Ripley Patton

Last year when I read Ghost Hand, the first book in the PSS Chronicles series, I was absolutely hooked. The whole PSS thing just fascinates me and the story is so very well written that it was a no brainer for me to read the second in the series. I mean, I just had to know what was next for these characters.

Okay, so this book starts where the first left off. The characters are on a journey to help the next person on Marcus's list. A girl named Samantha. But for this particular sting, they show more will need to have a very extensive identity change, well at least for Olivia and Passion, who are going to be attending Samantha's school in order to get close enough to reveal their true intentions. But things are not going to go as planned.

You see, Samantha can hear PSS. It is literally music to her ears. Which wouldn't be bad if she wasn't in a cult that could potentially be as dangerous as the CAMFers themselves. And it also doesn't help that this particular cult is a part of Marcus's own past. A past that Olivia finds he has been pretty much hiding the truth about. Events will occur revealing things about him that will make Olivia doubt his true intentions. Is he truly on their side, or has he been siding with the enemy all along? And she will also find things out about her own past that will change what she has known about her family forever.

This book has a lighter mode in some parts than the first one did. But there are also infinitely darker parts as we go deeper and deeper into the abyss that is PSS. I am floored by this very story, and cannot wait to see how this series will end. show less

Synopsis - Olivia Black just discovered that her ghost hand, a rare birth defect, can do more than light up a room. It can reach into people and pull things out. Things from the darkest depths of the human psyche never meant to exist in this world.

Olivia can pickpocket the soul.

But she can't control her ability, or the strange items it extracts, and the only thing between Olivia and the men bent on taking the power of her hand is a boy she barely knows and doesn't trust.

Review - I really show more enjoyed this book! I was really intrigued by the synopsis when I first read it. I'd never heard of a plot like this so I really looked forward to reading the book. I loved the way Olivia's ghost hand was described, how it worked, how it was revealed that other people had this 'birth defect.' Also, I liked Olivia a lot as a heroine. She felt like a real person to me and she was really likable and I rooted for her! She's a teenage girl struggling with issues that are bigger than she is [life and death situations due to her PSS and a conspiracy around it] but also, she's got 'regular' teenage problems - she doesn't get a long with her mom, she lost her dad, and she might have feelings for Marcus [which is tied to the conspiracy!].
I found her just a really relate-able character and very true to life. So many times in YA novels we have heroes/heroines that come across as trying to play at being grownups and it always falls really flat for me. I didn't get that sense at all with Ghost Hand. Olivia was a great character and narrator.
I also liked the other characters in the book - the other PSS kids.
I think there's a lot of room for this book to grow into a series and I hope that Ripley Patton continues! I'm really intrigued by all the ways PSS can manifest and also in Olivia's abilities.
I definitely recommend this book! show less

Olivia Black's life is pretty much as normal as it is going to get. The fact that she has a ghost hand does cause quite a few stares and disbelieving glance, but since she has dealt with it since she was born, it is really nothing new to her. So when her hand suddenly starts to act seemingly on its own, even she is quite freaked out.

But a strange boy who is new to town doesn't seem at all surprised or disturbed by her hand's sudden actions. In fact, he doesn't seem disturbed by her hand at show more all and the fact that you can see right through it and it glows blue. BLUE!!! Normal hands do not do that. So why isn't he running in the opposite direction?

These are the very thoughts that I imagine running through Olivia's mind in the beginning of this book. How can a person so new to town be so calm around something so unexplainable and rare? As the pages turn and the plot unravels, Olivia finds that he knows more about her condition than he lets on. In fact, he may know enough to save her from a fate worse than death in her supposedly safe little town.

I absolutely devoured this book. The story is one that I have never read before, and I could not get through each chapter fast enough. All in all, it was a phenomenal read and I am definitely going to have to check out the second in the series, Ghost Hold, really soon. show less

http://escapingonebookatatime.blogspot.com/2014/03/review-by-kellie-ghost-hand-b...

Ghost Hand, by Ripley Patton is the first book in the PSS Chronicles series. The protagonist, Olivia, is quite unlike any character I’ve read about. She’s a 17 year old High Schooler, certainly that isn’t unique. What’s unique about Olivia is her hand. Olivia was born with PSS (Psych Sans Some). In other words, her hand is made of ethereal energy. Olivia is a bit of an emo, who’s dealing with a show more rough home life at the moment. Her father passed away about four years ago after a long fight with cancer, and her mother, a psychologist, is somewhat uncomfortable with Olivia’s hand. Other than that, her life is that of your typical teen in a small Illinois town. One would think that with a ghost hand like Olivia’s she would face some form of discrimination on a daily basis. Thankfully, for her, that isn’t an outward reality. Certainly she doesn’t have too many friends, in fact, she only has one friend—her best friend, Emma. The two girls have been inseparable since grade school. Olivia’s world, however, is soon turned upside down, the moment a new and very good looking guy (Marcus), shows up at school. What’s peculiar about him is that he takes an interest in Olivia in during class. His attention makes Olivia a bit uncomfortable, especially since he appears to be scoping out her ghost hand. His stares, however soon become the least of her worries. In the middle of a Calculus test, her hand begins to act strangely. So strangely in fact, that it reaches into a fellow classmate’s back and pulls a pack of razor blades from her. Helped by the new guy and soon introduced into the secretive world around her, those razor blades prove to be the least of her worries.

Olivia offered much as a character. She was defiant, raw and loving in so many ways. The layers were enjoyable. And the progression of her relationship with Marcus was endearing. It wasn’t forced, which happens quite a bit in YA books. Also, the plot dealt with sensitive issues; loss, trust, and, most notably hate. It is a hate which leads a group of men to target individuals possessing PSS, some men whom Olivia has known all her life. Marcus’ character was layered, a bit mysterious at times, but always likeable. It was impossible to even think for a second that he didn’t have Olivia’s best interest at heart. The other guys in the crew were all necessities to the story, from Nose to Yale. I connected with each of the “good guys” except Jason. Jason was a complex monster, quick to resort to violence, even against Olivia. Due to his character’s brutality, it will be interesting to find out where Patton takes his character in the coming books. Despite Jason’s aggressiveness, they all managed to work and grow as a team. Of course, Olivia’s growth is most notable, a girl who was once a bit apprehensive about her hand, learns to embrace it, and she also learns to embrace herself.

Ghost Hand was a fun adventure, despite the struggles faced by the characters. It was a ride filled with twists, turns, love and a need for more. I look forward to reading the second book in the PSS Chronicles series and I am pleased to recommend it to everyone seeking a unique Sci-Fi Fantasy with a strong protagonist. show less