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Walk #1
Walk of the Spirits
When Miranda Barnes first sees the sleepy town of St. Yvette, Louisiana, with its moss-draped trees, above-ground cemeteries, and her grandfather’s creepy historic home, she realizes that life as she knew it is officially over. Almost immediately, there seems to be something cloying at her. Something lonely and sad and . . . very pressing. Even at school and in the group project she’s been thrown into, she can’t escape it. Whispers when she’s alone, shadows when no one is there to make them, and a distant pleading voice that wakes her from sleep. The other members in Miranda’s group project, especially handsome Etienne, can see that Miranda is in distress. She is beginning to understand that, like her grandfather before her, she has a special gift of communicating with spirits who still walk the town of St. Yvette. And no matter where she turns, Miranda feels bound by their whispered pleas for help . . . unless she can somehow find a way to bring them peace.
328 pages, Paperback
First published April 17, 2008
About the author
Richie Tankersley Cusick
48 books747 followersRichie Tankersley Cusick is the bestselling young adult author of over 25 titles, including two adult horror titles, Scarecrow and Blood Roots. Her popularity grew at the height of the horror/YA boom in the late '80s/early '90s, particularly with books like Lifeguard , Trick or Treat and Teacher's Pet, just to name a few, allowing her to keep company on the bestseller paperback lists with the likes of R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike. Her fan base expanded about the time she changed publishers to Archway/Pocket Books with titles like Vampire and Someone at the Door.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
May 3, 2024
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This was a buddy-read with my friend Corvina. WALK OF THE SPIRITS has been on my TBR for a while because Richie Tankersley Cusick is one of my favorite horror/thriller books of all time. Most of her books are YA but she has two adult titles. Her adult titles are among her best work, I think because she had to dial stuff way down for her YA publishers. Even so, her older stuff tends to be wilder than her newer books. WALK OF THE SPIRITS is so mild that it could probably be on the Disney channel.
There's a lot about this book I did like, though. Nobody does atmosphere like this author. I also thought the heroine was bland but fine (surprised by how many people were calling her obnoxious in the reviews; she's almost ridiculously inoffensive). Also, one of the other girls talks about how she's had casual sex and the heroine is super unjudgemental about it, which is a rarity for the 00s. I also liked the Louisiana ghost culture elements and the fact that one of the love interests was a hot, dangerous Cajun guy.
Where this book fell apart was that it foreshadowed creepy stuff but then it didn't pay off. I had an idea of how this book would end and when I wasn't even close, I was mad, because I liked my idea better. The ending was ridiculous. Apparently, there's a sequel, so some of the open-endedness made sense, but my issues with the main storyline remain.
I still love this author but I won't be recommending WALK OF THE SPIRITS to anyone.
2 to 2.5 stars
April 29, 2015
3.5 Stars
I was a massive fan of Richie Tankersley Cusick when I was younger so I was really excited to see she had written this series. It didn't quite meet all my expectations but I did enjoy it.
I really loved the characters – especially Etienne and Roo. It did take a while for me to warm to Miranda but by the end I really liked her. What I really loved was the playful banter and continuous teasing between all of the characters. It was really fun to read and my favourite aspect of the book. I also enjoyed the mystery and watching them put the pieces together. Once Miranda embraced her ‘gift’ it became really interesting and I loved how it all played out in the end.
Unfortunately, I felt the story lacked a bit of momentum to begin with. It does make up for it at the end – the last third is really exciting and I found myself completely gripped. It also really sets up the next instalment and I’m looking forward to spending more time with the characters. I hope this time Roo gets a bit more ‘screen’ time as I really loved her sarcastic comments. I’m also looking forward to more of the mysterious Etienne – there were a few loose ends surrounding his character I hope are addressed in the next book ‘Shadow Mirror’
Overall this was good. It’s a shame it’s a bit slow to begin with but if you stick with it you are rewarded in the end and I think it has the potential to be a great series.
I was a massive fan of Richie Tankersley Cusick when I was younger so I was really excited to see she had written this series. It didn't quite meet all my expectations but I did enjoy it.
I really loved the characters – especially Etienne and Roo. It did take a while for me to warm to Miranda but by the end I really liked her. What I really loved was the playful banter and continuous teasing between all of the characters. It was really fun to read and my favourite aspect of the book. I also enjoyed the mystery and watching them put the pieces together. Once Miranda embraced her ‘gift’ it became really interesting and I loved how it all played out in the end.
Unfortunately, I felt the story lacked a bit of momentum to begin with. It does make up for it at the end – the last third is really exciting and I found myself completely gripped. It also really sets up the next instalment and I’m looking forward to spending more time with the characters. I hope this time Roo gets a bit more ‘screen’ time as I really loved her sarcastic comments. I’m also looking forward to more of the mysterious Etienne – there were a few loose ends surrounding his character I hope are addressed in the next book ‘Shadow Mirror’
Overall this was good. It’s a shame it’s a bit slow to begin with but if you stick with it you are rewarded in the end and I think it has the potential to be a great series.
May 6, 2010
Bad prose and a really annoying protagonist are the two things I came away with from reading this book.
The writing suffered from a lot of repetition and a lack of sentence variety. Also, it felt sort of choppy to me. I constantly kept checking chapter lengths because it was starting to drag on my enjoyment of the story. It got better later on but not enough to leave me with a favorable impression.
Also, Miranda, even if she’s a teenager was the brattiest thing ever. She’s so overly dramatic it was not funny. When she first found out her father was a nutso, or whatever, she stormed home and threw a hissy fit about why didn’t tell her and all that jazz. But her mom said we’ll talk about this later when I get home, I have to go to a job interview right now. And Miranda just went all, so you’re saying getting a job is more important than me?! Are you serious? I would think having money to pay the bills is number one on the priority list than your hissy fit which can be taken care of at ANY TIME.
So moving away from that the story was decent. The concept of seeing ghosts is nothing new or original but having it deal with the Civil War was pretty cool. Plus, the story revolves around one interconnected mystery so that was neat. The plot twists and everything were pretty predictable and didn’t have enough of an impact for me to be all omg, blown away type. It was more of an “eh” and “I see” type of deal.
There’s a sequel to this book coming out later. Don’t know what you could expand on from this book, but hey you never know.
The writing suffered from a lot of repetition and a lack of sentence variety. Also, it felt sort of choppy to me. I constantly kept checking chapter lengths because it was starting to drag on my enjoyment of the story. It got better later on but not enough to leave me with a favorable impression.
Also, Miranda, even if she’s a teenager was the brattiest thing ever. She’s so overly dramatic it was not funny. When she first found out her father was a nutso, or whatever, she stormed home and threw a hissy fit about why didn’t tell her and all that jazz. But her mom said we’ll talk about this later when I get home, I have to go to a job interview right now. And Miranda just went all, so you’re saying getting a job is more important than me?! Are you serious? I would think having money to pay the bills is number one on the priority list than your hissy fit which can be taken care of at ANY TIME.
So moving away from that the story was decent. The concept of seeing ghosts is nothing new or original but having it deal with the Civil War was pretty cool. Plus, the story revolves around one interconnected mystery so that was neat. The plot twists and everything were pretty predictable and didn’t have enough of an impact for me to be all omg, blown away type. It was more of an “eh” and “I see” type of deal.
There’s a sequel to this book coming out later. Don’t know what you could expand on from this book, but hey you never know.
March 11, 2024
3.5 stars
This had some uneven/slow pacing but I enjoyed it nonetheless!
RTC excels at atmosphere and setting, and this book had that in SPADES. I loved the descriptions of Miranda's new home in a Louisiana small town. Mossy overhang, mysterious house, ghostly whispers, these are all of my favorite things! The town's obsession with their Confederate dead also feels very. . . realistic.
RTC is obviously more well-known for her horror novels, and I think she consciously wanted to do something different here with this paranormal YA. The high school characters are all adorable and sweet, and some of the banter is cute.
A LIL TOO CUTE. At times I wanted something more in her usual wicked depraved style. It looks like a love triangle is being set up between sweet Gage, sexy Cajun Etienne, and our ghost whisperer Miranda. I wasn't particularly invested in any of the pairings, though I did love Etienne.
The balance between historical research and ghostly interactions was not weighed exactly in my favor, but I recommend it!
Classic ghostcore mosscore vibescore banger buddy read with Nenia ✨❤️🔥
This had some uneven/slow pacing but I enjoyed it nonetheless!
RTC excels at atmosphere and setting, and this book had that in SPADES. I loved the descriptions of Miranda's new home in a Louisiana small town. Mossy overhang, mysterious house, ghostly whispers, these are all of my favorite things! The town's obsession with their Confederate dead also feels very. . . realistic.
RTC is obviously more well-known for her horror novels, and I think she consciously wanted to do something different here with this paranormal YA. The high school characters are all adorable and sweet, and some of the banter is cute.
A LIL TOO CUTE. At times I wanted something more in her usual wicked depraved style. It looks like a love triangle is being set up between sweet Gage, sexy Cajun Etienne, and our ghost whisperer Miranda. I wasn't particularly invested in any of the pairings, though I did love Etienne.
The balance between historical research and ghostly interactions was not weighed exactly in my favor, but I recommend it!
