Back Cover of Ruined

Rebecca couldn’t feel more out of place in New Orleans, where she comes to spend the year while her dad is traveling. She’s staying in a creepy old house with her aunt. And at the snooty prep school, the filthy-rich girls treat Rebecca like she’s invisible. Only gorgeous, unavailable Anton Grey seems to give Rebecca the time of day, but she wonders if he’s got a hidden agenda. Then one night, in Lafayette Cemetery, Rebecca makes a friend. Sweet, mysterious Lisette is eager to talk to Rebecca, and to show her the nooks and crannies of the city. There’s just one catch: Lisette is a ghost.

A ghost with a deep, dark secret, and a serious score to settle.

As Rebecca learns more from her ghost friend — and as she slowly learns to trust Anton Grey — she also uncovers startling truths about her own history. Will Rebecca be able to right the wrongs of the past, or has everything been ruined beyond repair?

Three Quick Points About Ruined

• Point 1: Fueled by racial tension. Handled delicately, for the most part, was the issue of race, its intermingling and its consequences.
• Point 2: New Orleans is real. The descriptions were rendered so tangibly that I felt I was in the city itself.
• Point 3: Mystery with a hint of romance. The story, for the most part, is Rebecca unraveling a mystery, but there was a hint of romance.

Full Review of Ruined

Before reading the full review, please note that there may be some spoilers. I tried to keep it vague enough not to spoil the entire story, but be warned. If you’d rather not take any chances, skip the synopsis and go straight to the final thoughts.

Ruined Synopsis

When Rebecca Brown’s father must take an extended business trip to China, she’s sent to New Orleans. While there, she lives with Aunt Claudia, a close friend of her father, and her daughter Aurelia.

Despite the move not being one Rebecca’s eager to make, she tries to make the best of the situation, but it’s not easy. She has to attend a prep school where your class is dependent on your family’s surname and your income bracket.

Unfortunately, Rebecca ends up at the lower end of the scale and on the radar of the higher-ups, Helena Bowman and her ilk. To pour more salt in that wound, Rebecca catches the attention of Anton Grey, a hot guy from St. Simeon that Helena and every other girl at Rebecca’s prep school has been eyeing.

Her only friend (aside from Aurelia) becomes a ghost named Lisette that she meets in the cemetery. As their friendship progresses, a mystery begins to unfold. Rebecca is then charged with discovering the reason that Lisette’s spirit has failed to move on and why only two girls can see her.

Final Thoughts On Ruined

Ruined is three things: 1) a history and cultural lesson; 2) a ghost story with; and 3) a mystery. (I could add a fourth—romance—but it was so light that it really didn’t count.) All of these elements were weaved together so well that I didn’t realize fully what was happening until I finished the book.

Yes I understood that each part was happening individually. I understood that I was learning about New Orleans and its culture, that there was a ghost whose story needed to be told, and a mystery that needed to be solved, but it was done so well that each part sustained the others.

New Orleans was painted so vividly that it became another character unto itself. It was rendered by an author who clearly loves the city.

For the most part, all the characters were nicely developed with only a few areas of contention. Helena Bowen was not nearly mean enough throughout the book to justify what she wants done (along with her mother) toward the end of the story. She comes across as more of a catty teenager with a stick up her butt than a true villainess.

Lisette’s character was delicately drawn despite being a ghost. She was sensitive and confused and frightened. She was a real girl. I especially enjoyed the trek that she and Rebecca make to learn more about Lisette’s history and the other ghosts they encounter. Each one was an individual.

Then there is the mystery surrounding Rebecca, Lisette, and Helena and their families. It’s interesting, and sometimes intense, but there were a few areas and rabbits out of the hats that threw me for a complete loop-de-loop and made me say, “Really?!?” (Yes, out loud.)

The story itself flowed nicely, but there were a few areas that yanked me out of the story altogether—some of the race relations and there seemed to be an agenda for getting teens to volunteer. These, in themselves, are not bad things, it was jarring how they were worked into the story.

Overall, the book was a fun and quick read. There is a dark element, but nothing entirely frightening. A touch of romance is included, but it’s not an overreaching theme. The sex, drugs, and violence are kept to a minimum. (There is one scene toward the end where it gets dicey, but I’ve seen worse watching Supernatural.)

Rating: Worth Every Penny [TBP - B+] (?)

Ruined: A Ghost Story is available at Amazon

I’m about halfway through and it has been smooth sailing. I’m soaking up the spooky—and oddly romantic—atmosphere and I’m surprised at how much I’ve learned about New Orleans. I’m mentally booking a trip.

