The Awakening (Ghost Huntress Series #1)

All Available Formats + Editions

——

$7.55

NOOK Book

——

$7.55

The Awakening (Ghost Huntress Series #1) (eBook) Pub. Date: 5/4/2009 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
$0.02

$8.54

Paperback

$0.02

$8.54

The Awakening (Ghost Huntress Series #1) Pub. Date: 5/4/2009 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

Advertising

Overview

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.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

In this first book in the Ghost Huntress series, a move from downtown Chicago to small-town Radisson, Ga., brings about a psychic awakening for 16-year old Kendall, as spirits that roam her house and town recognize her ability to see them and clamor for her attention. Initially seeking rational explanations for these unsettling experiences, Kendall gradually accepts her psychic powers as a divine gift, believing God has called her to free trapped spirits. Honing her skills under the guidance of Loreen, who runs a New Age store in town, Kendall assembles an eclectic ghost-hunting team: Celia, the brainy techno-wizard; preppy photographer Taylor; and punk Becca, sound analyst. Obstacles arise when Kendall's loving, fundamentalist mother, who equates paranormal activity with devil worship, worries about Kendall's mental and spiritual health; later, Kendall's budding romance with Taylor's sexy brother threatens the girls' unity. Kendall's witty narrative voice (she quotes Shakespeare and Ugly Betty with equal aplomb) drives this fast-paced, wholesome-with-an-edge tale. Several unsolved mysteries will leave readers eager for the next installment. Ages 12-up.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Children's Literature

After Kendall and her family move from Chicago to Radisson, Georgia, strange things begin to happen. Kendall hears voices, feels other people's pain and emotions, and sees people no one else can. Radisson is teeming with ghosts, especially due to the Civil War and its numerous historic properties. Kendall meets Loreen, a new-age store owner that is a psychic just like her. Loreen begins educating Kendall about how to navigate with her new gifts safely, and provides support when Kendall's mom wants to medicate her or stage an exorcism. Accepting her new life, Kendall sets off to help lost spirits cross over by establishing a ghost hunting team. Celia, Taylor, and Becca, specialize in equipment, photography, and sound respectively, filling the roles seen in ghost hunting shows. Jason, the team's skeptic, especially affects Kendall. She has been dreaming about him before they met and the attraction only gets more intense in person. Kendall must learn to keep her personal emotions in check when communicating with spirits to clear Radisson of its former inhabitants; and not all of them go willingly. The first in the chick-lit ghost series "Ghost Huntress," this title features names of products and TV shows along side ghost hunting terms such as EVPs and spectral evidence. An enthralling read, with a balance of teen dialogue and intrigue. The story is not frightening but has just the right amount of suspense and thrills to make this a fun page turner. Reviewer: Renee Farrah

More Reviews (1) Fewer Reviews

School Library Journal

Gr 7-10

Kendall, 16, is less than enthusiastic about moving from Chicago to a small town in Georgia. Her first days in her new home are characterized by insomnia, strange aches and pains, and ghostly voices disturbing the small-town quiet. She befriends Loreen, the town psychic, and Celia, a budding paranormal investigator; and with their support and guidance, Kendall decides to explore the unusual phenomena that have recently plagued her. They assemble a small ghost-hunting team and prepare to take on the antagonistic spirit that is haunting city hall, where Kendall's father works. Unfortunately, this book fails to evoke more than mild creepiness, as most scenes involving ghosts are interspersed with extremely dry and detailed descriptions of ghost-hunting equipment and procedures. The trite, clichéd conversations are peppered with popular-culture references that will date the book quickly, and the characters exhibit overblown reactions and frequent, inexplicable shifts of mood and opinion. At the happy, sappy conclusion, every member of the ghost-hunting team is basking in romantic affection, and Kendall is left with the prospect of many more successful ghost hunts to fill the rest of her high school years. Die-hard fans of Ghost Hunters and Most Haunted might enjoy this book, but they will find it a poor substitute for the shows themselves.-Misti Tidman, Boyd County Public Library, Ashland, KY

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780547150932
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date: 5/4/2009
Pages: 352
Sales rank: 266,607
Age range: 12 - 17 Years
Lexile: 710L (what's this?)
Series: Ghost Huntress Series , #1
Product dimensions: 5.40 (w) x 8.20 (h) x 1.00 (d)