Classic ghostcore mosscore vibescore banger buddy read with Nenia ✨❤️🔥
August 8, 2011
If you love paranormal romance with humor, this book is for you. To start off Miranda has to move to a small town in Louisiana because her home town was destroyed by a hurricane. At first she is miserably alone and pissed at the world. However, due to the small town and her famously know (crazy) Grandpa she is pretty much placed into a group of friends that already know a lot about her. Of course there is a love brewing but I think the best relationship in this series is Roo and Parker! They have a love hate relationship with laugh out loud bantering. All the characters in this were awesome and true to life.
The historical romance and mystery was really smart and well told. I love that Miranda embraced her destiny and all her friends supported and believed her. Even Parker comes around due to his experience trying to rescue his friends.
All in all I loved this book and can't wait to read the next one so I can see the relationship between all these fabulous characters grow.
The historical romance and mystery was really smart and well told. I love that Miranda embraced her destiny and all her friends supported and believed her. Even Parker comes around due to his experience trying to rescue his friends.
All in all I loved this book and can't wait to read the next one so I can see the relationship between all these fabulous characters grow.
October 26, 2016
This is a fast paced ghost story. It is perfect for a scary evening. It was well written and I was drawn in from the start. Also if you love ghost stories with an Amercian Civil War theme, this story is for you.
March 5, 2009
Cusick, Richie Tankersley Walk of the Sprits pgs. 320 Puffin
Language~PG-13, Sexual Content~PG-13; Violence~PG-13
Miranda has just lived through a nightmare. A hurricane devastated her home in Florida, now homeless, she and her mother have moved to Louisiana to live with her Aunt Teeta and her grandfather. As part of a school project, Miranda and her friends need to research the history behind their town for a Ghost Walk. A Ghost Walk is a tour of an area with special interest in the stories of the past especially any haunting or ghost activity. Their investigation leads Miranda to discover an unnerving talent she has for communicating with the dead who need her help. This will not be very spooky for most teens that are familiar with Cirque du Freak type horror. One of Miranda’s friends uses a lot of sexual innuendo and uses coarse language, but no ‘f’s. This is a light-weight read and if your library has a high demand for ghost fiction (that’s not horrific) you may want to pick this up.
MS/HS –OPTIONAL. Allison Madsen~Teen Librarian-SJO Public Library
Language~PG-13, Sexual Content~PG-13; Violence~PG-13
Miranda has just lived through a nightmare. A hurricane devastated her home in Florida, now homeless, she and her mother have moved to Louisiana to live with her Aunt Teeta and her grandfather. As part of a school project, Miranda and her friends need to research the history behind their town for a Ghost Walk. A Ghost Walk is a tour of an area with special interest in the stories of the past especially any haunting or ghost activity. Their investigation leads Miranda to discover an unnerving talent she has for communicating with the dead who need her help. This will not be very spooky for most teens that are familiar with Cirque du Freak type horror. One of Miranda’s friends uses a lot of sexual innuendo and uses coarse language, but no ‘f’s. This is a light-weight read and if your library has a high demand for ghost fiction (that’s not horrific) you may want to pick this up.
MS/HS –OPTIONAL. Allison Madsen~Teen Librarian-SJO Public Library
October 31, 2008
I didn't realize until after I actually looked at the cover of this book that this author was someone I'd actually read before. She wrote a bunch of scary teen books that I read when I was younger. That being said...this book was not as scary as I remember her others being, but it was still spooky enough to fit my Halloween mood. However, the main character here, Miranda, was so incredibly obnoxious and did not change or evolve at all through the course of the novel. Some of the stuff that happens in this book is just too coincidental and irritating. And the ending was especially forced - she just needed to have the drama. However, it wasn't a total loss. I liked the plot device of a school project bringing about these events and some of the characters were rather enjoyable but it was very frustrating to see secondary characters progress more than the protagonist. Probably won't be revisiting her other works anytime soon.
February 1, 2009
It's got ghosts, weird relatives, and a hot french-speaking,cajun dude-what more is there to say?
February 8, 2009
OK story, but sometimes I felt the author was trying a little too hard.
Plus, the protagonist was a little annoying, even for a 17 year old!
Plus, the protagonist was a little annoying, even for a 17 year old!
September 9, 2018
I read the 2nd bk years ago, because my sister bought it not knowing it was part of a series. She read the first one after,& because of some upsetting things in it, told me I didn't have to read it, because it ruined book 2. So I went years w/o reading it,& was just in the mood this summer.
I didn't think Miranda's backstory was relatable in the slightest. Her & her mom lost everything in a hurricane. Her dad died the very day she found the pic of her grandpa& found out he was alive.
Moving to St. Yevette had all the dramatics a teen would show, but I just wasn't into it.
Fighting w/ her mom, not seeing the fortune they've had. At least she had a home to go to, unlike ppl living in shelters or having to move, or dying.
This was particularly dramatic: 'There's no way I can stay here. I'll die if I stay here.'
Things were too dramatic, her remembering the tragic past, whining about her friends. I just didn't feel sympathy for her& was rather annoyed. She kept zoning out, missing what ppl were saying. It became very repetitive & I was only 45 pgs in.
I was rlly disappointed in her 1st meeting w/ Etienne. I love first meetings in bks& I like them to be good. Literally running into him was disappointing to me.
I rlly didn't like Etienne smoking Roo's cigarette. Chain smoking is gross.
Roo was hypocritical judging Parker for drinkin when she smokes.
I love the history, how Acadians were expelled from Nova Scotia in the 18th century & resettled in Louisiana.
Apparently getting between cousins is popular. I just read that in The Vincent Boys.
We're barely introduced to Gage when we're told Roo has had sex w/ him & how he's amazing. This does not endear me to Gage, it turns me off. In the 2nd one I actually wanted her w/ Gage. He was therefore instantly ruined as a romantic interest here. Scratched him right off the list. It didn't even make sense for her to ask about Gage. Roo said him & Etienne were cousins, & then they were talking about how Etienne's dad beat him & then she all of a sudden asks if Roo's w/ Gage. It was so random. & it sounded like they went from friends to boom having sex once& that was it.
I know in the 2nd bk her grandpa wasn't alive, so I knew he was gonna die sometime in here. The way he was introduced was insane. I actually thought he was a ghost only Miranda could see.
He went from talking out of his mind to having moments of clarity. It was just bizarre the way Etienne & Gage were helping him in the house& then he stumbled his way up the stairs& into the house& shut the door like a zombie.
Etienne tells Miranda that her grandpa told him he'd know when she was hearing their voices. But he didn't say how. How would you know? You don't even know Miranda. Literally right after they met she asked if he had been talking to someone. Yes, I'd say you would know she's hearing things BECAUSE SHE TOLD YOU. But how else would he have known?
Her grandpa & Etienne kept talking about how Miranda would hear & see things, w/o saying what. It was annoying. What's the big secret? Just say ghosts. I mean the title is walk of the spirits.
They even joked how Gage & Roo were always together,& Gage looked weird w/o her by his side. They're clearly very close, too close. If he's written as a romantic interest, he shouldn't be that close to Roo. I wouldn't even wanna interfere w/ friends that close.
Teens don't talk like this:
'For the memory of her nightmare still clung to her.'
'For what else could she have done.'
'For Miranda could see them now.'
'For she knew the rights and the wrongs.'
'For she knew now why she'd listened so intently to Ashley and Parker..'
I thought her grandpa would die at the end of the bk, after they talked, gotten to know each other, after he taught her about his gift & what it meant to her, not so soon in the bk. I didn't like the author's choice to do that at all & it made me mad at her mom for never telling her of her grandpa & not letting them meet the whole week she'd been there.
Annoying dramatic writing:******
-'And those lifeless eyes staring, staring, all the suffering there, the hopelessness, the aching regrets...'
-'She could feel a warm rush starting through her, stirring her deepest instincts. Take your time. Trust yourself. She slipped into it so naturally, it was like breathing.'
-'And footsteps. No...HEAVIER than footsteps...Boots. String and solid, a bold walk, a man's boots...' It's still footsteps whether you have boots on or not.
The action started right out of the gate. She's already at school getting an assignment, thrust into the group project. I mean she said it herself, she's only known them 2 days. Her weird moments seeing & hearing ghosts & her grandpa dying after 2 days is heavy stuff. I would have liked an intro to the characters & back story before she started sensing spirits.
She was prickly, not happy her mom got the job, even though she asked when they'd be moving back & could get their own place. Not wanting to meet any of the town folk at the funeral. She was rude.
The story of Miranda's grandpa not letting her mom go to a carnival,& it turned out there was a rapist there who lured girls into the bathroom by telling them he was worried for his wife who's been in there for a while& asking if they'd check on her,& then threatening them w/ a knife was too mature to put in a YA book. Not to mention, scary as crap. That's a believable lie I would prob fall for. That's scarier than the ghosts are in here. Spirits don't usually get involved that much either. & why help Miranda's mom & aunt when spirits weren't helping the girls who were being raped?
Gage was telling her he'd been researching the town,& then he started talking about how you can never rlly know someone, even those closest to you, & then Miranda started talking about trusting your instincts &them being wrong. It was so random, it didn't have anything to do w/ haunted buildings. I mean, Gage didn't know his town before researching,& had no idea of the dark history there, but that's not the same as thinking you know someone but you don't.
Every time spirit shows up it's so dramatic: 'She was apart from everything--she was part of everything, he could see her--she was invisible, she suffered with him--she was at peace--helpless and trapped in the smoke and the fog and the downpour of rain and the earth running dark, dark crimson with blood...'
Ex. of how rude Miranda is: 'she didn't WANT to be part of their group. They'd forced her into it,& now everything was a mess. They were getting too close to her,& now her life was worse than ever.'
