Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Review of Beyond: A Ghost Story by Graham McNamee


Title/Author: Beyond: A Ghost Story by Graham McNamee
Publisher/Date published: Wendy Lamb Books, September 11th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: Jane is not your typical teen. She and her best friend Lexi call themselves the Creep Sisters. Only Lexi knows why Jane is different from anyone else: Her own shadow seems to pull her into near-fatal accidents. Jane is determined to find out why these terrifying things happen, and to overcome her shadow enemy. Her sleuthing with Lexi connects her own horrors to the secret history of a serial killer.

So, back when I was a sweet little tween, I was easily freaked out by Fear Street books and the like (especially the Cheerleader series, CREEPED ME OUT, I wouldn't go showering after games at the gym is noone was around anymore, the girl dying because of boiling shower and steam still haunts me). And though I don't really read or watch scary stuff much these days, I figured this would get me back to those days in which I LOVED them.

Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out that way for me.

You see, the whole time I was reading it, I felt like I *should* be scared of everything happening, but I never really felt it myself. Maybe it was because I never really connected to Jane and didn't feel the horror she must have been experiencing. I didn't feel much of anything while reading this book except for a mild curiosity about how it would all end.

Jane and Lexi seemed like a good team friendwise, though I was kinda annoyed that they also seemed to be taking this whole Jane almost being killed by her shadow multiple times less seriously than I would have liked. I mean, I couldn't get over the fact that they waited till the fourth time before starting to investigate it. Don't we have internet for this? I get not wanting to tell her parents for fear they'd lock her away, but not even wondering who or what was doing that to her seemed sorta naive. Especially after the last nail in head incident.

And I kinda wanted to shake Jane right before the big moment in which you can see from miles away SOMETHING BAD is going to happen. I mean, seriously? That was SO predictable. And the whole unraveling of the who, what and where of things was a bit too convenient for me.

I did think that the ghost part of the who and why of it was pretty interesting and I just wish I had felt more involved with the story. I think the main reason why I finished it, was that it was a quick read and I knew it wouldn't take hours of my life to stick with it. It wasn't badly written, for me there just wasn't a connection and because of that no sense of fear, which is kinda what you need for a book that's supposed to be creepy (I'm assuming things here, I could be wrong).

My rating: 2 stars

3 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear this one didn't work for you. I thought the plot was really interesting and I loved seeing the friendship at the center instead of a romance but I think you did a great job of explaining why it didn't really work for you. Better luck with your next book!

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  2. Too bad this wasn't more scary but I understand, and I know that feeling of "something should be happening here, why isn't it happening?"
    I like some of the stuff you describe about the book but not enough to read it. Hopefully your next read wil rock.

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  3. I appreciate you post. As a Ghost Stories lover, I'd like to talk. I`m not sure what to believe, but I`ll believe you`re sincere. That is a terrible story to have to hold in your heart. I can only imagine the pain and grief in your heart and the suffering you must have felt reconciling what happened, not just the fact that another human being lost her life, but that your child lost his or her`s as well. I look forward to hearing the conclusion to this story, even though I know it must be painful for you to share. Thank you.

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