Engrenage

Skeleton Creek #2

by Patrick Carman, Marie-Hélène Delval (Traduction)

Voilà ce qui arrive quand on est trop curieux.
Sarah et moi avons voulu percer les mystères de notre ville. A tout prix. Et nous nous sommes fait piéger. Car les secrets enfouis dans Skeleton Creek sont plus sombres qu'ils ne le paraissaient au premier abord.
Pièce après pièce, je tente de reconstituer le puzzle du passé. Il y a la drague, le fantôme de Joe Bush, il y a une société secrète, l'alchimiste, mon père... Tout est lié. Tout est dangereux. Tout est écrit dans mon journal.
Sarah, elle, prend de plus en plus de risques. Caméra à l'épaule, elle s'introduit partout ; elle n'ignore pourtant pas que quelqu'un - vivant ou mort - nous observe. Chacun de ses films est plus terrifiant que le précédent.
Mais, nous le savons tous les deux, rien ne nous fera renoncer à découvrir ce que cachent les habitants de Skeleton Creek.
Lisez mon journal. Regardez les vidéos. Menez l'enquête.

Genres: Mystery, Horror, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fiction, Adventure, Paranormal

211 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2009

About the author

I have been a lifelong writer and storyteller. Salem, Oregon is where I spent my formative years and I graduated from Willamette University. After college, I spent a decade living in Portland, Oregon where I worked in advertising, game design, and technology.

I've written young adult and children's books for Scholastic, Little Brown Books For Young Readers and Katherine Tegen Books/ HarperCollins Publishers.

I've been fortunate enough to have had some bestselling series work: The Land of Elyon, Atherton, Elliot’s Park, 39 Clues, and Skeleton Creek. Here's a fun note...the books have been translated into approximately two dozen languages. Currently I'm developing a few new-media projects. Check out DARK EDEN to experience this type of cross-platform project.

When I'm not writing or creating a story, I spend my free time supporting literacy campaigns and community organizations, fly fishing, playing basketball and tennis, doing crosswords, watching movies, dabbling in video games, reading (lots), and (more than anything else) spending time with my wife and two daughters.

Reviews

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta historia contada en forma de diario tanto escrito como en vídeos, es una experiencia nada común, que logra que tengas una experiencia distinta a la lectura convencional.

Paseos en coche por rutas plagadas de sitios embrujados o con actividades paranormales.
Una amiga valiente que se aventura en plena noche a llegar a los sitios más escalofriantes.
Un chico temeroso pero con una curiosidad tan grande que hará lo que pueda, incluso tragarse ese miedo, todo por saber lo que comenzó en la vieja draga, y que desató la furia de un grupo que su padre conoce demasiado bien.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Skeleton Creek and could not wait to read Ghost in the Machine after the cliffhanger ending of Skeleton Creek. I managed to read this book and watch all of the videos in a day because it is so entertaining and amazing.

In a way Ghost in the Machine reminded me a little of the movie Disturbia because it's so full of suspense that you have to keep reading it to know wants going on.

So many of the videos were creepy and I started reading this at midnight, alone in my room and it was pretty freaky.

I thought it ended really well and it was so cool to see everything revealed. Although, it did have a bit of a Scooby-Doo feeling to it, but nonetheless it was a good ending.

Overall, Ghost in the Machine is definitely a good book to read if you're in the mood for something creepy and a book where you watch a video and read text to go along with it.

[Ina · Rating 4 out of 5]

What are some people in Skeleton Creek hiding from Ryan and Sarah?

In this sequel to Skeleton Creek we once again meet the best friends Ryan and Sarah who still isn't allowed to meet each other. After Ryan has broken his leg, his parents thinks that Sarah only leads him in trouble and they don't want to him to see her again. It's for his own good. To make sure that Ryan doesn't meet her, they often check his computer and his cell phone but they don't know that Ryan is way ahead of them when it comes to technology and knows how to fool his parents when they are checking his stuff. He has his ways to delete Sarah's mails and videos without them to find out. It's easy to fool them.