Meet the Author

MARLEY GIBSON is the author of all of the Ghost Huntress books, and co-wrote The Other Side with Patrick Burns and Dave Schrader. She lives in Boston, MA, and can be found online at www.marleygibson.com or at her blog, www.booksboys buzz.com.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One

It’s too freaking quiet here!
I can’t sleep. Not a wink.
This is the third night in a row this has happened. Ever since we moved from my beloved twenty-two-hundred-square-foot high-rise condo on the Gold Coast of Chicago to this creaky old Victorian house here in Radisson, Georgia—i.e. out where God lost his shoes—I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep.
A teenager like me needs the proper amount of rest or else her growth will be stunted. It’s bad enough I’m not blessed in the boobage department, like my thirteen-year-old sister, Kaitlin. Aren’t older sisters supposed to develop faster? Now this whole insomnia prob. Oh, like dark circles under my eyes are going to make me even more popular when I start my new school tomorrow.
I roll onto my side and hang off the bed, peering over at the North American Van Lines cardboard box marked “Moorehead—Kendall’s Bedroom.” I wonder if there’s any Tylenol PM in there from when I couldn’t sleep last summer because I was working part-time at Intelligentsia Coffee on North Broadway and had a caffeine contact high. Hmm, probably not. I shouldn’t take that anyway, especially since I turned down Mom’s offer of a sleeping pill sample she got from the pharm rep—she’s a nurse—that she occasionally takes. Course, my sleep disorder isn’t related to hot flashes, like hers is. Mine’s because of this freaking silence!
I mean, living in downtown Chicago since my birth, I got used to the noise of a city: The cacophony of cars, taxis, and delivery trucks. The hustle and bustle of tourists and townies alike trekking around the Windy City. The El with its metallic symphony along the rails. The planes from O’Hare and Midway coasting through the sky, like you could reach up, grab them, and hang on. To me, it’s a harmonious concerto of urban life. Not this unbelievably earsplitting silence of Main Street in Radisson, Georgia.
I’m seriously not kidding about this deafening quiet. I’m almost on a first- name basis with the crickets and chirping cicadas that live in our backyard. I have to crack the window to let air in—I have a ceiling fan, but it’s not helping with the night warmth—and the outdoor insects serenade me with their nightly opera while I lay here staring up at the crown molding on my bedroom ceiling. As my Grandma Ethel used to say, “It’s so quiet you can hear the dead thinking.” Yeah, like that’s what I want.
What I want is to see the inside of my eyelids and some colorful, vivid dreams of the Justin Timberlake or Channing Tatum variety. That’s what I’m talking about.
Flipping to the middle of the bed, I wipe the back of my hand across my forehead, mopping up the sweat from the September heat. At home in Chicago, I’d have my favorite Patagonia Synchilla blanket between the sheet and comforter to keep me warm. I hardly think I’ll need it anytime soon here in Radisson. Which just ain’t right. Nothing’s right. Not anymore.
I don’t want be to an angst-ridden, sulky sixteen-year-old, but this relocation will take some adjustment. Honestly, I haven’t felt like myself since I moved into this house and started unpacking my things. I’ve had a killer headache for the past three days (behind my right eye), and no amount of ibuprofen can battle it. Maybe the pain’s purely psychosomatic due to the whole moving away from everyone and everything I’ve known my entire life to a town no bigger than the Lincoln Park section of Chicago.
I roll around underneath the covers and rub my fists into my eye sockets to try and dig at the source of the headache. If I can just go to sleep, I’ll be okay. A deep, deep sigh escapes my chest, blending into the whir of the ceiling fan. At first, I thought this not-so-Kendall feeling was allergies or something like dust mites from this musty hundred-year-old house. But I’m not sneezing or anything obvious like that. The symptoms border on weirdness more than anything else.
Like yesterday . . . I was hanging my whatnot shelf (you know, for all those trinkets your grandparents give you over the years from their travels) and my fingers got all tingly to the point where I couldn’t hold the hammer anymore. Not like “oh shit, I’m having a heart attack” tingly. More like when your arm falls asleep and it feels like there are ten thousand ants marching underneath your skin. Yeah, like that.
Then, when I was helping Mom set up the picnic table and hammock in the backyard, I literally burst into tears like I do whenever I watch The Notebook. Except I had no reason to cry. None. Whatsoever. Mom thought it was because I was depressed about being away from Chicago, which probably had a little to do with it, but it really made no sense. I told her I was PMSing so she wouldn’t worry or try to cram somme drug samples from her stash into me. The “that time of the month” answer seemed to satisfy her.