For this week’s sketch, I decided on Anton Grey and Rebecca Brown because I’m liking their dynamic so far. (And it’s super quick because I’m anxious to get back to the book. )

Next week, I promise to spend a bit more time and create a more detailed sketch. For now, I’m off to read!

P.S. If you haven’t already entered, I’m holding a Book Giveaway—5 winners will receive a copy of this book.

Back Cover of Being Dead

They may be dead, but thee certainly not gone. They dance with the living, sleep under your bed, and follow you home from school.

In this deliciously creepy collection of seven stories, Vivian Vande Velde follows the haunted souls of yesterday beyond the grave into our world–a place they just aren’t ready to leave.

Three Quick Points About Being Dead

• Point 1: The cover is creepier than the stories. Of course, that doesn’t mean there isn’t some level of nerve-altering in at least one of the stories.
• Point 2: A mixed bag. A few of the stories seem like incomplete thoughts, but the remainders have the power to make one gasp, laugh, or misty-eyed.
• Point 3: Smooth and fast reads, all. Each story flows from one page to the next making this book an exceptionally fast read.

Full Review of Being Dead

Typically I break my reviews into two parts: synopsis of the entire story and my personal thoughts. Since Being Dead is a short anthology of ghost stories, I decided to offer a brief synopsis followed by commentary for the individual stories. I did my best to avoid major spoilers.

These stories range from mildly creepy to hilarious to poignant, but you’d be hard-pressed to find one which will keep you awake with fright (unless, of course, you allow your imagination full reign of the possibilities).

Drop by Drop, a modern parable, tells the tale of a teenage girl, moving to a rural area with her family, who becomes haunted by a young girl. The build up and tension created in the story is excellent, if not classic and despite anticipating each creepy element, I enjoyed it. However, the climax dropped dead; it was too predictable, but there was a twist (the lesson one should learn).

Dancing With Marjorie’s Ghost is a cautionary tale; woman comes back from grave at the request of her “grieving” husband. Its main tenet is to be careful what you wish for (and watch out for karma). Some aspects of it reminded me of The Monkey’s Paw. Despite its seeming familiarity, it was a simple, quick, and fun read.

Shadow Brother is the story of a family torn apart when the eldest son, Kevin, is drafted for the Vietnam war and dies in battle. Stricken with grief and guilt, his father spirals downhill. Unfortunately, this story fell apart partly because of the characterization—I didn’t believe the relationship between Sarah, Kevin’s younger sister and the story’s narrator, and her cousin Dwight—and because it seemed more like a patchwork quilt than a well-rounded story.

Ghost Story is rather straightforward: Collegians start moving into a haunted house, then quickly move out. That’s the entire story, but it had me chuckling by the end.

For Love of Him had plenty of unrealized potential. It’s about a young man who becomes captivated by the old gravestones of a man and woman who wouldn’t have been much older than him when they died. His obsession takes a near deadly turn, but the intervention of a mysterious (almost) stranger saves him. The atmosphere and backstory had plenty of room for growth, but it was vague in all the wrong places and petered out resulting in a highly predictable ending.

October Chill looks through the eyes of a young girl dying from a brain tumor who meets the ghost of a colonial soldier while working in a recreated colonial village and falls in love. By the end of the story I was wishing it were a full-length novel because I was intrigued by the young man’s story and wanted to see more development between them; it all happened and ended too quickly although the story was certainly enjoyable. More heart-tugging than scary with a bittersweet ending.

Being Dead, the book’s namesake, transpires during the great depression. A sardonic newsboy meets with a good bit of luck moments before his untimely (and surprising) death. Despite being dead, he must find a way to deliver an important message to his mother. The voice and pacing is vastly different from the previous stories. But it was smooth, poignant, and hilarious. The emotions were tangible from anger to frustration and by the end of the story, when the final message is delivered, I was misty-eyed. By far the most balanced and well-written story in the bunch. This story was the book’s saving grace.

Despite not loving every story, Ghost Story, October Chill, and Being Dead certainly made the book a worthwhile read.

Rating: Worth The Price [B-] (?)

(Small note: Had it not been for two of the stories—October Chill and Being Dead—the book would have dropped at least one letter grade.)

Being Dead available from Amazon

Back Cover of A Certain Slant of Light

Someone was looking at me, a disturbing sensation if you’re dead.

