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Alibi's Ghosts, The Larger-Than-Life Small World of a Medium's Daughter
Alexandra ‘Alibi’ Vernon is the eleven-year-old daughter of a psychic medium whose behavior is repeatedly influenced by kids from the Other Side. From building sub sandwiches in her sleep to sneaking into a stranger's attic, Alibi has her innocence challenged on a regular basis. Since her mother is fairly new at medium work, she only schedules two readings a week. However, this particular week, she accidentally schedules five readings, five days in a row. During this time, each child from the Other Side has a mysterious clue for Alibi to unravel, and she begins to notice each clue is connected in some way with the other readings. With a bit of ghostly charade playing, lots of trouble dodging, and the help of her deceased Grandpa Edgar and Cousin Kyle, along with her living but scaredy-cat best friend, Daisy, Alibi is able to solve the mystery and help all five grieving parents simultaneously.
244 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 2011
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389 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 31, 2015
Alibi Vernon is a sweet young girl who seemingly has a knack for getting into trouble. Now, if only her parents would realize that she is not operating under her own power when she does the things that cause them to question her.
When you first meet the main character in this novel, she seems like any other 12 year old girl, with a twist, she gets messages from ghosts. You see, her mother is a medium, or someone who can commune with the dead. Alibi gets messages from the same ghosts that her mother is reading for, only they do not always make sense.
As you read through the novel, you find that each one of the ghosts has a different message for her and in her mind, it is a jumbled mess, but she has this feeling that somehow it will all make sense if she can just put the pieces together. Each message leaves her acting strangely, experiencing different things and going through events that would normally not occur for her.
Then, you meet her best friend who is just a little creeped out by the whole ghost thing and, though she tries to put on a brave face, the whole thing scares her to death!
Alibi's Ghosts will take you on an unforgettable journey and remind you what it was like in those awkward teen years. It brought me straight back to childhood and age 12 and having things you want to tell people, but being afraid of what they will think. To me, this story screams of the coming-of-age, finding your place kind of thing that all girls go through in growing up.
As far removed as I am from the target audience (I have a child in the correct age group, though), I found that this was one I could not put down. There were some very minor typographical errors and the like, but they in no way detract from the story (and my regular readers know that this is a pet-peeve of mine), and I was able to keep reading and was not able to put this one down.
If you are the parent of a young girl (or maybe even a young boy) and are a fan of the paranormal and fantasy genre and want to share that love with your child, this would be an excellent place to start! We are talking ghosts here, not vampires and werewolves and shapeshifters, so it is a mild introduction without being anything that is going to induce nightmares.
I really enjoyed this story and cannot wait to see what else this author has in store for us. I was impressed by the level of organization as that is something I have found lacking in books geared toward this age group. This really is a must read for anyone who loves ghost stories, both the young and the young at heart. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.
I do want to thank the author for sending me a copy in exchange for my opinion. I look forward to seeing if the character goes any further!
When you first meet the main character in this novel, she seems like any other 12 year old girl, with a twist, she gets messages from ghosts. You see, her mother is a medium, or someone who can commune with the dead. Alibi gets messages from the same ghosts that her mother is reading for, only they do not always make sense.
As you read through the novel, you find that each one of the ghosts has a different message for her and in her mind, it is a jumbled mess, but she has this feeling that somehow it will all make sense if she can just put the pieces together. Each message leaves her acting strangely, experiencing different things and going through events that would normally not occur for her.
Then, you meet her best friend who is just a little creeped out by the whole ghost thing and, though she tries to put on a brave face, the whole thing scares her to death!
Alibi's Ghosts will take you on an unforgettable journey and remind you what it was like in those awkward teen years. It brought me straight back to childhood and age 12 and having things you want to tell people, but being afraid of what they will think. To me, this story screams of the coming-of-age, finding your place kind of thing that all girls go through in growing up.
As far removed as I am from the target audience (I have a child in the correct age group, though), I found that this was one I could not put down. There were some very minor typographical errors and the like, but they in no way detract from the story (and my regular readers know that this is a pet-peeve of mine), and I was able to keep reading and was not able to put this one down.
If you are the parent of a young girl (or maybe even a young boy) and are a fan of the paranormal and fantasy genre and want to share that love with your child, this would be an excellent place to start! We are talking ghosts here, not vampires and werewolves and shapeshifters, so it is a mild introduction without being anything that is going to induce nightmares.
I really enjoyed this story and cannot wait to see what else this author has in store for us. I was impressed by the level of organization as that is something I have found lacking in books geared toward this age group. This really is a must read for anyone who loves ghost stories, both the young and the young at heart. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.
I do want to thank the author for sending me a copy in exchange for my opinion. I look forward to seeing if the character goes any further!
September 23, 2012
REVIEW BY: Angel, age 9 years, 10 months
SPOILER ALERT:
This book is about how a 11 year old girl named Alexandra "Alibi" Veron talks to children from the other side. Alibi is always getting clues from her dead grandpa Edgar and cousin Kyle. When Alibi gets clues she writes them down and then tries to figure out why children from the other side are here. Alibi is up in the middle of the night doing things for the children from the other side, such as making sub sandwiches. She is the daughter of a psychic medium who is fairly new at medium work. Grandpa Edgar gives Alibi a clue by having Alibi listen to a tape while her friend, Daisy, is present. The clue is from the reading her mother did for Laura Danvers, the lady who owns the bookstore that Alibi and her mother go to. Alibi and Daisy hatch out a plan that requires bravery.
I enjoyed this book very much. I could picture what Alibi, Daisy, the scenes, and everyone else looked like in my head. This book would be a great read for anyone that likes ghost stories and mysteries in grades 3-6. My favorite part was when Alibi was painting and she became bored so she painted a different way than her mother wanted her to. While Alibi is painting, she gets paint in her hair so she has to go to the bathroom and take a shower. When Alibi gets out of the shower, she finds her mother is in the room where Alibi was painting. Her mother was just standing looking at the wall, so Alibi goes to see what her mother is looking at. Her mother was looking at a painted wall portrayed to look like an ocean, but the wall was not supposed to be painted as an ocean. This was my favorite part because I could imagine the ocean wall. I think that anyone who reads this book will like it. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
SPOILER ALERT:
This book is about how a 11 year old girl named Alexandra "Alibi" Veron talks to children from the other side. Alibi is always getting clues from her dead grandpa Edgar and cousin Kyle. When Alibi gets clues she writes them down and then tries to figure out why children from the other side are here. Alibi is up in the middle of the night doing things for the children from the other side, such as making sub sandwiches. She is the daughter of a psychic medium who is fairly new at medium work. Grandpa Edgar gives Alibi a clue by having Alibi listen to a tape while her friend, Daisy, is present. The clue is from the reading her mother did for Laura Danvers, the lady who owns the bookstore that Alibi and her mother go to. Alibi and Daisy hatch out a plan that requires bravery.
I enjoyed this book very much. I could picture what Alibi, Daisy, the scenes, and everyone else looked like in my head. This book would be a great read for anyone that likes ghost stories and mysteries in grades 3-6. My favorite part was when Alibi was painting and she became bored so she painted a different way than her mother wanted her to. While Alibi is painting, she gets paint in her hair so she has to go to the bathroom and take a shower. When Alibi gets out of the shower, she finds her mother is in the room where Alibi was painting. Her mother was just standing looking at the wall, so Alibi goes to see what her mother is looking at. Her mother was looking at a painted wall portrayed to look like an ocean, but the wall was not supposed to be painted as an ocean. This was my favorite part because I could imagine the ocean wall. I think that anyone who reads this book will like it. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
January 9, 2013
Background: Alexandra 'Alibi' Vernon has a strange talent, and so does her mother. Her mother is a Medium who helps people deal with the deaths of their loved ones. Alibi has a similar gift, the ghosts that her mom is a Medium to, normally send her messages in mysterious ways. Some have her make sandwiches while sleepwalking, others make noises, and even her grandfather and cousin tend to appear to her. This week, her mom has a lot more readings than normal, and Alibi is sent on a clue hunt for the ghosts, which oddly all seem to be linked.
Review: This was an adorable Middle-Grade read, the font of my paperback copy was large and inviting to younger readers and the story was fast paced, surprising, and mysterious. Alibi is a very strong character, scared by very little, and just trying to get through this week with her mother. Alibi keeps note sheets about each of the ghosts that she encounters in their strange ways, and the author has included them for the reader,like clues for use to pick up and put together to solve the mystery. And it is a mystery, a kind of scavenger hunt. As a reader, I think these types of books are both fun to read but also a puzzle to solve, and I think younger readers will agree.
I recommended this for Middle Grade readers, not too scary so the ghost aspect isn't haunting.
Review: This was an adorable Middle-Grade read, the font of my paperback copy was large and inviting to younger readers and the story was fast paced, surprising, and mysterious. Alibi is a very strong character, scared by very little, and just trying to get through this week with her mother. Alibi keeps note sheets about each of the ghosts that she encounters in their strange ways, and the author has included them for the reader,like clues for use to pick up and put together to solve the mystery. And it is a mystery, a kind of scavenger hunt. As a reader, I think these types of books are both fun to read but also a puzzle to solve, and I think younger readers will agree.
I recommended this for Middle Grade readers, not too scary so the ghost aspect isn't haunting.
November 4, 2012
Won this in a Goodreads giveaway. It was a quick read, and I would place it among the Beverly Clearys of young adult fiction. I could easily see having read something of the sort when I was in grade school, and I would've chewed through a series of them.
My only criticism lies with the oft-errant formatting, the larger-than-necessary font, and the occasional typos that cause stumbles in the reading pattern. Wish it had gone through another proof-reader or two.
My only criticism lies with the oft-errant formatting, the larger-than-necessary font, and the occasional typos that cause stumbles in the reading pattern. Wish it had gone through another proof-reader or two.
November 9, 2012
Wonderful quick read. A young girl who speaks with ghosts of her grandfather and prank playing cousin and his crow. Allie is slowly led into a mystery that she solves with the ghosts help. the foreshadowing is really well done. The ghosts play a part in solving the mystery along with Alie our young sleuth. Just wonderfully done.My 14 year old son and 10 year old sister are going to get this book for xmas as I know they will love it.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews