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The Death of Torberta Turchin
Torberta Turchin spoke to the dead. But like plants, or rabbits, or any 14-year-old girl, she didn't know that she herself was going to die.
And soon.
Despite her morbid past, Torberta lives a relatively normal life. She goes to school. She hangs out with her friends. She visits the school psychologist on a regular basis. But strange things have been happening lately, and she needs to find out who's behind them... before it's too late for her classmates, and for herself.
And soon.
Despite her morbid past, Torberta lives a relatively normal life. She goes to school. She hangs out with her friends. She visits the school psychologist on a regular basis. But strange things have been happening lately, and she needs to find out who's behind them... before it's too late for her classmates, and for herself.
- GenresYoung Adult
314 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 19, 2011
205 people want to read
About the author
Shannon Mawhiney
3 books12 followersShannon Mawhiney is the author of The Death of Torberta Turchin (fantasy, gothic, paranormal young adult/adult novel about a girl who speaks to ghosts) and Abnormality: A Short Story (experimental paranormal short story about a girl who can do anything, until she can't). She lives in Missouri with her husband and kittie and generally just enjoys being entertained, whether by books, movies, games, crocheting, or geocaching.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 28, 2011
If given the choice to read a book or work a load of calculus problems, I would instantly choose the latter; unless, of course, the book was less than twenty pages, a part of the Harry Potter series, or The Death of Torberta Turchin. I cannot get myself to read four textbooks each week, read books to write papers over, and then actually have a want to read a leisurely book in my spare time (that is, unless it is for the exceptions mentioned). For the longest time, a Harry Potter book was the only thing I could get myself to read for fun, and since the series’ end, I had not been able to complete a book by choice.
That changed, thanks to Shannon Mawhiney. Over the past few years I have tried to get myself to read more, but each time the book would bore me after the first couple of chapters. Even as I tried to reread Harry Potter, I would eventually decide that I had better things to do and never finish one. Stuck in this rut of good book deprivation, for months I have stared at The Death of Torberta Turchin on my desk thinking I should start reading it, but fearing it would end up like the others back on my shelf, unfinished. Then one day I finally decided to give it a shot, and it was a decision I would not regret.
From the instant visualization of the scenery, the unbelievably well-defined characters, and a plot that thickens before the reader even has a chance to become uninterested, Shannon Mawhiney had my attention at page one. I read this incredible book whenever I got the chance: before class, after class, and even during class when I hit points of such suspense and excitement that I just could not put it down. To say I loved this book would be an understatement. I can only hope that Shannon Mawhiney continues publishing her writing, whether of a sequel or a completely different novel, because I believe the next J.K. Rowling is amongst us. I will gladly look her up the next time I am in a library or a bookstore, whether to reread The Death of Torberta Turchin, or to hopefully discover another one of Shannon Mawhiney’s amazing masterpieces.
That changed, thanks to Shannon Mawhiney. Over the past few years I have tried to get myself to read more, but each time the book would bore me after the first couple of chapters. Even as I tried to reread Harry Potter, I would eventually decide that I had better things to do and never finish one. Stuck in this rut of good book deprivation, for months I have stared at The Death of Torberta Turchin on my desk thinking I should start reading it, but fearing it would end up like the others back on my shelf, unfinished. Then one day I finally decided to give it a shot, and it was a decision I would not regret.
From the instant visualization of the scenery, the unbelievably well-defined characters, and a plot that thickens before the reader even has a chance to become uninterested, Shannon Mawhiney had my attention at page one. I read this incredible book whenever I got the chance: before class, after class, and even during class when I hit points of such suspense and excitement that I just could not put it down. To say I loved this book would be an understatement. I can only hope that Shannon Mawhiney continues publishing her writing, whether of a sequel or a completely different novel, because I believe the next J.K. Rowling is amongst us. I will gladly look her up the next time I am in a library or a bookstore, whether to reread The Death of Torberta Turchin, or to hopefully discover another one of Shannon Mawhiney’s amazing masterpieces.
March 27, 2011
The Death of Torberta Turchin (hereby to be known as DoTT to make it short) is a finally crafted mistery about the tribulations of a young girl who's able to hear the spirits of dead people around her. You see, someone wants her dead for more than one reason; one involving the afterlife; the others based on more terrenal worries. Saying more would be certainly a spoiler.