The most bizarre thing so far, besides gearrrrring up to be a somnambulist (What? I listen to DJ Brian Transeau’s music . . . he rocks!), happened when I was playing solitaire on my bed last night. I’m not talking computer Klondike, but honest-to-goodness playing cards—how old-fashioned of me!— because the cable and Internet connection isn’t hooked up yet in the house. How does anyone expect me to exist and contact the outside world if I don’t have my Comcast?
So, while I’m playing solitaire and shuffling the deck, the queen of hearts— that tarty wench—kept flying out. No matter how I shuffled or laid out the cards, that stupid woman with the bags under her eyes and the pissed-off look on her face found her way out of the deck. It was like the card had a mind of its own, and it massively creeped me out. As soon as the computer’s connected, I’m totally Googling that damn card to see what that’s all about. I’d heard from my friend Marjorie, back home—yes, Chicago is still home— that some people do tarot-like readings with ordinary playing cards. Not that I’m into that stuff or anything. Maybe I’ll find a book on it and get an explanation. Or maybe I’ll just go insane first.
Another deep groan from me as the wind catches the ivory-colored curtain next to my bed. The sheer linen drapery does a bit of a pole dance around one of the four bedposts. It’s only nine thirty, but I thought if I went to bed earlier tonight—in anticipation of my first day of school tomorrow—I might fall asleep faster. No. Such. Luck.
My bedroom door opens with a squeak.
“Kendall? Are you awake, sweetie?” “Of course,” I say bitterly and kick off the thin comforter and sheet. “Sorry,” I add.
“That’s okay. I understand.” Mom pushes into my room and snaps on the light. She’s taken to wearing her shoulder-length brown hair up in a messy bun, making her look less than her forty-eight years. I sit up, squint, and see that she’s carrying a large box. “Your dad just got back from Mega-Mart—” I interrupt her with a harrumph. “They actually have a Mega-Mart here?” Go figure.
She scowls at me a bit. “Now, Kendall, you haven’t fallen off the edge of the earth. Sure, it’s not downtown Chicago, but Atlanta is only an hour away and we have all the necessities of life right here in Radisson.” I blow a strand of brown hair off my cheek and swing my feet off the bed. Why Dad couldn’t have gotten a job in the ATL is beyond me. I know he’s, like, the best at what he does—he’s a city planner—and Radisson’s doing all of these improvements and renovations to make the town more appealing to families and industry, but it would’ve been nice to go from one urban area to another. I mean, during the Civil War, Radisson wasn’t even important enough for General Sherman to burn it on his famous March to the Sea. How is it going to be the town for me?
Mom sets the box on the edge of my bed. “As I was saying, Dad bought this thinking it might help your little . . . problem.” Unless it’s a cast-iron frying pan to bash me over the head with for a concussion-filled good night’s sleep, I’m not interested. Ooo, maybe it’s a wall-unit air conditioner, like Dad said he’ll put in every room in this ultra-old house. Scaaaaa-ore!
“Look at this!” Mom tugs out a large, white speakerlike device that’s about as big as a bathroom scale. “This will help you sleep.” I lower my brows as I read the box. “LifeSounds 440?” Mom unfurls the long cord and stretches it over to the nearest electrical outlet. The machine buzzes to life, and the soft sound of static reverbs through my room. “It’s a white-noise machine. They’re supposed to be very useful for sleep problems.” “Aren’t those for babies?” I ask, not convinced this is actually going to work.
Waving me off with a flick of her hand, Mom says, “Babies, adults, anyone who needs help with somnipathy.” There she goes, getting all medical on my ass.
“Huh?” “Sleep disorders.” “Mom, I don’t think I have—” I bite my tongue because I don’t know what I think I have.
She places the speaker on my nightstand and then reaches for the pamphlet that came with it. “Ooo, listen to this. ‘The sounds of the LifeSounds 440 white-noise machine include a womb, heartbeat, and lullaby section. These natural sounds are peaceful and comforting to infants, providing a secure and calm feeling.’ And look, Kendall, it has a one-hour timer, adjustable volume, and you can take it with you when you travel.” Right, because every girl wants to take a flipping baby monitor with her to a slumber party! “I don’t think womb sounds are going to help at my age.” The light in Mom’s eyes dims, spelling out her disappointment. I have to realize this move has been hard for her too. She had to give up her job in the neonatal ICU at Northwestern Memorial to take a staff-nurse position with the town’s one (well, okay, maybe not one) doctor. I need to cut her some slack.
