Book Review: Ghost Huntress Book 1 by Marley Gibson

Title: Ghost Huntress Book 1 The Awakening
Author: Marley Gibson
Publication Date: May 2009
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Age: 12+
Pages: 368
Series: 1st in a series. 2nd: Book 2 The Guidance (2009). 3rd TBA
Publisher's website: http://www. houghtonmifflin books. com/graphia/
Author's website: http://www.marleygibson .com
Book acquisition: bought new paperback

The first in a trilogy. Get out your tape recorders, crystals, and extra batteries— you’re about to go where our world meets the spirit world.

Psychic Kids, Paranormal State, Haunting Evidence—these and countless other television shows are making believers out of millions of people: Ghosts exist, and they’re living right beside us. For centuries, individuals have been trying to prove the existence of ghosts. But without hard evidence, it’s been difficult to make the case. But now as science and technology have progressed, ghost hunters have been able to use scientific means, along with more traditional psychic tools, to make their case. Photographs, video recordings, and sound recordings are all producing some amazing results.
In this new series, Ghost Huntress, meet Kendall Moorehead, a seemingly typical teen. When her family moves from Chicago to the small historical town of Radisson, Georgia, her psychic abilities awaken. She’s hearing, feeling, and seeing things that seem unbelievable at first, but with the help of the town psychic, Kendall is able to come to terms with her newly emerging gift. So, together with her new BFF, Celia, Kendall forms a ghost hunting team. They’ve got all the latest technology. They’ve got Kendall for their psychic. Now they’re going to clean up Radisson of its less savory spirits.
The story is fiction. The science is real. Welcome to a new reality

(from publisher's website)

I read this book ages ago (this summer even!) but for some reason I have been having hard time reviewing it. A common theme it seems for me lately. I have noticed this happening with books I haven't been overly excited about.

Overall, I thought Ghost Huntress was a pretty good book. I liked the subject matter - I'm a big fan of ghost hunting in general and I loved how Gibson worked very hard at being authentic. Ghost hunting is a real thing. There are real people out there and whatever you might personally feel about the subject, it would be hard to doubt the hard work and dedication it takes to do this.

A few things about this book turned me off. First off - at times I felt like I was reading a product placement ad rather then a novel. Our main character wore jeans, put on makeup and listened to music. It added nothing to the story to hear about how cool her Gap pants where, her Clinique eyeliner or her Apple ipod was. I'm using my own examples here but I hope you get the picture. It almost felt like the author was trying too hard to show her young audience she was in on the latest trends. OR, it could be that I'm old :) I have heard from younger readers who say that Kendall is spot on and that they really enjoyed how she was written. So, yeah, let's just go with - I'm old :)

I also had a problem with Kendall's mother. She is a church going, God fearing, overbearing Mom who's reactions to Kendell's psychic awakening was so stereotypical I had a hard time getting through sections with dear old Mom in it.

With all this said, I still want to read the second book. I'm curious to see how Gibson continues with Kendell and her team's ghost hunting adventures.

3.5 stars