Book Review: Scarlett Dedd (Cathy Brett)

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...

Cathy Brett's Scarlett Dedd is the first graphic novel I've read in years. I do not have a lot to compare Scarlett Dedd to, but even for a non art enthusiast, I was blown away by the illustrations in this book - so brilliantly done! It's very detailed, very vivid and so real to life. I can look at them over and over again and never tire.

Scarlett Dedd is not only one of the best illustrated novels I've ever come across, it's also one of the funniest. Scarlett, our protagonist, dies in the stupidest (her words, not mine!) way, and or the most pathetic of reasons - you have to read the book to discover how, as doing so is one of the fun things about this book. Scarlett Dedd feels like an interactive novel, as I was always looking forward to the next illustration and find myself examining all the details and matching it with the text when I do. I also hugely enjoyed the conversations in this book - they are genuinely british, what with the British slangs. I absolutely love it!

I'll have you know that I probably damaged my guts laughing my head off at all Scarlett's antics. She's such a fresh, vivacious and infectious character, I wanted to pull her pictures off the page and bring her to life. She's determined and resilient, albeit a little misguided. Her naivety sometimes grated at my nerves, but this book shows an in depth character development and maturity, in which Scarlett discovers the thin line between right and wrong, her own strength and weakness and ultimately her place in life (afterlife?). The supporting characters are just as fun. Teens and adults alike are just as mischievous and entertaining as Scarlett.

There appears to be a lack of emotions from the secondary characters though -interestingly, apart from Psycho (lol!), who both fancies and is fancied by Scarlett, her friends seem to find it fascinating that she's dead rather than mourn her death the traditional way. That, and the way they used Scarlett's haunting as a means to popularity rather than to communicate with Scarlett, are one of their traits that I disliked but nevertheless enjoyed. There was little tension in the book and I was not particularly drawn to the climax, but I found myself giggling with fun anyway - there's a huge potential for a sequel for more of Scarlett's ghostly adventures, and it would be quite fun to accompany the Dedds on another fun-filled episode!

Three Stars.


* Thanks Sam from Headline for my copy!


Want to know more about Scarlett? Or perhaps you need an advice from the afterlife? Visit her blog and say Hi! - www.scardeparted.blogspot.com