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Ghostbusters
The official novelization for a new generation of Ghostbusters, based on the new movie starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and Chris Hemsworth and directed by Paul Feig!
After Dr. Erin Gilbert is disgraced at a job interview for her belief in ghosts, she is roped into investigating a haunting by her former colleague, Abby Yates and Abby’s new co-worker, Jillian Holtzmann. The three scientists soon discover that some specters do far more than go bump in the night.
MTA employee, Patty Tolan, finds that New York City’s subway tunnels are becoming a hive of ghostly apparitions. She calls on Erin, Abbey, and Jillian to investigate, revealing that paranormal activity across New York City is swiftly becoming a disaster of near-biblical proportions
Together, these four would-be paranormal investigators are determined to find out what’s going on, save their city, and maybe make a profit while they’re at it. The team must stop a mysterious evil known only as Rowan from destroying the barrier between this life and the next and turning Manhattan into a literal hellscape.
After Dr. Erin Gilbert is disgraced at a job interview for her belief in ghosts, she is roped into investigating a haunting by her former colleague, Abby Yates and Abby’s new co-worker, Jillian Holtzmann. The three scientists soon discover that some specters do far more than go bump in the night.
MTA employee, Patty Tolan, finds that New York City’s subway tunnels are becoming a hive of ghostly apparitions. She calls on Erin, Abbey, and Jillian to investigate, revealing that paranormal activity across New York City is swiftly becoming a disaster of near-biblical proportions
Together, these four would-be paranormal investigators are determined to find out what’s going on, save their city, and maybe make a profit while they’re at it. The team must stop a mysterious evil known only as Rowan from destroying the barrier between this life and the next and turning Manhattan into a literal hellscape.
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 28, 2016
24 people are currently reading
698 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Holder
354 books2,409 followersNancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling author of the WICKED Series, has just published CRUSADE - the first book in a new vampire series cowritten with Debbie Viguie. The last book her her Possession series is set to release in March 2011.
Nancy was born in Los Altos, California, and her family settled for a time in Walnut Creek. Her father, who taught at Stanford, joined the navy and the family traveled throughout California and lived in Japan for three years. When she was sixteen, she dropped out of high school to become a ballet dancer in Cologne, Germany, and later relocated to Frankfurt Am Main.
Eventually she returned to California and graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at San Diego with a degree in Communications. Soon after, she began to write; her first sale was a young adult romance novel titled Teach Me to Love.
Nancy’s work has appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, LA Times, amazon.com, LOCUS, and other bestseller lists. A four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association, she has also received accolades from the American Library Association, the American Reading Association, the New York Public Library, and Romantic Times.
She and Debbie Viguié co-authored the New York Times bestselling series Wicked for Simon and Schuster. They have continued their collaboration with the Crusade series, also for Simon and Schuster, and the Wolf Springs Chronicles for Delacorte (2011.) She is also the author of the young adult horror series Possessions for Razorbill. She has sold many novels and book projects set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Saving Grace, Hellboy, and Smallville universes.
She has sold approximately two hundred short stories and essays on writing and popular culture. Her anthology, Outsiders, co-edited with Nancy Kilpatrick, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award in 2005.
She teaches in the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing Program, offered through the University of Southern Maine. She has previously taught at UCSD and has served on the Clarion Board of Directors.
She lives in San Diego, California, with her daughter Belle, their two Corgis, Panda and Tater; and their cats, David and Kittnen Snow. She and Belle are active in Girl Scouts and dog obedience training.
Nancy was born in Los Altos, California, and her family settled for a time in Walnut Creek. Her father, who taught at Stanford, joined the navy and the family traveled throughout California and lived in Japan for three years. When she was sixteen, she dropped out of high school to become a ballet dancer in Cologne, Germany, and later relocated to Frankfurt Am Main.
Eventually she returned to California and graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at San Diego with a degree in Communications. Soon after, she began to write; her first sale was a young adult romance novel titled Teach Me to Love.
Nancy’s work has appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, LA Times, amazon.com, LOCUS, and other bestseller lists. A four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association, she has also received accolades from the American Library Association, the American Reading Association, the New York Public Library, and Romantic Times.
She and Debbie Viguié co-authored the New York Times bestselling series Wicked for Simon and Schuster. They have continued their collaboration with the Crusade series, also for Simon and Schuster, and the Wolf Springs Chronicles for Delacorte (2011.) She is also the author of the young adult horror series Possessions for Razorbill. She has sold many novels and book projects set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Saving Grace, Hellboy, and Smallville universes.
She has sold approximately two hundred short stories and essays on writing and popular culture. Her anthology, Outsiders, co-edited with Nancy Kilpatrick, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award in 2005.
She teaches in the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing Program, offered through the University of Southern Maine. She has previously taught at UCSD and has served on the Clarion Board of Directors.
She lives in San Diego, California, with her daughter Belle, their two Corgis, Panda and Tater; and their cats, David and Kittnen Snow. She and Belle are active in Girl Scouts and dog obedience training.
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April 21, 2023
Ghostbusters is the novelization of the 2016 movie of the same name (though unlike the book, the movie was also marketed/titled as Ghostbusters: Answer the Call). The movie generated some controversy, as it completely flipped the original Ghostbusters formula on its head, making the Ghostbusters all female, with a male receptionist. Personally, I really enjoyed the film; it's funny, entertaining, and has good characters and a decent story. Don't believe the haters: if you haven't seen the movie, I encourage you to, because it's a good one. Not great, but good. Worth your time, in my opinion. I'll actually be rewatching it tomorrow night to start off the weekend, and I'm looking forward to it!
The story of the book and film follows Dr. Erin Gilbert and her childhood friend Dr. Abigail Yates. Erin saw a ghost when she was a child. Everyone ridiculed her about it at school, and her parents put her into therapy for years because of it. Young Abigail (Abby), who was the new kid at Erin's school, was the only one who believed her. They formed a strong friendship, but years later they've had a falling out, as Erin has abandoned the paranormal as she tries to pursue tenure at a prestigious university, while Abby remains dedicated to proving the existence of ghosts and continues studying the paranormal. Soon, however, events bring them, and two other interesting characters, a bookworm MTA ticket booth worker named Patty Tolan and a pyrotechnic genius named Jillian Holtzmann, together to join forces and save the city of Manhattan from a full-scale invasion from the spirit world!
Overall this book was just "okay". The author did a decent job adapting it, and it's better than some other movie novelizations I've read. That being said, some of the character backstories, like Erin's, I didn't find particularly interesting, and Holtzmann, who is one of the four main characters in this book, didn't have a fleshed-out backstory at all; she was just suddenly "there" in the story, and then things progressed along without anything being revealed about her past, why she's as crazy and danger-loving as she is, etc. That was a bit of a letdown.
Another thing I'll say is that the editing in this book is truly horrible. This is one of the worst-edited books I've ever read, hands down. The number of obvious mistakes in this book is simply embarrassing. I guess it's just a movie novelization, though, so the publisher probably didn't care too much about editing it properly (or at all), because no one reads these books anyway, but it was really, really bad nonetheless.
Ghostbusters is a decent read, but it's nothing special, is very poorly edited, and in my opinion doesn't really add much to what the film presented. One of the rare instances where the movie is a lot better than the book. If you haven't seen the movie, I'd encourage you to. If you have, you don't need to read this; it's not a meaningful supplement to your experience of this story. Recommended for hardcore fans of the film or the Ghostbusters franchise only.
2.5 stars
The story of the book and film follows Dr. Erin Gilbert and her childhood friend Dr. Abigail Yates. Erin saw a ghost when she was a child. Everyone ridiculed her about it at school, and her parents put her into therapy for years because of it. Young Abigail (Abby), who was the new kid at Erin's school, was the only one who believed her. They formed a strong friendship, but years later they've had a falling out, as Erin has abandoned the paranormal as she tries to pursue tenure at a prestigious university, while Abby remains dedicated to proving the existence of ghosts and continues studying the paranormal. Soon, however, events bring them, and two other interesting characters, a bookworm MTA ticket booth worker named Patty Tolan and a pyrotechnic genius named Jillian Holtzmann, together to join forces and save the city of Manhattan from a full-scale invasion from the spirit world!
Overall this book was just "okay". The author did a decent job adapting it, and it's better than some other movie novelizations I've read. That being said, some of the character backstories, like Erin's, I didn't find particularly interesting, and Holtzmann, who is one of the four main characters in this book, didn't have a fleshed-out backstory at all; she was just suddenly "there" in the story, and then things progressed along without anything being revealed about her past, why she's as crazy and danger-loving as she is, etc. That was a bit of a letdown.
Another thing I'll say is that the editing in this book is truly horrible. This is one of the worst-edited books I've ever read, hands down. The number of obvious mistakes in this book is simply embarrassing. I guess it's just a movie novelization, though, so the publisher probably didn't care too much about editing it properly (or at all), because no one reads these books anyway, but it was really, really bad nonetheless.
Ghostbusters is a decent read, but it's nothing special, is very poorly edited, and in my opinion doesn't really add much to what the film presented. One of the rare instances where the movie is a lot better than the book. If you haven't seen the movie, I'd encourage you to. If you have, you don't need to read this; it's not a meaningful supplement to your experience of this story. Recommended for hardcore fans of the film or the Ghostbusters franchise only.
