Allan Evans

As a lover of all things paranormal and spooky, I was excited to read this book, even if I’m not the biggest fan of YA. This book was great! I love how Abbey is so independent and strong as a character, despite her young age. I’m sure I’m not the only person who has an aversion to clowns, but the story wove in the creepiness of the ‘spooks’ in a way that I was able to read through the book without having nightmares. As much as I love horror, clowns are a little too much for me, but this story had just enough of the shudder-factor in to make it YA-safe. The musical references and typical teen-drama had me captivated along with the paranormal aspect of the book and held my attention all the way through. If you like mystery, intrigue, and even a little taste of the paranormal, you’ll love this book!… (meer)

Holy cow! I thought I could read this and not be scared. Nope, I’m afraid of clowns (ever since another clown from the sewers). I did make it through the book though. Fantastically scary, well-written! These clowns will give you nightmares. Abbey brought one home from the circus and it went to school with her. Her friends then started to disappear. Creepy mystery with a touch of horror just right for the teens (and those of us old people too). I love the fact that she and her dad look into odd things. The story fit so well together. Her friends were just your average teens. Great story that I would give more than a 5 if I could. I just found out this is a series so I look forward to reading more. Terrific book I recommend (as long as you aren’t afraid of clowns).… (meer)

All her life, Abbey has been able to see ghosts. She can interact with the paranormal world, at least a bit. Unsure as to why or how, she leads a (mostly) normal teenage life along with her father; her mother disappeared on a Doctors Without Borders trip to Venezuela a few years ago.

Her dad sends her to church bible camp one summer -- but instead she mistakenly gets placed in Camp ToughLove for troubled teens. They (and the ghosts) do indeed make this a troubling summer for Abbey, but she has strength and inner fire, especially from her 80s songs.

While the book makes a few odd digressions into Christian mythology and beliefs, the author mostly stays on-track with an exciting relatable tale of growth and the making of friends, with a few odd ghostly maneuvers along the way.… (meer)