I swallow my annoyance at the entire sitch and smile. “I’m sorry. Thanks for getting this. I’ll give it a try.” Why not? Can’t hurt.
She leans over and tucks me into the bed like she’s been doing for as long as I can remember. The woman is a pro at hospital corners and literally traps me in the straight covers. She kisses me on the head. “Try to get some sleep, sweetie. Tomorrow’s a big day.” “I know, Mom.” “You’ll make lots of new friends and fit in . . . you’ll see.” “I hope so.” Although I have plenty of friends back in Chicago. “I just want to blend in, not be too different or anything.” At least that’s what I tell myself as I picture walking into a building full of strangers in a matter of hours.
“Deep, cleansing breaths, Kendall. Say a prayer and just relax,” Mom says. “I believe your sleep issues are merely stress-related, and once you start school, everything will be back to normal.” She moves toward the door.
“Thanks, Mom.” Although what’s normal now? No more Cubs games. Or Bears, or Blackhawks, or Bulls. (Sorry, not a White Sox fan.) No more movies at Century Landmark or hot dogs from Weiner Circle. No more St. Paddy’s Day parades with the dyed-green river. No more treks to the Sears Tower to check out the views. No more ditching one day of school to go to an Oprah taping. No more Chicago Chop House with the best steaks on the planet. No more Marjorie. No more . . .
Mom turns back to me. “If you don’t start getting regular sleep, I’m taking you to the doctor and we’re putting you on some medication.” She’s not saying it as a threat, more as a point of information.
Bleck . . . I don’t want to be one of those messed-up kids on seven different medications for all sorts of afflictions. I want to be a normal teenager who goes to school, has friends, watches too much TV, talks on the cell incessantly, and plans for her future. Not too much to ask, right?
Mom nods her head at me. “Try to get some sleep, sweetie. And remember to say your prayers.” She flicks off the light and closes the door behind her.
“I always do.” Mom’s big on religion. Not in an “in tents for Jesus” sort of way, but as an important part of the fabric of the Moorehead household. I respect—and go along with—that.
I wrestle with the locked-down covers until the sheets are free from their mattress prison, and so am I. The white-noise machine churns away with a staticky rhythm on my right. It’s a lulling kind of whoosh, whoosh, whooshhhhhh. I’ll admit it is sort of calming. Maybe this will work. I turn onto my stomach and get in my preferred falling-asleep position, one hand under the pillow and the other on top, cuddling it. Eyes closed, I take one of those deep, cleansing breaths Mom talks about. Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth. That’s what I learned in the class Marjorie and I took at the Nature Yoga Sanctuary in Chicago last summer. Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
After a good long while of deep breathing, I feel myself teetering on the edge of consciousness. Ahh, yes . . . “To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub.” (I love Shakespeare, what can I say?) I’m settling into my fluffy pillows, spiraling down into the lovely world of desperately needed REM, when I swear on a stack of Bibles that I hear a whisper.
“I’m heeeerrrrrre.” I peel one eye open. “Who’s there?” “I’m heeeerrrrrrre.” “Kaitlin, if that’s you, I’m going to beat the shit out of you,” I snap, thinking my brat of a little sister is being, well, a brat. “Is that you?” “Nooooooo . . .” Okay, what the . . . ? The hairs on my arms rise, as does my anxiety level. I sit up. “Who’s there?” I repeat more firmly.
Nothing. Silence. Except for the white-noise machine.
After a minute, my heart rate returns to some semblance of normal. I lie back down, ridiculously annoyed. I’m sure it was Kaitlin totally screwing with me. She’s such a PITA. (Do I need to explain what that stands for? Rhymes with Pain in the Glass.) Settling into the pillow again, I restart with the breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth when I hear the whisper once more.
“I’m heeeerrrrrrre.” Bolting up, I jerk on the lamp cord. “Look! You’re pissing me off!” I glance around the room, and there’s no one there. No Kaitlin. No Mom. Just my large brown Gund teddy bear, Sonoma, sitting on the rocking chair next to my bed, looking at me like I’ve lost my marbles. The white-noise machine continues to whoosh beside me. Maybe if I turn the volume up, it’ll block out whatever it is—probably the television from Mom and Dad’s room—that I’m hearing, Just when I lift the volume level, I hear it again.
“Are you hearing meeeeeeee?” I fling off the covers and sit up stiff-straight. Chill bumps dance across my skin, making tiny mountains in my sweaty flesh. The hairs on the back of my neck are at complete military attention. I swallow hard but find a massive lump of unease in my esophagus that isn’t budging.
Holy Mother of Christmas Past! The whispering voice is coming from the white-noise machine! Are you effing kidding me?
You’re here? Well, I’m out of here!