2.5 stars
August 7, 2016
As everyone was (or should be) I am a huge fan of the new Ghostbusters movie. I'm not sure how it is possible not to love it. It has four smart, capable female leads who refuse to back down from a challenge and use their science knowledge to capture ghosts and save New York City even while everyone else is calling them frauds. Can you say perfect? I love Holtz so much. She is my life-goals in a character. She is fun, quirky, smart, and unafraid to be herself. Also, that scene she used the two holsters to fight ghosts? Amazing! I also love Patty. I think she's underappreciated and it's a shame because she is smart, resourceful, and loyal. Another reason why I love Ghostbuster? It has a fantastic movie novel.
Movie novels can really go either way (really good or really bad), but Ghostbusters hit all the right notes. It gives new life to the familiar plot without losing anything from the film. It also adds some of its own original material, all of which is excellent and now accepted by me as cannon. The best movie novels create their own scenes and material, and those moments (especially the scenes fleshing out the history between Erin and Abby and also that little Patty/Holtz scene) were the best of the book for me. I also appreciated the author taking her movie novelization seriously and attempting to flesh out the movie in an original way. Sometimes movie novel authors write crap and think that we won't mind because there are pretty pictures in the middle of the book. Nancy Holder doesn't do that (and there are no pictures, though that would actually be awesome).
Highly recommended for Ghostbusters fans! Watch the movie first, but this is a movie novel you don't want to miss.
Movie novels can really go either way (really good or really bad), but Ghostbusters hit all the right notes. It gives new life to the familiar plot without losing anything from the film. It also adds some of its own original material, all of which is excellent and now accepted by me as cannon. The best movie novels create their own scenes and material, and those moments (especially the scenes fleshing out the history between Erin and Abby and also that little Patty/Holtz scene) were the best of the book for me. I also appreciated the author taking her movie novelization seriously and attempting to flesh out the movie in an original way. Sometimes movie novel authors write crap and think that we won't mind because there are pretty pictures in the middle of the book. Nancy Holder doesn't do that (and there are no pictures, though that would actually be awesome).
Highly recommended for Ghostbusters fans! Watch the movie first, but this is a movie novel you don't want to miss.
October 25, 2017
Almost got a four, but it kind of got messy in the last third. I liked that there was more about Erin and Abby's relationship. I liked that it left out that bit with the coffee*. I liked that it explained the missing scene (I assume) in the movie between getting arrested at the Mercado and Erin looking through Rowan's book.
But then it cut out other bits, I guess novelizations aren't supposed to be too long or something. I wish there had been more of Patty and Holtz. I wish that Holtz would have been queer.
* I don't know if the book was written from the original script or what. I realize that the movie probably had a lot of improvisation.
But then it cut out other bits, I guess novelizations aren't supposed to be too long or something. I wish there had been more of Patty and Holtz. I wish that Holtz would have been queer.
* I don't know if the book was written from the original script or what. I realize that the movie probably had a lot of improvisation.
August 9, 2016
Adult novelization of the 2016 Ghostbusters movie, based off the screenplay by Kate Dippold and Paul Feig.
It’s difficult to go into much detail without having spoilers, so I will list non-specifics and the ways the novelization differs from the finished movie.
The novelization is mainly from the perspective of Erin Gilbert. It reveals interesting details of her ghostly back story that isn’t in the movie. There are several flashback scenes from second grade through college.
Abby Yates is in many of Erin’s flashbacks. Her history before meeting Erin is not explored. Abby only gets one significant point-of-view section in the book, also seen in the movie, although some details are different.
Patty Tolan has several point-of-view sections that focus on the present. Her background information is limited to revealing that she has always loved reading books and how that impacted her childhood as well as her present.
Jillian Holtzmann’s point-of-view was extremely minimal. She has a couple lines but never a whole scene to herself. Externally, a lab accident incident is mentioned as being in her past before working with Abby, and that there is a man involved.
Antagonist Rowan has several pov sections, and supporting characters Jennifer Lynch and tour guide Garrett each have pov sections.
If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll recognize some of the dialogue and it will also be clear which parts of the movie were ad-libbed, improv, or intentionally changed. In the movie, Kevin and Holtzmann both have more to say and do than in the book. Certain personal aspects are different.
In addition to the flashbacks, there are interesting present-day happenings that are not in the movie. One incident in particular with Rowan at The Mercado would have been super creepy to see on screen.
It’s difficult to go into much detail without having spoilers, so I will list non-specifics and the ways the novelization differs from the finished movie.
