The Company of Ghosts

by Berlie Doherty

A beautiful, haunting ghost story from a Carnegie award-winning writer of young adult fiction It was a seascape, moody with rocks and cliffs and wild showers of spray. Ellie’s own reflection was drawn into it, like a ghost image among the lights and shadows. "That’s our island," Morag said. "It looks mysterious." "It is. That’s where we’re going tomorrow." Ellie is excited to be going with Morag’s family to their beautiful island, but when she finds herself abandoned there, things begin to change. Footsteps, shadows, strange lights, a haunting song; more and more she becomes aware that she is not really on her own.

Genres: Young Adult, Ghosts, Horror, Middle Grade, Novels, Paranormal

265 pages, Paperback

First published October 3, 2013

About the author

Berlie Doherty née Hollingsworth is an English novelist, poet, playwright and screenwriter. She is best known for children's books, for which she has twice won the Carnegie Medal.She has also written novels for adults, plays for theatre and radio, television series and libretti for children's opera.

Reviews

[Theresa Tomlinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although aimed at Young Adults, I enjoyed this book very much at the age of 67! I thought I should check it out before passing it onto my granddaughters, but once I'd started reading I couldn't put the book down. There were parts that sent shivers running up and down my spine, but I should have known that you can always trust Berlie Doherty to produce a positive and hopeful ending. The story of a rather troubled, but resourceful teenage girl - who accidently becomes isolated on an Scottish island - contains wonderfully vivid descriptions and evokes a powerful sense of place. But A COMPANY OF GHOSTS is also a very modern story and it made me reflect once again on the true priorities in life.

[ItzSmashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I wad sold by a solid start and some interesting characters, but when the main plot begun the pace hit a grinding halt and very little of substance happens for about a hundred pages. Was interested enough to finish it but I don't think I would recommend.
Falling out with her mum when her parents split, Ellie agrees to join her friend and her family on their private island for a vacation. Through a series of circumstances she ends up stranded there alone. Her only company is the ghost of a young girl, but what does this vision want with her? Will Ellie survive and be rescued?

[Annerlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Company of Ghosts is a ghost story for young adults set on a deserted island off the coast of Scotland. The ghost story has a traditional feel to it and is creepy rather than scary, the ghost benevolent and looking for peace.

I liked the spookiness and loved the descriptions of the lonely island etting, although the young heroine was a bit of a wimp on occasion.

I'm not the intended type of reader for this genre. Had I read this as a young teenager, I would have enjoyed it much more ... On occasion, the heroine would still have been a wimp.

[Debbie Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful language from Doherty.

[India Butcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it !!

[Veronica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Admittedly, I expected some really scary stuff. I've always been a fan of a good scare here and there, and when I come upon a promising book, my expectations are through the roof. So, to tell you guys frankly, I was a bit disappointed. There was nothing scary about this book at all. For that part, it had failed me.

Another thing I didn't quite enjoy about this book was it was really dragging at some parts. Like really, dragging. I understand the author wants us to paint (hehe) a picture in our heads, but it just felt like she was putting word after word that the picture completely vanishes from my mind.

I graduated from Fine Arts so I know a little about painting and colors but it was dull, even for me. The reading bit, I mean. I believe that you can be as descriptive as you can be when writing your stories but don't just fill 3 pages of the book with a description of a light house. I mean, I get it. It was beautiful, magical even. Maybe I just get tired easily? Nah, some people describe it vividly with just a paragraph or two.

Another is the building the relationship between Ellie and George. I mean, yes I get it. George here was actually a nice guy, just wanted to get to the island. But the transition between grumpy him to nice him happened so quickly, it's as if there was no point in making him a sour puss to begin with. And the words "shy" and "warm" have been used way too much, in my opinion. The author didn't build up enough spark to actually make me feel they were good together, or they even liked each other that way.

Too many plot holes, I guess?

[antoanaxo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initial thought: I had mixed feelings towards this. I was expecting something that would keep me up at night etc but it was more of a suspense drama. 4.5/5 stars. Will talk more in depth on Wednesday. IMMA GET IN THE SPOILERS SO IF U DON'T WANT ME TO TELL U WHAT HAPPENS THEN LEAVE NOW!
The writing style was absolutely beautiful. The book kind of gave me the Flannan Isle poem vibe and I definitely will be reading the poem again just so I can refer back. The main charcter annoyed me at times and not that much really happened. Throughout the book I could feel my connection to Ellie breaking because she was slowly turning insane. I thought the diary of Annabel was interesting and I would definitely love to see a companion to this which is Ellie's sketchbook. At first I thought she had quite unrealistic expectations and disliked here but as I delved in the story I started to root for her. This was great but I need more time to figure out if I liked it so much that it would be on my favourites list.

[Natalie (Nat) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! 100% recommend to anyone of any age who’s looking for a spooky story that doesn’t scare you out of sleep but keeps you trying to guess the next turn and for your guess to be wiped away by the gripping story line! Amazing! Beautifully written too, written down some quotes to use in the future.

[Meha Rizwan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible. A drag.

[Alexa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really did not like this one, like at all. First off I'd done like how Ellie completely just forgot that she was told about what she was going to be expecting when going to the island. It's like she ignored everything else and only heard the option of going farther away without actually hearing that she was going to go somewhere where there was no water, electricity or cell service. So I was kind of mad that she started getting all upset about the living conditions. Also I find this kind of story boring as well cuz every time we got to her point of view with the island I just felt so bored. The moments where it switches to the family's point of view were for some reason. more interesting than Ellie's journey on the island and the ghost. Also for some reason at the beginning of the book I for some reason thought that this family purposely left her on the island and I thought it was going to be a whole like horror idea of this family like tricking people to go into the island, killing them. that's honestly what I thought was going to happen at the beginning. Especially since she does not know these people, like barely knows the daughter and she just did anything she could to get away from her family issues that she went with complete strangers she doesn't know anything about. That by itself was really stupid of her and so dangerous of her. Like so many things could have gone wrong if this wasn't a good family. And then these parents just leave their son to watch over this girl that he doesn't know either like really? And it took so long for them to realize. oh she's still on the island probably. Hell even the dad was like "who's Ellie?" when he woke up. It just pissed me off that it took so long for George to realize she might still be on the island especially since he didn't get to talk to Guthrie in person. And the last one that kind of made this book hard for me to like was also just the rain style of mainly the grammar as I found myself having trouble in the beginning and figuring out what the fuck was happening cuz it felt like it was all over the place but then not really and then there was times where the grammar was. just did not make sense like with the dialogue at times. And there were times where the descriptions just came way too much or repetitive for me as well.

[isabelle x · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book had a good plan and storyline , It didn’t live up to my expectations. I thought it was going to be super creepy and action packed.

1. The ghost only appeared around halfway through the book.

2. When she was alone on the island almost nothing happened which made it quite boring to read.

But it wasn’t all bad, I found the ending good and SPOILER ALERT HERE ! i found it really gripping to read about when Ellie was in the boat with Annabelle when they were trying to save boy but sadly failed . So all in all , a 3 .

[aseriesofpages · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooh. This was good. I wasn't really expecting much but this was good. It wasn't quite scary but it was full of suspense and I liked the tale. Ellie was an amazing character! I really liked her and I really liked the plot and the other characters too. I did like the parts that focused on George too because it meant that I knew what was going on with him too. This was well written and I really enjoyed it. Also, that cover is also very pretty!

[houseoflavender · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character, Ellie, was kind of a spoiled brat. George, on the other hand, was a jerk. There were hardly any layers to their characters. Only Ellie had a little character development near the end.

[Spoiler]
I kind of wish there were more ghosts and more back stories behind everything.

[/spoiler]

There were a few spine-tingling moments inside the book, which I really love. The author is very gifted when it comes to description.

[Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely, haunting story packed with detail that puts you there on the island. At its heart it's about how Ellie is coping (or not coping) with her parents' divorce and her dad's move miles away from Scotland to Cornwall. But it's rich with other detail too - her painting, the island ghost's story and heartbreak, her developing friendship with George, her strength, courage and resourcefulness, surviving alone on the island.

[Jane Scholey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It starts with an eerie scene on a deserted, wild, Scottish island. Then it becomes a total fight for survival. Beautiful descriptions (as you’d expect)-Wild Island comes alive before your eyes. A lighthouse without a lantern that still lights? A boat that appears from nowhere. A love song to the island, the nature, the wildlife, yet at the same time a creepy tale. Doherty’s writing is addictive.

[Georgia Crossland · Rating 1 out of 5]

Protagonist had no mind of her own, but because she acknowledged that fact I didn’t mind it so much. The author kept changing the tenses which was very confusing. I liked it at first (probs would have put it as a 3 star,) but as it went on I disliked it more. Maybe because it’s a YA/ children’s thriller and I’m not the target audience for it anymore. I know if I was younger I’d have liked it more.

[Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, YA Fiction is full of hidden gems.
Here we have a ghost story unlike any I have ever read before. It is not scary, nor is it creepy. It is emotional and it is romantic and very atmospheric. You can’t help but feel for Ellie as she battles with loneliness and isolation and then realises what she appreciates the most, The Company of Ghosts!

[♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 100 pages were a bit boring (although I was quite distracted with 1989 Taylor’s Version) however after that it got good. I wanted to know what would happen to Ellie and if she’d ever get rescued from the island. I know I wouldn’t want to be in her position having a mysterious ghost as my only companion!

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a psychologically twisting book. Really enjoyed it. Kept me hooked right till the end.

[C C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing, a worthy book to read. You won't stop reading it once you pick this book. It makes me feel creepy, hopeful and be optimistic.

[Allison Parkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully-written, spellbinding book. I couldn't put it down. The descriptions of the mysterious island and the ever changing seas around it are exquisite.

[Syèd Masum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating this a four because the story and the narration is absolutely beautiful. An easy read one can finish it in 4-5 hours. Overall satisfying.

[Mars · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can remember loving this book when I read it years ago.

[bee Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

an incredibly beautiful book, amazing descriptive language. keeps you hooked and very spooky!

[Kelly O'Brien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful ghost story really atmospheric if a little set up

[Lana Lazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written, sweet, hauntingly sad story about lost love.

[Claire Yesruf · Rating 4 out of 5]

So gripping great YA book

[Katy W · Rating 5 out of 5]

So beautifully written I wanted to read it slowly, but wasn't able to put it down.

[Dylan Hope · Rating 2 out of 5]

sorry but it was really boring

[Anthony Burt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is mildly enchanting and far more romantic than I was expecting. It's about a girl called Ellie who is accidentally left stranded on a small island somewhere in Scotland. She slowly discovers, over the course of a few days, that the island is haunted by a woman who died 200 years ago whilst looking after the lighthouse there.

Ellie and George's relationship (he is the boy who "accidentally" leaves Ellie on the island) adds a more interesting layer to this book, especially as it coincides nicely with the story of the woman from 200 years ago.

However, I did feel the writing was somewhat bland and not at all as spookily encompassing as I would have liked. We get a lot of Ellie's inner thoughts, but even this gets very repetitive and tedious after a while. Somehow, I'm not sure Ellie was a strong enough character to hold this book together, hence why I've given it a bit of a middle-of-the-road 3 stars.

Good, but not that good.