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5

( 44 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(29)

4 Star

(6)

3 Star

(6)

2 Star

(1)

1 Star

(2)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines

Tell the world what you think of this product.

Add Recommendations

Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

- HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
- Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
- Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
- Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
- Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
- Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
- Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

- By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
- Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
- See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.

mstsk

Posted January 16, 2010

I Also Recommend:

Really enjoyed this book, looking forward to more

Even being an adult I enjoyed this teen read. Enjoyed it so much checked to see if book 2 was out and happly found it was out. Read both books in record time for me. Feel a teen will enjoy the teen romance part of the book. Looking forward to more books from this author.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
mrdarcy3

Posted September 16, 2009

more from this reviewer

I Also Recommend:

Spooky

"It's too freaking quiet here! I can't sleep. Not a wink."
Kendall's not adjust well to the family move from Chicago to Georgia. She missed her best friend, but most of all, she misses the noise. She can't sleep - which means that she can't function. Something's keeping her from sleeping. At first, Kendall thinks it's just insomnia, but she son comes to realize that it's something more - something MUCH more. She hears a voice in an otherwise empty room. She befriends a woman who informs her she's going through her psychic awakening. Kendall can hear ghosts, see ghosts, and know details about people she's never met. She confides in her neighbor - the only girl she knows in town. Together, they decide to become ghost huntress. They ask other people at their school to fill the photographer, the nonbeliever, and the sound technician spots to make their group complete. With the town full of ghosts, will they succeed in their hunting or will they simply make the ghosts angry?

The start of a trilogy with sassy characters who don't fit the stereotypes of teens. There's something for everyone here: a paranormal activity, parental issues, forging friendships, and a little romance. It's a super fun read that make you question your ghost beliefs.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
TeensReadToo

Posted July 30, 2009

more from this reviewer

Reviewed by Lauren Ashley for TeensReadToo.com

Kendall never really thought much about ghosts and spirits inhabiting our world after they die...that is until she moves to Radisson, Georgia, and is confronted by one in her own home.

Living in a town full of ghost tales leads Kendall to discovering just what exactly is happening to her and her senses. An adult, Loreen, teaches her the basics and offers her help, but it's some peers that lend the most to Kendall as the psychic in her awakens: Celia, the nerd of the school, who knows all about technology and Taylor, a cute and preppy girl who is a whiz behind a camera.

During her first year in Radisson, Kendall discovers ghosts in her house and at her dad's work, though one might be a bit more trouble than the other. She also starts her own ghost hunting team, and begins to fall for Taylor's twin brother, Jason with the pretty blue eyes.

Overall, the first GHOST HUNTRESS book was a ton of fun. As someone who watches some of the ghost hunting shows on TV, it was great to see a book that deals with the same (and makes it easy for everyone to understand).

I love books that are a series because it's often hard to let characters go, but I also know that it's hard to keep up with them and you might only read the first one. However, when it comes to this new batch of books, I'm most definitely going to read the next one. I have to know more and I'm sure others will feel the same!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
carolynherrera

Posted May 20, 2011

A must read!!

