“It’s hard to see what others can’t, isn’t it, my dear?”
Having grown up
obsessed with the show
So Weird, and believing that I was an
amateur paranormal investigator, my heart
skipped a beat when I learned of Phoebe Rivers'
Ghost Town {Saranormal, # 1}. This is a series that my younger self
craved - so much so that it
felt eerily familiar to me; though I can't recall
ever having read it in the past. Clearly a mystery in, and of, itself, yes?
But I digress...one part
Ghost Whisperer, two parts Meg Cabot's
The Mediator, this is a
short but sweet start to a series that is
ideal for those who like a little
paranormal phenomena in their lives.
From the outside, twelve-year-old
Sara Collins appears totally normal. In fact, her blonde hair might even lead you to believe that she
runs with the popular crowd, and is always fielding texts from admirers.
You'd be half right. She
is quite the popular character -
just not with the living. You see, Sara is hiding two things from the world:
1} she can see dead people {ghosts}, and
2} she's psychic. Pretty crazy, right? Armed with the ability to see, and interact with, ghosts since she was a tot, Sara has grown used to her abilities - and the fact that they are
detrimental to relationship-building with peers. After all, how can you find a bestie when you've got dead people dancing in your peripheral vision? When Sara's father
uproots her from
sunny California for an old shore town in
New Jersey she thinks maybe things will change for the better...
until she reaches her final destination.
Stellamar is everything that Sara
didn't want in a new home. Quaint, charming...
yes; but also
old.
Historic old. The type of
historic old meaning there are ghosts
everywhere - and they're
all vying for Sara's attention. The worst part of it all? They're
inescapable, because many are residing in the
old Victorian she and her father are living in with the intriguing {
yet oft-times odd}
Lady Azura, an 80-year-old so-called Medium. But that's not the worst of it. While Sara has grown
used to seeing ghosts around her, this is the first time she has ever been able to
communicate with them - adding a whole new layer of bizarre to her abnormal abilities.
Sara
wants to help the dead, especially one older gentleman who seems
desperate for her assistance; but she's worried that there will be
no turning back once that channel is opened. And now that she has finally begun to build strong friendships with the locals,
Lily Randazzo in particular, she's reluctant to do
anything that could get in the way of making Stellamar a home, and
finally fitting in. Now she's left with the choice of
ignoring her calling, or somehow
melding it with her social life so that she can have a bit of both worlds for the first time ever.
NGL, mid-grade books tend to be my
preference when it comes to reading because I
l-o-v-e discovering series that I can share with my
students.
Plus, many have
far more depth then other genres available - at least IMO. While
Ghost Town feels more surface-level/shallow in regards to reading, it is a fast-paced tale full of
friendship,
charming sights, and a
subtle mystery that female readers, especially, will enjoy diving into.
Sara is a reserved, fairly one-dimensional character who, while likable, will
hopefully open up more in future installments; whereas
Lily is a
big personality who is playful and fun. While there are
hints of future romance to come, I am most interested in learning more about the mysterious
Lady Azura, who seems to be full of secrets and suspense. All that said, I found the
climax to be an incredible letdown {hence the
3 stars}; and I don't feel anything, or anyone, really intrigued me enough to return for book two,
Haunted Memories {Saranormal, # 2}. Not saying I won't; but the jury's still out.
Star Rating: ***
xx
