The Ghoul Next Door

The Ghoul Next Door
by Lisi Harrison
Monster High, book two

Cleo was the queen bee of the RADs, the normies, and everyone in between at Merston High. But now it's "Frankie this" and "Melody that" . . . these new girls sure know how to get her lashes in a tangle. When Cleo lands a golden Teen Vogue photo op for her friends, everything seems to be back on track . . . until they bail to be in some film . . . Frankie and Melody's film! Can't a royal get some loyal?

Frankie lost her head over Brett once and vows never to do it again. Not that she has a choice: Bekka is clinging to her guy like plastic wrap. But when Brett comes up with a plan that could help the RADs live free, sparks fly, and Bekka will stop at nothing to put out the flames . . . even if it means destroying the entire monster community.

The clock is tick-tick-ticking. Melody has a serious deadline to save her boyfriend, Jackson, from being exposed by the vengeance-seeking Bekka. But Cleo is making it royally difficult for the normie while threatening her acceptance into the RADs' exclusive group . . . a group that Melody suspects she has more in common with than she ever thought. (description from Amazon.com)

Aside from being a fun foray into the world of well-known Hollywood famous monsters, Lisi Harrison has created a lighthearted series that manages to bring up tons of real-life issues without being an overwhelming social satire venue. I love the mix of fun and morality that can be found in these books.

The usual social heirarchy could be found at "Monster High" until Melody and Frankie showed up and shook it all up! Two girls who are totally different, yet want exactly the same things. Their plan to help everyone be accepted for just who they are seems to be working just fine, until Frankie literally loses her head over it! Now, the fallout is severe.

Frankie, Cleo, LaLa, Blue, and Clawdeen are all amongst the group whose parents have decreed social lockdown for their safety. They're still better off than Frankie, whose parents have stripped her down to the literal nuts and bolts...

They all have to figure out a way to save their social lives and keep their secrets! Though they long to be "out" and accepted, they also know that they have no desire to be hunted down for their differences. A clever plan here and there never hurt their chances...

With absolute parallels to real teen life, this series manages to be a tongue-in-cheek poke at society. It's fun and thought-provoking all in one. I love all the nods to old monster movies and look forward to reading book three, Where There's a Wolf, There's a way.