I found this book by accident at my local library, loved it so much I HAD to buy it! It is exciting, doesn't slow down from start to finish! Great for anyone, including children, clean entertainment, not at all inappropriate. I LITERALLY got the chills, laughed out loud, and cried. Right after I read this book I had to start the next, which left off right where this one ended and flowed smoothly into the next story.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
BookwormKD

Posted July 21, 2009

more from this reviewer

I Also Recommend:

unlike any other ghost story i've read before

i have to admit, i was a little hesitant to read this and i really dont know why but there was a little part of my brain saying that its probably not worth it, so i was about to put it back when mny papa told me to just get it and i am so glad he did because it was amazing and i loved it and i feel like the second one cant come out soon enough i definently recommend this to anyone :). i loved how the book was fiction but the facts werent fictional. before i read this book, i had nvr really considered the fact that there are actually people out there that hunt ghosts, like, for real lol. overall, this book was amazing and you should read it. if you enjoyed this book then i recommend the mediator series by meg cabot (which is about all about ghosts) and the salem witch trials by kelly mcclymer (which is about witches but has a couple of ghosts in it) and the dead is series by marlene perez (which has a couple ghosts in it and a few psychics) and evermore by alyson noel (which is mainly about immortals but has a couple psychics and a couple of ghosts) and sleepless by terri clark (this has a psychic but no ghosts. plz check out my b&n if ur looking for more books like these to see what i also recommend :)

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Nanese_Bo0kReadingJunki3

Posted April 18, 2009

more from this reviewer

I Also Recommend:

Yeah

I wasn't so sure that I would like this book, because I'm not really into the whole ghost thing. But I did like it a lot. The story was a good one. Teens can relate to the whole not being who you thought you were, and having people not understand you or thinking your crazy. I'm looking forward to the next one because I think I know what the big secret.
The book is about a sixteen year old whose family picks up and moves her away from her home and friends. Then she founds out she can see and talk to the dead, so she and a few friends think its a good idea to help to the dead find peace. But like every teen book there's some romance, drama, finding yourself, and dealing with the parents who just don't undertsnad you. All in all this was a good read and I'm glad I read it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
MamaLee1983

Posted April 26, 2012

This was a really awesome book! I have always wanted to go ghost

This was a really awesome book! I have always wanted to go ghost hunting. I think it is so fascinating! I mean really, how awesome would it be to help a spirit that is trapped here move on from this world. Well, if you are interested in it, but never had the opportunity to do it yourself, some of your questions will be answered in this truly awesome book! Ghost Huntress: The Awakening is a spine tingling story about a young girl named Kendall Morehead that has moved from the big city of Chicago and is trying find her way in a small town. It doesn't help that with her move comes sleeplessness. Its too quite in her new town of Radisson, Georgia. She misses the noise of the big city, the familiar sights and sounds, and most of all her friends. How is she ever going to get used to being so far away from her home.

In an effort to help his daughter finally get some rest, her dad buys her a white noise machine, and this is where things start to get interesting. The very first time that she turns it on, the unthinkable happens. No, I she doesn't get sleep, not even close, she hears a voice. Its says, "I'm here"!!! But that is just the beginning of strange things that begin to happen for her. She starts to feel things, what other people are feeling. She even feels a boys broken bone, like it is her own, before she ever even sees him. what the heck could be happening to her? Not to mention the dreams that she is having about totally gorgeous "Dasani - Blue - Eyed - Boy", and the vision that she has of her dad getting hurt at work. This is all so new to her, she doesn't know what this all means or how to deal with it. She had made a new friend, Celia, but how can she tell her what is going in with her? Will she think she is crazy? She accidental lets it slip about the voice that she heard inside her house and Celia is totally cool with it. She wants to go to school to study parapsychology and she is totally into paranormal phenomena. They decide that they must investigate this voice further so they set a camera up in her room to see if they can catch it on tape.

One day while exploring her new town, after having more strange occurrences she stumbles into shop called the Divining Woman. There she meets a psychic named Loreen. Loreen tries to explain to Kendall what is happening with her. She tells her that they are kindred spirits and that there is a reason that she happened into her store. She explains that she is going through her psychic awakening of sorts. She explains to Kendall that all the things that she is going through are normal ans she is starting to be able to access her gifts. She will just have to learn how to use them and control them. She even gives her a pendulum that has stones on it that will help her communicate with the spirits as well as protect her. Kendall just isn't buying into it. Not yet. This can't possibly be whats is really happening with her.