I was so mad at Etienne for telling the others that Miranda saw a ghost, especially w/o asking her 1st. It's not his gift to share. He has no remorse about it,& actually has the nerve to play the hero role, claiming he did it to help her from becoming like Jonas. You could still do that AFTER asking her 1st. That was a jerk move& I didn't rlly want everyone knowing, especially the insensitive Parker, & Roo, who I just don't like. It's not like all of them are supportive. The way they felt about her grandpa, calling him crazy & laughing at him, why would you tell them? Etienne said he thought they could help. Her grandpa said Etienne could help. I thought he must have been raised by someone who knew voodoo,& spirits & he knows all about it. He's all we'll follow clues, like it's Blue's Clues or something. Anyone could do that. Etienne was supposed to be special, like a guide.
Miranda didn't get mad enough w/ him,& of course she was actually relieved he had done it,& all is forgiven. They're all 'we're your friends & we'll help you.' Who's like that w/ someone they don't even know, have only known for two days? It would have been much more believable if they'd known each other for weeks or months. Would you just up & believe a new student's gift w/ ghosts & offer to help her after two days?
The parent-kid relationships weren't so good in here. Miranda's mom left & never spoke to her dad. Parker doesn't like either of his parents. Miranda wasn't really nice to her mom. Etienne had a dad who beat him.
The joke Roo made about Parker researching the courthouse where his dad is judge & maybe the curse of judge's hanging themselves will rub off on him wasn't funny.
They talk to Parker's mom about the rose opera house & it's supposed to be shocking there were a bunch of roses there& a singer named Ellena. And I'm like yeah...I thought so. I mean obviously someone had to be named Ellena cause the ghost gave her the rose to give to Elena. That wasn't a shocking moment. The watch chain being made of people's hair was a shock.
They were rude to Parker's mom. I know she isn't the best mom to him, but she seemed nice enough, if snobby. She was giving them good info & being helpful, so idk why everyone was so rude to her. Miranda barely listened to a thing she said. She may have been after her grandpa's civil war collection & other treasures he may have, but like she said, it shouldn't go to waste & not be appreciated. Miranda didn't even answer her& then Mrs. Wilmington went on talking about other things, w/o even getting a response.
It was really confusing how they were outside the building, Miranda leaning against it, then when the others show up she moves away from Etienne on the sidewalk. When were they on a sidewalk? & how did she look at a painting of Nathan through a window? & then Mrs. Wilmington was there, when she had been inside.
It became very repetitive how Miranda barely listened, Miranda only half listened, Miranda wasn't paying attention.
Later the whole group was sitting on the front porch & visitors were coming to pay their condolences & bring food & Miranda says they can walk around them. When ppl said words of comfort she didn't even bother to open her eyes. She nodded & mumbled politely to each comment. Let's picture that: her sitting there w/ her eyes closed while ppl talk to her,& the group is sitting there watching her, mumbling w/ her eyes closed. She knew ppl would prob talk about Aunt Teeta's rude niece but she couldn't care less. Because her problems are more important than a funeral.
Then there's the story of a guy killing his kid cousin & stuffing her in a tomb at the falls, which I also thought was too much for YA.
It was even worse when Parker made the sleeping together in the treehouse joke,& Ashley said it was only Gage, & that they love and respect him so much they wouldn't take advantage of him, apparently not knowing him & Roo slept together. Idt hinting at a threesome was appropriate either.
I really didn't appreciate the comment about how in the gentlemen's club they'd meet their mistresses upstairs,& when Parker said hookers, Ashley's like NOT prostitutes. They were mistresses& it wasn't just about sex. Um, that's what mistresses are. They're kept for sex. Sometimes even when the men are married. This is the bane of romance books, it utterly ruins them, so I hated the mention of them & how she actually stood up for them.
Idl that you have to put clues together & research these dead ppl. What if there's no info on them. It's very convenient these were in the papers, famous,& in pictures. How is it possible that a ghost can hand Miranda an object? How can a ghost hold an object?
She gets feelings like 'something...something...' feeling like she's close, or there's more she needs to find. How do you know there's more info to find?
The ghosts only show up in a place that Miranda happens to be that's significant to them. It's so annoying when the ghosts just repeat the same things. If you can talk, why not just have a conversation& tell her what you need done,& where to go. Rlly, if they want help, you'd think they'd be more helpful & forthcoming w/ info.
She accepted her power a lil quickly & easily,& wasn't scared to connect w/ ghosts,& very easily did it. She should have been trained by her grandpa & taught how to connect to them& how to go about getting info in order to help them.
They're talking, theorizing about Ellena, Travis & Nathan, when Parker says women are traitors. Miranda suddenly realizes Ellena was a Yankee spy. It was such a leap that you'd even make that connection based on one word like that, when you barely know anything about the ghosts,& you've only been guessing at everything.
When Etienne said everything they knew about Ellena fit the spy profile,& remember how she crossed enemy lines & loved traveling to the south, I had no idea what he was talking about.
Miranda tells Etienne that her grandpa said he should have told Etienne something but never did, that it was about the Nathan case.& idr her grandpa saying that.
She recalls things ppl & ghosts said that idr.
"I've had a lotta girls talk me into their bedrooms, but this is the first time I've heard that excuse." I rlly hate comments like that.
I was hoping for something in here, but their kiss was so random, I can't believe it even happened. They're sitting on her bed, talking about Nathan & his connection to her house, & Etienne noticed she's tense& kisses her. It was like he was just trying to get her to relax. & I hated that they've only known each other for days. And then he says it's good, cher,& next time it'll be even better" which was an odd thing to say.
The next morning Etienne & Gage are there for breakfast,& she says Etienne screams Guaranteed Heartbreak, which was surprising cause she's never had a thought like that & then says there's Gage w/ his face & smile& brown eyes. 'And especially since Roo's candid confession--"he was amazing"--how could a girl not imagine other secrets behind the shyness?' I would be turned off by that comment, not fantasizing about it.
All her grandpa says is "listen, Miranda...watch..." Can't anyone give a good message?
I liked the story, the truth of Nathan, Ellena & Travis. He knew by Nathan's watch chain that it was Ellena's red hair,& how after capture & torture Nathan never betrayed her.
Some things were taken too far, like Parker not being lucky enough for Roo to be dead& when Ashley said Roo has always been smarter & would never date a guy like Parker.
Gage wouldn't let Roo go alone, saying she always thinks better with him around.
When Roo asks if Gage is going to die,& Parker says "& leave you? Not a chance."
The author wrote them like a romantic couple.
"Surreal, like a dream--age-old instincts of love and survival, guiding them, giving them strength.' What does that have to do w/ helping someone out from under a tree? & age old instincts of love? What does that even mean?
'Miranda was distinctly aware of two things. Gage screaming in agony. And the world turning red with his blood.' That is really dramatic. The entire world isn't turning red.
'And once again it was as if somehow, instinctively, they all knew what to do.' How do you know how to take care of someone w/ an injury?
It was weird when Parker said one too sick, two too tired,& one too damn cute to go get help, meaning Miranda.
Ashley tells Roo to tell Etienne not to swim for help, that he'd listen to her. Roo is just close to everyone.
I was surprised Ashley said she was mean to Parker,& wasn't as nice as she should be, because I noticed that from the beginning.
'Her wide dark eyes caressed & scolded him. His eyes teased back & adored her.' This was weird. It's his mom.
I thought it was so sweet how Parker tucked Ashely & Miranda in his jacket, protecting them from the storm & when he offered to swim for help. It was sad Parker basically knew he was expendable, like the team couldn't live w/o Etienne, but they could w/o him. I thought the storm would change everything, Ashley would be nicer to him& Roo wouldn't pick as much. But no, the next page Ashley's back to getting onto him& being irritated& the joking between Roo & Parker was the same.
I rlly didn't like how after meeting Etienne's mom,& her ushering them to safety, the next page doesn't flash to the hospital but to them talking about their project. It skipped over Gage in the hospital & 3 whole weeks.
'So close...but not there yet...' She has these thoughts, idk if they're impressions, what someone's telling her or what she just thinks herself.
I didn't think it was nice how Roo told Gage he cried when the tree broke his leg.
The story where Parker got lost getting help& someone helped him up,& a woman talking & singing, who called him Nathan was rlly something.
Some things were oddly familiar, like the storm & Gage being hurt & Parker telling Miranda what rlly happened.
Miranda says she wants Parker to take her home &he says it's sudden,& they barely know each other,& he has a gf & high moral standards, but sure he'll take her home,& I didn't think that was funny at all,& when she says her home, he's like oh! Hayes house, you didn't think I meant I wanted to--I was jk! And I didn't know if he had joked about the whole thing, or if he'd been serious before& only joked to cover it up. When he drops her off & she doesn't get out of the car, he's like let me guess, you rlly do want to go home with me, you're only playing hard to get. It seemed like he meant everything. That is not ok,& Ashley doesn't deserve a bf like that, who teases w/ other girls like that. Also how earlier he winked at her& said she's too damn cute to go get help. Parker wasn't a good character there. & Miranda doesn't need three guys finding her attractive.
When Gage tells Roo she's the reason he's on crutches, instead of feeling guilty she says she told Miranda they had sex. I hated hearing that twice. & Etienne saying it's valuable info because girls at school will pay a lotta money to see if Gage has other dimples.
Sometimes someone would make a joke & the author didn't write a response for any of the characters. Roo says some conquests are easier than others, especially those with primitive brains& Etienne asks if she's talking about Parker or him & Gage too,& the next line is about the tour.
The tour was sort of rushed. I wanted to hear the script & all the locations they were at.
I couldn't believe Miranda waited until the tour was under way to pull out the watch & chain, surprising her friends. She should have told them in private. She says she'll keep Nathan's & Ellena's secret forever, & then goes & shows the watch. However it was cool because the group didn't know what it was.
It should have showed Nathan & Ellena together, finally at peace. That was really disappointing & I find it hard to believe that just connecting the chain & watch would give them peace.
I thought the ending would be w/ her & the others, or w/ Etienne. Based on this I'm surprised there was 2 bks.
Toward the end I suddenly realized idk what color eyes or hair Miranda had. Idt the author once described her appearance. That's a huge oversight.
It was repetitive every time she'd talk about ghosts, someone/the group would listen attentively, look interested, listen closely, look intrigued.
Miranda complained in the beginning, then never said anymore about wanting to move& a month later on the ghost walk she's remembering how she wanted to leave. It should have been a gradual change.
I wanted more Lousiana/Cajun culture. Besides cher & merde Etienne didn't use any other Cajun words. She should have explored the town more, go on Etienne's swamp tours.
I thought Etienne had a connection to ghosts/voodoo culture by a relative & knew about that world. But no, her grandpa just trusted Miranda w/ a teenage boy who shares some secret w/ him which I dr.
It was hard to picture what the town looked like. I only got a vague image.
In the 2nd bk I remember rlly liking the group of friends & wishing I had friends like that! I didn't feel that way here. The ridiculously short time frame ruined the bk.
I didn't think Miranda's backstory was relatable in the slightest. Her & her mom lost everything in a hurricane. Her dad died the very day she found the pic of her grandpa& found out he was alive.
Moving to St. Yevette had all the dramatics a teen would show, but I just wasn't into it.
Fighting w/ her mom, not seeing the fortune they've had. At least she had a home to go to, unlike ppl living in shelters or having to move, or dying.
This was particularly dramatic: 'There's no way I can stay here. I'll die if I stay here.'
Things were too dramatic, her remembering the tragic past, whining about her friends. I just didn't feel sympathy for her& was rather annoyed. She kept zoning out, missing what ppl were saying. It became very repetitive & I was only 45 pgs in.
I was rlly disappointed in her 1st meeting w/ Etienne. I love first meetings in bks& I like them to be good. Literally running into him was disappointing to me.
I rlly didn't like Etienne smoking Roo's cigarette. Chain smoking is gross.
Roo was hypocritical judging Parker for drinkin when she smokes.
I love the history, how Acadians were expelled from Nova Scotia in the 18th century & resettled in Louisiana.
Apparently getting between cousins is popular. I just read that in The Vincent Boys.
We're barely introduced to Gage when we're told Roo has had sex w/ him & how he's amazing. This does not endear me to Gage, it turns me off. In the 2nd one I actually wanted her w/ Gage. He was therefore instantly ruined as a romantic interest here. Scratched him right off the list. It didn't even make sense for her to ask about Gage. Roo said him & Etienne were cousins, & then they were talking about how Etienne's dad beat him & then she all of a sudden asks if Roo's w/ Gage. It was so random. & it sounded like they went from friends to boom having sex once& that was it.
I know in the 2nd bk her grandpa wasn't alive, so I knew he was gonna die sometime in here. The way he was introduced was insane. I actually thought he was a ghost only Miranda could see.
He went from talking out of his mind to having moments of clarity. It was just bizarre the way Etienne & Gage were helping him in the house& then he stumbled his way up the stairs& into the house& shut the door like a zombie.
Etienne tells Miranda that her grandpa told him he'd know when she was hearing their voices. But he didn't say how. How would you know? You don't even know Miranda. Literally right after they met she asked if he had been talking to someone. Yes, I'd say you would know she's hearing things BECAUSE SHE TOLD YOU. But how else would he have known?
Her grandpa & Etienne kept talking about how Miranda would hear & see things, w/o saying what. It was annoying. What's the big secret? Just say ghosts. I mean the title is walk of the spirits.
They even joked how Gage & Roo were always together,& Gage looked weird w/o her by his side. They're clearly very close, too close. If he's written as a romantic interest, he shouldn't be that close to Roo. I wouldn't even wanna interfere w/ friends that close.
Teens don't talk like this:
'For the memory of her nightmare still clung to her.'
'For what else could she have done.'
'For Miranda could see them now.'
'For she knew the rights and the wrongs.'
'For she knew now why she'd listened so intently to Ashley and Parker..'
I thought her grandpa would die at the end of the bk, after they talked, gotten to know each other, after he taught her about his gift & what it meant to her, not so soon in the bk. I didn't like the author's choice to do that at all & it made me mad at her mom for never telling her of her grandpa & not letting them meet the whole week she'd been there.
Annoying dramatic writing:******
-'And those lifeless eyes staring, staring, all the suffering there, the hopelessness, the aching regrets...'
-'She could feel a warm rush starting through her, stirring her deepest instincts. Take your time. Trust yourself. She slipped into it so naturally, it was like breathing.'
-'And footsteps. No...HEAVIER than footsteps...Boots. String and solid, a bold walk, a man's boots...' It's still footsteps whether you have boots on or not.
The action started right out of the gate. She's already at school getting an assignment, thrust into the group project. I mean she said it herself, she's only known them 2 days. Her weird moments seeing & hearing ghosts & her grandpa dying after 2 days is heavy stuff. I would have liked an intro to the characters & back story before she started sensing spirits.
She was prickly, not happy her mom got the job, even though she asked when they'd be moving back & could get their own place. Not wanting to meet any of the town folk at the funeral. She was rude.
The story of Miranda's grandpa not letting her mom go to a carnival,& it turned out there was a rapist there who lured girls into the bathroom by telling them he was worried for his wife who's been in there for a while& asking if they'd check on her,& then threatening them w/ a knife was too mature to put in a YA book. Not to mention, scary as crap. That's a believable lie I would prob fall for. That's scarier than the ghosts are in here. Spirits don't usually get involved that much either. & why help Miranda's mom & aunt when spirits weren't helping the girls who were being raped?
Gage was telling her he'd been researching the town,& then he started talking about how you can never rlly know someone, even those closest to you, & then Miranda started talking about trusting your instincts &them being wrong. It was so random, it didn't have anything to do w/ haunted buildings. I mean, Gage didn't know his town before researching,& had no idea of the dark history there, but that's not the same as thinking you know someone but you don't.
Every time spirit shows up it's so dramatic: 'She was apart from everything--she was part of everything, he could see her--she was invisible, she suffered with him--she was at peace--helpless and trapped in the smoke and the fog and the downpour of rain and the earth running dark, dark crimson with blood...'
Ex. of how rude Miranda is: 'she didn't WANT to be part of their group. They'd forced her into it,& now everything was a mess. They were getting too close to her,& now her life was worse than ever.'
I was so mad at Etienne for telling the others that Miranda saw a ghost, especially w/o asking her 1st. It's not his gift to share. He has no remorse about it,& actually has the nerve to play the hero role, claiming he did it to help her from becoming like Jonas. You could still do that AFTER asking her 1st. That was a jerk move& I didn't rlly want everyone knowing, especially the insensitive Parker, & Roo, who I just don't like. It's not like all of them are supportive. The way they felt about her grandpa, calling him crazy & laughing at him, why would you tell them? Etienne said he thought they could help. Her grandpa said Etienne could help. I thought he must have been raised by someone who knew voodoo,& spirits & he knows all about it. He's all we'll follow clues, like it's Blue's Clues or something. Anyone could do that. Etienne was supposed to be special, like a guide.
Miranda didn't get mad enough w/ him,& of course she was actually relieved he had done it,& all is forgiven. They're all 'we're your friends & we'll help you.' Who's like that w/ someone they don't even know, have only known for two days? It would have been much more believable if they'd known each other for weeks or months. Would you just up & believe a new student's gift w/ ghosts & offer to help her after two days?
The parent-kid relationships weren't so good in here. Miranda's mom left & never spoke to her dad. Parker doesn't like either of his parents. Miranda wasn't really nice to her mom. Etienne had a dad who beat him.
The joke Roo made about Parker researching the courthouse where his dad is judge & maybe the curse of judge's hanging themselves will rub off on him wasn't funny.
They talk to Parker's mom about the rose opera house & it's supposed to be shocking there were a bunch of roses there& a singer named Ellena. And I'm like yeah...I thought so. I mean obviously someone had to be named Ellena cause the ghost gave her the rose to give to Elena. That wasn't a shocking moment. The watch chain being made of people's hair was a shock.
They were rude to Parker's mom. I know she isn't the best mom to him, but she seemed nice enough, if snobby. She was giving them good info & being helpful, so idk why everyone was so rude to her. Miranda barely listened to a thing she said. She may have been after her grandpa's civil war collection & other treasures he may have, but like she said, it shouldn't go to waste & not be appreciated. Miranda didn't even answer her& then Mrs. Wilmington went on talking about other things, w/o even getting a response.
It was really confusing how they were outside the building, Miranda leaning against it, then when the others show up she moves away from Etienne on the sidewalk. When were they on a sidewalk? & how did she look at a painting of Nathan through a window? & then Mrs. Wilmington was there, when she had been inside.
It became very repetitive how Miranda barely listened, Miranda only half listened, Miranda wasn't paying attention.
