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Type of bind: Hardcover
EAN num: 9780525478089
ISBN number: 0525478086
Label: Dutton Juvenile
Manufacturer: Dutton Juvenile
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 352
Printing Date: August 16, 2007
Publishing house: Dutton Juvenile
Age index: Young Adult
Sale Popularity Level: 156402
Studio: Dutton Juvenile
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Brief Book Summary:
When her best friend, Wendy Choy, qualifies to compete in an international piano competition in Oxford, England, irrepressible Gilda Joyce finds a way to get an invitation herself--as a page-turner. Wendy settles into an exhausting practice schedule, made worse by strange nightmares, while Gilda finds herself falling in love with a British boy. But when Wendy discovers a ghostly message written in the frost on her window, Gilda realizes her friend's life could be in danger. Exploring oxford colleges and the English countryside, Gilda sets out to unlock the secret of the most disturbing haunting she has yet encountered.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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...but I wouldn't let him have it until I was done! Like my son, I am a big fan of the Gilda Joyce series. I read a lot of young adult fiction, and I have found the Gilda Joyce books to be not only highly entertaining but compelling in their exploration of 'tween experiences; how kids that age create such a vivid blend of imagination and reality to make sense of their emerging understanding of the adult world.
THE GHOST SONATA is my favorite Gilda to date. I almost never laugh out loud when reading, but the mix of humour and dread in the tarot reading scene at the airport put me over the edge with laughter. The humour throughout the book was wonderful. Wendy's competition rivals were so much fun. Her piano teacher was appealingly zany and a bit treacherous. And the competition judges and the rivalries that played out in their comments to the contestants were an absolute riot. Allison gives us an entertaining insider's view of the workings of a major piano competition. Having Gilda act as Wendy's page turner and the unexpected consequences this brings is an inspired bit of humor.
I also loved the central mystery, with Wendy being a ghost's chosen medium for his final, secret sonata. It's a rich metaphor for resolution to the guilt and grief associated with a tragic death. I also found the local colour and texture of Oxford and the English countryside both amusing and touching. I particularly liked the scenes by the treacle well. Spooky and evocative. Allison drew the rich history of the places, especially with the associations to ALICE IN WONDERLAND, with such detail, yet always kept the tone and action appealingly spooky and light.
Wendy has always been my favorite character besides Gilda herself, so I was happy to have her point of view balanced with Gilda's. I loved the theme of a reasonable person having to confront and ultimately accept something unexpected and unexplainable. It's a parable of faith for my son to think about, since he is at the age where he is asking a lot of questions about faith and chance circumstances that can't easily be explained. I was intrigued by Wendy's personal journey to an adult understanding of artistic freedom and faith in her own abilities. Allison portrays Wendy's gradual moving away from pleasing her piano teacher and committing to her own artistic expression with realism and insight. I found this aspect of the novel particularly touching.
The fact that Jennifer Allison can bring togother so many serious themes - faith, love, death, redemption, adult regrets contrasting with young peoples' emerging identities of hope and confidence, not to mention a whole host of literary touchtones that adults will recognize - in such an entertaining story and fun cast of characters is, I feel, a rare accomplishment in literature for any age group. Kudos to Allison. My son can't wait to get started on THE GHOST SONATA, and I can't wait to talk to him about it.
Rated by buyers 
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The very first two entries in this series were laugh out loud funny and didn't require any suspension of disbelief in ghosts -- the mysteries were perfectly explainable without any resort to the supernatural. The protagonist's obsession with ghostly explanations could easily be understood in terms of her desire to find a way to communicate with her dead father. In this third volume, there are no longer any rational explanations. The only solution to the mystery requires you to assume the involvement of an other-worldly spirit. Here, the author took the easy way out. I hope she returns to the real world in the subsequent installment.
Rated by buyers -
Yet this book can't get any better. Mystery, adventure, comedy... this book has it all! IF you're looking for a good read this is a way to go. It's about a girl named Gilda and her best friend Wendy. Wendy is chosen to go play in a piano competition in England. Gilda wants to come along and she finds a way to get there. As they go on the plane Gilda shows Wendy her reading of cards(like a fortune teller Gilda's into that she 's a "investigator") The reading turns out to be horrible and the tarot cards keep finding their way into Wendy's dorm room. The piano competition is tough, meanwhile Wendy thinks she going crazy. With a murder investigation near the end and a couple quirky mysteries 13 year old Gilda Joyce battles her way through the English world finding out that being an "investigator" can be scary sometimes!