In the class of the high school English teacher she has been haunting, Helen feels them: For the first time in 130 years, human eyes are looking at her. They belong to a boy, a boy who has not seemed remarkable until now. And Helen–terrified, but intrigued–is drawn to him. The fact that he is in a body and she is not presents this unlikely couple with their first challenge. But as the lovers struggle to find a way to be together, they begin to discover the secrets of their former lives and of the young people they come to possess.

Three Quick Points About A Certain Slant of Light

• Point 1: Classic voice wrapped in a contemporary setting. It felt more like reading historical literature than contemporary fiction, despite its 21st century setting.
• Point 2: James and Helen (once she gets a body) are bunnies. And I don’t mean cute. I mean they like to get down and dirty. A lot. And passionately.
• Point 3: More questions than answers. After the final page is closed, a lot of questions about the meaning of life and death are still lingering in the air, unanswered.

Full Review of A Certain Slant of Light

Before reading the full review, please note that there may be some spoilers. I tried to keep it vague enough not to spoil the entire story, but be warned. If you’d rather not take any chances, skip the synopsis and go straight to the final thoughts.

A Certain Slant of Light Synopsis

Helen has passed on, but her spirit remains as what she refers to as Light. To sustain her existence, she clings to living hosts and follows them about their lives, careful not to drift too far away.

Through her current host, a modern high school English professor, she meets James. He is also Light, but inhabiting the body of Billy Blake. At first, Helen is frightened that someone living (Quick) can see her, but soon discovers the true story.

As James and Helen come to know each other, their desire to connect on a physical level grows and they decide Helen needs a body. Both with physical bodies, they proceed to live the lives of their hosts, though they have none of their memories and each one has their own set of problems.

(Billy Blake is from a broken home where his older brother Mitch is his caretaker and Jenny Thompson lives with extremely religious parents whose world is quietly crumbling.)

Through these physical bodies, both James and Helen are able to figure out what happened to them and ultimately move on. Along the way, however, they make decisions that greatly affect the lives of their individual hosts.

Final Thoughts On A Certain Slant of Light

A Certain Slant of Light reminded me of The Sixth Sense (1999, M. Knight Shyamalan), except told from a ghost’s perspective. And when I closed the book, I realized it was more about how actions can affect others than a straightforward romance.

Using prose and pacing found usually in historical literature, Helen brings us through the story, explaining what it feels like to be Light, how it feels to find love with James, and her struggle with doing the right thing as opposed to following her desires when it comes to the lives of Billy and Jenny.

I didn’t care much for how the love developed between James and Helen; call me cynical, but I don’t entirely buy the love in two days scenario even if they were the only two Light on earth—in that respect, Whitcomb didn’t sell it for me—but I could understand their magnetism.

Plus, there was an undercurrent to the story: how James and Helen’s actions were affecting the lives of Billy and Jenny. Inadvertently, both James and Helen needed to help their hosts, whose souls had vacated their bodies beforehand, in order to free themselves and bring their hosts back to their rightful homes. In essence, James and Helen needed to do what Billy and Jenny could not.

Although Billy’s story was cut off due to perspective, it’s relatively simple to assume that he needed to confront his brother and father in order to move forward in his life. And Jenny needed to confront her parents—more specifically, her mother, and let them know who she was as a person rather than shrinking away into oblivion.

At the end of the book, there are plenty of strings untied, but it’s left up to the reader to tie them. For instance, in the case of Billy and Jenny, they seem to be in one fine mess, however, another way of looking at it would be that Billy and Jenny were drawn together for a deeper reason and they would continue forward, helping each other and possibly finding lasting love.

Also, one wonders about Helen’s first husband. After she was finally able to pass over, she sees James and they are together once again, but it was mentioned she had another husband who she had a child with—was James this husband? Again, a question for the reader to answer.

Finally, there’s plenty of allegory to decipher which brings up questions about the meaning of life and death and even God. Great book to pick up for discussions as there are likely to be many conflicting opinions. However, it’s important that the reader enjoys classic literature on some level, otherwise the motility could seem sluggish. It helps, too, if one is in the right state of mind before reading.

NB: There is some explicit sexual content, though very tastefully done, and some mature subjects. I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone under 16—or at least, not mature enough to handle such content.

Rating: Worth every penny [TPB] (?)

A Certain Slant of Light at Amazon

Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: Ruined by Paula Morris

First line: Torrential rain was pouring the afternoon Rebecca Brown arrived in New Orleans.

Initial thoughts: I’ll be up front, the cover sucked me in. (Though, I admit, I have a problem with the wrought iron archway–the word RUINED should be attached to both the top and bottom, but that’s minor.)