There's an extensive line-up of engaging characters that really help with the necessary suppension of disbelief. Although I foresaw some story elements popping up, I can't really say that DoTT disappointed me: it kept me reading till the end.
There's an extensive line-up of engaging characters that really help with the necessary suppension of disbelief. Although I foresaw some story elements popping up, I can't really say that DoTT disappointed me: it kept me reading till the end.
April 3, 2011
The Death of Torberta Turchin is very well written. Despite a paranormal theme and an unusual school setting, Shannon Mawhiney makes the characters, the situations, dialogue and setting realistic. Her considerable skill takes us inside the lives of these adolescents and the twists and turns that they struggle to overcome. Just when you think you have it figured out, she throws in another twist. Fabulous job.
March 31, 2011
I have to say that this 'ghost' story is a page turner. It makes you read on because you want to know what Torby hears next. You feel sorry for the sad childhood that this girl has had. Dislike the family who only tolerate her and love the friends who love her. This is a well written and put together story. Pick it up, you won't be disappointed.
December 10, 2011
I don't usually review YA books. About one in seven of the submissions I get are YA, and usually, before I even get to the sample, the general plot line has turned me off. See, I didn't enjoy being a kid. I got done with it as soon as I could. So, getting to spend more time in high school or junior high isn't my idea of fun. Add in two of the main YA tropes, angst for the sake of angst, and brainless first love, and well, it's just really not my genre.
So, The Death of Torberta Turchin just about got tossed out of the to be read list without getting much of a hearing. But... Well, the cover is pretty cool, and very much not the usual YA cover art. So I read the back. No angst for the sake of angst. No mention of romance. Hmmm... I began reading the sample.
The Death of Torberta Turchin opens with a fourteen-year-old girl, Torberta, who lives in a boarding school for psychologically disturbed kids, discussing the balancing act the students go through with the doctor. St. Christopher's is a pretty sweet gig, and if you want to stay there you've got to walk a tightrope. Look like you're making too much progress, ie: get better, and you get sent home. Not sufficiently crazy, ie: faking it, and you get sent home. Act too crazy, and they put you on drugs and send you to a higher security place. So, if you want to stay at St. Christopher's you've got to be just disturbed enough to make your family want you away, but not so crazy you're a danger to the world around you.
Reading those first few pages was like reading the first bit of Ender's Game. I knew this book involved a character I'd sympathize with and want to spend time with.
Torberta is in St. Christopher's because she hears voices. The voices say they're ghosts. And, while she can hear them without anyone else hearing them, she has to respond out loud. Talking to voices no one else can hear is embarrassing and troubling to a family that loves you dearly, but Torberta is an orphan raised by people who barely tolerate her. They packed her off as soon as they could.
I love the fact that is book is paranormal, but there is some genuine doubt as to what Torberta is hearing. One of the things that often puts me off paranormal stories is that they're supposed to be set in the real world, but everyone acts like the paranormal aspects are just no big deal. So, even though Torberta is pretty sure what she's hearing really are ghosts, she does have moments of doubt, and to me that's a very realistic, very welcome touch.
I love a good romance, that's not a secret. But in many YA novels a good romance is nowhere to be seen. Sad, abusive, obsessive, unhealthy romances are scattered about like glitter at a drag convention. Romances that make no sense (The world is about to end, monsters are eating my family, but all I can think about is how much I lurve the hot boy who may or may not be the cause of the monsters...) at all are even more common. The sorts of relationships you think might actually go somewhere are usually pretty scarce. My sense is we see so many of these 'relationships' because they add easy drama, and because many writers have a hard time writing girls without defining them by how they relate to boys.
There's no romance in Torberta, and I was thrilled to see it. It's deeply satisfying to see a story where the focus of a fourteen-year-old girl's life isn't some boy. Even more welcome to see a story where romance isn't some sort of magical elixir that makes all the problems go away.
The angst level is minimal, and what angst Torberta has, she certainly deserves. Her parents are dead, the family that's taking care of her considers her a massive embarrassment, and everyone, even her friends at St. Christopher's, think she's insane because she hears voices. This is a girl who deserves a little self-pity. And while she does get a little angsty, she never gets whiny. (Have I mentioned that I love this character? I do, I really do!)
