Tagged: ghosts
Seven Dead Pirates by Linda Bailey
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
A shy boy comes to life and finds his voice when the ghosts of seven dead pirates appear in his bedroom. A humorous, inspiring adventure with poignancy and depth, destined to become a middle-grade classic!
Lewis Dearborn is a lonely, anxious, “terminally shy” boy of eleven when his great-grandfather passes away and leaves Lewis’s family with his decaying seaside mansion. Lewis is initially delighted with his new bedroom, a secluded tower in a remote part of the house. Then he discovers that it’s already occupied — by the ghosts of seven dead pirates. Worse, the ghosts expect him to help them re-take their ship, now restored and on display in a local museum, so they can make their way to Libertalia, a legendary pirate utopia. The only problem is that this motley crew hasn’t left the house in almost two hundred years and is terrified of going outside. As Lewis warily sets out to assist his new roommates — a raucous, unruly bunch who exhibit a strange delight in thrift-store fashions and a thirst for storybooks — he begins to open himself to the possibilities of friendship, passion and joie de vivre and finds the courage to speak up.
[Full disclosure: I received a free paperback copy from the publisher at Book Expo America 2015 with no expectation of a review.]
Obviously middle grade novels aren’t my specialty but I think everyone can remember when they were in this target age group. With that said, Seven Dead Pirates is a book I would have loved when I was younger. Even as an adult I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Our protagonist is Lewis Dearborn, a perpetually shy boy of eleven who is helicoptered by his frantic mother and father, who seem to think he’s made of glass and will break at any second. They think he has all manner of health problems and so are completely obnoxious about it, stifling his social growth both at school (where they frequently come in and embarrass him) and at home. In the beginning of the novel this is particularly bad and you would expect Lewis to have almost no real personality but he does. When he’s alone you really get the feeling that he’s an intelligent, sensitive and curious young boy who wants to get out from under his parents’ stifling presence and explore a bit. Even if it’s just in the old house his great-grandfather bequeathed to them, stipulating in his will that they had to live in it for 6 months before they were able to sell it. Just before he dies, Lewis’ grandfather tells Lewis one thing: “Libertalia”. What is Libertalia? Well, when Lewis finds out he is in for quite the adventure.
What I really loved about Seven Dead Pirates is that although in the beginning all seven of the dead pirates in question are pretty stereotypical pirates but turn out to be three dimensional characters. They’re really not all they seem to be and their real personalities shine through their rough, gruff personas that are designed to impress Lewis and maintain their reputation. And really, all they want is to be able to go to their old ship, which is housed in a museum nearby. The only problem? They haven’t been out of the house in centuries and whenever they try to sneak out as invisible ghosts, cars and other strange things frighten them so they turn visible, thwarting the whole “stealth” aspect of the plan. It’s quite funny how Lewis figures out a workaround to this and at the same time it shows his cleverness. He even disobeys his parents in order to bring his plan to fruition, learning a lot about himself in the process.
The plot isn’t exactly fast-paced but it is funny and interesting. The story itself is not so overly complicated that an 8 or 9 year old couldn’t follow it but there are some scenes that I personally think would be nightmare-inducing at that age. (Or at least it would have been for 8 or 9 year old me.) Which of course firmly sets Seven Dead Pirates in the middle grade novel range. The really good thing about Linda Bailey’s book is that I think it can be enjoyed by anyone on very different levels. Younger readers can enjoy the adventure aspects while more mature readers can also enjoy the moving personal journey Lewis goes on as he discovers some of his independence. And adults can thoroughly enjoy the humour and creativity that Bailey incorporates into the novel. Basically, you can’t go wrong with this book. There’s truly something in it for everyone.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Castle Blues Quake by Linda Covella
(Cover picture courtesy of Patch.com)
12-year-old Pepper Connelly leaves her best friend, Chrissie, behind when her family moves from New York City to Santa Cruz, CA. Pepper discovers a boy, Corey, hiding in her backyard shed. Unknown to Pepper, Corey is a ghost trying to contact his grandfather, Boppie, before he crosses over. He tells Pepper he must locate Boppie before Social Services finds him. Pepper agrees to help.
While Pepper’s communication with Chrissie dwindles, her friendship with Corey grows. She tells Corey about her passion for writing songs, and throughout the story, she composes a song about Corey. Corey teaches Pepper to play the harmonica. Soon, she’s torn between finding Boppie and knowing when she does, Corey will certainly go back on the road with his traveling-musician grandfather.
Other characters help her on her quest: new classmate Ally Cressman, who dresses in an odd-ball, non-mall style; Sawtooth Sam, the mysterious saw-playing street musician; and Madame Mchumba, who performs her psychic readings at the Boardwalk amusement park. Earthquakes, haunted house rides, poltergeists, and crystal ball readings propel Pepper toward the end of her search as she learns about the give and take, the heartache and joy, of true friendship.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook in conjunction with the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.]