Later the whole group was sitting on the front porch & visitors were coming to pay their condolences & bring food & Miranda says they can walk around them. When ppl said words of comfort she didn't even bother to open her eyes. She nodded & mumbled politely to each comment. Let's picture that: her sitting there w/ her eyes closed while ppl talk to her,& the group is sitting there watching her, mumbling w/ her eyes closed. She knew ppl would prob talk about Aunt Teeta's rude niece but she couldn't care less. Because her problems are more important than a funeral.
Then there's the story of a guy killing his kid cousin & stuffing her in a tomb at the falls, which I also thought was too much for YA.
It was even worse when Parker made the sleeping together in the treehouse joke,& Ashley said it was only Gage, & that they love and respect him so much they wouldn't take advantage of him, apparently not knowing him & Roo slept together. Idt hinting at a threesome was appropriate either.
I really didn't appreciate the comment about how in the gentlemen's club they'd meet their mistresses upstairs,& when Parker said hookers, Ashley's like NOT prostitutes. They were mistresses& it wasn't just about sex. Um, that's what mistresses are. They're kept for sex. Sometimes even when the men are married. This is the bane of romance books, it utterly ruins them, so I hated the mention of them & how she actually stood up for them.
Idl that you have to put clues together & research these dead ppl. What if there's no info on them. It's very convenient these were in the papers, famous,& in pictures. How is it possible that a ghost can hand Miranda an object? How can a ghost hold an object?
She gets feelings like 'something...something...' feeling like she's close, or there's more she needs to find. How do you know there's more info to find?
The ghosts only show up in a place that Miranda happens to be that's significant to them. It's so annoying when the ghosts just repeat the same things. If you can talk, why not just have a conversation& tell her what you need done,& where to go. Rlly, if they want help, you'd think they'd be more helpful & forthcoming w/ info.
She accepted her power a lil quickly & easily,& wasn't scared to connect w/ ghosts,& very easily did it. She should have been trained by her grandpa & taught how to connect to them& how to go about getting info in order to help them.
They're talking, theorizing about Ellena, Travis & Nathan, when Parker says women are traitors. Miranda suddenly realizes Ellena was a Yankee spy. It was such a leap that you'd even make that connection based on one word like that, when you barely know anything about the ghosts,& you've only been guessing at everything.
When Etienne said everything they knew about Ellena fit the spy profile,& remember how she crossed enemy lines & loved traveling to the south, I had no idea what he was talking about.
Miranda tells Etienne that her grandpa said he should have told Etienne something but never did, that it was about the Nathan case.& idr her grandpa saying that.
She recalls things ppl & ghosts said that idr.
"I've had a lotta girls talk me into their bedrooms, but this is the first time I've heard that excuse." I rlly hate comments like that.
I was hoping for something in here, but their kiss was so random, I can't believe it even happened. They're sitting on her bed, talking about Nathan & his connection to her house, & Etienne noticed she's tense& kisses her. It was like he was just trying to get her to relax. & I hated that they've only known each other for days. And then he says it's good, cher,& next time it'll be even better" which was an odd thing to say.
The next morning Etienne & Gage are there for breakfast,& she says Etienne screams Guaranteed Heartbreak, which was surprising cause she's never had a thought like that & then says there's Gage w/ his face & smile& brown eyes. 'And especially since Roo's candid confession--"he was amazing"--how could a girl not imagine other secrets behind the shyness?' I would be turned off by that comment, not fantasizing about it.
All her grandpa says is "listen, Miranda...watch..." Can't anyone give a good message?
I liked the story, the truth of Nathan, Ellena & Travis. He knew by Nathan's watch chain that it was Ellena's red hair,& how after capture & torture Nathan never betrayed her.
Some things were taken too far, like Parker not being lucky enough for Roo to be dead& when Ashley said Roo has always been smarter & would never date a guy like Parker.
Gage wouldn't let Roo go alone, saying she always thinks better with him around.
When Roo asks if Gage is going to die,& Parker says "& leave you? Not a chance."
The author wrote them like a romantic couple.
"Surreal, like a dream--age-old instincts of love and survival, guiding them, giving them strength.' What does that have to do w/ helping someone out from under a tree? & age old instincts of love? What does that even mean?
'Miranda was distinctly aware of two things. Gage screaming in agony. And the world turning red with his blood.' That is really dramatic. The entire world isn't turning red.
'And once again it was as if somehow, instinctively, they all knew what to do.' How do you know how to take care of someone w/ an injury?
It was weird when Parker said one too sick, two too tired,& one too damn cute to go get help, meaning Miranda.
Ashley tells Roo to tell Etienne not to swim for help, that he'd listen to her. Roo is just close to everyone.
I was surprised Ashley said she was mean to Parker,& wasn't as nice as she should be, because I noticed that from the beginning.
'Her wide dark eyes caressed & scolded him. His eyes teased back & adored her.' This was weird. It's his mom.
I thought it was so sweet how Parker tucked Ashely & Miranda in his jacket, protecting them from the storm & when he offered to swim for help. It was sad Parker basically knew he was expendable, like the team couldn't live w/o Etienne, but they could w/o him. I thought the storm would change everything, Ashley would be nicer to him& Roo wouldn't pick as much. But no, the next page Ashley's back to getting onto him& being irritated& the joking between Roo & Parker was the same.
I rlly didn't like how after meeting Etienne's mom,& her ushering them to safety, the next page doesn't flash to the hospital but to them talking about their project. It skipped over Gage in the hospital & 3 whole weeks.
'So close...but not there yet...' She has these thoughts, idk if they're impressions, what someone's telling her or what she just thinks herself.
I didn't think it was nice how Roo told Gage he cried when the tree broke his leg.
The story where Parker got lost getting help& someone helped him up,& a woman talking & singing, who called him Nathan was rlly something.
Some things were oddly familiar, like the storm & Gage being hurt & Parker telling Miranda what rlly happened.
Miranda says she wants Parker to take her home &he says it's sudden,& they barely know each other,& he has a gf & high moral standards, but sure he'll take her home,& I didn't think that was funny at all,& when she says her home, he's like oh! Hayes house, you didn't think I meant I wanted to--I was jk! And I didn't know if he had joked about the whole thing, or if he'd been serious before& only joked to cover it up. When he drops her off & she doesn't get out of the car, he's like let me guess, you rlly do want to go home with me, you're only playing hard to get. It seemed like he meant everything. That is not ok,& Ashley doesn't deserve a bf like that, who teases w/ other girls like that. Also how earlier he winked at her& said she's too damn cute to go get help. Parker wasn't a good character there. & Miranda doesn't need three guys finding her attractive.
When Gage tells Roo she's the reason he's on crutches, instead of feeling guilty she says she told Miranda they had sex. I hated hearing that twice. & Etienne saying it's valuable info because girls at school will pay a lotta money to see if Gage has other dimples.
Sometimes someone would make a joke & the author didn't write a response for any of the characters. Roo says some conquests are easier than others, especially those with primitive brains& Etienne asks if she's talking about Parker or him & Gage too,& the next line is about the tour.
The tour was sort of rushed. I wanted to hear the script & all the locations they were at.
I couldn't believe Miranda waited until the tour was under way to pull out the watch & chain, surprising her friends. She should have told them in private. She says she'll keep Nathan's & Ellena's secret forever, & then goes & shows the watch. However it was cool because the group didn't know what it was.
It should have showed Nathan & Ellena together, finally at peace. That was really disappointing & I find it hard to believe that just connecting the chain & watch would give them peace.
I thought the ending would be w/ her & the others, or w/ Etienne. Based on this I'm surprised there was 2 bks.
Toward the end I suddenly realized idk what color eyes or hair Miranda had. Idt the author once described her appearance. That's a huge oversight.
It was repetitive every time she'd talk about ghosts, someone/the group would listen attentively, look interested, listen closely, look intrigued.
Miranda complained in the beginning, then never said anymore about wanting to move& a month later on the ghost walk she's remembering how she wanted to leave. It should have been a gradual change.
I wanted more Lousiana/Cajun culture. Besides cher & merde Etienne didn't use any other Cajun words. She should have explored the town more, go on Etienne's swamp tours.
I thought Etienne had a connection to ghosts/voodoo culture by a relative & knew about that world. But no, her grandpa just trusted Miranda w/ a teenage boy who shares some secret w/ him which I dr.
It was hard to picture what the town looked like. I only got a vague image.
In the 2nd bk I remember rlly liking the group of friends & wishing I had friends like that! I didn't feel that way here. The ridiculously short time frame ruined the bk.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2012
I love books about ghosts, and Miranda's ability to talk to them and help them was cool. The humor in here was great. I love that kind of sarcastic, dry, witty humor.
The main characters are just not my kind of people. Roo was always somber and depressing, what with her morbid fascination with death and anything remotely dark. She was always taking a drag from cigarettes, and Etienne was always chain smoking with her. I just didn’t go for it. The way she talked about him, saying he was hot and joking around like “Is that your screwdriver or are you just happy to see me?” I just thought it was kind of tacky the way they joked around when apparently nothing was there.
Roo just drops bombs one right after the other when she barely even knows Miranda, like spilling that Etienne’s dad beat him and his mom and that Parker doesn’t like his mom or dad, and when she said that she and Gage had had sex once but decided not to ruin a good friendship I was just disgusted.
