Seeing Things

by Nancy Young

In a world where virtual reality and the supernatural eclipse the real world, Mary Catherine Livingston finds herself trapped teaching students who'd rather text than compose, placating a husband who'd prefer to surf porn, and nurturing a teen that wants to be left alone. So she does what any woman would do--no, not move to Italy to gobble pasta or embark on a road trip with a cadre of kooky females. She moves to a haunted mansion and takes up ghost hunting.Seeing Things is set in Philadelphia's blue-blooded Main Line, where the past just refuses to die. Dark humor, passion, and outright terror meld in a spine-chilling, life-affirming tale of a woman's supernatural voyage of self-discovery and her rekindled ability to love.

243 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 23, 2014

About the author

Nancy Young grew up in suburban Philadelphia on the Main Line. Since her mother was a librarian, she read her way through the collection, exhausting the children’s section early. After majoring in English and completing graduate school, she taught writing, literature, speech, and film in various colleges in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Nancy currently lives in Fuquay-Varina, NC, a town as interesting as its name, where she worked as a reporter and the editor of the local paper. She’s still married to her high school sweetheart, and their children have grown up to be contributing members of society while still maintaining a healthy sense of humor—a necessity, given their quirky mother.

Reviews

[Danielle James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. The characters had a full range of emotions that really brought out their personalities. The back and forth between Mary Catherine and Tony made them seem like real people, not the standard romantic leads you find in most books. The book is wonderfully crafted to keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page.

[Christina Hamlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not everyone slips quietly into the spiritual ether once their time on Earth is over, a fact known all too well by the protagonist of Nancy Young’s paranormal novel, “Seeing Things.” Whether it’s unfinished business, a penchant for malevolent mischief, or a desire to keep loved ones from harm, ghosts have long been a staple of popular fiction, and Young aptly demonstrates her passion for and knowledge of this genre’s appeal, nuances and even clichés.

From the very first page, she puts her readers into the scene, including the whimsical expectation of “a cadaverous Mrs. Danvers” to open the front door of Grey Crag, the imposing Main Line manse her intrepid heroine has gone to for a job interview. With DJ – her teenage son in tow – the newly single Mary Catherine is determined to put as much of the past in the rearview mirror as quickly as she can, a decision that puts her in the company of Greg Crag’s elderly owner, Mrs. Parrish. Having had up until now only her cat for company, the effusive Mrs. Parrish is the last leaf on her family tree and eagerly accepts the prospect of having “young” company to help catalogue her memorabilia.

It isn’t long, though, before Mary Catherine’s heightened sensitivities make her realize that her new address is quite a full house when it comes to things that go bump in the night. Try as she might to discourage DJ from delving too deep into the mansion’s dark history, his obsession with ghost-hunter television shows prompts him to contact the Paranormal Posse with an invitation to come check out the house for a future episode. (I did have to laugh during these chapters, having channel-surfed on more than one occasion and caught segments of these green-tint, camera-jiggly productions in which every mysterious noise sounds like the mumbling adults in a “Peanuts” special.)

When the film crew arrives, Mary Catherine is less than keen about having them around…and even more wary when she becomes the object of sexy techie Tony’s undisguised affections. With an ego and a heart still badly bruised by her arrogant and neglectful ex, the last thing she wants is another man in her life, especially if Tony’s only end-game is to use the spirited setting as a way to boost network ratings. Snappy repartee is a signature of this new author’s style, as is her ability to craft page-turning, surrealistic imagery that’s worthy of a movie. You may want to sleep with the lights on for a night or two after you finish reading this.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in one day! WONDERFUL story! Mary Catherine seems like a best friend. The conversations are witty and wise, the plot moves at a rapid pace and carries you along with Mary Catherine's awakening to her self. The descriptions made me see Grey Crag is all its spooky glory, and I can see those ladies in their Callot Soeurs gowns, languidly roaming from room to room in the mansion during party after party. One of the things I liked best is Mary Catherine's relationship with her son. She is a mother who cares and also has her eyes wide open.
There is steamy sex with a hot tech guy, lots of ghosts, and tragedy from the past. Nancy has portrayed Mary Catherine as a full character. I felt for Mary as a child, and as an adult. She was coping as best she could with what life handed her, and grew in the process. Part of that growth is accepting help. This is a smart, sexy, frightening, and understanding novel. I look forward to reading more of Nancy Young's work.

[Helen Dipietro · Rating 2 out of 5]

First book in a trilogy, the characters were hard to relate to. Very stilted plot. Almost as if the author was given an outline and told to write a story to fit the outline. I went ahead and read the second book (Hearing things) and it was much better, waiting for the third one.