Rated by buyers -
Gilda Joyce- The Ghost Sonata is a wonderful mystery that makes you laugh. Gilda's friend Wendy Choy is invited to a national piano competition in Endland, and Gilda just has to go. And of corse, along the way, she bumps into a mystery. Wendy hears, creepy piano music at night, Gilda sees a ghost! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Rated by buyers -
Fourteen-year-old Gilda Joyce has a passion for fashion, and a flair for the offbeat; so when she learns that her best friend, and expert pianist, Gwendolyn "Wendy" Choy, has been chosen to be a finalist in a piano competition, that will be held in Oxford, England, Gilda couldn't be more thrilled. Oxford is full of ghost stories, and, as a psychic investigator, Gilda is determined to experience one first-hand; which is why she will do anything in her power to snag a seat on the blue eye headed for the British destination. Unfortunately, money is tight, and, seeing as how she gave up piano lessons after a few weeks, she certainly can't try to make her way into the competition, so she does the subsequent best thing...Gilda offers her services as an experienced page turner, and voila! She's out of school for a week, and encountering her next, and very very first European, adventure. Packing her pink umbrella, spidery false eyelashes, countless stilettos, her mod outfit, cat's-eye glasses, go-go boots, and an assortment of hats, Gilda couldn't be more thrilled to set off. Unfortunately, her excitement isn't shared by the pianist of the hour - Wendy. For weeks, Wendy has been having disturbing nightmares that have made it near impossible for her to sleep, let alone concentrate on being the best pianist she can be. But winning the competition would mean prestige for her family, as well as a nice chunk of change that Gilda has already begun spending in her mind. But as much as Gilda craves a purse full of money that will purchase her heart's desires, she can't help but sympathize with her closest pal, and feel the need to solve the mystery of Wendy's nightmares. But since arriving in England, Wendy's nightmares have taken an even more bizarre turn. Suddenly, she begins hearing strange piano music playing in the middle of the night, and both she and Gilda have spotted a male ghost, of about their age, traipsing around Oxford. Gilda knows that it's up to her to do a little investigating. But Wendy wants to help. So, waving goodbye to the grueling practice sessions, and extremely stiff competition awaiting her, Wendy trots along by Gilda's side, only to stumble upon an assortment of spooky occurrences that seem to sprout up in every corner. And, to make matters worse, Wendy isn't the only contestant in the competition who has fallen victim to "hauntings." Suddenly, many of the contestants begin receiving creepy tarot cards depicting scary images that have instilled a killer case of the nerves in each and every one of them. Gilda is convinced that a haunting is at hand, and knows that it will take each and every fiber of her psychic investigator skills to crack the case wide open before it's too late. But in between her investigation, and frequent clothes-changing sessions, Gilda begins to find herself falling for a lanky, cute British boy - who happens to be Wendy's competition - and can't help herself from indulging in a little one-on-one time with the accented chap. But if she doesn't keep her mind focused on the task at hand, she may just find herself on a trip back to the States...alone.
I fell in love with Gilda Joyce when Jennifer Allison released GILDA JOYCE, PSYCHIC INVESTIGATOR, and since then, have been unable to resist the quirky sleuth. The fact that, in GILDA JOYCE, THE GHOST SONATA takes place in the fabulous Oxford, England, however, only makes me love it even more. Gilda Joyce is her typical off-the-wall self in this delightful new installment. Stocking up on pill-box hats, wellies, go-go boots, and a variety of crazy colored wigs, Gilda presents herself in the fashion of a modern-day HARRIET THE SPY. Her frequent outfit changes, and daydreams involving a English boy with a crooked smile are humorous. However, Gilda never forgets her friends, and manages to stay on top of her investigation, even with the distraction of a cute. Wendy Choy, on the other hand, is a little more serious, and a lot less fun that Gilda. While this is the very first time that readers really get the chance to learn a lot more about Wendy, it's hard to say that you are able to come away with a better understanding of her personality, as she wasn't herself within the pages of GILDA JOYCE, THE GHOST SONATA. Even so, Wendy still leaves an impression, albeit a bland one. Julian, the British boy who has caught Gilda's eye, is probably one of the more intriguing characters within this installment, as he maintains an aloof, careless air about him that intrigues you; while, at the same time, managing to come off as a con artist, of sorts. His various tall tales, and two-timing ways make you loathe him and love him at the same time, and truly make you wish for a chance to learn more about him in the future. Allison has done a wonderful job of showcasing the pain and suffering, along with the joy and happiness that comes along with being in a competition; and also introduces pushy stage mothers that will make you laugh and cry simultaneously ... Read More
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