Ryan and Sarah communicate with us, the readers by Ryan sharing his diary with us and Sarah by showing us videos about the places she has been and sharing her thoughts about things she discovers. As we read Ryan's journal, there are pages with illustration and a password. Each time we get this password we have to go to sarahfincher.com and enter the password to watch the next video. There we see Sarah and sometimes other people but mostly Sarah who discusses about what she has found out or showing us clips about the places she has been.

What they are really interested in is the mining dredge which is outside their hometown in the woods. Something odd is going on their and there is a rumour about that place is haunted by old Joe Bush who died in an accident there many years ago. But it's not just in the mining dredge strange things happens but also in their home town Skeleton Creek. Among the things is the sign of a crow which is hanging above the front door at the library. The crow changes direction from time to time. Ryan and Sarah is sure it must mean something. They're sure 'cause they found some clues about it earlier.
In all the mysteries that are going on in Skeleton Creek and the mining dredge, Ryan find it hard to trust his parents. Because he and Sarah has found out there is a secret society in their home town and Ryan believes that his parents are members of it, or he thinks maybe his dad is a member of it, but hes not sure. He just feels he must be aware of him for some reason.

What exactly is going on in Skeleton Creek and what are the members of the secret society called Crossbones is trying to hide?

I've been waiting for this book since October when I finished the last one and I came across this book one day at the book store. I didn't even know there was already a sequel so I got very happy and just had to have it. I couldn't wait to read it 'cause I love the combination of reading the books and watch videos along the way. I think it's a refreshing concept that many young adult readers will love. I'm absolutely sure of it.

The story itself is not that original but I was still happy with the sequel. It's still exciting and grabs my attention. I was enjoying it very much and I'm glad to know that there's a third book too 'cause I thought the ending made me really curious and I really want to know what's gonna happen next.

Even though I'm maybe "too old" to read this book I just must admit that I look forward to find out about all the mysteries in Skeleton Creek!

[Ellie Robison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This feels like it should’ve been combined with the first book. Together they make a complete story. Definitely engaging and I feel like I now have an okay place to stop in the series.

[__yassbooks__ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un pequeño thriller del que no me esperaba nada y que al final me terminó encantando. La historia es muy dinámica y te engancha mucho, el hecho de que este escrita en forma de diario hace que te falten algunos datos para revelar el misterio y que se van desvelando con el avance de los hechos. No te esperas lo que va a pasar y el suspense está muy buen combinado con algunos elementos de terror. En general una lectura muy ligera que sorprende.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book that I loved in this series. It gave me that awesome feeling the other book did too! This book was better than Skeleton Creek and just added more to the mystery. I'm hoping the series is a trilogy but wouldn't mind 5 or 6 books in the series. I just hope the series isn't to long.

Sarah is still my favourite character in the book, but there isn't really much of a choice anyway. It's either her or Ryan and I do love Ryan, but Sarah reminds me more of myself. I still love how this book can also be watched and then after you watch the video, we can hear Ryan's input of the video! It's just so cool!

I recommend this series to children and young adults, it'll definitely hold your attention the entire time and won't let you go until the very end with a cliff hanger.

[Catherine Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is are read aloud and we started it today it starts out good like skeleton creek but a little more scarer.

[Hannah Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skeleton Creek Ghost in the Machine
By: Patrick Carmen

In this book there are two main characters. Their names are Ryan and Sarah. Sarah and Ryan have been best friends for a long time, but because of what they have been up to they are no longer allowed to hang out. Sarah is kind of the super hero and Ryan is her side kick. Sarah takes most of the risks and Ryan writes it all down in a journal. Ryan has a broken leg so that is another reason why he cannot take as many risks as he would like to.

The main setting in the story takes place at an old abandoned dredge. The dredge is in the middle of the woods, so you have to know where it is to find it. The videos that go with the book make the dredge seem scary. Another setting is inside Ryan's house. Ryan's house and room are just like any other boy's his age.

Ryan and Sarah are trying to figure out the mystery behind the dredge. They go to the dredge at night and try and figure it out. What they have so far is that there is a ghost named Old Joe Bush. Old Joe Bush has been haunting them. During the summer when all of this happened, Ryan's dad's friend was there (Henry). There is a secret group of people that either knows about the dredge and what is up with it or used to work there. The group is called The Crossbones and Ryan's dad is part of it. Because Ryan has a broken leg and cannot really get out of the house, while Sarah is at the dredge she films it the whole time. She then puts it on a website so Ryan can see. Ryan cannot sleep at night because he thinks that Old Joe Bush is haunting him and he has been waking up in the morning with intimidating words on his wall. Henry does not really care if Sarah and Ryan hang out. That is kind of suspicious because Ryan's dad is his best friend who does not approve of them hanging out.

Everybody is not very happy about all of the stuff that has been going on with the dredge. The whole city has decided to burn it down. Henry is leaving the day before the dredge gets burned down. People are going into the dredge to make sure that everything valuable is out. As they are doing that they lift up the floor boards and find gold. There is over 30 million dollars worth of gold down there. They also find Henry digging some of it out. So in the end Henry leaves and every family in town gets 100,000 dollars for themselves. They also turn the dredge into a historical landmark.

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Horror

Pages: 205

Date Read: 9/29/12

In this chilling sequal, Ryan and Sarah go even further into there research. In the old gold mine, the dredge, a man named Joe Bush died there. In the first book Ryan and Sarah have many close encounters with the ghost of Old Joe Bush and with all the mysteries still left to uncover, the city decides that the dredge is to dangarous and it should be burned down. While Ryan writes in his journal about what is happening and Sarah making her videos you are completely involved in this book. Henry is visit Ryan and his family for a month from New York and has been acting very suspicous. Henry is a family friend of Ryan's and is best friends with Ryan's dad. Sarah and Ryan think that they may just have a case of hidden gold in the dredge but how do you find it and how do we get it. Throughout the whole book you can go to www.sarahfincher.com and watch all of Sarah's thrilling videos to understand the book. Also, Ryan's dad is part of the secret association with the dredge called The Crossbones. Is there gold in the dredge? Does Henry have something to do with it? What is The Crossbones up to? Read Ghost in the Machine to find out.





Readers Thinking: I really liked this book. I loved Skeleton Creek so I just had to read this book. I think Patrick Carman does a great job on following up on books. One thing i love about this book is the fact that you get to watch videos throughout this book. Most of the videos are very creepy but the rest are Sarah talking to Ryan about things that she has found out. Another thing I loved was at the end when they discovered the gold and that Henry was the ghost of Old Joe Bush. It kept me reeled in the whole time wondering what was in the boards and who was behind the mask of Joe Bush. One of the last things that honestly did pull me in but I didn't exactly love, was on the video that Sarah was telling Ryan about The Apostle. When she pans in real close and the demon thing pops out, it literally scared the pants off me. I loved this book and i am definetly going to read the 3rd and 4th books.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the first story (Skeleton Creek), I knew I had to read the second one to see how the mystery ending because the first book ending rather abrudtly. This book finished the mystery of the first book which had a nice ending to it. The videos got a little scarier and more surprising each time which kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. I believe I finished this book faster than the first one and read the third one in the same weekend! I love these books and the mystery behind it all is a treat! With the videos in the book that I had to watch, I was really able to put myself in the story itself which is probably why I enjoy them so much.
I would suggest this for anyone really, who enjoys a nice mystery but is also willing to watch the little video clips that come along with them because it is hard to keep up with everything if you dont keep up with them. A little bit of a thrill and a sense of adventure is what you'll experience from reading this book as well as the others.
I'd have to say that this is my favourites series of books I've ever read. So, Bravo to Patrick Carman!

