Review: Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe

Title: Give Up the Ghost
Author: Megan Crewe
Genre: Young Adult
Release date: 09/15/09
Summary:

Cass McKenna much prefers ghosts over “breathers.” Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable, and they know the dirt on everybody…and Cass loves dirt. She’s on a mission to expose the dirty secrets of the poseurs in her school.

But when the vice president of the student council discovers her secret, Cass’s whole scheme hangs in the balance. Tim wants her to help him contact his recently deceased mother, and Cass reluctantly agrees.

As Cass becomes increasingly entwined in Tim’s life, she’s surprised to realize he’s not so bad—and he needs help more desperately than anyone else suspects. Maybe it’s time to give the living another chance...

Plot: 3 Stars
Being a paranormal lover, my biggest fault with the book was the lack of paranormal. The ghosts just weren't the focal point the way I thought they were going to be. They were more of a grieving tool. I also sometimes felt the author would get sidtracked from the main plot of Cass helping Tim and bring up the past with Danielle. It was information the reader needed, but it wasn't always presented at the right time.

Pace: 3 Stars
For the most part, the book was a short and quick read. But there were a few parts I had to fight my way through. Somewhere in the middle, the story became a bit stagnant and it took a chapter or two to get it back on track.

Characters: 4 Stars
The characters, both breathers and ghosts, were fleshed out pretty well. I felt like I really knew them, as opposed to being told about them. I also liked the idea of the ghosts having fuzzy memories after a couple days. There were a couple characters we could've gotten a little more information about, such as Cass's dad and the ghosts that hung around the school, but for the most part the characters important to the story were very detailed.

Cover: 3 Stars
The cover was a bit lackluster for me. Although I liked the idea of incorporating the ghostly hands, the color just seemed off. The overabundance of teal didn't really seem to match the overall tone of the book.

Overall: 3 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this book for my own enjoyment.