now available. ( )

Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com

Beth Fasier should have noticed all the signs that were around her. She should have trusted her gut that something was wrong, but instead she just ignored it.

Beginning her junior year, Beth had everything she had worked for. From the possibility of being valedictorian of her class to getting closer to being able to go to school at NYU. But if only Beth hadn't worked so hard, then maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't be where she is today.

It all began when Beth decided to try out for the drill team, only to make her activities seem well-rounded. Unfortunately, Beth didn't make it since Tamara, a very popular cheerleader, told the coach to not let Beth on the team. Tamara had a different motive -- she wanted Beth to be on the cheerleader squad. Right then Beth should have known that something was wrong, but instead, when hearing that hottie Stephen Wills was going to be at one of the cheer practices, Beth knew she had to go. After all, it is Stephen Wills.

Turns out Stephen had asked Tamara to put Beth on the team, since he's had his eye on her for awhile. Of course, Beth was flattered, and when Stephen asked her out on a date Beth just couldn't say no. But when the most popular guy asks someone like Beth out on a date, she should have known that something was just not right.

It was too late for Beth, though, since on her date, Stephen bites Beth -- making her a fellow member of the undead.

Beth's life is over as she knows it, until her academic enemy, Clayton, tell hers that there is a possible chance for her to turn back into her usual self. But can Beth muster up the strength to actually do it?

Known for her books on the paranormal, Julie Kenner puts her own twist on what seems to be a hot topic in most teen novels, vampires. THE GOOD GHOULS' GUIDE TO GETTING EVEN may seem like another typical vampire story, but as the book gets going, readers will begin to notice that this novel is different from the rest of the pack. Fans of the undead will not be disappointed in Julie Kenner's new novel. Be sure to watch out for the sequel, GOOD GHOULS DO, which releases in October. ( )