katiemack's reviews
1398 reviews

While this doesn't resonate with me as much as it did when I was a teenager, I still think Laura Whitcomb manages to pack a lot of depth and beauty into a ghost story. While the relationship between Helen and James progressed quickly, I didn't (and still don't) have a problem with it because they view their relationship as an end to their loneliness--plus, they've had decades to watch other people, and now they finally get to engage with someone like themselves.

Of course, reading it as an adult, I DO have a problem with

Spoiler

Helen and James using two teenage bodies for sex, not using protection, and maybe conceiving a child--which they leave Jenny to deal with?!

, so that alone was cause for me to subtract a star.

Note: this is not a book for people who don't like insta-love or flowery language.

I'm glad I finished this deliciously macabre read just in time to begin the spooky month of October. Caitlin Doughty is delightful, as always, in using her mortician's expertise to answer some hilarious and awkward questions from kids in a funny yet detailed way. (To the reviewers who say kids couldn't have asked such in-depth and morbid questions: you probably haven't worked closely with children, have you?)

While entertaining, the writing was too simplistic and the character development was limited. As a reader, I couldn't get a clear grasp on what Sookie was feeling or the kind of person she was; most of her reactions weren't set up well and weren't rooted in anything. Interestingly, I think Harris' writing style translates better to the TV show...

3.5 stars, rounded up--some of the twists were easy to guess, but I love the narrative drive. Plus, it took me less than a day to read it!