L.S. Hullinger

Background: Alexandra 'Alibi' Vernon has a strange talent, and so does her mother. Her mother is a Medium who helps people deal with the deaths of their loved ones. Alibi has a similar gift, the ghosts that her mom is a Medium to, normally send her messages in mysterious ways. Some have her make sandwiches while sleepwalking, others make noises, and even her grandfather and cousin tend to appear to her. This week, her mom has a lot more readings than normal, and Alibi is sent on a clue hunt for the ghosts, which oddly all seem to be linked.

Review: This was an adorable Middle-Grade read, the font of my paperback copy was large and inviting to younger readers and the story was fast paced, surprising, and mysterious. Alibi is a very strong character, scared by very little, and just trying to get through this week with her mother. Alibi keeps note sheets about each of the ghosts that she encounters in their strange ways, and the author has included them for the reader,like clues for use to pick up and put together to solve the mystery. And it is a mystery, a kind of scavenger hunt. As a reader, I think these types of books are both fun to read but also a puzzle to solve, and I think younger readers will agree.

I recommended this for Middle Grade readers, not too scary so the ghost aspect isn't haunting.… (meer)

Alibi Vernon is a sweet young girl who seemingly has a knack for getting into trouble. Now, if only her parents would realize that she is not operating under her own power when she does the things that cause them to question her.

When you first meet the main character in this novel, she seems like any other 12 year old girl, with a twist, she gets messages from ghosts. You see, her mother is a medium, or someone who can commune with the dead. Alibi gets messages from the same ghosts that her mother is reading for, only they do not always make sense.

As you read through the novel, you find that each one of the ghosts has a different message for her and in her mind, it is a jumbled mess, but she has this feeling that somehow it will all make sense if she can just put the pieces together. Each message leaves her acting strangely, experiencing different things and going through events that would normally not occur for her.

Then, you meet her best friend who is just a little creeped out by the whole ghost thing and, though she tries to put on a brave face, the whole thing scares her to death!

Alibi's Ghosts will take you on an unforgettable journey and remind you what it was like in those awkward teen years. It brought me straight back to childhood and age 12 and having things you want to tell people, but being afraid of what they will think. To me, this story screams of the coming-of-age, finding your place kind of thing that all girls go through in growing up.

As far removed as I am from the target audience (I have a child in the correct age group, though), I found that this was one I could not put down. There were some very minor typographical errors and the like, but they in no way detract from the story (and my regular readers know that this is a pet-peeve of mine), and I was able to keep reading and was not able to put this one down.

If you are the parent of a young girl (or maybe even a young boy) and are a fan of the paranormal and fantasy genre and want to share that love with your child, this would be an excellent place to start! We are talking ghosts here, not vampires and werewolves and shapeshifters, so it is a mild introduction without being anything that is going to induce nightmares.

I really enjoyed this story and cannot wait to see what else this author has in store for us. I was impressed by the level of organization as that is something I have found lacking in books geared toward this age group. This really is a must read for anyone who loves ghost stories, both the young and the young at heart. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.

I do want to thank the author for sending me a copy in exchange for my opinion. I look forward to seeing if the character goes any further!… (meer)

Cydni Hazard, Empathic Detective is a novel geared toward the middle-grade age group, roughly ages 9-12. It touches on topics of being different, something I am sure any preteen could relate to and embrace and understand.

The story was well written and the characteristics were realistic. As a parent, I could easily picture Cydni as someone that my 9 year old could relate to and understand.

While using the realm of the supernatural, the author touches on topics of being different and growing up, though through veiled references. We watch the character use her abilities to help a new friend, a boy that she does not know how she feels about. I was instantly transported to my own 12th year, remembering the awkwardness of meeting new people and being different, although my being different was nothing like what Cydni has. I really do not know what else to say, except that I got this kind of warm and fuzzy feeling that one would hope to find in a story geared to this age group.

I overall felt the story was well written and enjoyable. I cannot wait until my daughter gets a little older to share this story with her!… (meer)

Cydni Hazard, Empathic Detective is a novel geared toward the middle-grade age group, roughly ages 9-12. It touches on topics of being different, something I am sure any preteen could relate to and embrace and understand.

The story was well written and the characteristics were realistic. As a parent, I could easily picture Cydni as someone that my 9 year old could relate to and understand.

While using the realm of the supernatural, the author touches on topics of being different and growing up, though through veiled references. We watch the character use her abilities to help a new friend, a boy that she does not know how she feels about. I was instantly transported to my own 12th year, remembering the awkwardness of meeting new people and being different, although my being different was nothing like what Cydni has. I really do not know what else to say, except that I got this kind of warm and fuzzy feeling that one would hope to find in a story geared to this age group.

I overall felt the story was well written and enjoyable. I cannot wait until my daughter gets a little older to share this story with her!… (meer)