The novelization is mainly from the perspective of Erin Gilbert. It reveals interesting details of her ghostly back story that isn’t in the movie. There are several flashback scenes from second grade through college.
Abby Yates is in many of Erin’s flashbacks. Her history before meeting Erin is not explored. Abby only gets one significant point-of-view section in the book, also seen in the movie, although some details are different.
Patty Tolan has several point-of-view sections that focus on the present. Her background information is limited to revealing that she has always loved reading books and how that impacted her childhood as well as her present.
Jillian Holtzmann’s point-of-view was extremely minimal. She has a couple lines but never a whole scene to herself. Externally, a lab accident incident is mentioned as being in her past before working with Abby, and that there is a man involved.
Antagonist Rowan has several pov sections, and supporting characters Jennifer Lynch and tour guide Garrett each have pov sections.
If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll recognize some of the dialogue and it will also be clear which parts of the movie were ad-libbed, improv, or intentionally changed. In the movie, Kevin and Holtzmann both have more to say and do than in the book. Certain personal aspects are different.
In addition to the flashbacks, there are interesting present-day happenings that are not in the movie. One incident in particular with Rowan at The Mercado would have been super creepy to see on screen.
April 22, 2018
Dr. Erin Gilbert has moved past the strangeness of her childhood. She’s respected in her field, up for tenure at Columbia University, and then some guy shows up with a copy of the book she thought she’d buried. To protect her safe, normal life Erin’s going to have to confront her former friend Abby and her new co-worker Holtzmann. Confront them and then wind up working with them once she’s booted from Columbia and determined once again to prove the existence of ghosts to prove she isn’t lying or insane. Strange things are happening in New York and it’s going to be up to the Ghostbusters to get to the bottom of it.
Ghostbusters: Answer the Call, the 2016 movie, was one of my favorite recent movies. It isn’t a perfect movie by any means but it’s solidly entertaining and a lot of fun. This isn’t a review of the movie though, this is about the novelization by Nancy Holder. This bit is mostly here to point out that I’m not really reviewing the story here, I like the story it gets a four out of five from me. This is mostly going to be me talking about the writing itself.
One of the big differences here is that the novelization has a set main narrator where the movie is more of a group thing. Erin Gilbert is the decided lead of the novelization, she’s the one we’re following and it’s her head we’re stuck in for the bulk of the story. That’s both a positive and a negative. Being in Erin’s head lets us dig a lot more into her character stuff it makes it very clear that she’s got anxiety and serious issues with needing validation from the most conventionally normal people possible. That’s fantastic and is both heavily supported by her back story as well as doing a fantastic job informing her actions in the story proper. The flip side to being in Erin’s head is that she’s not an incredibly likeable character here, she’s judgy and picky and can be just generally unpleasant. I do feel like a lot of that comes from the writing itself. Erin’s thoughts have this weird stilted diction to them that would have been great if she was one of several leads, it is really notable and feels fairly technical in a lot of places. Unfortunately it can put me in mind of “not like other girls” YA protagonists.
That’s actually kind of a thing with the writing throughout the book, it can feel very like a bad young adult novel when it’s at its worst. There’s a couple scenes that do nothing for the book where Erin talks to other, basically one off, female characters and they feel very like something that would pop up in bad YA. These one off characters exist to mock Erin, and to a lesser degree the other Ghostbusters, which serves to reinforce her not fitting in but the scene doesn’t really work because they have no bearing on anything. Another bad YA moment is when Kevin is introduced and Erin’s brain literally stops working for a paragraph or so. Points for her losing interest as she realizes how incredibly dumb Kevin is.
I feel like I’m being unfair to the main character here. I sort of am. These moments are pretty spaced out and the unlikablilty would probably not be nearly as much a thing for me if I hadn’t seen the movie first. What’s it like when other characters get the spot light? There were some bits before Patty joins the party and towards the end with the other Ghostbusters as the point of view characters. I would have loved to see more of that. We also have several short bits throughout with Rowan, the antagonist. Those have a lot of the same bad YA feel, but they work a lot better for me because Rowan is a character that I’ve known people who were like that. He thinks he’s much better than anyone else, that his station in life is an unfairness inflicted upon him by the innumerable fools he must constantly suffer. That whole feel ties in really well to his driving thing being, essentially, revenge against the world as a whole. Rowan is stilted and full of himself in ways that can often throw a fantastic dark mirror to Erin. I adore that. The idea that, in another iteration of the story, their places could have been swapped interests me. Though, I do feel like more could have been done with him to solidify that and make him a bit less cartoony.