This is definitely a middle grade novel, probably one that’s not really all that suited for teens, but I decided to give The Castle Blues Quake a try anyway. It wasn’t a bad decision in the end either.
Even though some characters are walking stereotypes, the main characters are at least a little fleshed out. Pepper has had to move to a new house in Santa Cruz from New York City so she’s understandably not happy with the situation. She’s drifting apart from her big city friend but then she makes a new friend: the house ghost, Corey. The only problem? She doesn’t know he’s a ghost and he’s not about to tell her he is either. He’s waiting for his grandfather the whole novel (which would normally make him a boring character) but Corey is actually quite proactive. He and Pepper essentially set out on a quest to bring his grandpa back home, not knowing that grandpa has secrets of his own.
My only real ‘complaint’ about the book is that the secondary characters should have been fleshed out more. Sage, Pepper’s parents, the psychic, etc. Even for a middle grade novel they were surprisingly stiff, like they were cardboard cutouts. All they really served was to move the plot forward at convenient intervals. Pepper’s parents especially seemed pretty oblivious to the goings on of their twelve-year-old so there was a little of that believability factor missing. Still, this is not a bad novel. It’s just not a great one.
I’ve read quite a few stories like this before so the plot was really no surprise at all for me. I don’t want to give spoilers away, but I think it will probably be predictable even for the targeted audience. Still, I like that Linda Covella maintained a decent pace throughout the novel and didn’t belabour the point in her descriptions yet the reader knows what’s going on. As an older reader I felt the believability factor was a little low, but then again I’m not a 9-12 year old and haven’t been for a number of years.
The Castle Blues Quake is not a book made for my demographic, but it’s not a bad book for middle grade children. There are better novels out there, but there are also a lot worse ones. This book didn’t make me gasp in surprise or struggle to catch my breath because it was so beautiful, but it was a solid, generally well-written novel.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Intrinsical by Lani Woodland
(Cover picture courtesy of Lani Woodland’s site.)
Sixteen-year-old Yara Silva has always known that ghosts walk alongside the living. Her grandma, like the other females in her family, is a Waker, someone who can see and communicate with ghosts. Yara grew up watching her grandmother taunted and scorned for this unusual ability and doesn’t want that to be her future. She has been dreading the day when she too would see ghosts, and is relieved that the usually dominant Waker gene seems to have skipped her, letting her live a normal teenage life. However, all that changes for Yara on her first day at her elite boarding school when she discovers the gene was only lying dormant. She witnesses a dark mist attack Brent, a handsome fellow student, and rushes to his rescue. Her act of heroism draws the mist’s attention, and the dark spirit begins stalking her. Yara finds herself entrenched in a sixty-year-old curse that haunts the school, threatening not only her life, but the lives of her closest friends as well. Yara soon realizes that the past she was trying to put behind her isn’t going to go quietly.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy of this book in conjunction with the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.]
This book is a solid ‘meh’ for me. There were some things I thought were really awesome and some things that weren’t so awesome. So first I’ll talk about the awesome things.
I loved how Intrinsical sounds pretty much like your typical YA novel from the blurb but Lani Woodland completely deviates from the usual formula. Yes, there’s romance and ghosts but there are so many plot twists you won’t be able to predict the ending. One of the strengths of Lani Woodland’s writing is definitely her ability to plot a novel so that you’re not really sure what’s going to happen next but you’re very, very eager to find out. I didn’t really have the urge to put this book down until I was actually done.
One of the ‘meh’ things was that Woodland’s voice seemed far too sophisticated for a sixteen-year-old, even one going to an elite private high school. It was just too mature, too descriptive compared to Yara’s actions. It’s a shocking contrast to hear Yara thinking like a thirty year old woman but acting like a three year old when she throws her temper tantrums. Some authors can pull this off but this was one of the things that distracted me from the admittedly great story.
The characters were okay, aside from the voice-action contrast I mentioned. Yara is interesting in that she denies her heritage before finally embracing it fully. Brent is interesting in that he’s not a typical male lead because he’s not constantly trying to make out with Yara. He’s actually quite shy about the whole romance thing, which is a refreshing change from your typical bad boy type of love interest. They’re both well fleshed out characters so I can’t really complain about that.
Essentially, Intrinsical is a good book and I’d recommend it to some people. But be prepared for the voice-action dissonance in Yara making this book go from a ‘good’ to a ‘meh’.
I give this book 3/5 stars.
Shadows of the Past by Carmen Stefanescu
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
When Anne and Neil leave on a one-week holiday hoping to reconcile after a two-year separation, little do they know that destiny has other plans for them. Their discovery of human bones and a bejeweled cross in the hollow of a tree open the door to the supernatural realm and the anguished life of Genevieve, a nun from medieval England.
