Gilda Joyce, Psychic Investigator

Thirteen-year-old Gilda Jones randomly tells a lie to her class that she'll be spending the summer in San Francisco, so she has to finagle a way to get herself there. By luck, she manages to get herself invited to the home of a distant relative who lives in ... San Francisco. But there's a dark secret lurking in that great home, and rumors of ghosts haunting the place. Gilda, who thinks herself a psychic (as well as a novelist and several other things), is determined to find some answers.

Honestly, I don't even know where to begin with this book. There's very little redeeming about it; I'm surprise it received any positive reviews and that it spawned a series of books. Gilda is an annoying character who doesn't learn or grow at all as show more the book progresses. At times, she seems much younger than her 13 years, which gives the impression that this book is for younger kids. However, the subject matter seems more fitting for older kids, including passing remarks about pornography, teen mothers, etc. It also mocks those with physical disabilities, and the limited attempts at diverse characters end up being rather stereotypical (e.g., a Latina housekeeper who makes hot tamales).

At the crux of the book is a 'mystery' (not a particularly compelling or well-resolved one, with its anticlimactic conclusion) that involves mental illness and suicide. This book does NOT at all deal with these topics in deft manner. It is rather flippant about a lot of it and provides too easy solutions. For instance, here's some advice provided to a teenager struggling with anxiety and depression: "Whenever you feel really down, do what your cousin Gilda does and make a peanut butter, chocolate syrup, and banana sandwich." That's right, kids, EAT YOUR FEELINGS and you'll be alright.

The audiobook narrator did a decent job of providing a number of distinct accents and voices, but that wasn't enough to save this book. show less

It's the end of her eight-grade year, and Gilda Joyce is dreaming of adventure. Her best friend will be away at camp for the summer, and other classmates are looking forward to vacations and fun. When her teacher asks Gilda what she will be doing over the summer, Gilda impulsively announces that she will be traveling to San Francisco and writing a novel. Of course, she had no such plans up until the words came out of her mouth, but it does sound like an excellent idea. Gilda contacts a distant cousin of her mother's and invites herself on a visit, and through a series of mishaps and miscommunications, she gets a letter back with not only an invitation, but a plane ticket that will get her there. Once she arrives in San Francisco, she show more discovers that her uncle's old house, one of San Francisco's famous "Painted Ladies," was once the scene of a tragedy. Could the house be haunted? Gilda considers herself a psychic investigator, and she is determined to discover any mysteries that the house, and the people who live in it, may be hiding.

I know Gilda is supposed to be funny and feisty, but she mostly had me rolling my eyes. Of course, I'm not the target audience, and tweens might find Gilda's quirky, impulsive style more appealing. The book does occasionally touch on dark themes like mental illness and suicide, and there are a few spooky scenes as one might expect from a book about paranormal investigation, but all in all the tone is light and amusing. I won't be continuing with the series, as I find the protagonist so annoying, but if I run across tweens or young teens looking for light paranormal fare, I'll know what to hand them. show less

What a hoot this book is -- I laughed out loud a few times! Gilda Joyce is a sassy, unconventional eighth grader. She invited herself to stay with distant relatives in San Francisco after lying to a teacher about her summer vacation plans. Once in California, she proceeds to try to put her "career" as a psychic investigator on track by solving the mystery of a ghost in the house and Aunt Melanie's suicide.

Juliet starts out listless. Lester starts out clueless. The ghost starts out formless. All of these characters grow and change as a result of being around Gilda, and Gilda grows just a little bit herself. I liked this book quite a bit. I liked the author's skillful presentation of depression and the way families deal with (or don't deal with) it. I liked Gilda's determination and the fact that while I didn't always like her actions or the words she let out of her mouth, I still liked her and was rooting for her. I plan to read more books about Gilda Joyce and look forward to watching her continued growth.

Ever since her father died, quirky Gilda Joyce has been working hard to sharpen her psychic skills. She's determined to communicate with spirits from the Other Side and become a crack investigator of spooky, twisted mysteries. After wrangling an invitation to visit relatives in San Francisco, Gilda discovers that her dreary, tight-lipped uncle and his strange, delicate daughter need her help to uncover the terrible family secret that has a tortured ghost stalking their home. From poignant to hair-raising and hilarious, this is a behind-the-scenes, tell-all account of the very first case in the illustrious career of Gilda Joyce, Psychic Investigator.

Fun teen mystery. I'm not sure if I hate Gilda or like her - the author makes it clear that she isn't quite as smart as she thinks she is. That kind of makes me root for Gilda and get mad at the author. I don't like laughing behind people's backs.

Gilda is an unusual, quirky teenaged girl who fancies herself as a psychic investigator ever since the death of her father. Contemplating a long, boring summer in Michigan, she manages to finagle an invitation to visit a somewhat distant relative in San Francisco. When she arrives, Gilda discovers that he lives in a haunted Victorian mansion with his withdrawn and seemingly depressed teenaged daughter, Juliet. As Gilda gets to know both Juliet and the house better, she tries to use her psychic abilities to discover why the house is haunted and why Juliet's dad does not want anyone to go into the tower.

I found Gilda to be an interesting, forthright character with a strong personality. Basically she is a force to be reckoned with. There show more were times, however, when she was shockingly rude and annoying, and her tendency to lie at will with great ease was somewhat disturbing to me. The story, though, was fun and moved along quickly. I enjoyed the unlikely friendship between unconventional and brash Gilda and the despondent Juliet. The mystery of the haunted house is well-paced, but I found the ending to be somewhat anti-climactic. show less