What this all boils down to is that, while Holder does some fantastic character work that I would have absolutely loved to have seen more of on more characters, the same character work can come across as more than a little juvenile. And that can be jarring. There’s a section that I actually read like five times featuring Holtzmann and Patty that was really good, it made me wish there was more of them in the book. It felt like a genuine moment for both of them and, after so much Erin angsting over her past mistakes, it felt really good to just have them getting to know each other. As with many things I’ve mentioned here, I would have really enjoyed more of that kind of moment during the quiet points of the plot.
So, I’ve already said at the beginning that I enjoyed the story. I’ve talked a lot about the writing itself being solid but cartoony or overly exaggerated, about it needing a little more. That’s kind of what decides it for me. Ultimately I would read Nancy Holder’s writing again whether another movie novelization or original fiction, but the need for just a little more in a lot of the character work leaves Ghostbusters: Answer the Call with a three out of five all told.
Ghostbusters: Answer the Call, the 2016 movie, was one of my favorite recent movies. It isn’t a perfect movie by any means but it’s solidly entertaining and a lot of fun. This isn’t a review of the movie though, this is about the novelization by Nancy Holder. This bit is mostly here to point out that I’m not really reviewing the story here, I like the story it gets a four out of five from me. This is mostly going to be me talking about the writing itself.
One of the big differences here is that the novelization has a set main narrator where the movie is more of a group thing. Erin Gilbert is the decided lead of the novelization, she’s the one we’re following and it’s her head we’re stuck in for the bulk of the story. That’s both a positive and a negative. Being in Erin’s head lets us dig a lot more into her character stuff it makes it very clear that she’s got anxiety and serious issues with needing validation from the most conventionally normal people possible. That’s fantastic and is both heavily supported by her back story as well as doing a fantastic job informing her actions in the story proper. The flip side to being in Erin’s head is that she’s not an incredibly likeable character here, she’s judgy and picky and can be just generally unpleasant. I do feel like a lot of that comes from the writing itself. Erin’s thoughts have this weird stilted diction to them that would have been great if she was one of several leads, it is really notable and feels fairly technical in a lot of places. Unfortunately it can put me in mind of “not like other girls” YA protagonists.
That’s actually kind of a thing with the writing throughout the book, it can feel very like a bad young adult novel when it’s at its worst. There’s a couple scenes that do nothing for the book where Erin talks to other, basically one off, female characters and they feel very like something that would pop up in bad YA. These one off characters exist to mock Erin, and to a lesser degree the other Ghostbusters, which serves to reinforce her not fitting in but the scene doesn’t really work because they have no bearing on anything. Another bad YA moment is when Kevin is introduced and Erin’s brain literally stops working for a paragraph or so. Points for her losing interest as she realizes how incredibly dumb Kevin is.
I feel like I’m being unfair to the main character here. I sort of am. These moments are pretty spaced out and the unlikablilty would probably not be nearly as much a thing for me if I hadn’t seen the movie first. What’s it like when other characters get the spot light? There were some bits before Patty joins the party and towards the end with the other Ghostbusters as the point of view characters. I would have loved to see more of that. We also have several short bits throughout with Rowan, the antagonist. Those have a lot of the same bad YA feel, but they work a lot better for me because Rowan is a character that I’ve known people who were like that. He thinks he’s much better than anyone else, that his station in life is an unfairness inflicted upon him by the innumerable fools he must constantly suffer. That whole feel ties in really well to his driving thing being, essentially, revenge against the world as a whole. Rowan is stilted and full of himself in ways that can often throw a fantastic dark mirror to Erin. I adore that. The idea that, in another iteration of the story, their places could have been swapped interests me. Though, I do feel like more could have been done with him to solidify that and make him a bit less cartoony.
What this all boils down to is that, while Holder does some fantastic character work that I would have absolutely loved to have seen more of on more characters, the same character work can come across as more than a little juvenile. And that can be jarring. There’s a section that I actually read like five times featuring Holtzmann and Patty that was really good, it made me wish there was more of them in the book. It felt like a genuine moment for both of them and, after so much Erin angsting over her past mistakes, it felt really good to just have them getting to know each other. As with many things I’ve mentioned here, I would have really enjoyed more of that kind of moment during the quiet points of the plot.
So, I’ve already said at the beginning that I enjoyed the story. I’ve talked a lot about the writing itself being solid but cartoony or overly exaggerated, about it needing a little more. That’s kind of what decides it for me. Ultimately I would read Nancy Holder’s writing again whether another movie novelization or original fiction, but the need for just a little more in a lot of the character work leaves Ghostbusters: Answer the Call with a three out of five all told.
October 24, 2019
I liked it up until the end it was to much like the ending of the original Ghost Busters movie.
February 20, 2018
lol yes I read another novelization, whoops. Been enjoying these blockbusters with female leads I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I haven't really read many film novelizations, but from what I could tell this is a good one. Added a bit to the movie in describing the scenes, had some extra background stories, and I liked Nancy Holder's style of humor.
July 29, 2016
Safe to say that if you loved the movie like me you will enjoy this too! They put in some extra back story too, that was very fun!
August 9, 2016
I just really loved the new Ghostbusters, okay?
March 23, 2017
As a movie tie-in to a movie that didn't make a lot of sense, my expectations were pretty low, and this novel certainly didn't exceed them.
I went in hoping the novel would offer more insight into the characters from the 2016 movie. The novel somewhat meet this criteria, but primarily with regard to Erin. The rest of the Ghostbusters are as one-dimensional as in the movie, save for a brief bit of character development for Patty and Holtzman that awkwardly comes immediately before the climax.
Rowan, the Ghostbusters nemesis, is still a complete enigma. I've watched the movie and read the book and I still have no idea why he wants to destroy the world, other than I guess people make fun of him.
Unfortunately, the book suffers in other areas while not adding much at all to the movie. The author, Nancy Holder, barely describes one of the coolest aspects of the Ghostbusters - their equipment - and even then the description is so infused with technobabble as to make it incomprehensible.
If anything, the book reveals just how hackneyed the film writing was. Without the actress talent, jokes that were funny in the movie thanks to their delivery are now barely amusing. Moreover, even Holder can't explain some of the counterintuitive actions the characters take for the sake of the plot. Many times Holder just throws up her hands trying to construct a narrative, settling for an internal dialogue that basically amounts to, "[character] knew doing X was dumb, but did X anyway."
Also, the book suffers from Holder's constant need to explain every joke. We know a cheesesteak isn't a light food. so when Patty says she's going out "for something light, maybe a cheesesteak," it isn't necessary for Abby to wonder in what universe cheesesteak is a light food. This tendancy to dwell on every semi-humorous line strips the book of fun.
That aside, even the prose is clunky, filled with ill-fitting adjectives and verbs. When Holtzman steals a cart, that doesn't mean the cart has been "liberated." The writing is imaginative, I suppose, but woefully nonsensical.
If you've seen the movie, you can safely avoid this book.
I went in hoping the novel would offer more insight into the characters from the 2016 movie. The novel somewhat meet this criteria, but primarily with regard to Erin. The rest of the Ghostbusters are as one-dimensional as in the movie, save for a brief bit of character development for Patty and Holtzman that awkwardly comes immediately before the climax.
Rowan, the Ghostbusters nemesis, is still a complete enigma. I've watched the movie and read the book and I still have no idea why he wants to destroy the world, other than I guess people make fun of him.
Unfortunately, the book suffers in other areas while not adding much at all to the movie. The author, Nancy Holder, barely describes one of the coolest aspects of the Ghostbusters - their equipment - and even then the description is so infused with technobabble as to make it incomprehensible.
If anything, the book reveals just how hackneyed the film writing was. Without the actress talent, jokes that were funny in the movie thanks to their delivery are now barely amusing. Moreover, even Holder can't explain some of the counterintuitive actions the characters take for the sake of the plot. Many times Holder just throws up her hands trying to construct a narrative, settling for an internal dialogue that basically amounts to, "[character] knew doing X was dumb, but did X anyway."
Also, the book suffers from Holder's constant need to explain every joke. We know a cheesesteak isn't a light food. so when Patty says she's going out "for something light, maybe a cheesesteak," it isn't necessary for Abby to wonder in what universe cheesesteak is a light food. This tendancy to dwell on every semi-humorous line strips the book of fun.
That aside, even the prose is clunky, filled with ill-fitting adjectives and verbs. When Holtzman steals a cart, that doesn't mean the cart has been "liberated." The writing is imaginative, I suppose, but woefully nonsensical.
If you've seen the movie, you can safely avoid this book.
November 10, 2016
At first I was a little disappointed because I thought this would be a new story featuring the new all-female Ghostbusters, but it was the movie in written form. Then I read the first chapter and was pleasantly surprised. The book gets to delve into these characters more which helps to shed more of a light as to why they do particular things in the movie. I loved reading about Garret, he was only in the first chapter but it was cool to really see it all happening through his eyes. Similarly, actually hearing the full "Ghost Girl" account and Erin's trials with it made me understand her trauma more then I did in the movie. I liked hearing about her friendship with Abby and how it unraveled, so many details that just were not available in the movie. Patty came across much more well versed in historical facts as well, and I felt she really added to the team more. And to have the dean get his come up-ance was so satisfying. The story flowed effortlessly and the character development was fantastic. My only critique was that, because I saw the movie, I knew what to expect for the most part. I enjoyed reading about some badass ladies busting some ghosts, and I always enjoy stories that focus on female friendships instead of constantly trying to keep them apart.
