What if your shadow controlled you? What if your shadow tried to kill you? What if when you flatlined, something came back to life with you? Not to mention what if you were a teenage girl in high school just trying to be normal and have a boyfriend like other girls?

Beyond: A Ghost Story deals with serious issues - abuse, kidnapping, predators - framed in the guise of a ghost story dealing with the wounds on the psyche such events can have on the individuals involved. This story manages to do this with plenty of "normal" activities mixed in such as a good family life, a great best friend, and creative outlets to express one's uniqueness.

An easy read - one that kept me turning the pages on my lunch hour to find out what happens to Jane as one weird thing after another keeps happening to her.

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So my reading practices keep me entertained. I usually read three books at one time. I have a physical book that takes me from mornings to around 6pm. I then climb into an ebook from there till I fall asleep. In-between those times, while walking, cooking or whatever, I listen to an ebook. That's always been my way of doing things. Well, with Beyond: A Ghost Story, by Graham McNamee, I cheated. I read this all the way through!

The story is about a girl who can't seem to escape death. She was born dead (resuscitated) and throughout her life she's encountered strange incidences and accidents that should have taken her from this world- yet somehow she manages to survive! Now she thinks something's actually causing these happenings. Something that wants her dead... and to stay dead.
(Original photo from http://paranormalhorror.com, edited by me.)

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this book. It's a YA tale that compels you reading. From the first chapter, to the ending, I held tight for the ride, enjoying each mystery and reality in between. Jane was realistic, though I think some of the police snooping, for her age, was unreal. Other than that- it was a great book.

Her stalker, shadow ghost, was pretty cool too. There interaction between Jane and her shadow, and later with Lexi was likable and made the story feel real. It even kept me thrown off on who the villain really was. I loved that, because it kept me guessing until further in to the story.

​ Has it been done before? Yes. Will you still enjoy it? Should you purchase a copy? Yes! Try it out. I think you'll be pleased with Graham McNamee's style of writing, the way the story flows and how close to a true teenager this story relates. Beyond was a youthful thrill that anyone could read and offer up four or more stars. Next...

*For the Full Review: http://bit.ly/AGhostStory
**Book published by Ember, reprint edition. ( )

Something is wrong with Jane. As a young child, she found herself drinking poison without knowing why she was doing it. A few years later she was almost run over by a train because her body refused to leave the tracks and, soon after that, was electrocuted when her hand reached out to touch a live wire without her consent. At 17, something made her shoot herself in the head with her father’s nail gun.

Read the rest of my review at: http://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.com/2012/09/04/beyond-a-ghost-story-graham-m... ( )

In the last ten years there has been a popular trend of men and woman coming together to tell their stories of near death experiences. Memories that speak of the dead coming back from heaven or hell in order to spread the word of redemption. It is not too often that a book tells the story of a young adult coming back from the other side. A teenager that experiences something so unique that she does not necessarily describe it as good or evil. This book is about a young woman named Jane that has suffered from traumatic accidents, every so often throughout her short life. It is something that has made her a social pariah in the world of teenagers. Not wanting to be alone, she manages to find an ally and close friend in a girl named Lexi. She is a girl that is considered just as strange and odd as Jane. As Jane ages she soon realizes that her bad luck is related to a mysterious shadow that plagues her every movement. As she reaches high school the shadow’s strength changes and becomes lethal. Soon Jane realizes this unearthly being is out the kill her. With the help of her friend Lexi, she attempts to stop it from fulfilling its purpose. Can Jane stop the shadow from killing her? Why is this being so determined to destroy her?

I really enjoyed this book and found it too be a fun read. I have been struggling to pick up and begin reading again, but this book has motivated me. When one moves from one house to another, it just is really hard to get pumped about get organized! I want to say that this book was very interesting as well. I did not get bored at all and I really enjoyed the characters’ personalities. I loved how the main character was a little sassy and had no fear and went for the jugular. I loved the creative concept the author chose and I found the book to be refreshing. I don’t find too many stories about shadow people and I believe this is the first that included shadow people as the aggressor. It was really fascinating to read and kept me interested in the story. I think this book is great for both parents and young adults. I don’t see why people should limit themselves. So often good books go unread due to this reason. I highly recommend this book to both parents, teenagers, non-parents, etc. This is just a great book to read in general. Great job author! ( )

Jane has survived poisoning, electrocution, a near-collision with a train, and most recently, a nail gun to the head. She's not accident-prone, or even suicidal, like people believe. Her shadow is trying to kill her.

Creepy, atmospheric teen thriller that reminds me of my middle-school days, curled up in a chair reading RL Stine's Fear street novels with all the lights on, though with slightly older appeal--8th grade and up, maybe, for those looking for a light scare. ( )