Ghost Vision

Phantom Rider #3

by Janni Lee Simner

Enjoying her summer of secret rides with ghost horse Star, Callie Fern is disappointed when the arrival of the new school year makes her less available and is alarmed when Star becomes ill and draws Callie into her ghost world.

Genres: Childrens, Horses, Animals, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fiction

137 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1996

About the author

Janni Lee Simner lives in the Arizona desert, where the plants know how to bite and the dandelions really do have thorns; in spite of these things--or maybe because of them--she's convinced she lives in one of the most stunning places on earth.

Janni has published four novels for young adults, the Bones of Faerie trilogy and Thief Eyes, and she wrote the script for the video game The Huntsman: Winter's Curse.

She's also published four books for younger readers--most recently Tiernay West, Professional Adventurer--as well as more than 30 short stories, including appearances in Cricket magazine and the Welcome to Bordertown anthology.

Reviews

[Jackie Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great series! I could never understand why this one stopped. As a young girl I just loved the idea of a magical ghost horse coming to my window secretly in the middle of the night!

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suppose I should have read the first two books inn the series, but the backstory seemed fleshed out here. I accidentally bought this at a used book sale mistaking it for another book. Oh, well -- I have it now and gave it a try. I've been reading to try and avoid thinking about my problems -- mainly, my dog died in August and my Dad died of a suddden heart attack in March. So, I'm trying not to read about death and grief.

And get a book that goes right into the heart of grief and having to "let go" of the beloved dead. I had hoped this would be a lighthearted read, but it's not. It gets very heavy, indeed. I wound up doing a lot of crying. A sad way to end the series.

Also, one note for everyone doing the cover artwork for horse books -- a star marking on a horse is not shaped like a classic five-pointed star. It's just a splotch, like a point of light in the darkness of a horse's forehead.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly want to give this book a two star, but out of respect of the rest of the series I will give it a 3.

I wasn't sure how this story was going to end but having a new school character calling ghosts dangerous wasn't it. Star being sick and becoming visible and starting to take away Callie 's color was also a strange choice.

Through the whole tangled book that I have to guess was the author trying to find a way to end the series. I kept wondering where Michael had gone. Why wasn't he a factor in this shimmering going away? It made me crazy more than once. Couldn't there be a better way to have them cross over or go on their way than having Callie almost die?

I really hated the whole Amy storyline of wanting to go to the gray area to see her parents. Was this the planned ending all along? Geesh.

I was hoping for something bittersweet and lovely not ghosts are dangerous and they'll take your life.

[Coco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally entertaining books set in the desert of Arizona. Great for young readers, especially those with an interest in horses.