It just didn’t fit. You introduce a character that is sweet and kind and SHY; he’s blushing at everything and gets embarrassed easily, which was very cute, and then you turn around and say that he had sex with his neighbor, when it sounds like they didn’t really like each other like that, it just doesn’t add up. I was definitely disappointed in Gage, because the character I read about in Shadow Mirror didn’t compute with this guy trying out sex with his neighbor. It seemed like they just did it because it was convenient.
Gage and Roo seemed pretty close as the book went on. It kind of seemed like there was a little something going on there. Gage helped her into the truck; Roo would take his food and he wouldn’t mind; He told her she should quit smoking as if he cared about her welfare; They would be out walking alone together, and talking to each other. Gage insists on going to The Falls, because “she thinks better when he’s around.” Roo is scared after he gets hurt, Gage asks about her when he regains consciousness, everyone is being nice to Roo because she’s upset about Gage. Parker would be joking around with Miranda about sleeping together, and I wasn’t too sure if he was joking or serious. Gage said that Ashley looked beautiful in her dress. And I just got the weird sense that everyone liked everyone else, like there was this weird circle of infatuation that didn’t end.
“And especially since Roo’s candid confession—“He was AMAZING”—how could a girl NOT imagine other secrets behind the shyness?”
Why would you be interested in him after some other girl has already tried him out and says he’s amazing?
And Miranda, instead of being disgusted by that fact and wanting to stay away from him, she’s actually intrigued by it. She seems to remember that statement with fondness.
That comment was just eating me up inside, and finally, FINALLY, at the very end someone brings it up again, and what happens? Roo just up and says out of the clear blue sky to Gage in front of the whole group that she told Miranda they had sex once. I’m not sure if she was trying to keep them from getting together, or what the heck the purpose of that was, but I was DISGUSTED. Then Gage, instead of denying it like I was hoping he would, he just stammers and blushes. Good ‘ol sweat, unsuspecting Gage, always getting embarrassed.
Then we have a little love triangle going on, because there’s not one, but TWO potential guys for Miranda to choose. And one is just as bad as the other. We’ve got Etienne, the lady’s man, charming every girl in St. Yvette and carrying around quite the reputation, what with girls apparently telling him everything.
“Look, if we go in the front, they’ll both want to fuss over you, and we won’t have any privacy, and I can’t mention ghosts and weird things in front of them.”
“You know, cher, I’ve had a lotta girls talk me into their bedrooms, but this is the first time I’ve heard THAT excuse.”
That statement would be such a turn-off for me, but ‘ol Miranda doesn’t seem to mind it at all.
Miranda’s always going on about how cute Gage is, pointing out his dimples and enjoying his embarrassment, yet she kisses Etienne and is kind of sending mixed messages. Etienne is the mysterious guy with dark good looks that’s exciting and a little dangerous, and with every book on the face of the earth, authors think because of that he has to have this sordid reputation to go along with it.
I do NOT go for love triangles. The main character gets one guy, end of story. There shouldn’t be two guys.
Etienne was supposed to be her little helper with the ghost stuff, because he apparently helped her grandpa and her grandpa told him to help her out. That led me to believe that there was actually a concrete, solid method of helping that he would have, but he really didn’t do anything more than the others did. Anyone could have filled that role.
The other characters outshine Miranda by far. They’re always joking and cutting up, and they each have distinct personalities, while Miranda doesn’t really have any kind of personality at all. I think the author was so caught up with developing the others that she forgot all about Miranda, who had no sense of humor, no nothing that would define her as a person at all. I don’t really even know what to say about her, because she’s so vague as a character. And the main character of a book shouldn’t be vague at all.
She can’t do anything by herself; she confides everything in the group instead of dealing with it by herself. She first shares things with Etienne, and he spills it to the group. She’s initially hurt and angry by the betrayal, but she gets over it in like 2 seconds.
I didn’t get a real sense of St. Yvette. Like, I got that it was a small town with secrets, and that there were a lot of graveyards, but beyond that, I really didn’t get a whole lot. I found it hard to visualize things, such as the buildings and The Fall. I couldn’t really picture it in my mind, probably due to inadequate descriptions.
The main characters are just not my kind of people. Roo was always somber and depressing, what with her morbid fascination with death and anything remotely dark. She was always taking a drag from cigarettes, and Etienne was always chain smoking with her. I just didn’t go for it. The way she talked about him, saying he was hot and joking around like “Is that your screwdriver or are you just happy to see me?” I just thought it was kind of tacky the way they joked around when apparently nothing was there.
Roo just drops bombs one right after the other when she barely even knows Miranda, like spilling that Etienne’s dad beat him and his mom and that Parker doesn’t like his mom or dad, and when she said that she and Gage had had sex once but decided not to ruin a good friendship I was just disgusted.
It just didn’t fit. You introduce a character that is sweet and kind and SHY; he’s blushing at everything and gets embarrassed easily, which was very cute, and then you turn around and say that he had sex with his neighbor, when it sounds like they didn’t really like each other like that, it just doesn’t add up. I was definitely disappointed in Gage, because the character I read about in Shadow Mirror didn’t compute with this guy trying out sex with his neighbor. It seemed like they just did it because it was convenient.
Gage and Roo seemed pretty close as the book went on. It kind of seemed like there was a little something going on there. Gage helped her into the truck; Roo would take his food and he wouldn’t mind; He told her she should quit smoking as if he cared about her welfare; They would be out walking alone together, and talking to each other. Gage insists on going to The Falls, because “she thinks better when he’s around.” Roo is scared after he gets hurt, Gage asks about her when he regains consciousness, everyone is being nice to Roo because she’s upset about Gage. Parker would be joking around with Miranda about sleeping together, and I wasn’t too sure if he was joking or serious. Gage said that Ashley looked beautiful in her dress. And I just got the weird sense that everyone liked everyone else, like there was this weird circle of infatuation that didn’t end.
“And especially since Roo’s candid confession—“He was AMAZING”—how could a girl NOT imagine other secrets behind the shyness?”
Why would you be interested in him after some other girl has already tried him out and says he’s amazing?
And Miranda, instead of being disgusted by that fact and wanting to stay away from him, she’s actually intrigued by it. She seems to remember that statement with fondness.
That comment was just eating me up inside, and finally, FINALLY, at the very end someone brings it up again, and what happens? Roo just up and says out of the clear blue sky to Gage in front of the whole group that she told Miranda they had sex once. I’m not sure if she was trying to keep them from getting together, or what the heck the purpose of that was, but I was DISGUSTED. Then Gage, instead of denying it like I was hoping he would, he just stammers and blushes. Good ‘ol sweat, unsuspecting Gage, always getting embarrassed.
Then we have a little love triangle going on, because there’s not one, but TWO potential guys for Miranda to choose. And one is just as bad as the other. We’ve got Etienne, the lady’s man, charming every girl in St. Yvette and carrying around quite the reputation, what with girls apparently telling him everything.
“Look, if we go in the front, they’ll both want to fuss over you, and we won’t have any privacy, and I can’t mention ghosts and weird things in front of them.”
“You know, cher, I’ve had a lotta girls talk me into their bedrooms, but this is the first time I’ve heard THAT excuse.”
That statement would be such a turn-off for me, but ‘ol Miranda doesn’t seem to mind it at all.
Miranda’s always going on about how cute Gage is, pointing out his dimples and enjoying his embarrassment, yet she kisses Etienne and is kind of sending mixed messages. Etienne is the mysterious guy with dark good looks that’s exciting and a little dangerous, and with every book on the face of the earth, authors think because of that he has to have this sordid reputation to go along with it.
I do NOT go for love triangles. The main character gets one guy, end of story. There shouldn’t be two guys.
Etienne was supposed to be her little helper with the ghost stuff, because he apparently helped her grandpa and her grandpa told him to help her out. That led me to believe that there was actually a concrete, solid method of helping that he would have, but he really didn’t do anything more than the others did. Anyone could have filled that role.
The other characters outshine Miranda by far. They’re always joking and cutting up, and they each have distinct personalities, while Miranda doesn’t really have any kind of personality at all. I think the author was so caught up with developing the others that she forgot all about Miranda, who had no sense of humor, no nothing that would define her as a person at all. I don’t really even know what to say about her, because she’s so vague as a character. And the main character of a book shouldn’t be vague at all.
She can’t do anything by herself; she confides everything in the group instead of dealing with it by herself. She first shares things with Etienne, and he spills it to the group. She’s initially hurt and angry by the betrayal, but she gets over it in like 2 seconds.
I didn’t get a real sense of St. Yvette. Like, I got that it was a small town with secrets, and that there were a lot of graveyards, but beyond that, I really didn’t get a whole lot. I found it hard to visualize things, such as the buildings and The Fall. I couldn’t really picture it in my mind, probably due to inadequate descriptions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2018
This book is a bit supernatural and a bit spiritual, depending on how you look at things. I liked it because I also write a lot of books in this genre. Meet Miranda Barnes, a woman who has a special gift. Her grandfather had the same talent of being able to communicate with those who have passed on. I liked the story and the feel of this book and will be looking for more by this author.
May 30, 2013
There's nothing I love more than a good paranormal story but Walk of the Spirits is quite possibly the most predictable book I've ever read. My first and biggest problem with it is the characters. They were so annoying and painfully stereotypical. Parker, the smartass athlete who drinks a lot and hates his parents. Roo,the misfit. Ashley, the preppy perfect cheerleader type. Gage, the irresistible one and Etienne, who always comes to everyone's rescue. Last but not least is the main character Miranda who just moved to town and is extremely whiny and bitchy about wanting to be left alone. Gag.