After she comes clean to her friend Celia that she thinks she might be psychic, Celia is super excited. Kendall is stunned that this girl barely knows her and yet, its ok with her that she is psychic. This combined with the ghostly figure they see on the video from Kendall's house is just what they need and the Ghost Huntress' are born! Now they just need to form the rest of their team and get the equipment that they need to do their investigations. Despite her twin brother, Jason's , reservations, they recruit Taylor Tillson as their photographer and after some obstacles end up recruiting Rebecca Asiaf as their sounds person (for EMF readings) and as real twist even recruit Justin himself as their sceptic.

After her premonition of her dad getting hurt coming true, they have their first investigation to hold. Will they be able to make contact with the entity that is causing problems at the city all? Can they help it move on from this world so that it will not hurt anyone else? Will their group even be able to last until the investigation when things get heated between them for reasons that no one could have seen coming (well except maybe Kendall). Well, I can't tell you. But I will tell you that is this an book that you absolutely must read if you are interested in parapsycology. Especially if you are like me and totally get lost in the books that you read. In your mind, you can be right there! I know this is going to be one you won't want to miss! I really loved it! BTW, what a coincidence it is that I am writing this review while watching Ghost Hunters on Syfy??? LOVE TAPS!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
DanceBree17

Posted April 2, 2012

more from this reviewer

Freaking LOVED it!!

This was a really enjoyable book that can keep your attention in a couple ways. First the character of Kendall is a really likable girl that I could see a lot of myself in. She has a funny wit and can surprise you with throwing Shakspearian quotes all over. She makes the book fun to read and entertaining. But there is also the technical side of ghost hunting that the author does a great job of showing.
The other characters are really great and Jason is so dreamy I wanted to cuddle with him all night long!!!
This book really has it all. There is the ghost hunting for action, love and romance and it was just so nice to have a refreshing book that also dealt with the angst of being forced to move away from your old life and sometimes how sucky that all can be, but we make it through somehow.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted March 27, 2012

Fun read

This story literally has some laugh out loud moments and was a lot of fun. I'm an adult and found this very entertaining. I definitely recommend this series.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted March 20, 2012

Chloe (me) says...

This book is amazing!! I say buy it in the store or get it on your nook,kindle, or any e-reader.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
MissPrint

Posted February 27, 2012

more from this reviewer

from missprint.wordpress.com

Sometimes, the first line of a book really does tell you everything you need to know. Such is the case for Marley Gibson's first Ghost Huntress book The Awakening (2009):

It's too freaking quiet here!

I can't sleep. Not a wink.

As the story progresses, readers learn that insomnia is the least of sixteen-year-old Kendall Moorehead's problems. After her family moves from Chicago to the middle of nowhere smalltown Radisson, Georgia, Kendall has to adjust to a new school, make new friends, figure out if her house is haunted. Oh, and she has to figure out what's going on with her new possibly psychic abilities.

At the risk of oversimplifying, the story is basically a behind-the-scene's expose of what goes on in those ghost hunting TV shows that are so popular of late but with teenage girls as the ghost hunters (huntresses). Even after growing up in a household skeptical of ghost hunting endeavors, the plot did sound promising. Unfortunately the writing was not equal to the task of holding this reader's attention.

The main problem in Ghost Huntress: The Awakening is that the writing is extremely erratic. The book is written in the present tense, a technique that is very popular with teen titles, but it just didn't work here. Instead of subtly making the novel more immediate, it just made it very clear that the story was written in the present tense and that Kendall was very, very talkative.

Kendall's narrative voice was also very incongruous. Other characters in the book curse, but Kendall uses words like freaking in combination with expressions that her grandmother enjoyed--it just doesn't fit with the worldly Chicago urbanite persona that Kendall is at pains to present for herself. Added to that Kendall's brand-dropping, and constant reminders of what she would be doing were she still in Chicago become grating. For those reasons, the writing simply failed to hold my attention or evoke any kind of involvement with the characters.

