Beyond: A Ghost Story

Jane has survived poisoning, electrocution, a near-collision with a train, and most recently, a nail gun to the head. She's not accident-prone, or even suicidal, like people believe. Her shadow is trying to kill her.

Creepy, atmospheric teen thriller that reminds me of my middle-school days, curled up in a chair reading RL Stine's Fear street novels with all the lights on, though with slightly older appeal--8th grade and up, maybe, for those looking for a light scare. ( )

3.5 coffee cups
Beyond offers up a perfectly creepy ghost story with a twist that should delight young readers. McNamee delivered a tale filled with creepy goodness involving a ghost and a killer. This was a fast paced, easy read and I was thoroughly entertained.

The tale begins when we meet Jane. She has had several near death accidents and the most recent has her walking around with a nail in her head. Her parents think she is accident prone, others think she is suicidal but Jane knows the truth. Jane lives with her doting parents. Her Mom owns a Flower shop and her Dad is the local sheriff. They call Jane their miracle baby, because Jane wasn't breathing at birth. Since then there have been dozens of accident. Jane’s parents worry about her, and encourage her to be safe, but they don’t know that Jane’s own shadow is trying to kill her! The tale that unfolds is suspenseful as Jane and Lexi try to stop her shadow and maybe even a killer.

Jane and Lexi refer to themselves as the “Creep Sisters”. Due to all of her strange near death situations, kids at school tend to stare at, gossip about or ignore Jane. She sleepwalks, cannot drive and begins having nightmares that become day-mares. She has a love interest and it is delightfully sweet. Lexi is her outspoken, confident friend who dresses like the grim reaper’s daughter. She loves her camera and film. I liked her quirky, humorous attitude and would have loved her as a friend. She is the perfect friend for Jane and the two had me laughing. I loved that the parents were involved in Jane’s life, although she never confided in them about her shadow. The shadow and an unearthed body made the tale creepy and suspenseful.

McNamee wove a suspenseful ghost story and I liked the twists he brought to it. I won’t spoil anything, but the shadow and the how and why, was cool. I also liked the secondary plot and how it all tied together. The ending scenes were climatic, followed by some closure. This book is the perfect introduction to horror for young readers. I thought the tale was well paced and clever. It is relatively short in length. The hardcover addition is roughly 226 pages but it offered up some creepy suspense perfect for the fall "spooky" season.

Beyond is perfect for young readers in search of a creepy ghost story. I enjoyed McNamee’s writing style and look forward to checking out some of his other works.

I want to thank Random house for providing this finished copy in exchange for my unbiased review.
Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ( )

Jane has been stalked by death for her whole life. She sleepwalks right out of her house, and accidents seem to befall her all the time, culminating in a near-death experience involving a nail-gun and her brain. Everyone suspects that Jane is either clumsy or suicidal, but they wouldn't believe the real reason: Her shadow makes her do it.

Things start to get worse when a landslide uncovers the skull of a murdered boy. Jane's nightmares begin to bleed into real life, leaving her confused as to what's true and what isn't. Jane learns the identity of her ghost-stalker, but it only makes matters more difficult--and more dangerous.

A fast-paced ghost story with a refreshingly little romance and a great relationship between the main character and her best friend. There is some talk of child molestation and sexual abuse by the antagonist, but it is handled deftly and without sensationalism.

Verdict: A good, truly creepy read with strong female friendships and a satisfying conclusion. ( )

Jane has been badly injured with a nail gun through the head. In fact it is one of a long series of close calls she's had with death. While people think she might be inflicting harm on herself, she and her best friend know that there are some strange doings with her shadow. A creepy quick read. ( )

I am ALWAYS looking for an engaging scary story; horror and humor are the two areas in my middle school which are hardest to fill. Unfortunately, Beyond just didn't live up to my expectations. Jane is badly injured and technically dies, but is revived. While she is "dead" she attracts the attention of something that is not fully dead, and it comes back in the form of a shadow, which reappears at certain, unpredicatable times, and tries to make her harm herself so she'll die. Everyone around her, except her best friend, think she has this irrational urge to kill herself and she is sent to a doctor for her suicidal tendancies, but her best friend knows the truth, and they try to find a way to keep Jane alive and defeat her shadow. ( )