The story starts out surrounding the mystery of Miranda's eccentric grandfather who everyone seems to know as the crazy in town but even though she lives in the same house, Miranda's mother has forbidden her to meet him for this very reason. At the same time, the group of friends is assigned a project in school to study the history of their town. As Miranda starts to have visions and see ghostly figures, she begins to want to know more about her grandfather. Maybe craziness runs in the family or maybe there's something deeper going on. After her grandfather's untimely death, Miranda begins to confide in her friends and they are able to incorporate Miranda's knowledge with the research they're doing for their project. Even as the story's coming together, I couldn't help but feel much of it was under developed.In my opinion, almost ever other ghost story on the walk of the spirits was more interesting than the one of Nathan and Ellena's affair.
This book wasn't the worst thing I've ever read but there certainly wasn't anything special or different about it that made it stick out from anything else. If you're not just getting started in the paranormal genre, I wouldn't recommend it.
The story starts out surrounding the mystery of Miranda's eccentric grandfather who everyone seems to know as the crazy in town but even though she lives in the same house, Miranda's mother has forbidden her to meet him for this very reason. At the same time, the group of friends is assigned a project in school to study the history of their town. As Miranda starts to have visions and see ghostly figures, she begins to want to know more about her grandfather. Maybe craziness runs in the family or maybe there's something deeper going on. After her grandfather's untimely death, Miranda begins to confide in her friends and they are able to incorporate Miranda's knowledge with the research they're doing for their project. Even as the story's coming together, I couldn't help but feel much of it was under developed.In my opinion, almost ever other ghost story on the walk of the spirits was more interesting than the one of Nathan and Ellena's affair.
This book wasn't the worst thing I've ever read but there certainly wasn't anything special or different about it that made it stick out from anything else. If you're not just getting started in the paranormal genre, I wouldn't recommend it.
February 26, 2016
Well, shucks...
Walk of the Spirits seemed like such a promising read based on the blurb, but it ended up being a pretty darn big disappointment. The setting is described in the blurb as: "sleepy St. Yvette, Louisiana, with its moss-draped trees and aboveground cemeteries". Sadly, that seemed to be the most atmospheric description offered anywhere in the book, and that made me sad. I freaking love books and movies set in Louisiana amongst the old cemeteries, bayous, and Civil War-era mansions. I hate being told that a story is taking place somewhere like that... I want to be shown so that it feels like I'm there.
I should have loved this book due to the fact that it is set in a historic Louisiana town full of ghosts, such as the spirits of a fallen Confederate soldier and his lantern-carrying lover searching for him in the bayou. The main character is even a teenage girl with psychic-medium abilities and there was potential for a little romance to develop with some pretty likable characters. Does this not sound like my kind of book!? Absolutely, sign me up!
Unfortunately, what it comes down to is that this was not my kind of writing. I found it to be flat and lacking in detail and atmosphere.
☆☆☆
Giving three stars instead of two, simply because I still love the idea of this book.
Walk of the Spirits seemed like such a promising read based on the blurb, but it ended up being a pretty darn big disappointment. The setting is described in the blurb as: "sleepy St. Yvette, Louisiana, with its moss-draped trees and aboveground cemeteries". Sadly, that seemed to be the most atmospheric description offered anywhere in the book, and that made me sad. I freaking love books and movies set in Louisiana amongst the old cemeteries, bayous, and Civil War-era mansions. I hate being told that a story is taking place somewhere like that... I want to be shown so that it feels like I'm there.
I should have loved this book due to the fact that it is set in a historic Louisiana town full of ghosts, such as the spirits of a fallen Confederate soldier and his lantern-carrying lover searching for him in the bayou. The main character is even a teenage girl with psychic-medium abilities and there was potential for a little romance to develop with some pretty likable characters. Does this not sound like my kind of book!? Absolutely, sign me up!
Unfortunately, what it comes down to is that this was not my kind of writing. I found it to be flat and lacking in detail and atmosphere.
☆☆☆
Giving three stars instead of two, simply because I still love the idea of this book.
January 25, 2011
It was a very good book, I gave it 5 stars because I liked the story outline. The book is about a girl named Miranda,she is forced to move to her mothers hometown after an unfortunate hurricane hit her miami home. There she meets new friend Ashley, Parker, Roo, Gage, and Etienne who sh has taken a special liking to. Then in the small town of St. Yvette word spreads fast that the grand-daughter of the local town wack job has arrived. Miranda didn't even know she had a grandfathher untill she was ten and now she is fifteen and realizes why her mother never mentioned her grandfather. Shw starts hearing screams in her dreams and a boy, no older than twenty is coming into her dreams asking for help. She doesn't know whats happening until her very handsome friend Etienne realizes she is in distress and knows just what to do. When Etienne tells her she has her grandfathers gift of seeing the dead. Well her gift comes in handy when her group of friends take on a the task of a school project and must discover the history of St.Yvette. She discovers more than she wants to and it all goes downhill from there. The book ends in a powerful ending but you must read to find out yourself
October 11, 2013
I would call this book a "pleasant diversion."
It was an enjoyable ghost story with the requisite twists as Miranda tries to figure out what the ghosts need from her. I could make a couple of quibbles -- why didn't she see any ghosts where she used to live, for instance? And I didn't think Etienne's accent really made sense with the backstory he was given, plus he seems more like 25 than 17. I didn't end up with any grating questions, though.
The friendship aspect of the story gave it a boost -- apparently Cusick has written some Buffy books, and I thought she created a believable and likable Scooby Gang with these characters. Warning: Some of their conversation is a little mature, shall we say, but only a little.
The ending closed everything up nicely, so while there could be a sequel if the book does well, there were no deliberate loose ends left hanging to try to force one, which I appreciated. Recommended as nice light summer reading.
It was an enjoyable ghost story with the requisite twists as Miranda tries to figure out what the ghosts need from her. I could make a couple of quibbles -- why didn't she see any ghosts where she used to live, for instance? And I didn't think Etienne's accent really made sense with the backstory he was given, plus he seems more like 25 than 17. I didn't end up with any grating questions, though.
The friendship aspect of the story gave it a boost -- apparently Cusick has written some Buffy books, and I thought she created a believable and likable Scooby Gang with these characters. Warning: Some of their conversation is a little mature, shall we say, but only a little.
The ending closed everything up nicely, so while there could be a sequel if the book does well, there were no deliberate loose ends left hanging to try to force one, which I appreciated. Recommended as nice light summer reading.
April 5, 2013
Alright, so, without giving any of the story line away I'm going to keep this simple. The characters if you can get past that high school snarky/pettyness [or if you're a YA reader like it's aimed for, brilliant.] The friends bickering is really funny and gives it a real feel to them. My one complaint is Miranda, toward the end she seems to develop a bit more, but far less than the other characters. She's somewhat whiny and just.. Mmm off to me? Maybe she's supposed to be that way.
Anyhoo, overall I gave it 3 out of 5, because it is an entertaining book and the squabbles/relationship with the other friends, Roo, Ashley, Parker, Gage and Etienne make it worth it. The background story - as in what the book is really about.. mmm... somewhat elementary, but seeing as this is a YA book, i'd deem that appropriate.
Anyhoo, overall I gave it 3 out of 5, because it is an entertaining book and the squabbles/relationship with the other friends, Roo, Ashley, Parker, Gage and Etienne make it worth it. The background story - as in what the book is really about.. mmm... somewhat elementary, but seeing as this is a YA book, i'd deem that appropriate.
February 2, 2010
I think what I loved the most about this book was the great relationships Miranda's new friends had. They were different from each other. I never would have imagined a dark, goth-like girl hanging out with a cheerful cheerleader & the school's star football player. (Although there's a good reason why the dark chick & the cheerleader hang out.) And even though they teased each other all the time, they cared about each other a lot. (Parker & Roo were just hilarious, and Gage was too cute! X3)
Anyway, I'm glad there's a sequel coming out or I would have been like, 'What? That's it?!' I need to know what happens with Miranda & Etienne. Hopefully there's a lot more romance between them. ;)
Anyway, I'm glad there's a sequel coming out or I would have been like, 'What? That's it?!' I need to know what happens with Miranda & Etienne. Hopefully there's a lot more romance between them. ;)
May 20, 2018
*****My full review for Walk of the Spirits is available at Darling & Co.*****
August 17, 2019
After nearly 10 years on my to-read list, I've finally read it.
And I wasn't as impressed as I'd hoped to be.
The story started off promising enough. Miranda is new to St. Yvette and it's there that she starts experiencing things she can't explain. Soon there's some stuff about ghosts, local history, and lots of humor with her new friends.
My biggest beef was that I felt like the story wasn't told well. The pacing felt off, for one thing. Like, Miranda finds friends pretty quickly, which is fine, but they're ride-or-die with her in about two days. That didn't seem realistic to me. And the way certain parts of the story are told (specifically relating to the ghosts) was confusing. There were parts where I literally couldn't tell what just happened despite going back and rereading that section.
It also felt a lot like The Breakfast Club. Each person seemed to fit into a different stereotype. Ashley's the cheerleader, Parker's the football player, Roo's the goth chick, Gage is the sweetheart, Etienne is the dark horse with a tragic backstory, and Miranda's the seemingly "crazy" one. While I understand how they all came to be friends (there are some family links between some of them), it just seemed weird, especially given the animosity between two of them.
The ghost angle also wasn't what I thought it would be. There was so much going on in the story as we kept jumping between school, the project, friend drama, family drama, and ghosts that nothing felt like it was being focused on long enough to get into it.