My only quibble with this story was at the end. Let me make it clear, this is just a personal preference, Mawhiney set up the ending properly. She laid all the groundwork, so the ending is a surprise, but not from out in left field. But it's a tad rushed and a little too much coincidence all in one place. Torberta talking to ghosts was a lot easier for me to believe than the timing of the actual incident that killed her.
Still, on the whole I really liked this book and loved Torberta. I'd say it's appropriate reading for anyone over the age of ten. (Maybe eight if you've got a good reader able to handle ideas on mental issues.) The main character is a girl, but there's nothing particularly girly about the book, so it shouldn't put boys off. Like Harry Potter and Ender, Torberta will appeal to both sexes.
This is a solid four star book, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loved Ender or girl characters with their heads on straight.
So, The Death of Torberta Turchin just about got tossed out of the to be read list without getting much of a hearing. But... Well, the cover is pretty cool, and very much not the usual YA cover art. So I read the back. No angst for the sake of angst. No mention of romance. Hmmm... I began reading the sample.
The Death of Torberta Turchin opens with a fourteen-year-old girl, Torberta, who lives in a boarding school for psychologically disturbed kids, discussing the balancing act the students go through with the doctor. St. Christopher's is a pretty sweet gig, and if you want to stay there you've got to walk a tightrope. Look like you're making too much progress, ie: get better, and you get sent home. Not sufficiently crazy, ie: faking it, and you get sent home. Act too crazy, and they put you on drugs and send you to a higher security place. So, if you want to stay at St. Christopher's you've got to be just disturbed enough to make your family want you away, but not so crazy you're a danger to the world around you.
Reading those first few pages was like reading the first bit of Ender's Game. I knew this book involved a character I'd sympathize with and want to spend time with.
Torberta is in St. Christopher's because she hears voices. The voices say they're ghosts. And, while she can hear them without anyone else hearing them, she has to respond out loud. Talking to voices no one else can hear is embarrassing and troubling to a family that loves you dearly, but Torberta is an orphan raised by people who barely tolerate her. They packed her off as soon as they could.
I love the fact that is book is paranormal, but there is some genuine doubt as to what Torberta is hearing. One of the things that often puts me off paranormal stories is that they're supposed to be set in the real world, but everyone acts like the paranormal aspects are just no big deal. So, even though Torberta is pretty sure what she's hearing really are ghosts, she does have moments of doubt, and to me that's a very realistic, very welcome touch.
I love a good romance, that's not a secret. But in many YA novels a good romance is nowhere to be seen. Sad, abusive, obsessive, unhealthy romances are scattered about like glitter at a drag convention. Romances that make no sense (The world is about to end, monsters are eating my family, but all I can think about is how much I lurve the hot boy who may or may not be the cause of the monsters...) at all are even more common. The sorts of relationships you think might actually go somewhere are usually pretty scarce. My sense is we see so many of these 'relationships' because they add easy drama, and because many writers have a hard time writing girls without defining them by how they relate to boys.
There's no romance in Torberta, and I was thrilled to see it. It's deeply satisfying to see a story where the focus of a fourteen-year-old girl's life isn't some boy. Even more welcome to see a story where romance isn't some sort of magical elixir that makes all the problems go away.
The angst level is minimal, and what angst Torberta has, she certainly deserves. Her parents are dead, the family that's taking care of her considers her a massive embarrassment, and everyone, even her friends at St. Christopher's, think she's insane because she hears voices. This is a girl who deserves a little self-pity. And while she does get a little angsty, she never gets whiny. (Have I mentioned that I love this character? I do, I really do!)
My only quibble with this story was at the end. Let me make it clear, this is just a personal preference, Mawhiney set up the ending properly. She laid all the groundwork, so the ending is a surprise, but not from out in left field. But it's a tad rushed and a little too much coincidence all in one place. Torberta talking to ghosts was a lot easier for me to believe than the timing of the actual incident that killed her.
Still, on the whole I really liked this book and loved Torberta. I'd say it's appropriate reading for anyone over the age of ten. (Maybe eight if you've got a good reader able to handle ideas on mental issues.) The main character is a girl, but there's nothing particularly girly about the book, so it shouldn't put boys off. Like Harry Potter and Ender, Torberta will appeal to both sexes.
This is a solid four star book, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loved Ender or girl characters with their heads on straight.
