The Ghoul Next Door (Monster High) [Hardcover]

Lisi Harrison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 5, 2011 | Series: Monster High (Book 2)

Cleopatra de Nile

- New pet snake
- Has Deuce--the hottest guy in school--all wrapped up
- Herve Leger bandage dress, strappy gold platforms

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 Stein

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.

Melody Carver

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.


Fitting in is out.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lisi Harrison was the Senior Director of Production Development at MTV, and was responsible for creating and developing original programming for air on MTV. She also served as Head Writer for MTV Production and before that had her own column in Jane Magazine.

Lisi lives in Laguna Beach, California, and is currently working on the next Monster High book.

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Poppy; 1st edition (April 5, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316099112
• ISBN-13: 978-0316099110
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #215,725 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lisi Harrison was the Senior Director of Production Development at MTV, Music Television, and was responsible for creating and developing original programming for air on MTV. She also served as Head Writer for MTV Production and before that had her own column in Jane Magazine.

Lisi lives in Laguna Beach, California, and is currently working on her next Alphas novel, coming in April 2010, as well as her next Clique novel.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#95 in Books > Teens

#95 in Books > Teens

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Has some content that may not be appropriate for younger kids March 4, 2013

By Jason Fant

Format:Paperback

My 11 year old daughter purchased this book from her elementary school book fair. While she has all the dolls and has seen all the videos, which are all very cute, on page 23 of the book is a line about sexting. It definitely isn't graphic by any means and not core the the story line, but it did leave me with my 5th grader asking what sexting is.

We're not prudish parents by any means, but that assumes a level of maturity in a reader that many grade school kids aren't ready for. If yours is, more power to them, but I thought it would be prudent to let other parents that may not want their child reading about it know that its in there. I'm not preaching one way or the other, but I think its important for parents to be able to make informed decisions about what their little kids are reading.

If the author feels the need to explore such topics with her readers, the publisher should at least give parents a heads up since they are marketing it to elementary school kids.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Language not appropriate for kids... March 16, 2013

By M. Lavender

Format:Paperback

My 9 year old bought this book at our elementary school book fair. She started reading it right away and within the first day showed me where one character says "high dam!". A few days later she came home from school showing me where the characters are talking about "sexting". We then took the book away and I have contacted the leader of the book fair and will complain to Scholastic also. I glanced through the book some more, the characters call another character a "bee-och". Again, not for elementary kids. I don't know who this book would be appropriate for. Hope this helps concerned parents make a good decision on this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVED it!!! April 14, 2011

By pixelated

Format:Hardcover

I'd purchased the first Monster High book on a whim, as my daughter is into the dolls. I quickly discovered that the book is very different from the background given for the dolls, but that did not detract from my enjoyment of the story. I enjoyed it immensely, laughed out loud, and nearly screamed in frustration when I turned the page and discovered the book had ended!
Last night I read the second book, and absolutely loved it! I laughed out loud and growled in frustration when this one ended. Now I will impatiently await the release of the third one this fall...

*I may be 33 and not into fashion, and was totally clueless about the music references, but I was reminded so much of one of my favorite shows that I enjoyed every word! (The super cute know they're cute and they make fun of the frumpily-dressed girl, it's a little like Ugly Betty). Definitely a great read if you want to "escape from reality" for a few hours!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Get your ghoul on March 28, 2011

By Paul Jutras

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

While we learn some possible secrets about the human Melody in this the title GHOUL NEXT DOOR refers to a TV special Frankie and friends try to come up with to turn around the monster hunting media left off in book one.