Can Anne save her relationship and help Genevieve her eternal rest?
The twists and turns in this paranormal tale keep the reader guessing up to the end and weave themselves together into a quest to rekindle love.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.]
For me, this book was pretty average. The plot was fast-paced, the premise interesting if not entirely unique and it was generally well-written. The characters were well-developed as well. The main problem I had with this one, however, was the dialogue.
The dialogue was pretty bad. Everyone states exactly what they’re thinking, feeling and what their situation is in perfect English. It’s just not realistic to say something like, “Gerard, I feel that our present situation is intolerable. We are stuck in an automobile in the middle of nowhere in the Rocky Mountains. I am cold and by the expression on your face and your shivers I can tell that you are as well.” That’s my own example, but most examples of dialogue (even for the modern characters) in this book were similar and usually much longer.
Other than the dialogue, this book was fairly well-written. I quite enjoyed the plot with all of the flashbacks to Genevieve’s life in the abbey and the premonitions of Anne in the modern day. The descriptions were vivid and the little details are what really made the story. I won’t speak to the historical accuracy because I don’t know enough about the period, but Shadows of the Past certainly made me feel like I was back in Medieval England.
The character development was very good. I enjoyed Genevieve’s transformation from brow-beaten girl to happy nun to a discontent young woman yearning for love. I also liked Anne’s slow forgiveness of Neil for his transgressions. She didn’t forgive him right away but through their trip in the mountains they bonded at a natural rate. I personally would never have forgiven Neil but I’m glad that the two eventually made up and solved the mystery of Genevieve’s tragic death. The novel was more character driven than most but one thing I would have liked to see was more of a spin on the past life trope. It would have been nice to have some sort of twist but Carmen Stefanescu played this trope straight. That’s not necessarily a bad thing in this case but it would have been nice if the ending hadn’t been so predictable.
So overall, despite my dislike of the dialogue I actually quite enjoyed Shadows of the Past and if it sounds interesting to you I’d definitely recommend it.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars.
Lost in Shadow by Cynthia Luhrs
(Cover picture courtesy of Nomi’s Paranormal Palace.)
A relaxing vacation to Scotland turns deadly when a chance encounter with a mysterious stranger leads to murder. Shocked when she witnesses a man commit murder before disappearing in front of her eyes, Emily learns she possesses an extraordinary ability allowing her to interact with ghosts.
Unwittingly drawn into shadow when she intervenes to help Colin, igniting the ancient warrior’s long-buried desires, she unleashes a terrible curse. Now with only a week to break the curse, time is running out as they are locked in a deadly fight with forces that will stop at nothing to destroy them before they succeed. Intensely romantic and thrilling, Lost in Shadow portrays the struggle between redemption, retribution and the desire to find a love that transcends time.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
The whole unavenged ghost thing was really starting to wear on me before I read Lost in Shadow. Not because I had read many books about it, but because it seemed in pop culture there were no really new, unique takes on it. Pretty much every story sounded the same. That was until I read Lost in Shadow, of course.
Colin is now one of my new favourite love interests, not only because of that Scottish accent I seem so attracted to, but because he actually has a believable backstory for becoming a Shadow Walker. Despite his terrible past he’s also never that typical bad boy who needs to be shown the fun side of life by the heroine. It’s actually quite a refreshing change, especially when you consider how easily Cynthia Luhrs could have fallen into the cliché trap with the whole Scottish warrior/modern American girl dynamic.
At first Emily seems like a typical romance heroine in that she’s gone to Scotland to recover from a failed relationship and stumbles onto a great guy with a mysterious past. But what I loved about Lost in Shadow is that Emily is allowed to grow out of this two dimensional role and becomes a strong heroine in her own right. She doesn’t always just stand by waiting to be saved but at the same time she’s not one of these instant action girls that kicks butt constantly. Her past combined with Colin’s makes for an interesting relationship dynamic to be sure, but that added layer of the Shadow Walker curse makes it even more interesting.
I love how Cynthia Luhrs could have written a typical romance novel with very little world-building but didn’t. The Shadow Walker and Day Walker conflict is fascinating and we even get to see how the two types of ‘ghosts’ came into being. Throw in a mysterious way for Shadow Walkers to break their curse/gift and you’ve got the makings of a great fantasy novel as well. The romance between Colin and Emily is obviously still the main focus but despite my general distaste for romance novels, it didn’t bother me at all. In fact, the romance in this novel actually contributed to both the plot and the character development. It was a refreshing change.
I saw the ending coming a mile away, but I guess every once in a while you have to have endings like the one in Lost in Shadow, right?
I give this book 5/5 stars.
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