A lot of readers talk about "junk food" that they read. Books that are enjoyable but not particularly enriching as literature. I hate to say it, but it seems that Ghost Huntress is destined to join those ranks.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
NoDoubtingSound

Posted February 6, 2012

A good plotline, but way too many pop culture references.

Because I've always been into the supernatural I figured I'd give this series a shot. The plot was good, the characters were fun, although I felt some could have used more development, but, hey it's only the first book in a series. One of the main things that irked me while reading this book was the author's constant need to add stupid pop culture references that didn't help at all. One of my biggest pet peeves when reading is pop culture, because in fifty years no one is going to know or care what High School Musical is or that Justin Timberlake may or may not have been a good singer. Besides, I know what's going on/ what's popular in the world today (or atleast this country) I don't need to read about it every other paragraph. The second thing that bothered me (which might just be because I'm from Mass. so I recognize them) was the way Kendall spoke, it is stated multiple times that she is from Chicago, Illinois, but she speaks as if she's from Boston (which, I guess, makes sense since the author is from there) however, the author should have known not to use Massachusetts slang when it is being spoken by a character from the midwest. Despite its flaws I did enjoy this book and I'm about to start the second one.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted January 30, 2012

Anoymus

Excellent! :)
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted December 8, 2011

Ghosts, drama, romance. This book is wonderful from cover to cover.

Kendal cant sleep.not a wink.its just to freaking quiet. Finally, her dad buys a white noise machine, and just when she thinks shes about to sleep. . . she heres a voice. Is this her imagination?i dont think so. This is her awakening. When her family moves from big city Chicago to small town Radisson Georgia, Kendall struggles to fit in. But fitting in is as exsotic as a coconut in alaska if you have phsycic powers. So if ur not a teen just remember when you were for a sec. Take the friend drama, crush drama, and family drama and add in the physicic dance with the devil factor. Oh, and if your mom wasnt say your mom was a strict strict strict christian (3 stricts for a reason). Well thats pretty much Kendalls situation currently. Now take what you already have and add in the i- just-moved-nobody-knows-me factor. All right, now take that and add the my-friends-back-there-dont-like-me-anymore factor. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to know that the anwer is. . . (Drum roll). . . CHAOS CHAOS AND MORE CHAOS. Figure out how she survives in this utterly amazing book of god,love,family. . . And ghosts
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted November 28, 2011

Awesome

I love it
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted November 19, 2011

great book

i luv it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
<3 shelbini
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Ghost-Books-Rock

Posted September 22, 2010

I Also Recommend:

LOVE IT!!!

First off, I think to really like this book, you kind of have to be in "that" age. Like a teenager or young adult. Of course you can be any age though (Duh :P). I am (a teen), I loved this book, and I am waiting for the 3rd book to come to my local lribray. This was a really good book. If i were you I'd read it. Also, I would look at the other books I put over there:

<-----------------
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
lilmudduckmuffineater

Posted June 22, 2010

more from this reviewer

it's ok

This is the first book in the Ghost Huntress series.This book is an ok book.I would give it a B if rating it. I do admit I love learning how they do ghost hunting and the technical terms they use. It has a great plot just not too many exciting things happen for my taste. Most people would prolly like this book,I'm not dissing it in any way.It's not the best or the worst book I've read. It did it's purpose of passing time for me. The story begins with Kendall who has had to move from her life long home in Chicago to a small southern historical town in Georgia.She soon finds out she is psyhic and uses her gift to help ghosts and people in her new town.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
QMS

Posted June 7, 2010

I Also Recommend:

Ghoat Huntress: the awakwning is geat!

I think Ghost Huntress: the awakening by Marley Gibson should be read by teenagers. This is because this book is about a girl, who can communicate with ghost so she gets a group together to hunt ghosts and send them into the light. It's also about her faliing in love with a guy that she has been having dreams about. Adults wouldn't like it as much because they don't believe in the paranormal world, not that teens do but we are convinced easier tahn adults are. Also, the characters are teens and teen readers are drawn more to books they can relate to like the falling in love parts in this book, same for adults they are drawn more to books with adult characters, and kids wouldn't understand the book.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted August 1, 2009

No text was provided for this review.