Over all this book is far better than the first with several uses of Deus stone cold stare, Cleo Egyptian heritage; some new background on Blue's family and her being a transfer student, Frankie stitch together and other monsters and their traits. Among the new characters who get a lot of page time is Billy the Invisible boy who want to help stop the hunt for the Frankenstein girl who lost her head at the school dance. While the ghouls are still in hiding at school this book focus more about their life as RADS outside of school along with their normal human friends who want to support them. Even introduce to Frankie and Cleo's pets. Becca think that Bret preferring a ghoul like Frankie over a human like her has to be mind control and has started her own group of monster hater. Cleo don't like or trust Melody because she human and wants to do all she can to shut down The Ghoul Next Door TV product as well as convince her fashion ghoul friends to be in teen vogue magazine with her on their Egyptian lay out. Nice to meet Cleo family in this one as well as have shadow images of different Monster High characters at the top of each chapter.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This is what Little Ghouls are made of! November 10, 2011

By Charlie

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My eleven year old grand-daughter has developed a love for anything to do with vampires, ghouls....so being an avid reader this is right up her alley! She loves the books I find for her on your site and enjoys them 100%...thanks

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Daugther loves it! September 28, 2011

By jillian

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My 8 year old daughter loved the book so much she read it a second time. Read the sequel and can't wait to get the third

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Okay August 8, 2011

By C. OBryan

Format:Hardcover

Reading Monster High and Monster High: The Ghoul Next Door, I have found the series okay so far. It isn't something I'd wish to read over and over again, but if bored I'd pick the books up. They are light reads despite the many chapters and aren't terrible. They just aren't amazing either.

While nothing like the Mattel doll line with the small journals as well as nothing like the web shorts on MonsterHigh.com the books at least lack in plot holes, continuity slip ups and forgotten facts.

As long as you don't expect the book to be like the Mattel line, you'll do just fine. This is less fantasy, alternate universe than those. Set in our time and our universe, it has slight fantasy in the fact that monster are among us and have been for ages. This series is on survival, acceptance, fear and change.

At least that seems to be the core. On the outside it is full of notes like fashion, labels, music of 2009 to now... (Which can be annoying - you just have to blur it out in your mind like how some can blur out boring teacher lectures. :P) While that gives setting it also limits this book to a time period that will fade. What it does give is small insights of the characters' stances in a school setting. Instead of flat out saying what rank, clique and so forth a character is in, these tidbits tell enough to be of some use.

Having seen the web shorts, I also find that the books gives people a new view of the characters they like be it minimal to substantial. I love how it gives great expansion to JD/Jackson and a different look to the relationships of Cleo, Clawdeen, Lagoona/Blue and Draculaura....

Some find the parts about Melody to be useless and boring, but the thing is, with her it gives greater perspective on what makes monsters/RADS and humans/Normies relatable. It shows the views a bit more on both sides of the scale and how other characters come into play to allow certain events to happen. So for this series, she is necessary even if she is boring compared to the Monster/RAD cast.

My review must make this book seem pretty complicated, but if you look at it for surface worth, it isn't at all. If you look at it on a bit more of a scholarly level it can be more than vapid, teen trash and have meaning and depth.

Unlike the Mattel line from web shorts to dolls and diary journals, this series doesn't seem to be directed at the tween community and more for the teen in some cases. Certain scenes, despite quite clean as far as I see, could be too "mature" for tweens.

Admittedly, sometimes during the book I kept remembering a book I read about the Salem Witch Trials. What likely led up to them, girls starting trouble that escalated to the point they couldn't take it back and so forth. It also reminded me of various times in history of fighting for equality be it race, gender, sexuality and so forth... as well as how it continues on today. Sure, in this book it is not on such a serious tone, but considering the audience it is aimed at, of course it isn't.

For those who aren't tweens, however, it is always best not to hold expectations or assumptions that a book will be the same as a movie/webisode/doll line or whatever. That is why people get so disappointed when a movie isn't as good as a book or a remake is not that same as the first version. Just take things as they are.

I like the dolls, enjoy the web shorts and even though the book might have been a lot "cooler" if it had followed the trend Mattel took, it does have its merits even if they aren't on a "this has changed my life" or "favorite book ever" level. Read more ›