Anyhoo, as far back as I can remember I’ve been a fan of the supernatural and I went through an entire New Orleans/Voodoo phase, so when I learned what the book was about, I knew I had to read it. Plus the early reviews look promising.

Book description:

Rebecca couldn’t feel more out of place in New Orleans, where she comes to spend the year while her dad is traveling. She’s staying in a creepy old house with her aunt. And at the snooty prep school, the filthy-rich girls treat Rebecca like she’s invisible. Only gorgeous, unavailable Anton Grey seems to give Rebecca the time of day, but she wonders if he’s got a hidden agenda. Then one night, in Lafayette Cemetery, Rebecca makes a friend. Sweet, mysterious Lisette is eager to talk to Rebecca, and to show her the nooks and crannies of the city. There’s just one catch: Lisette is a ghost.

A ghost with a deep, dark secret, and a serious score to settle.

As Rebecca learns more from her ghost friend — and as she slowly learns to trust Anton Grey — she also uncovers startling truths about her own history. Will Rebecca be able to right the wrongs of the past, or has everything been ruined beyond repair?

Book Details: 304 pages; Point; Pub. August 1, 2009

Learn more:

• Paula Morris’s blog (and her write up on the books launch)
• Read an excerpt
• Reviews
  • Carrie’s Bookshelf
  • The Book Smugglers (has some mild spoilers and also a review of Laura Whitcomb’s A Certain Slant of Light)

Back Cover of I Heart You, You Haunt Me

Girl meets boy.

Girl loses boy.

Girl gets boy back…

…sort of.

Ava can’t see or touch him, unless she’s dreaming. She can’t hear his voice, except for the faint whispers in her mind. Most would think she’s crazy, but she knows he’s here.

Jackson. The boy Ava thought she’s spend the rest of her life with. He’s back from the dead, as proof that love truly knows no bounds.

Three Quick Points About I Heart You, You Haunt Me

• Point 1: It’s really written in verse. OK, I read that it was a verse novel, but I really didn’t know what to expect and true enough, the entire novel, all 200+ pages of it, is one long continuous verse.
• Point 2: So he’s a poltergeist? Sort of. Let me be upfront here and say I expected a creepier haunting (it’s filed under “Spine-Chilling Horror” at Amazon) and it was anything but. Overall though I couldn’t complain.
• Point 3: Short story in book form. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but once I finished the book, I realized it could easily be translated into a short story.

Full Review of I Heart You, You Haunt Me

Before reading the full review, please note that there may be some spoilers. I tried to keep it vague enough not to spoil the entire story, but be warned. If you’d rather not take any chances, skip the synopsis and go straight to the final thoughts.

I Heart You, You Haunt Me Synopsis

I Heart You, You Haunt Me is told, in verse, from the perspective of fifteen year old Ava who’s mourning the death of her boyfriend Jackson. The story begins at his funeral and as we follow the thread, we learn how he and Ava met, about their relationship, and ultimately how he died.

During this grieving period, Jackson comes back to Ava as a ghost. Although he can’t be with her like he used to, he invents creative ways to get her attention and make his presence known.

Ava is afraid to tell her parents and friends about Jackson because they would call her crazy, so she decides to keep him all to herself. Of course, dating a ghost is tricky; a lesson that Ava learns the hard way and she’s forced to make a decision that could change her life forever.

Final Thoughts On I Heart You, You Haunt Me

I Heart You, You Haunt Me was not anything like I expected. I was expecting something a bit more on the creepier side of things, but “Spine-Chilling Horror” it was not; there wasn’t anything that made me want to flick on the lights or sleep with one eye open when I was finished.

That doesn’t mean I didn’t like the story. In fact, I really enjoyed it and it haunted me a bit after I finished reading.

It was a quick read, and it brings you through all the stages of Ava’s grief in quick bursts. I would have liked to know more about Jackson and the details surrounding his death. Not to say that glimpses aren’t given, but sometimes I found myself wondering if he was abusive in life (eventually, that was cleared up and, as far as I can tell, he wasn’t).

Toward the end, a character named Lyric was introduced. While I understand why he was introduced (from an analytical standpoint), something about its development stuck out like a throbbing red thumb.

When Ava first met him, I was looking forward to seeing how the relationship would develop, but it was too rushed and the problem it presented was resolved far too easily. I don’t want to say much more than that for fear of giving up too big a spoiler.

