Good book for the beginning mystery/psychic story. Not sure if I will continue with the series, but would definitely let my child try it. ( )

Mystery

Advance copy. ( )

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 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. ( )

I enjoy books for younger readers. Sometimes I find I can indulge my inner child and just take it as it comes. However, whilst this book was okay, it wasn't enthralling. I wanted it to be. But it didn't quite make it for me. A younger reader will probably love it, but I don't think I'll be reading more in this series. I might, just to see how the next book goes, but not right now. ( )

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. ( )

Just finished it for the second time. Reminds me of why I loved the Nancy Drew series when I was younger. Gilda is more of a cross between Nancy and Harriet the Spy, though. She's very spunky and quirky! ( )

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. ( )

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 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. ( )

Gilda Joyce :Physic Investigator was a fun quirky little mystery. Gilda is a outspoken but good hearted heroine. After managing to invite herself to her distant cousins home in San Francisco for the summer she finds herself involved in a mystery. Gilda manages to solve the mystery with her own personal style and plenty of humor. ( )

When Gilda finishes up eighth grade, she has a few things she needs to do over the summer. Number one - continue furthering her career as a psychic investigator. Number two - find a way to get to San Fransisco. Number three - write a novel. Gilda has set herself up for failure until she gets the chance to visit long lost family in California with a big mystery to solve about an aunt's suicide.

This book is spooky and clever. I enjoyed the realistic-ness of Gilda and Juliet's friendship as well as the bumps in the night that kept me guessing. This would be perfect for tween readers...but it touches on a lot of heavy topics (death of a parent, suicide - both attempts and carried out) so it is not a light read. ( )

This was a cute book. Even though a character had previously committed suicide the book was kind of a light, funny read. This really is for Tweens. Older teens would probably be bored. ( )

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 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. ( )

Gilda Joyce is a quirky young girl who likes to wear disguises and spy on people. She fancies herself a 'psychic investigator' who for personal reasons would like to communicate with those beyond the grave. She makes all her notes about her 'cases' on her fathers old typewriter. Gilda's friend is heading off to summer camp, so Gilda manages to get herself invited to visit her mother's cousin in San Francisco. Lester Splinter lives in a mansion on a hill with his daughter. An unlikely friendship results as the girls try to investigate the suicide of Lester's sister. Very enjoyable read. Well written, good story, likable characters, good mystery, sensitive. Recommend for 4th grade and up, (with a heads up about the suicide). ( )

Gilda Joyce heads to San Francisco to find herself in the midst of a real-life ghost story involving her distant cousin Juliet.
I thought this was a very interesting little book. Gilda is one of those characters that you wish you had for a friend, even though she could drive you crazy sometimes. Juliet is that girl that appears perfect on the outside, but really needs a friend who doesn't care about perfection. It's fun watching the two of them learn how to be friends and work together to solve a mystery.
I also appreciated the way this book deals with a dead parent and the suicide of a relative. Instead of being a sad book, it's a book about moving on without forgetting. I think it would be useful to have in a library for those children who are starting to feel guilty because they aren't sad anymore. ( )

(MS-Humor) Gilda is the kind of girl we all knew, or knew of, in junior high. Her unabashed quirkiness and sense of purpose make her seem strong to others, but on the inside she as as insecure as everyone else and perhaps a bit lonelier. Gilda's attempts at psychic intrigue and detection are amusing and provide a comic relief as both Gilda and Juliet face real loss. This is a light, enjoyable, uncomplicated read. ( )

http://hollybooknotes.blogspot.com/2009/03/ya-weekend.html ( )

I liked how spunky the main character was-it was also a pretty spooky mystery! I didn't, however, like the main character potty mouth and by the end of the book I wasn't very attached to the characters. ( )

Gilda is an 8th grade girl who is full of ideas and energy. In this book, she goes to visit a cousin in San Francisco who lives in an old haunted house. The cousin's aunt killed herself by jumping from a tower window many years ago. Gilda and Juliet, the cousin, keep hearing sounds in the tower and decide to explore and find the ghost who haunts the tower and the house. Girls would enjoy this more than boys as the main characters are both girls. Includes notes and letters as part of the text. Gilda is a free spirit that many girls will identify with. ( )

Gilda Joyce is a quirky, 13 year old girl who lives in Michigan with her mother and brother; she lost her father two years ago. Gilda is working on her psychic skills in an attempt to communicate with her father and to help solve mysteries. Gilda best friend is away at camp and Gilda wants to have an adventure so she has invited herself to her distant cousin home in San Francisco to prove to her classmates that she is going to have a wonderful summer. Upon arriving in San Francisco, she meets her cousin’s daughter, Juliet, who is very lonely, but hostile. Gilda learns that Juliet has been seeing the ghost of her aunt, who committed suicide in the tower attached to the old home. Gilda is more than excited to find out why the ghost is still there and what really happened to Aunt Meredith, and to help her cousins uncover the terrible family secret that has the ghost stalking their home.
Returning to Michigan, Gilda finds her mother dating and her brother, Stephen is nicer than usual. The time spent away from each other has allowed them to began to heal from the loss of both husband and father.

I love this book. It is exiting and mysterious. Yet every day she deals with her own problems and others. She has to deal with being different. I love her positive attitude. I thought this was a great book, combined with mystery, friendship, and determination. ( )

A fun, but unlikely plot that my more thoughtful readers will question. For instance, how does Gilda get through the airport with this 20 pound antique typewriter?" On the other hand readers will appreciate her sheer zaniness and chutzpa. ( )

Gilda is a fun, spunky protagonist, who is not afraid of being viewed as eccentric. ( )

Allison, Jennifer. Gilda Joyce: Psychic Investigator. Dutton Children’s Books, 2005.
*From Bird Library Collection

Annotation
Gilda Joyce just finished 8th grade and doesn’t have great plans for the summer, so instead of hanging around Michigan with her mom and brother all summer, she invites herself to San Francisco to visit a distant relative. There she finds the adventure she’s looking for: her first psychic investigation. Together, Gilda and her cousin, Juliet, are determined to find out why Juliet’s Aunt Melanie killed herself so many years ago. Since Juliet’s father doesn’t want to talk about it, they’ll just have to ask Melanie herself – or at least her ghost. Along the way Gilda maintains hope that she’ll be able to talk to her father again too, even though he died of cancer two years ago.

Who is the book appropriate for? Why? How would you use the book?
Gilda Joyce is a supernatural mystery book appropriate for young adults (12-14 yrs old) that enjoy science fiction and are ready for more complex stories. Like many kids today, the main characters, Gilda and Juliet, are struggling with friendships and their family relationships. By having this in common, readers of the book can begin to see that their problems are not unique. The book uses flashbacks to give clues about the past, it touches on the issue of suicide, and there are minimal allusions to developing interests in boys and kissing which would be of interest to 12-14 year olds entering puberty. The book could be used as a character study of the eccentric main character, Gilda Joyce. Students could be asked to interview Gilda and answer the questions how they think she would – with snappy retorts no doubt. It would also be an excellent recreational read.

Gilda is a self professed 'psychic investigator' and gets herself invited to her mother's cousin's house where she helps his daughter solve the mystery of their haunted mansion. ( )