Cass prefers to be friends with ghosts. They give her dirt on the “breathers” so that she’s untouchable at school. But when one of the popular guys, Tim, finds out her secret and asks her for help in contacting his recently deceased mother, Cass is drawn out of her protective shell and starts to become more sociable.I really liked this portrait of an anti-social teen and how she slowly lets down her defenses and learns to care about living people again. Her “friendship” with Tim isn’t instant, it’s earned – which is all too rare in teen fiction.
The paranormal element adds a nice twist to the story, but didn’t fully satisfy me. We don’t find out until pretty far in when Cass developed the ability to see and communicate with ghosts and the how remains a mystery. There is also very little exploration into why some people die and stick around (such as Cass’ sister Paige), some stick around for a bit and leave, and some are simply gone. It seems to me that at least the ghosts would be pondering this.
Despite those questions, I raced through this one thanks to the perfect pacing, smooth writing, and engaging characters.
GIVE UP THE GHOST is available now in hardcover. Find out more at the author's website.
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