[Ryan L · Rating 3 out of 5]

I SUGGEST THAT BEFORE YOU READ THIS YOU SHOULD READ "SKELETON CREEK"(the first book)


In the book, "GHOST IN THE MACHINE" a realistic fiction book set in modern time frame by Patrick Carman, the main plot of the story is that Ryan & Sarah are trying to solve the mystery that is surrounding the town of Skeleton Creek and the Dredge. Some of the main characters in "GHOST IN THE MACHINE" are Ryan, who likes to read and write,and does what Sarah says. Sarah likes to record videos, has her own website, and is rebellious. Daryl Bonner is a park ranger that just transferred to skeleton creek, he is the son of Joe Bush. Uncle Henry is visiting for a few weeks. uncle Henry worked on the Dredge to make sure no gold was stolen. I gave this book 3 stars is because it was a good story but it had holes in it without watching the videos. !spoiler alert! One reason for this is that in the final section after uncle Henry left he was then at the dredge and had a broken leg. "GHOST IN THE MACINE" is a good book just make sure to read "SKELETON CREEK" first and watch the videos on www.sarahfincher.com then put in the password and watch the video.

[Inoli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much fun. It took me a while to get back to this. It seems I've decided that these books are best when I have a stretch of time at home, when the mood is right and when I'm within reach of the computer. The format is so different for me and its so much fun that I'm reserving them for fun time, lol. The videos add such an immediacy and involvement in the story. It's exciting. I didn't grow up with the internet and as amazed as I've been at what it offers in regard to information I've been slow to adopt it as entertainment. I had no idea what I would think of this but I had to give it a try. It's been interesting and fun and I like it. I don't think the format would work in a lot of different types of books. There may have been a couple things I've read where it may have worked. On the other hand, I don't know if these books would work as is without the videos. The narration seems to require the involvement that the videos give. The third book is sitting here waiting for me. Once again I'll be holding off until the right day but it won't be long.

[Andrew S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS BOOK TOO!!! this is the second in the series (first was skeleton creek) and there is supposed to be another...i hope. i would really recommend these books to any person who likes a book that would make them on the edge of their seat and not want to stop reading. they aren't very hard to read but they are very fun. one thing that you cant do with these books is skip a video, even if there is just a little reading until the next one don't skip that video because the videos really do help you picture what is happening in the book. they are soo good and the author Patrick Carman also wrote the 39 clues books which i haven't read but have heard good things about them. you wont regret it if you go the store and buy this book.

[McKenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The themes in Ghost in the machine are bravery and defiance Some examples of bravery are when Sarah and Ryan go back to the dredge even though it was haunted by "Joe Bush". Sarah and Ryan are defiant when Sara and Ryan keep going behind their parents backs doing the investigating at the dredge. What the author is trying to say about bravery is that you can still be brave even when you are scared, and you can do anything. With defiance, nothing really good can come through that unless you are using your defiance for good.

[Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of my current reading is Young Adult Literature in order to make recommendations to the students. This particular book is the sequel to SKELETON CREEK. Both are by Patrick Carman and are delightful, easy reading. The main character is a boy who keeps a journal. After he and a friend stumble on a mystery concerning an old dredge. The more the two investigate, the more the mystery deepens. These can both be read in 2-3 sittings. Enjoy!!

[Margo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great second book in the series. Must have read the first book for this one to make sense. Cliff hanger ending just like the first one that keeps you wanting more. Excellent series for reluctant readers and perfect for October reading! A few of the films in the book are "scream inducing" as proved by my class.

[Jarrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

in the book Ghost in the machine in is to me the best book in the seres. some of the themes are defiance and mystery, one of the things that shows defiance is when Sarah and Ryan are told again and again to stay away from one other and of course they don't. the theme mystery is all over the book like when Sarah and Ryan find out who "Old Joe Bush" is and right there the book ends.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the ending, I enjoyed the wrap-up to the Skeleton Creek mystery. The over-the-top-ending was a bit lame. It played out too much like a Scooby-Doo episode complete with the peeling away of the bad guy's mask.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was the best mystery I have ever read! I loved it! I can't believe that the person acting as the Ghost of Old Joe Bush was right under their noses! I owe you one Kelsey, for telling me about the amazing book! :)

[Maxim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost as creepy as it's predecessor.

[Bradyw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would definitely suggest it to you guys i loved this book

[Beatriz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sigue en la misma linea que el primero. No pierde fuelle, te mantiene incluso más intrigada que el anterior, y no puedes parar de leer. Las páginas te atrapan como si tuviese vida propia. Esta saga creo que será de las mejores lecturas de este año. Recomendable 100%

[maxwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

in theory the video + book combo is fun and inventive but is very annoying in practice. having to stop reading at a very juicy part to watch a 7 minute video that I can't watch on 2x was just frustrating. also the acting is not great lol!

[Ezra white · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, loved it.

[Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lame ahhh ending how is there 3 more books ( I do love reading book series I never finished as a child though)

[Sharath Nirmala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Name: Sharath Nirmala
Date: 20-11-2014
Title: Ghost in the Machine-Ryan’s Journal
Author: Patrick Carman

The main character/Protagonist is Ryan who is about 15 or 16 years old and in this book (this book is a part of a series) his leg is fractured. Another character is Sarah who is Ryan’s best friend and in this story she does a lot of spying stuff than Ryan does because Ryan’s leg is fractured. Another two characters are his parents who try to not let Sarah meet Ryan because they think Ryan’s leg got fractured because he is always listening to Sarah and doing things she does and Ryan ended up like this, they always keep an eye on Ryan. Another character is Henry, Ryan’s father’s best friend who allows Ryan to meet Sarah secretly and doesn’t do any spying on Ryan and Ryan likes Henry a lot but it turns out to be Henry is the Antagonist/villain! Another character is Gladys; a librarian who Ryan thinks is the villain because she looks kind of evil and is actually not. The only problem with the book is that we need to read regularly or otherwise we will forget something and have to read the entry once again which makes the book somewhat difficult to read because we might not have time everyday to read that entry. But the weirdest thing is that sometimes there is an entry every minute and also sometimes it just has a couple of words in every minute entry. For example, I can’t sleep. Some of the best things in the story is that there is dredge and people think it is useless and has nothing in it but Henry new there is a lot of gold in there and was trying to get is greedy hands on that gold. There is this group in which people started dying and everyone thinks it is due to a ghost but it was actually Henry who was trying to make the group scared and stop finding this gold.
This group also worked with a gold and silver company in New York and which was trying to mine gold here (Skeleton Creek) but as soon as people started dying, they stopped mining and sold it to Skeleton Creek for $1! That was not only the problem, there were writings in Ryan’s room saying do not let me come looking for you. Ryan thought it was the ghost of someone working in there but it Henry! This was written because Ryan was trying to find out the Secret of the Dredge too. At last this group plans to burn down the dredge with the permission of Skeleton Creek/town people. The town people accepted and the Dredge was going to be burnt down with the machines in it. But Henry tried to find and get the gold out before the dredge was burnt down but his got trapped in a machine and got shattered and he came out of the dredge and tried to go to the hospital but before he even left the dredge, the group with the town people came to burn down the dredge. He was caught! He told out everything and was sent to the hospital and then he escaped because he would have been sent to prison. He was never seen again. The group tore down the dredge and found gold bars which equalled $30 million! And there was little help from Sarah and Ryan like investigating out the Dredge and so Sarah and Ryan could be back friends again and no one would be spying on them. The theme of the book is suspense-mystery. It has easy language and can be easily read but the beginning of the book is very weird my favourite part was the end when they found out the gold and Henry and when the mystery was solved. I like this book but also no one can predict what will happen the next minute unless they read the entry. I would recommend this book if he likes mystery and in any format like a diary which starts weirdly because the student might not understand what is happening and put down the book and read something else. The rating I would give is 4 and a half stars because only of the weird and boring beginning.

[Braxton Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skeleton Creek Ghost in the Machine

For my fiction book I choose to read “Skeleton Creek Ghost in the Machine” by: Patrick Carmen. I am going to talk about how I thought the book was written and how I liked the structure of the writing, but Before I would like to give a little summary and tell you something interesting about the book. This particular book is an interactive book meaning that you read a chapter then you go online to the address stated and then you watch a video. This book is in a series. This is the second book. The main plot of the story is that two 16-year-old kids, Ryan and Sarah, go to an old creepy dredge. While on the second floor in the dredge a phantom approaches Ryan, Ryan falls and breaks his leg. Ryan and Sarah are now not allowed to talk with each other, but they want to get the REAL story behind the ghost. The rest of the series is about them finding the mystery of the ghost out.

My first criterion of a good book is that it has to make me want to keep reading at the end of the book. If I were to rate how well Patrick Carmen did this on a scale of one to ten I would give it a 100! He does such a good job of making you want to read more. Like with this book he left of by saying
“I want to live, don’t you want to live? I do Sarah. I do.” Even though you don’t know what he said before that it makes you interested, it make you want to know more.

My second key criterion that a book has to have is an easy to follow sequence of events. Sometimes I have a hard time understanding what’s going on in the book and keeping up with it. If I can’t follow the story I can’t get into the story and I can’t enjoy the story. In this book the Patrick Carmen does a very good job of having an easy to follow sequence of events. The videos really help me keep up with the book because if I don’t understand something that is in the text I will wait for the video and it answers all of my questions.

My third and final key criterion is that the book must have characters that I can relate to. If a book has a character that is totally not like me I won’t like the book. I am the type of reader that needs a good book with characters I can relate to. Patrick Carman does an outstanding job with this because I’m not afraid to get into some trouble to solve a mystery. Also I love how the characters are daring and wining to do anything to solve the mystery.

The book Skeleton Creek Ghost in the Machine is a great book to read. The reason why is that one it makes me want to read more at the end of the story. Two it has an easy to follow plot and events. And three it has characters that is can relate to. In conclusion I think that Skeleton Creek Ghost in the Machine is a great book to read if you want a mystery adventure filled with ghost, drama, and scares.

Page Count: 205

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nachdem „Skeleton Creek 1: Wenn das Böse erwacht“ mit einem sehr fiesen Cliffhanger geendet hat, konnte ich Teil 2 gar nicht mehr erwarten.

Band 2 der Reihe rund um das Örtchen Skeleton Creek kommt diesmal in einem hellen blau daher. Hinten finden wir wie in Band 1 die dazugehörige DVD, welche wir uns am PC oder im DVD Player anschauen können.
Natürlich ist Band 2 ebenso als Tagebuch von Ryan gestaltet, die Videos hat Sarah gedreht. Diesmal gibt es sogar 12 Filmchen zu betrachten und da Band 1 wie bereits so spannend endete, geht Band 2 gleich mit dem ersten Film weiter und knüpft nahtlos an den Cliffhanger an.

In diesem Band kommen Ryan und Sarah dem Geheimnis noch ein Stückchen näher. Dinge, die nach dem Lesen der ersten Teils noch unklar waren, werden aufgelöst, jedoch kommen auch neue Fragen auf.
Familiär wird Ryan genauso wie Sarah mehr denn je kontrolliert, denn ihre Eltern verbieten weiterhin jeglichen Kontakt. So müssen auch die Passwörter für die Filme noch komplizierter gewählt werden und ein geheimer Platz im Ort dient fortan als Lagerung für Notizen und Mitteilungen zwischen den beiden Freunden.
Was genau Ryan und Sarah herausfinden, wird natürlich nicht verraten. Nur so viel:
Es ist spannend, aber leider empfand ich den Spannungsgrad der Geschichte sowie auch den Gruselanteil der Filme in Band 1 höher. Band 2 lässt sich mit 250 Seiten genauso gut an einem Tag lesen wie Band 1, jedoch war ich nicht so erpicht darauf zu erfahren, wie es weitergehen wird, sondern habe viel eher einfach gelesen und gehofft, dass durch die Filme der fehlende Spannungsanteil hinzukommt. Dies war leider nicht immer der Fall.
Obwohl ich die Filme auf der DVD als nicht so gruselig empfand wie in Band 1, halte ich die FSK 12 dennoch weiterhin für „zu jung“. Ich denke, eine FSK 14/15 wäre immer noch angebracht.
Der Schreibstil ist genauso jugendlich und locker zu lesen wie im vorherigen Teil. Da Skeleton Creek 2 nahtlos ans Skeleton Creek 1 anknüpft, konnte ich auch keine besondere Weiterentwicklung der Charaktere feststellen. Ryan ist mir, genauso wie Sarah, weiterhin sympathisch.

Mit ein paar kleinen Abstrichen hat mir „Skeleton Creek 2: Das Grauen der Nacht“ gut gefallen und mir ein paar nette und leicht spannende Stunden bereitet. Ich freue mich auf die Folgebände!

[Yan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ghost in the Machine has tough act to follow about Skeleton Creek and in some ways it lacked the ompf factor.

Just as Skeleton Creek we follow Ryan and Sarah uncover the mystery of the dredge number 42 haunted by the ghost of Joe Bush—or is it really him…?

The intricacy of the book is still here as well as the fear. Every last detail counts in this series as we go back and forth trying to uncover what really happened. Ghost in the Machine is the final book in this exciting series and the ending of course was just as spectacular as the beginning. We finally figure out the true identity of the ghost of Joe and the reasons why he did so.

The reason why Ghost in the Machine did not do as well as Skeleton Creek was because of the first page. On the first page Ryan somehow writes a list of names related to the dredge that no amount of reading will give the reader as to how he knows this. Ryan claims that he must of wrote it the night before he fell asleep after coming home from the dredge. He doesn’t remember that night, only fragments. What I loved so much of Skeleton Creek was the fact that it gave the reader reasons for everything! Ryan didn’t just magically come up with a list of names, he searched for the cooperation linking to several people and from there it expanded.

Ghost in the Machine provides entertainment as I read both books in one sitting, in less than a day, and wanting more from Patrick Carman.

Overall: Exciting, with twists, but not as in depth as I would have liked.

[Shawna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ryan and Sarah are still not allowed to see each other, but it still doesn't stop them from trying to uncover the mystery of the dredge and the secret room within it. They figure out that a secret society named the Crossbones consist of three live members; the librarian, Dr. Watts, and Ryan's father. The pair notice a birdie that points in different directions and according to a piece of paper from Ryan's father, it is to tell the members of the Crossbones when to meet. Ryan's father's best friend, Henry, is in town which gives Ryan the perfect opportunities to sneak around. The two know when the Crossbones meet, so they find a way to listen in on their conversation. They discover the key to unlocking the cryptic in the secret room which leads them to treasures throughout the dredge. In the end, they find out that Henry disguised himself as Old Joe Bush to scare everyone away from the dredge, in hopes of finding the secret stash of gold for himself. It turns out that the gold is hidden throughout the dredge, inside the floorboards.

I picked this book because the first book ended with a cliffhanger and I wanted to know what would happen in the book #2.

I finished this book because the book and the videos were filled with suspense. I wanted to know why there were names engraved in the secret room, more about the ghost of Old Joe Bush and why the Crossbones were involved with the mystery.

I think Wenhan would like this book because I think he enjoyed the first book and would like to find out what happened.