Gilda Joyce: The Ghost Sonata

This was the best book in the series yet! I was a little disappointed in the first book, liked the second book, and completely fell in love with this one! A little creepy but very enthralling, spunky Gilda Joyce sets out once again to show the world what she can do, this time as a page-turner for her best friend, Wendy Choy, in a worldwide piano competition in Oxford, England. I loved Gilda's love affair with Julian, a hot British boy, and was sad but happy for Gilda when it was over, since it was obvious that in breaking up with him, she knew what was best for her. My only piece of advice: go sprint to the library or a book store, check out or buy this book, and read it until your eyes hurt.

Gilda Joyce- The Ghost Sonata is a wonderful mystery that makes you laugh. Gilda's friend Wendy Choy is invited to a national piano competition in Endland, and Gilda just has to go. And of corse, along the way, she bumps into a mystery. Wendy hears, creepy piano music at night, Gilda sees a ghost! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Gilda Joyce was a likable character from the very start. Anyone who read the first two books knows this, and was likely in need of a new fix of Gilda by the time this book came out, and "The Ghost Sonata" is the perfect addition to the series to quench our Gilda thirst. While Gilda's character remains consistent (as likable and as quirky), writer Jennifer Allison clearly evolves as a writer with each book she publishes. What we have here is a more mature book that still retains the almost childish outlook on the world that is a trademark to Gilda, self proclaimed "psychic investigator." "The Ghost Sonata" is certainly greater than the two previous Gilda Joyce books in a number of ways; the mystery isn't as twisty and drawn out as it was in "The Ladies of the Lake", but it is infinitely more complex and, though this book is certainly aimed at the teenage audience, more adult in the way it is executed. There are big themes at work in this book, both in the major plot and each little intricate subplot. Each character, minor or major, has their own little inner demon or closeted skeleton and the things that happen, the way they deal, make for such poignant, real-life writing that it can literally bring a tear to your eye. What I did miss from the beginning of the novel until around the middle was reading only through Gilda's point of view. If we had any glimpses into the POVs of a character other than Gilda in the first two books, it was a rare occurrence. However, Allison puts the character Wendy Choy, Gilda's best friend, as the main character of many chapters. Wendy is a great character, but she just can't match the charm of the protagonist... Come to think, who can? But luckily, the vast majority of the middle to the end of the book has Gilda at the forefront. This is simply the book to get this summer if you want to read a tale that will make you laugh (a lot), actually frighten you (surprisingly often), and break your heart. I've read enough young adult books to promise that Gilda Joyce really is the best around, and the perfect answer to those still lamenting the end of the "Harry Potter" series. Only thing is, no one really knows about this series, and the reason why is beyond me, as this book deserves a classic rating. 10/10 Classic.

Fourteen-year-old Gilda Joyce has a passion for fashion, and a flair for the offbeat; so when she learns that her best friend, and expert pianist, Gwendolyn "Wendy" Choy, has been chosen to be a finalist in a piano competition, that will be held in Oxford, England, Gilda couldn't be more thrilled. Oxford is full of ghost stories, and, as a psychic investigator, Gilda is determined to experience one first-hand; which is why she will do anything in her power to snag a seat on the red eye headed for the British destination. Unfortunately, money is tight, and, seeing as how she gave up piano lessons after a few weeks, she certainly can't try to make her way into the competition, so she does the next best thing...Gilda offers her services as an experienced page turner, and voila! She's out of school for a week, and encountering her next, and very first European, adventure. Packing her pink umbrella, spidery false eyelashes, countless stilettos, her mod outfit, cat's-eye glasses, go-go boots, and an assortment of hats, Gilda couldn't be more thrilled to set off. Unfortunately, her excitement isn't shared by the pianist of the hour - Wendy. For weeks, Wendy has been having disturbing nightmares that have made it near impossible for her to sleep, let alone concentrate on being the best pianist she can be. But winning the competition would mean prestige for her family, as well as a nice chunk of change that Gilda has already begun spending in her mind. But as much as Gilda craves a purse full of money that will purchase her heart's desires, she can't help but sympathize with her closest pal, and feel the need to solve the mystery of Wendy's nightmares. But since arriving in England, Wendy's nightmares have taken an even more bizarre turn. Suddenly, she begins hearing strange piano music playing in the middle of the night, and both she and Gilda have spotted a male ghost, of about their age, traipsing around Oxford. Gilda knows that it's up to her to do a little investigating. But Wendy wants to help. So, waving goodbye to the grueling practice sessions, and extremely stiff competition awaiting her, Wendy trots along by Gilda's side, only to stumble upon an assortment of spooky occurrences that seem to sprout up in every corner. And, to make matters worse, Wendy isn't the only contestant in the competition who has fallen victim to "hauntings." Suddenly, many of the contestants begin receiving creepy tarot cards depicting scary images that have instilled a killer case of the nerves in each and every one of them. Gilda is convinced that a haunting is at hand, and knows that it will take each and every fiber of her psychic investigator skills to crack the case wide open before it's too late. But in between her investigation, and frequent clothes-changing sessions, Gilda begins to find herself falling for a lanky, cute British boy - who happens to be Wendy's competition - and can't help herself from indulging in a little one-on-one time with the accented chap.

The Gilda Joyce books have now officially earned the coveted spot on my top shelf, beside such classics as 'The Prydain Chronicles', 'Lord of the Rings', 'The Underland Chronicles', and 'The Dark is Rising Sequence'. They just keep getting better and better, funnier and funnier. And 'The Ghost Sonata' is no different. When her friend Wendy is chosen in a prestigious contest to go to Oxford, England, and compete in a piano competition, Gilda is thrilled. Due to a technicality, she's able to go along with Wendy -- as her page-turner. But something is wrong -- someone or something is slipping Wendy and the other competitors tarot cards bearing terrifying dooms upon them. To add to this, Wendy is hearing strange music in her head, and thinks she's either going insane or being haunted by a ghost: the ghost of a young boy named Charles Drummond, who had her number -- nine -- in the very same competition she is currently in, and who was a brilliant composer before his death at the age of fourteen -- a death that Gilda believes was not entirely accidental. If there was one thing I wasn't thrilled about in this book, it was that Wendy gets nearly as much page time as Gilda, and while Wendy is a good character, she's not GILDA. There wasn't any less humor, though, and I understand why Wendy needed some scenes to herself. They were perfect complements to each other: Gilda the wacky, extremely eccentric one who enjoys telling people about her psychic investigative work, and Wendy, who is rational and smart and dry-humored. Another excellent entry in the series. Highly recommended, and I can't wait for the next book. Rating: Masterpiece