Dead Romantic

She's only just started sixth form college, but already everything seems to be going wrong for Camille. She can't get the boy she likes to notice her; her so-called best friends are obsessed with their new boyfriends; and worst of all, she's just completely humiliated herself at the Freshers' Party. Then she meets Zoe, and life takes a turn for the better. Maybe it's a bit strange to come across a new best friend digging things up in the graveyard in the dead of night, but although everyone at college says Zoe is weird, Camille is immediately drawn to her.

Meanwhile she's still longing for the perfect boy who'll take her to the Halloween party and make everyone jealous. Then Zoe steps in with an unusual new idea that takes biology homework to a whole new level - she's going to create Camille's dream boy and bring him to life.

Putting an irreverent new spin on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as well as numerous horror movies on the same theme, Dead Romantic is an entertaining and very different take on teenage love and friendship. C J Skuse has created a funny, sometimes gory, but often unexpectedly touching novel with a brilliantly dippy protagonist in Camille. In spite of the rather abrupt ending, teenage readers who enjoy horror and black comedy as well as romance will be certain to enjoy this story about the challenges of finding the perfect boy - and sometimes discovering that he might be right in front of you after all.