The Ghost of Danny McGee

by Quinlan Grim

Overview

Quietly insightful speculative fiction that will appeal to fans of Westworld and Black Mirror."

-Kirkus Reviews

"Twisted, sinister, and wildly inventive, Quinlan Grim delivers a chilling campfire story that will keep you up past lights out."

-Mary McCoy, author of Camp So-and-So

Camp Phoenix is a controversial and expensive summer camp program that transfers adults' consciousness into a clone of their childhood selves. On the surface, it's an ordinary summer camp. Twelve-year-old Logan has come to have a relaxing, carefree summer. She wants to ride horses, make new friends, and she loves listening to ghost stories. Sam is a twenty-year-old counselor, taking on the responsibility of the kids' care by day, and riding the rollercoaster of a summer romance after hours. 

As Logan faces the ups and downs of puberty, Sam watches over her and struggles with the bizarre truth: the campers in her care are not kids at all, but wealthy adults immersed in the ultimate escape from reality. 

What Logan doesn't know-or at least, can't remember-is that she and her friends will all have to return to their grownup bodies once the summer is over. Logan will again be a successful, middle-aged woman, and the popular boy she has a crush on? He will return to his life as a celebrity suspect at the center of a high-profile murder case.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781955085113
Publisher:	California Coldblood Books
Publication date:	11/15/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	250
File size:	7 MB

Editorial Reviews

09/05/2022

Grim’s debut doesn’t fulfill the promise of its unusual premise: that affluent adults can pay to have their consciousnesses transplanted into cloned children’s bodies to relive childhood experiences. At Camp Phoenix, where Phoenix Genetics has created an environment “meant to resemble anyone’s childhood, and at the same time, no one’s,” counselor Sam Red and his coworkers undergo rigorous training to “build a secure environment the campers will have no need to question,” and are bound by strict confidentiality requirements. The isolated atmosphere begins to fray Sam’s nerves, as well as those of the other staff, and the campers, some of whom come to believe a murderous ghost is haunting the camp. Things come to a head when several of Sam’s charges disappear. Despite the isolated setting and high-concept setup, there’s not much atmosphere or tension. As well, the author provides no scientific basis to make the consciousness transfer feel plausible, and the characters lack depth, making it difficult to suspend disbelief. This fails to live up to its own ambitions. Agent: Emmy Higdon, Westwood Creative Artists. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly