Felt like reading some ghost stories and came across this stinker. Ghost story part not bad but mystery part enraging because of how obvious it was and because of how brain blistering stupid the protagonist was! Love interest despicable from the start (he is friends with an accused rapist and it's totally glossed over) and is just generally garbage. Protagonist is oblivious to this and to the murder mystery. There was also some random racism and fatphobia thrown in for good measure. ( )

Do not let the generic-ghost-story cliché title dissuade you. This book is far better than what the title suggests. It is, however, a book best read as an adolescent. Adults will be too quick to figure out the (unfortunately rather obvious) plot twist and children might be distressed by the sometimes graphic descriptions of violence, death, and near death.

There is much to be praised. The premise is a good one, the atmosphere uncanny and ethereal, and the pacing excellent. The story is easy to follow with clear and concise language, making it easy to imagine the scenes in your head. The book’s first and foremost strength is to experience this story through the lead character Sarah’s eyes. Through the book, we get to follow her journey of realizing and dealing with her newfound ability to sense presences that those around her cannot after a near-drowning accident, as well as the ensuing hydrophobia.

Sarah is a sympathetic character who shows a willingness to understand, communicate and even help the specters, which she can sense. Through the narration, you get a deep sense of Sarah’s’ solitude. The story takes place in a suburb and Sarah is surrounded by family and friends and yet, there is this feeling of isolation and loneliness to her character that stood out to me and still does even after all these years.

The obvious development is in fact the one major complaint I have, as well as a few minor. The twist is far too obvious far too early in the story. This is a book that had benefitted from a great deal of subtlety. There was also a sentence here and there that made me raise an eyebrow. The Spanish-English phrasebook, however, as I’ve seen some point out, is not one of them. A ghost is talking to you in Spanish? Of course a phrasebook would be of far better use than a dictionary. I love how this action alone shows Sarah’s empathic and pragmatic nature.

Addendum: I did read this book as an adolescent and was therefore rather forgiving with the obvious development compared to what I would have been now. I also read a translated version and not the original English script. I therefore was never exposed to problematic language, such as ‘illegals’. ( )

After a near-death experience, 16-year-old Sarah starts to feel a presence following her. Things only intensify when she moves into a new home and her parents learn a murder occurred there years before. Now Sarah is haunted by the spirit of a woman warning of her danger and asking for Sarah's help.

This book was originally written in the late 1980s and it has that style of so many teen books written then -- the language feels nothing like the way teenagers speak and in fact has a more childlike narration style (but not content). The characters are completely one-note and the big reveal is so completely obvious from very early on in the text.

That all being said, however, Nixon does write a compelling story and I found myself on the edge of my seat waiting for that reveal and all the smaller ones along the way. It is incredibly readable and moves at a quick pace. This book is perfect for folks like me who like a slightly spooky thriller but don't want a full-on horror novel. ( )

Not one of the best from the author. It started off strong with the main character describing a near death experience and afterwards she became sensitive to the afterlife, hearing a ghost in her house. But the story quickly fizzled after that and became very boring and predictable. ( )