Book Review - Beyond: A Ghost Story

Beyond: A Ghost Story

By: Graham McNamee
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Publishing Date: September 2012
ISBN: 978-0-385-73775-3
Reviewed By: Amy Lignor
Review Date: September 2012

'Ghost Story' is an understatement for this fantastically creepy tale ‘gifted’ to readers by an Edgar award-winning author. In fact, this is one ghost story you will never forget!

Instead of the brilliant lights and the voices of the angels singing, a young girl named Jane finds only a fate worse than death when she’s brought back to life by some well-meaning doctors. She was saved! However…she brought back something with her; a shadow that has the ability to stop being a shadow, break away and draw Jane into hideously scary situations - such as making her walk in front of a train.

Jane tries to be a normal teen. Her best friend is Lexi, who is much like what people would assume the Grim Reaper’s hot little sister is, because of the way she looks and dresses. She is also someone who loves the camera, making the coolest videos that most of their classmates think are beyond odd. In the small town they live in on the west coast of Canada where Jane’s dad works as a constable, everyone refers to Lexi and Jane as “The Creep Sisters.”

Jane is definitely a ‘creep’ because she’s had more than her share of bad luck. Not only did her mother almost die when she was born, but she was also born with no pulse. Then through various accidents, she has had to go through electrocution to poisoning to most recently, a nail being stuck in her head. Jane has certainly been the receiver of a whole lot of bad luck (or good, considering she survived it all). She now sleepwalks a great deal and her only ‘normal’ thing in life seems to be when she drools over the ‘hot’ delivery guy who brings things to her mother’s flower shop.

As the story proceeds and the real culprit of Jane’s accidents is unveiled, she finds herself battling a soul who has an accident in his own past that sent him to a place between Heaven and Earth. Now…he wants Jane for his own purposes. But how do you defeat a ghost?

To say this is a good story is lame, to say it’s a great one is not enough. For readers who love the bone-chilling, bump in the night rides, THIS is perfection!

Quill Says: This YA gives a whole new meaning to ‘being scared of your own shadow.’