September 11, 2011
The Death of Torberta Turchin is a story about a young girl, Torberta (Torby), who can hear voices. Because she talks to these voices, her aunt and uncle send her away to boarding school with children who also have certain mental problems. Torby enjoys spending time at boarding school, because less people treat her differently there.
At first, Torby is relatively content about her voices, who she believes are ghosts. I think it was fun to go along with Torby in figuring out if she was truly crazy or if she really could hear ghosts. When another boy comes to school who can actually see ghosts, Torby is finally convinced of the truth (though her friends were not). When bad things start to happen, we follow Torby through the troubles she faces.
The Death of Torberta Turchin was definitely an interesting and very good book. It was very well written and kept me wanting to read and find out more. I was kind of sad about the ending, though Torby seems to end up happy in the end. There were some questions left over at the end I would love to find out more about.
At first, Torby is relatively content about her voices, who she believes are ghosts. I think it was fun to go along with Torby in figuring out if she was truly crazy or if she really could hear ghosts. When another boy comes to school who can actually see ghosts, Torby is finally convinced of the truth (though her friends were not). When bad things start to happen, we follow Torby through the troubles she faces.
The Death of Torberta Turchin was definitely an interesting and very good book. It was very well written and kept me wanting to read and find out more. I was kind of sad about the ending, though Torby seems to end up happy in the end. There were some questions left over at the end I would love to find out more about.
September 18, 2011
I don’t often give five stars for a book, but I’m learning to reserve them for books that really wow me, the death of Torberta Turchin is such a book.
The story I would say is aimed at the young adult market, but at the advanced age in my, ahem, early thirties, I certainly enjoyed it.
From the beginning, you are hooked and three questions stand out through the story. Is she really psychic, who is trying to kill who and what will happen to Toberta Turchin. A ddeath can mean so many things, she could change her life, her name or take the literal meaning.
The characters are interesting and I did guess one of the plot points early on but it didn’t detract from the story and I finished it in one day.
I think this story thoroughly deserves five stars and I wish the author every success in the future for entertaining me for a day. The book is under $3 on Amazon, what do you have to lose?
The story I would say is aimed at the young adult market, but at the advanced age in my, ahem, early thirties, I certainly enjoyed it.
From the beginning, you are hooked and three questions stand out through the story. Is she really psychic, who is trying to kill who and what will happen to Toberta Turchin. A ddeath can mean so many things, she could change her life, her name or take the literal meaning.
The characters are interesting and I did guess one of the plot points early on but it didn’t detract from the story and I finished it in one day.
I think this story thoroughly deserves five stars and I wish the author every success in the future for entertaining me for a day. The book is under $3 on Amazon, what do you have to lose?
March 28, 2011
This is a great piece of fiction that you won't want to put down. If I didn't have to take midterms I would never have stopped reading it. You get caught in the very beginning by this well-written, touching story about a girl named Torby, who you can't help but empathize with. This book has all of the right stuff. It has everything you could want in a story. It's got comedy, tragedy, mystery, and so much more. This book is simply amazing. I love this story and I'm not afraid to say so. If you're like me and you love to read anything you can get your hands on, then you'll love having your hands on this.
February 22, 2015
This is a really good suspense novel. It is also a good paranormal story. This could really be a series and I would watch every week. Torberta is not normal. She talks to the dead, and tries to help the living. She goes to school for the mentally ill, and her gifts are not really appreciated. However the title gives away the ending, and I would have liked a different title (that cost the book a star). With that being said, her death itself is weird. The ending reminded of the ending to "The Sixth Sense". I also liked the authors take on Heaven, and the afterlife. I am giving this book a 4/5. I was given a copy to review, however all opinions are my own.
May 15, 2011
I thought that this book was masterfully written and it was creative and original. It's crafty and mysterious as I got to travel with the young girl in the story. Shannon Mawhiney made everything so realistic and I felt like I could relate some of the things to my real life (minus the whole seeing-the-dead thing). It was defnitely a page-turner and I could not put it down.
December 8, 2015
I thought the book was extremely interesting with very likable characters - Both good and bad. :) The intriguing story really made me think of the after-life. Never read a book such as this one. It would make a great movie!
September 15, 2012
Sometimes I wonder who the heck is reviewing these books.. Almost a five star average?? What?? This book sucked!
And why were Torby's parents never explained??
And why were Torby's parents never explained??
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews