Ghost Huntress Book 1: The Awakening

THis is the story of a teenager who moves with her family from a large city to a small southern town. Once there she realizes the house they've moved into seems to have a spirit in it, and what's more, she seems to have some psychic abilities herself. Along with some new friends who also believe in the paranormal, a ghost hunting group is formed, and the adventure begins! I have to say, I was really surprised by this book- it was far better than I thought it would be. If you have a teen who is into the show "Ghost Hunters" then I can't recommend this enough- Jason and Grant are even mentioned in the book. If you follow the paranormal, you'll soon realize that the author is very up on the current trends and theories in paranormal investigation. As a side story, the mother in the story is very religious and struggling with her daughter's potential psychic abilities, and I have to say that the religious aspect is handled very well, indeed. Highly, highly recommended. I'll be looking for the next installment!

I am interested in the paranormal and bought the book for my teen daughter. I thought I would give it a quick read on a long drive home from Kentucky after having Marley sign the book for my daughter. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have a teen daughter and she got the part of Kendall right on. It was an easy and fun read and not just for the young reader.

Kendall Moorehead just moved with her family from Chicago to Radisson, Georgia. When Kendall is hit with a hard case of insomnia, her father buys her a white noise machine and strange things happening become stranger! With the help of a few new friends, Kendall realizes she is a psychic medium and begins helping lost souls cross over to the other side. This book was written for teens with a passion for the mystic. My 12-year old daughter loved it. She admitted the book was a bit scary in places (but in a good way), and that some iffy words were used, but nothing worse than what you hear in school or on a PG-13 program. Anything that gets my daughter reading has my support and I plan on watching for more books in this series by Marley Gibson.

The author certainly knows the zany and hyperactive world of an intelligent teenage young lady. She (author) probably has a daughter that immerses her in the contemporary vernacular. If not, she knows one or more teenagers really well or has done some impressive research. Also, her research into the ways and means of paranormal investigation, like that on the Sci-fi channel's Ghost Hunters and their scientific and electronic equipment, is right on. So how does a senior citizen (me) come to enjoy this paranormal teen novel? Because it's good, well-written, including some funny spots as well as a few touching ones too. And the characters that budding-psychic Kendall gathers to herself for her ghost hunting team are charming: Celia the somewhat nerdy, though beautiful, scientist in the making; Taylor, ace photographer, teenage blond beauty and incurably cheerful optimist; Becca the tough-girl Gothic DJ with an attitude; and of course, Jason the young man of Kendall's dreams, literally. And, the interactions between these anything-but-homogeneous team members are constantly entertaining. Additionally, what makes for fascinating reading, at least for me, is the author's accurate and witty depiction of the way bright teenage gals think, with all the wild and often clever jargon and hyperbole. Also, there are some pleasing plot complications near the end after the fashion of a good mystery that tie things together neatly, always a sign of a good piece of fictional work. I should add that do not think the supernatural elements were scary enough to concern parents. Youngsters 12 and up should do fine. So, if you like paranormal stories, set in a teenager's world, with the spice of a little romance in the mix, my recommendation is give it a try! I really enjoyed it. And I look forward to more.

There are some fun story lines that young adults tend to love (such as budding romance, facing the mean girl, and the ups and downs of being the new girl in school), but what really drew me in and kept me flipping those pages was the realistic portrayal of professional ghost hunting from a teenager's point-of-view. Marley Gibson weaves interesting paranormal elements, as well as American history, into Kendall's story. The characters are well drawn and I can't wait to read the rest of this fresh new series.