Ruined: A Novel (2009)

I am not a fan of mysteries so the fact that I finished it says something for the story and characters - which I always feel are sacrificed to plot in this genre. another of those 3.5 books ( )

Rebecca Brown is a 15-year-old New Yorker. She loves everything about her life in New York. You can imagine her dismay when she finds out that she has to go live with her aunt in New Orleans for six months because her father is going to China on business. The traditions and groups in New Orleans mystify Rebecca at first, but she eventually finds a girl who hangs out in the cemetery whom she considers to be a friend.

Eh. I grabbed this when I was on the prowl for some Halloween reads, and it wasn't a huge hit with me. It's a good ghost story for younger young adults, but it felt very tame for this 32-year-old.

It's pretty obvious what's going on. I won't say that I guessed the entire story right away, but as I got little hints, I could definitely see the big picture developing.

There was a little too much high school drama with "She doesn't like me," "He's so hot," and "I'm never going to be asked to the dance." Perfect for the right age group, not so much for me.

It did finally get exciting in the last few chapters, just in time for everything to be resolved. I just felt like the rest of it crept along.

I do recommend this as a decent little ghost story for, oh, let's say the under-fifteens, but if you're looking for a spine-chilling ghost story, this isn't for you. ( )

My blog post about this book is at this link. ( )

Gripping supernatural tale which begins as a "fish out of water" story: Rebecca Brown, a teen who hails from NYC, is sent to New Orleans by her father to live with Aunt Claudia and her 12 year old daughter Aureila. She is also enrolled in exclusive Temple Mead Academy where she is generally snubbed as an outsider. Her only friends are Anton Grey, a student at nearby St. Simeon's (can she trust him?), and Lisette, both of whom she first meets in nearby Lafayette Cemetery. Here's the catch: Lisette is a ghost who had presumably died of yellow fever in 1853 and generally haunts the cemetery as well as the Bowman Estate in the wealthy Garden District. As Rebecca gets to know Lisette who shows Rebecca around NO, Rebecca discovers some tragic secrets involving the Bowman family, whose daughter, snobbish deb Helena, is a classmate of Rebecca. Rebecca soon finds out that she and Helena are more tightly intertwined than she thinks!

Fast-paced read for teens 12 and up who like supernatural mysteries. Having been to NO several times, I enjoyed that setting. Some people have compared this to the Twlight series, but I would not know since I have not read any of the Twlight books. Highly recommend this and look forward to reading the just-published sequel: "Unbroken." ( )

Rebecca never wanted to move to New Orleans for six months while her father went to China, she would rather stay in her tiny apartment in New York City by herself then go live with her strange aunt. After her first week at an elite private school, she regrets not begging her father even more to let her stay in the city. She does not fit in any where and no one will talk to her except her cousin who is in a completely different building, in the lower grades of the private school. But after she sees Anton Gray, she thinks maybe moving to New Orleans may not be as bad as she thought. That is until she sees a ghost.

Full review on http://whatsnextthereadersgotoblog.blogspot.com ( )