Author: Lauren Barnholdt
Publication Date: February 5, 2013
Publisher: Aladdin
A tween girl becomes a reluctant medium in this start to a hilariously haunting series.
There’s an old saying that “dead men tell no tales” — but that saying is definitely not true. Just ask twelve-year-old Kendall Williams, who can’t get dead people to stop talking to her, no matter how politely she asks. It’s pretty frustrating being able to hear and see people that no one else can. For one thing, her friends and family think she’s going crazy. And for another, being spotted by your crush while talking to (seemingly) no one is positively mortifying. But Kendall is going to have to learn how to deal, because the only way to quiet the dead is to help them.
There’s an old saying that “dead men tell no tales” — but that saying is definitely not true. Just ask twelve-year-old Kendall Williams, who can’t get dead people to stop talking to her, no matter how politely she asks. It’s pretty frustrating being able to hear and see people that no one else can. For one thing, her friends and family think she’s going crazy. And for another, being spotted by your crush while talking to (seemingly) no one is positively mortifying. But Kendall is going to have to learn how to deal, because the only way to quiet the dead is to help them.
“Anyway, I’m much older now – twelve, almost thirteen, and in seventh grade – so obviously I’m in a much better position to help people. Although you’d be surprised at how many ghosts get annoyed when they realize I’m the one who’s going to give them what they need to move into the afterlife. They pitch fits about me being so young. Can you imagine? It’s like, beggars can’t be choosers, you know? And I’m really good at what I do. I’ve never met a ghost that I couldn’t help.” – ARC Copy pg. 8
“One Travis Santini, a maybe boyfriend. One mysterious girl named Jen. And one ghost with an attitude. I sigh. So not how I wanted to be spending my October.” – ARC Copy pg. 37
“Seriously, I think the girl might be a bit deranged. And that’s saying a lot, coming from me. I mean, I can see ghosts.” – ARC Copy pg. 78
“‘You buried something at the cemetery?’ Is she crazy? That’s, like, so illegal.” – ARC Copy pg. 171
This book targets the middle grade crowd and one of my resolutions this year was to read more middle grade novels. In this book we meet Kendall, a tween girl who has the ability to see and talk to ghosts. It is her job to help the ghosts that approach her solve any unfinished business they might have left behind. Like it wasn’t already hard enough being an almost teenager, balancing school, her best friend, and her new crush, now Kendall has a couple of crazy ghosts following her around nagging her constantly to help them. In order to keep her secret a secret Kendall must help them and quick before the cutest boy in school, Brandon Dunham, thinks she has lost her mind completely!
This book was the absolute cutest thing ever! Kendall Williams is an absolute riot and I loved the way that her character development comes out in her voice and her interaction with her ghostly friends. I was constantly laughing out loud at Kendall and her odd ability to speak with the dead. She was your typical middle school girl, obsessed with the cutest boy in school, loves her best friend, Ellie, talks to ghosts, and does it all with really cute hairstyles. Okay, well maybe not your typical, average, every day middle school girl. Kendall is someone that I wish I could have been best friends with in middle school, and I think that young readers will relate to her very easily and possibly even look up to her. Barnholdt wrote her in a way that makes her seem odd and different, but Kendall was proud of whom she was and that is something that any twelve year old girl needs to believe about herself!
The ghostly aspect of this story was my favorite part and what I loved most about it was the fact that I don’t believe it would scare or frighten young readers. There was enough humor about it and Kendall made it seem like such an everyday occurrence for her that I just started to view the ghosts as imaginary friends. When we first meet Daniella, the first ghost she comes into contact with in this book, we see how easily ghosts can distract Kendall from her everyday life. Daniella was always doing flips or cartwheels in the corner and butting into Kendall’s conversations, especially ones with her crush. This part was so humorous to me because it was something that I was able to picture and in turn laugh hysterically at. I know that both young and older readers will enjoy this book! I hope this becomes a series because I think it would make an awesome one!
***A copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Aladdin in exchange for my honest and unbiased review***
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