Ghost Huntress: The Awakening (Book One) by Marley Gibson

Blurb:

The first in a trilogy. Get out your tape recorders, crystals, and extra batteries— you’re about to go where our world meets the spirit world.
 
Psychic Kids, Paranormal State, Haunting Evidence—these and countless other television shows are making believers out of millions of people: Ghosts exist, and they’re living right beside us. For centuries, individuals have been trying to prove the existence of ghosts. But without hard evidence, it’s been difficult to make the case. But now as science and technology have progressed, ghost hunters have been able to use scientific means, along with more traditional psychic tools, to make their case. Photographs, video recordings, and sound recordings are all producing some amazing results.

In this new series, Ghost Huntress, meet Kendall Moorehead, a seemingly typical teen. When her family moves from Chicago to the small historical town of Radisson, Georgia, her psychic abilities awaken. She’s hearing, feeling, and seeing things that seem unbelievable at first, but with the help of the town psychic, Kendall is able to come to terms with her newly emerging gift. So, together with her new BFF, Celia, Kendall forms a ghost hunting team. They’ve got all the latest technology. They’ve got Kendall for their psychic. Now they’re going to clean up Radisson of its less savory spirits.
The story is fiction. The science is real. Welcome to a new reality.

My Thoughts:

When I read the first sentence I wasn't impressed, but I continued anyway. Then the author impressed me. I kept mentally editing a few things (grammar and spelling) but overall, I think this book is great. I love how the author makes the character sound so authentic and makes her actions seem completely normal. Like I know on screen that some of actions would look totally weird and farce, but the way she wrote it made it sound genuine and real. It's just like that last sentence said, "The story is fiction. The science is real."

If you're a lover of Ghost Hunters (raise your hands! I know I'm one!), Paranormal State (come on, raise them high and in the air! Be proud!) or the kid psychic show (Can't recall the name but I think it appears on A&E. Crap. Anyway, raise your hands!) then you will LOVE this book. You can tell that she did her homework (and she shows you in the back of the book where she got her information from! Impressed yet?) and that she cares and believes in what she's writing about.

Another thing I really loved about this book was the references. Good God knows she wrote A LOT of references. Even Shakespearean ones. And some French ones. Oh, you guys, I'm not telling you anymore then that. You'll just have to read the book. *gives you the totally cheesy wink*

I will say though, the characters are unique to say the least. Except for Becca. I'm kinda on the fence about her, but everyone else is very special and unique. And the way she describes the character, like Dasani-Blue-Eyed boy, is just genius. You totally get the picture huh? :D I know I did.

Another thing I want to bring up is the religious occurrences in the book. It's the same fight. You know, oh she's a soothsayer and so she's evil. No I got my gifts from God, and I'm not evil! That sorta thing. Her mother is really religious and she's technically, an Episcopalian. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I just know about the history being that sorta venue off of Christianity but other then that I don't know much else of it. I didn't know that European Americans were a part of it, so I learned something new. Anyway, another religion mentioned in the book is Baptist. Which is sorta interesting, so I'll leave it at that.

Just know that there are some subjects discussed about the difference between God given gifts and evil occult sorta things. If that offends you, then I would back off this book. There's a lot of discussion about it, but not in the very beginning, more like towards the end. After like the first half. I personally wasn't offended. I whole-heartedly agree with what the author said (and she states her opinion VERY loudly) so I quite enjoyed to see the whole back and forth discussion of religious beliefs and the traditional versus the nontraditional. Oh, and New Age stuff was mentioned. Okay, not really but just a tad. I think it's going to mentioned a little bit more in the next book or so, so we'll see. And there's a whole new discussion between that and Episcopalian beliefs . . .

I think you get the picture by now: There's a lot of religion in this book.

I wouldn't be put away from it if you're not a super religious or atheist person. But just so you guys know that it's in there, her opinion is stated about the whole subject matter VERY loudly and that it might offend people.

Moving on.

I liked the setting, right in the heart of the south: Radisson, Georgia. Now that I think about it, The Replacement and this book are both set in these no name towns. Both in the south. Hmm.

What does that tell future or upcoming authors? A pattern maybe? :P Just hinting to you that authors shouldn't set their characters in NYC or California all the time. I even read one agent blogging about how authors shouldn't do that. But I'll leave it at that. Some authors will take heed to the new direction of the industry. Some won't.

I also like the fact that we got a little tour of the town, got to know where everyone and everything was at. Got some of the personality of the town and got a good feel of the town.

There was a little hitch though, which won't effect you guys unless you're in the same position I am: It made me realize and think about my own psychic character, Jia. I really didn't realize how dark she was until I practically compared them side by side. Hmm. To be honest, I couldn't help comparing the book to the references that were made. And to other psychic books out there. And to Willow (BTVS). And to Ghost Whisperer (which she mentions). Down point is: There are a lot of books about this particular subject and this book made me realize it. Not in a bad way, but in a hmm way.

Anyway, it's good book that could use some improvements (since in the middle, I kinda figured it all out. Not that it's predicable, just some parts and I get pretty good at guessing what's going to happen. It's like I'm psychic. Ha.) but overall, I'm happy with this book and look forward to putting it on my shelf and seeing where she progresses in terms of her writing.