Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe

Title: Give Up the Ghost

Author: Megan Crewe

Age Group: Teens

# of Pages: 256

My Rating: 5/5

Cass lost her older sister, Paige, to an accidental drowning a few years ago. However, her sister is not completely gone because she remains around as a ghost!

After the death of Paige, Cass developed the ability to see the dead who still lingered on Earth. Since she is a social outcast, her only friends are those unseen. They whisper secrets of the students in her school, giving her all the dirt. This gives her the upperhand.

Somehow, vice-president Tim managed to figure out that she has an ability like no other. He begs for her help in order to contact his dead mother. Reluctant, Cass agrees in return for gossip. Will she be able to get in contact with Tim's mother?

I was pleasantly surprised with this novel. Pulling out a random book from my TBR pile, I didn't have many expectations for Give Up the Ghost. I thought it was going to fall into similar stereotypical patterns that I see throughout most YA books dealing with the paranormal. Except it didn't and it gave me an excellent read instead.

I really do like Cass. Even though she is a loner, she does not have that sort of personality that would tick you off. I like the devilish side to her, where she would threaten the other students with what she knew about them. Since I'm tired of reading about innocent and bland protagonists, she was definitely a fresh character. I also loved how she didn't fall for Tim, even though he is attractive. In fact, their relationship never went to the level of romance throughout the novel. Instead, it takes a steady pace of getting the two to learn about each other at a more personal level. I found this extremely sweet.

I think Tim plays as an excellent protagonist's opposite, too. Yes, he is a brooding male, but he has a realistic reason to be. He doesn't fall for Cass either, where he would always be by her side at all times because he can't get enough of her. Rather, he comes around to have her contact his mother. They both somewhat use each other in this novel, giving a different concept from the usual YA.

The plot was not some insane ghost action with obsessive romance to the side. Rather, it is a realistic story that touches on human emotions, fears, and faults. It gives a perfect dose of drama without going overboard.

I think the story ended very nicely and made a satisfying standalone. I definitely recommend Give Up the Ghost. It's a novel anyone can connect to.

Won copy from Princess Bookie.