Correct me if I'm wrong, but I find it rare to come across a book with paranormal elements that is still set in the real world and not some alternate universe where everything you thought was fake actually exists. Don't get me wrong, I love Twilight and enjoy the Shadowhunters, which focus on these sorts of alternate realities that most of the world doesn't know exists. But Undead Girl Gang is about a teen girl who has a years-long crush on her recently-deceased best friend's brother and deals with high school BS daily but also happens to cast a powerful spell that brings her friend back from the dead.
Mila Flores is a fat Latina Wiccan teen girl who has always been sort of an outcast. When her best friend Riley's death is ruled a suicide, Mila knows in her heart that Riley wouldn't do that. She was murdered, and Mila intends to find out who did it and why before the killer finds their next victim. When an old grimoire arrives at the door of the abandoned house the girls used to hang out in, Mila takes it as a sign that she is meant to solve the case.
Though Riley was the only person Mila intended to awaken, she also brings back June and Dayton, two popular girls from school who died the previous week in what appeared to be a suicide pact. Despite the fact that all 3 girls have no memory of what happened, they all know they didn't kill themselves, and so it's time to set to work helping solve the murders.
One of the things I found interesting about this book was how little Mila and Riley's friendship is explored once Riley comes back. To be fair, all three of the undead girls are out of sorts, but there seems to be a rift between Mila and Riley that leaves Mila feeling as alone as she was without Riley. The title of Undead Girl Gang is perfect because the four girls, despite all of their differences and behaviors in their former lives, create a strong bond. They support each other in this strange time, they try to squeeze the most out of their last week on earth. My favorite character has to be Dayton, who is a sweet, caring friend with a funny rebellious side.
Both Mila and Riley practice Wicca, but are not witches with cauldrons casting spells on everyone and creating magic everywhere they go. They simply wish for good luck from the goddess and put their hope in that faith, much like any other religion. Mila calls herself a wicca agnostic, feeling neither a powerful belief in the goddess nor a powerful disbelief in the possibility. I really liked that angle.
This book filled a gap that I didn't know I was missing in my reading life. Reality with a mix of the paranormal. In fact, I purchased the book from Barnes & Noble, where it was shelved in the YA Fantasy section.
Also, the cover. OMG. The cover is perfection.
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