The Ghost Files: Volume 1

[b:The Ghost Files #1|18296529|The Ghost Files (The Ghost Files, #1)|Apryl Baker|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1375759354s/18296529.jpg|25779686] by [a: Apryl Baker|5173683|Apryl Baker|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1438217600p2/5173683.jpg] is a violently good read. For any person empathetic to, or having lived the life of an orphan or foster child this story tells stranger-than-fiction truths.

The main protagonist Mattie Hathaway, like many foster kids who have made it past age eight is tough as leather and mature beyond her years. Having once crossed over from life to death, she has gifts she prefers to ignore until a sister in their present foster homes shows up dead in the mirror.

I never read books twice, but because this hit so show more close to home, that during the first read I never breathed. Last night I started reading "The Ghost Files" again, and must applaud [a: Apryl Baker|5173683|Apryl Baker|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1438217600p2/5173683.jpg] for her amazing writing and storytelling ability. I cannot wait for the next Ghost Files story to come out.

The one thing I would suggest is to re-think the name. I don't think it does this tale justice. Thank you. show less

I actually really liked the spooky elements to this book. The author isn't afraid to go for some graphic and spooky imagery to transport her readers into a world of murder and fear. The whole mystery factor in that spookiness was done very well in addition to the ghosts. I was kept guessing for most of the novel and the final culprit left my jaw on the floor, definitely unexpected. The mythology of the novel, the background of how the ghosts operated and such, were especially intriguing to me. I loved seeing what their limits were or how they could affect the real world around them. They've definitely intrigued me enough to want to read the second novel now.

The main character was enjoyable to a point. I enjoyed her unique voice and show more specifics on her gifts. She also seems like a very strong girl who has experience the darker side of human life so much that she's probably ready for anything else it throws at her. Yet, there were times where I felt the author might have been trying to stress that strength and the damaged interior a bit too much. Mattie, at times, comes across as a stereotypical foster kid with the brash protective exterior and the damaged interior that we so many times in media.

For the most part, this book was very enjoyable. I loved the ghost-y stuff, the well-told mystery, and the main character with all her strengths and vulnerabilities. And while she sometimes came across as very stereotypical, that in no way made me hate the novel. I just rolled my eyes and moved on for the rest of the good stuff. At the end of the day, this book was good enough that I'm intrigued by the second and third novel and will more than likely keep reading. So good job, Ms. Apryl, and I look forward to exploring more of Mattie's world! show less

Mattie, a girl in foster care who has been with this family for a couple of months, has spent the last eleven years ignoring the ghosts that come to her, pleading for her help. She’s done her best to ignore them and has never shared this with anyone. While at a party she sees the ghost of her foster sister wearing her night shirt, bound with duct tape and a bullet hole in her head, she races home and attempts to get her foster mother to call the police. A rookie cop, Officer Dan, is the only one who gives Mattie the benefit of the doubt when it’s assumed Sally had run away, especially when she provides sketches of ghosts of other kids who had gone missing and are now coming to her.

And it’s more than seeing ghosts as Mattie learns show more that what she’s capable of doing is quite rare.

One thing that I really like is that even though she’s only sixteen, Mattie is very self-aware when it comes to what she does and why she reacts the way she does. She’s both creeped out and scared of ghosts as well as her trust in Dan, and her emotions are easily felt by the reader.

A good story with a surprising twist as Mattie attempts to discover where the ghosts were killed and can hopefully save a life. show less

Interesting

I found this book very intriguing and original. I loved the flow of the book and the ease with which it read. It held my interest at every turn and had me on the edge of my seat until the end!

I should probably have stuck with my rule of judging books by their covers, but free is free. I will say, with all respect to the author, that this is a good book in the rough, and that teenage narrator Mattie is probably meant to sound like an airhead, but the combination of horror movie clichés and infantile storytelling really grated on my nerves. Anyone who has seen The Sixth Sense, Poltergeist, The Ghost Whisperer or even Dead Like Me will get the gist of the plot. The 'twist' improved the ending slightly, but I was waiting for another development regarding Mattie and 'Officer Dan', which never happened. Maybe in the next book, but even gratis, I won't be downloading any more to find out.

The Ghost Files by Apryl Baker is an unputdownable, spinetingling, terrifying horror thriller that has everything I require in an over the top read…Ghost Whisperer on steroids, a serial killer, a bit of romance, and a young girl that kicks ass and takes names.

Absolutely captivating novel. I could have pulled my hair out at the end. Cannot wait for the next chapter. This is a story of a young girl, Mattie Hathaway, who is terrorized her whole life. First by her mother who tried to kill her at the ripe old age of 5. Then to be tossed around from foster home to foster home, only to also be plagued by beings that no one else can seem to see. Ghosts. And they know she can see and hear them too. But finally at 16, just when her life seems to be turning a good corner, a trend of dead kids with bullet holes in their heads and horribly disfigured bodies begins to trouble her. Mattie enlists the help of a local rookie cop, Dan, and together the two begin to try and understand the trouble brewing in show more the area. show less