I will say that the feeling of suspense was pretty well done. There was one night, after reading a lot, that I went to bed somewhat paranoid just from reading this. So, there's that.
It wasn't all bad. The humor, as i mentioned a little before, was pretty good. The banter between the characters was really where it was. That was fun. I just felt like I was lacking something while reading this.
And I wasn't as impressed as I'd hoped to be.
The story started off promising enough. Miranda is new to St. Yvette and it's there that she starts experiencing things she can't explain. Soon there's some stuff about ghosts, local history, and lots of humor with her new friends.
My biggest beef was that I felt like the story wasn't told well. The pacing felt off, for one thing. Like, Miranda finds friends pretty quickly, which is fine, but they're ride-or-die with her in about two days. That didn't seem realistic to me. And the way certain parts of the story are told (specifically relating to the ghosts) was confusing. There were parts where I literally couldn't tell what just happened despite going back and rereading that section.
It also felt a lot like The Breakfast Club. Each person seemed to fit into a different stereotype. Ashley's the cheerleader, Parker's the football player, Roo's the goth chick, Gage is the sweetheart, Etienne is the dark horse with a tragic backstory, and Miranda's the seemingly "crazy" one. While I understand how they all came to be friends (there are some family links between some of them), it just seemed weird, especially given the animosity between two of them.
The ghost angle also wasn't what I thought it would be. There was so much going on in the story as we kept jumping between school, the project, friend drama, family drama, and ghosts that nothing felt like it was being focused on long enough to get into it.
I will say that the feeling of suspense was pretty well done. There was one night, after reading a lot, that I went to bed somewhat paranoid just from reading this. So, there's that.
It wasn't all bad. The humor, as i mentioned a little before, was pretty good. The banter between the characters was really where it was. That was fun. I just felt like I was lacking something while reading this.
July 9, 2018
Me costó terminar este libro. Evidentemente se me ha dado por leer historias sobre fantasmas.
La portada y la sinopsis me llamó la atención. Sin embargo, la trama no fue lo que esperaba.
Después de perderlo todo, Miranda y su madre se ven obligadas a volver a su pueblo de origen. Un hecho particular es que Mirando jamás conoció a su abuelo, a pesar de que el mismo todavía sigue vivo (su madre nunca quiso hablar sobre él).
Acostumbrada a una forma de vida, Miranda está reacia a adaptarse a su nuevo hogar y tampoco desea hacer amigos. A pesar de ello, se ve incluida en un grupo de trabajo en la escuela y no le queda otra que aceptarlo.
Ashley, Parker, Roo, Gage y Etienne se vuelven cercanos a ella a medida que van desarrollano su trabajo práctico sobre "La Caminata Fantasma".
Al mismo tiempo, Miranda se entera de un legado que no le causará gracia al principio. Pero con el apoyo de sus amigos, podrá resolver el misterio que se le encarga.
Algo que no me gustó: el carácter histérico e indeciso de la protagonista. También su relación con Etienne, realmente no sentí química alguna entre ellos. Hasta parecía forzado. Creo que hubiera preferido a Gage.
El personaje de Parker parecía innecesario sino fuera por su relación con Ashley. Casi al final del libro, tuvo un poco más de intervención por suerte, pero su actitud de no-creo-en-fantasmas-y-los-demás-están-locos se desvanece cuando vive una experiencia directa, algo que dura un segundo y luego vuelve a ser el mismo de antes.
Lo que más me afecto es que esperaba misterio y no lo encontré :(
La portada y la sinopsis me llamó la atención. Sin embargo, la trama no fue lo que esperaba.
Después de perderlo todo, Miranda y su madre se ven obligadas a volver a su pueblo de origen. Un hecho particular es que Mirando jamás conoció a su abuelo, a pesar de que el mismo todavía sigue vivo (su madre nunca quiso hablar sobre él).
Acostumbrada a una forma de vida, Miranda está reacia a adaptarse a su nuevo hogar y tampoco desea hacer amigos. A pesar de ello, se ve incluida en un grupo de trabajo en la escuela y no le queda otra que aceptarlo.
Ashley, Parker, Roo, Gage y Etienne se vuelven cercanos a ella a medida que van desarrollano su trabajo práctico sobre "La Caminata Fantasma".
Al mismo tiempo, Miranda se entera de un legado que no le causará gracia al principio. Pero con el apoyo de sus amigos, podrá resolver el misterio que se le encarga.
Algo que no me gustó: el carácter histérico e indeciso de la protagonista. También su relación con Etienne, realmente no sentí química alguna entre ellos. Hasta parecía forzado. Creo que hubiera preferido a Gage.
El personaje de Parker parecía innecesario sino fuera por su relación con Ashley. Casi al final del libro, tuvo un poco más de intervención por suerte, pero su actitud de no-creo-en-fantasmas-y-los-demás-están-locos se desvanece cuando vive una experiencia directa, algo que dura un segundo y luego vuelve a ser el mismo de antes.
Lo que más me afecto es que esperaba misterio y no lo encontré :(
December 28, 2017
Cusick, Richie Tankersley Walk of the Spirits, 328 p. Speak (Penguin), 2008.
A hurricane in Florida has driven Miranda and her mother back to Mom's childhood home, next to her loving aunt, but also to her crazy grandfather, whom her mother doesn't even want Miranda to meet. As she as she comes to town, however, Miranda starts having bad dreams. With the help of five new friends, who enfold Miranda immediately into their group, Miranda must learn about her gifts and how to use them to help troubled spirits pass out of this world.
Miranda's story kind of reminds me of Meg Cabot's Mediator series, but with a slower pace and more friendly support. About half of the five dozen swears are of the OMG type, with no "f's" in sight. I wouldn't call this a first purchase, but it is already in paperback.
MS, HS - OPTIONAL
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2008/...
A hurricane in Florida has driven Miranda and her mother back to Mom's childhood home, next to her loving aunt, but also to her crazy grandfather, whom her mother doesn't even want Miranda to meet. As she as she comes to town, however, Miranda starts having bad dreams. With the help of five new friends, who enfold Miranda immediately into their group, Miranda must learn about her gifts and how to use them to help troubled spirits pass out of this world.
Miranda's story kind of reminds me of Meg Cabot's Mediator series, but with a slower pace and more friendly support. About half of the five dozen swears are of the OMG type, with no "f's" in sight. I wouldn't call this a first purchase, but it is already in paperback.
MS, HS - OPTIONAL
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2008/...
October 22, 2019
I read about 70 pages of this and got bored and annoyed. We have stereotypical characters which I'm not a fan of. I did like the relationship between Ashley and Roo though as stepsisters. They both were different in their styles and personalities, but had a great relationship. Miranda was our main annoying, bratty, asshole character. I get that she's angry at her situation of losing her home and her mother for not telling the truth about her crazy grandfather. I also understand she is a teenager and has crazy emotions, but she was over the top ridiculous and dramatic. She just kept feeling sorry for herself. And also the book had some unnecessary repetitiveness and it was choppy. A few things would just get randomly thrown into the story that just didn't feel timed right. And of course we have to have a hot boy that all the girls wanna drop their panties for. This is a dnf for me.
April 26, 2018
The story started off ok, but the were too many things that contributed to letting down the whole thing, this drag and is boring. The characters are brats who do as the please, they drink and smoke, act like adults but whine a lot, there some talk about a couple having sex and this is ok because there are teens. The main character was rude, disrespectful and dramatic, the pointless running around, and inane angst, just for the sake of putting the characters together. Predictable ending, plus I didn't like the narration was pretty bad, just got on my nerves, this was annoying. Struggled listening till the very end. Such a disappointment.
January 9, 2022
I’m not used to RTC writing series, so maybe that’s part of my confusion..? But it took me more time than usual to get into the swing of this story—and there really wasn’t much of payoff. The climactic scene really wasn’t related at all to the plot, so I didn’t feel invested in it. And when the plot itself wrapped up, it was just an overall “meh” feeling. The characters seem to feel an excitement that I, as a reader, didn’t share in.
Overall, not my favorite of RTC’s. Unclear if I’ll try the next book in the series.
Overall, not my favorite of RTC’s. Unclear if I’ll try the next book in the series.
August 10, 2020
This is the second YA novel I've read this month, and I'm thinking maybe YA is just not for me. I liked
the concept of paranormal + history + small town, but the story just seemed too. . . .kiddish? I don't know. The typical mysterious main guy character is also one I've read way too many times. Other than
that, it was okay.
the concept of paranormal + history + small town, but the story just seemed too. . . .kiddish? I don't know. The typical mysterious main guy character is also one I've read way too many times. Other than
that, it was okay.
April 23, 2018
Took a bit to get into, but eventually got interesting. It doesn't have the same intense mystery of Cusick's books of the 90s. It's still a good story though. I feel like I could picture the scenes fairly well.
May 8, 2021
I've been in a reading slump for a while and this book just dragged me out of it. The first few chapters started out slow, but it picks up pretty quickly. I absolutely loved the way the characters are written. They seem so real! I highly recommend if you enjoy ghost stories!
May 21, 2021
I read this so long ago, and I still find myself thinking about it.
I can’t even remember that many details, I just remember how much I loved it as a young teenager.
Searching for novels that leave me with the same nostalgic feelings now.
I can’t even remember that many details, I just remember how much I loved it as a young teenager.
Searching for novels that leave me with the same nostalgic feelings now.
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