BOOK REVIEW- 5/5 STARS!
Ghost Story by Sara Alley Book Review by Holly Newhouse for Eternal Books Reviews......5/5 Stars!
I absolutely loved this book and even at 38 years old, I find I absolutely love YA novels perhaps even more than I love adult ones. there is an uncomplicated simplicity to them if I may say so and that does not meant the plot is not full of wondrous conflict or that the characters are not perfectly complicated. It is rather hard to put into words but after reading an adult novel, this book is like a breath of fresh air to read even as it took me on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire trip. This magnificent story also had me experiencing a range of emotions. It really takes a truly special kind of person to be able to write New Adult and Young Adult novels and to write them extremely well but, that is exactly what Sara Alley has done and she has accomplished it brilliantly!
I instantly fell in love with the complexity of Anastasia aka Ava and William aka Will as well as all of the characters in the storyline. They are all complex and their character development and the roles they play is so magnificently written that I honestly wish it was a movie! I could watch it over and over several times and still never get tired of it.
Ava's description of Bowen Krider as being "childlike and innocent, but tired and world weary" is just one example of the amazing talent of this author in her ability to use the least amount of words necessary to describe the scene and set the mood. One can clearly tell that they are carefully chosen and used in such a way that allows the reader to clearly visualize the character in a way that stays with you long after the last page of the book has been read.
I got so involved in the book that it honestly took me a few moments of pure confusion to understand that the book was really over and there was no more to read! I also applaud Sara Alley for giving the majority of her proceeds to help homeless animals which is a cause near and dear to my heart having adopted five fur babies of my own and whom are, I admit, spoiled completely rotten. I also love how the story was set in Gainsville, Texas. I visited the beautiful town when I lived in Fort Worth, TX for six years and I can say that Texas along with the many wonderful people there captured my heart and have held onto it long after I moved away. Texas will always be the home of my heart and soul.