That section should have been stretched out, possibly through another interlude that transitions their relationship. And even though I yearned to know more about the characters, I didn’t feel as though I didn’t know enough.

What I believe is so beautiful about this book is the message of healing it imparts with the resolution of Ava and Jackson. Again, I’ll hold my tongue, but suffice to say that anyone who has ever lost love (whether through a break up or death) could relate and, I hope, gain something from this book.

Rating: Worth every penny (?)

I’d also like to add that I can definitely see myself re-reading this book in the future. It’s quite sensitively written, and has an ethereal quality. You can also read an excerpt online.

Get I Heart You, You Haunt Me at Amazon

I know that there was another book on the TBR list ahead of this, but I couldn’t resist Duma Key any longer.

Plus, I’m not quite in the mood for another historical right at this moment; it seems my internal gearshift is stuck in fantasy, horror, thriller mode and won’t easily come out.

As a result, my eye-sockets are firmly glued to Mr. King’s words. It’s a nice change of pace from the fantasy, fairytale style reading I’ve been consuming lately—not that it hasn’t been wonderful. (See the ‘in need of review’ section for more details.)

That said, I’ve already read the first few pages of The Reluctant Widow and based on that, something tells me I’ll enjoy the experience. (Keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn’t sink somewhere in the middle, but that’s doubtful.)

Completed and In Need of Reviews

The reading of The Last Unicorn took me a bit longer than expected, not because I wasn’t enthralled by the book, but because of time constraints. Luckily I was able to finish it this week and upon closing the book, I felt a sadness plucking at my heart. Although I know that all fairytales must eventually come to an end, I didn’t want this one to.

One thing I loved about this fairytale was that each of the characters were flawed in some way, including the unicorn (and she is flawed in a somewhat unexpected way).

I even felt compelled to watch the DVD (which recently arrived) and, being the absolute softy that I am, found myself tearing up. It’s amazing how true to story the animation is—with only a few noticeable changes.

Definitely a story that will live with me forever and one I will be happy to share with my future children and hopefully they will see fit to share it with their children. Full review to come.

Into the Land of the Unicorns by Bruce Coville was not a planned title. It arrived a few days ago, just as I was finishing up The Last Unicorn and was still reeling from the loss. When I held up the book, it was slimmer than I expected with a large font and only 160 pages.

On a whim, I decided I wasn’t quite ready to let go of the unicorns just yet and I started reading it. A few hours of leisurely reading later, I was closing yet another book I didn’t want to end. In fact, the story floated by so quickly, I consider it more of an interlude between books. *sigh*

At the end of the day, let’s just say that I absolutely must get the second (and third) book in the Unicorn Chronicles. A full review to come.

A Technique for Producing Ideas by James Webb Young was the final interlude before Duma Key.

It was an even quicker read coming in at roughly 45 pages, with large print. Though some cursed it for its length, it was the selling point for me.

A nice pithy guide on the process of preparing yourself to mine your mind for ideas. I’ll also review this with time permitting.

Next on the Reading List

Once I finish Duma Key, I will be starting on The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.

I’ve been hearing so many wonderful things about this book, and after my reading of Coraline, I’m hooked on Gaiman. Plus, the book was also recommended to me in the comments.

And with a description like this, how could I possibly go wrong?

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy.

He would be completely normal if he didn’t live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead.

There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy-an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer.

But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod’s family. . . .

Plus, I’ve always found the retelling of classic fairytales and stories from a different or modern perspective rather interesting.

Assuming that my macabre trend continues, I’ll start on A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb next.

I remember hearing about it, but can’t recollect where. At first, it didn’t call to me. The cover seemed relatively creepy, but I had no idea what the story was about and even less desire to find out.

Then, after finishing up with a recent purchase, I saw it recommended by Amazon and thought why not? so I clicked over and read the description.

Helen died 130 years ago as a young woman. Unable to enter heaven because of a sense of guilt she carried at death, she has been silent and invisible but conscious and sociable across the generations.

Her spirit has been sustained by its attachment to one living human host after another, including a poet and, most recently, a high-school English teacher.

While she sits through his class one day, she becomes aware of James and he–unlike the mortals all around them–is aware of her as well. James, who also died years earlier, inhabits the body of a contemporary teen, Billy.

James and Helen fall in love, he shows her how to inhabit the body of a person whose spirit has died but who still lives and breathes, and the two begin to unfold the mysteries of their own pasts and those of their adolescent hosts.

Enough said. Hooked.

(If my macabre trend does not continue, it will be The Reluctant Widow as originally scheduled. )