March 6, 2017
When a book she’s tried to hide sees the light of day (and threatens her tenure), Dr. Erin Gilbert seeks out her old friend and partner, Abby Yates, in the hopes to persuade the woman to take the book off Amazon. However, a chance encounter with a possible haunted location (and associated paranormal encounter which PROVES their book’s highly contested theory) brings the girls together. Along with the enigmatic genius, Jillian Holtzman and the walking encyclopedia of New York Patty Tolan, the ladies start up a business venture that will bring them all to the spotlight–as either crackpots of geniuses. Will the Ghostbusters be able to save NYC from the paranormal threat before it’s too late?
Who would read this: Fans of any of the actors, ghostbuster fans, movie novelization fans.
Time to Read: 3 hours
Rating: 4.5/5
Funny Story: i was super excited for this movie, and would totally cosplay a character from this movie.
Final thoughts: i liked that this filled in some of the plot holes in the movie edit. It’s definitely worth the read.
Who would read this: Fans of any of the actors, ghostbuster fans, movie novelization fans.
Time to Read: 3 hours
Rating: 4.5/5
Funny Story: i was super excited for this movie, and would totally cosplay a character from this movie.
Final thoughts: i liked that this filled in some of the plot holes in the movie edit. It’s definitely worth the read.
August 9, 2018
I love reading movie novelizations because you get so much more background for the characters plus you get to read how they feel during the events of the book/movie. It's like getting a director's cut of your favorite movie along with in-character commentary. Ghostbusters was one of my favorite movies of 2016 and so when I found out they had written a book based on the movie I had to read it.
I really enjoyed it. There are whole chapters devoted to Erin and Abby meeting as little girls and how they form their friendship and how they decided to study the paranormal and how their friendship eventually fell apart. Also we get a lot more scenes that was not included in the movie but really are awesome to read about in the book. I love the way the Erin, Patty, Holtz, and Abby play off of each other and become a family throughout the course of the book. Overall I enjoyed it. Plus it gave me an excuse to watch the movie again now that I know more about each of the four woman.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the movie!
I really enjoyed it. There are whole chapters devoted to Erin and Abby meeting as little girls and how they form their friendship and how they decided to study the paranormal and how their friendship eventually fell apart. Also we get a lot more scenes that was not included in the movie but really are awesome to read about in the book. I love the way the Erin, Patty, Holtz, and Abby play off of each other and become a family throughout the course of the book. Overall I enjoyed it. Plus it gave me an excuse to watch the movie again now that I know more about each of the four woman.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the movie!
October 31, 2017
"October 31, 2017 – Finished Reading
October 31, 2017 –
50.0% "1:01:26
...
What are they doing is this some kinda joke????"
October 31, 2017 –
5.0% "People see it as something which is fun... but I see it as a fail... mainly the dialogure is boring... and NON-SENSE.... come on so noobish work I haven't been around so far."
October 31, 2017 –
5.0% "Does this people really know what are they really saying?
...
Because it sounds very gibberish."
October 31, 2017 –
5.0% "48:13"
October 31, 2017 – Started Reading"
P.S. Complex words made into a comedy, it reminds me for Bing Bang the TV Series... which aren't one of my favourite shows on TV. It's junkie and scientific humor... this here work is a joke... it's a typical Lee Child work. That's how I found Lee Child work... SO FUCKING HORRIBLE - WRITTEN
...
Come on... a Black bitch... swearing all the time from the beginning until now... and that's what's the movie is all about so and the book....
October 31, 2017 –
50.0% "1:01:26
...
What are they doing is this some kinda joke????"
October 31, 2017 –
5.0% "People see it as something which is fun... but I see it as a fail... mainly the dialogure is boring... and NON-SENSE.... come on so noobish work I haven't been around so far."
October 31, 2017 –
5.0% "Does this people really know what are they really saying?
...
Because it sounds very gibberish."
October 31, 2017 –
5.0% "48:13"
October 31, 2017 – Started Reading"
P.S. Complex words made into a comedy, it reminds me for Bing Bang the TV Series... which aren't one of my favourite shows on TV. It's junkie and scientific humor... this here work is a joke... it's a typical Lee Child work. That's how I found Lee Child work... SO FUCKING HORRIBLE - WRITTEN
...
Come on... a Black bitch... swearing all the time from the beginning until now... and that's what's the movie is all about so and the book....
January 23, 2020
I didn't expect much from a novelization of a movie with a weak script, but I was hoping to fill in some of the plotholes that I found in the movie and learn more about the characters. Unfortunately this novelization wasn't written to be any stronger than the script it came from. Weak jokes that were over-explained and plotholes brought up and then dropped without exploring them. (At one point Erin wonders how she got possession of the villain's book filled with notes explaining his plan, but then she does a mental shrug and just starts reading it, and we never find out how she got it.)
I did enjoy some of the background we got, but it was almost entirely for Erin's and Abby's childhoods, ignoring Patty and Holtzmann save for a few bits of conversation between the two. All in all, it felt like the author didn't care about the story any more than I cared after I finished reading it. It was probably just a paycheck for her.
I did enjoy some of the background we got, but it was almost entirely for Erin's and Abby's childhoods, ignoring Patty and Holtzmann save for a few bits of conversation between the two. All in all, it felt like the author didn't care about the story any more than I cared after I finished reading it. It was probably just a paycheck for her.
October 13, 2021
I did want to see this movie, but just ended up not yet... so I have no real idea what was in the book and not in the movie, but I could guess a lot of the flashbacks to childhoods of Erin and Abby. In any case, I really liked it. And while I liked the original movies because of the ghost busting stuff, that wasn't really the case here. I liked the women's relationships, the road Erin went down with accepting she wasn't crazy as a kid, the highs and lows of her relationship with Abby, and how they all were very smart (physics majors!) women, using that science to try to do science, albeit here, to prove ghosts were real. Just wish we had a little more about Patty and Holtzmann's backgrounds, and even them in present day, but still - just really liked them all! It might mean in the end I could be disappointed in the movie version, but it was a well-written female friendship novel. Oh, and the nods to the original Ghostbuster movie were fun too.
June 28, 2022
Ghostbusters has been a tricky franchise. The '84 film was one for the ages, and the cartoon (season 1 at least), kept the momentum. But, for some reason, the movies fall flat. Maybe be 84 was so good, nothing could top it. Maybe the problem was Bill Murray. This latest attempt to recapture the magic, also falls short. The cast didn't gel; they relied on gags, and not humor; and TOO MUCH SLIME!
July 22, 2019
highly disappointed to me it was a waste take my advice stay away from it.
December 21, 2019
Not nearly as good as the movie. It added in a bunch of the fat jokes and bad romantic subplots that I was delighted didn't exist in the film. Very disappointing.
October 1, 2020
A quite bizarre read, but not unenjoyable.
April 30, 2022
Ghostbusters
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2024
Great adaption of the 2016 film! I wish the relationship between the girls and Patty was different but I still enjoyed it!
November 17, 2025
Not bad. Plenty of detail, and I did like the movie originally anyway.
July 3, 2016
Maybe the jokes didn't translate well to page or I may just be missing it altogether, but this book was painful to read. I can usually run through a book like this in a few hours if I force myself to slow down, but with this one I had to force myself to keep going just to see if it would get any better.
I found nothing funny, even though it tried it's hardest:(he walked out the door and she watches him saying "oh...well...ok, guess we're done talking.") It attempted to flesh out what may have been improved lines but on paper they come across as strange and unneeded. But then again many of the lines said by the characters in here seem cardboard and misplaced or just end abruptly like the author didn't know what else to put so she just dropped it and moved on. Maby I should have done the same thing.
Story line wise, this is a complete rip off/updated retelling of Ghostbusters. Many of the things done in the first movie are done here, i don't know if as a tribute or because no one could come up with an original idea for this movie. Also you read, it is painfully obvious what characters the original cast is playing even in this book, because they each say a line they said in the original movie. I picked each one out as I got tho their cameo characters so will you. They purposely sprinkle familiar characters throughout at strange times just to name drop, because they only appear for a sentence or small paragraph, enough for 'Hey, remember me? Ok then, enjoy the rest of the book." Why bring them in and not fully utilize them other than the nostalgia factor which fades with each page.
The story line keeps breaking off into long flash backs explaining the main Ghostbusters childhood, which was interesting at first to see why she was interested in the paranormal, but after the 30th flashback it just got annoying. After the first 150 pages there was more flashback than actual story.
Over half the book (I'm not kidding) is composed of lines such as this "You don't think i can do it because I'm a girl huh?" "Not too bad for a girl" "They think that because we're females" "Girl Power" "Just because I'm a girl i can't know math?" "Girls aren't supposed to be good at (insert science field here)" "The world will never be open to females in charge" "A girl can't be attractive AND Book smart?"...No joke: But in the same paragraph they make a fat chick joke or insult their looks or the way they dress or swoon over their receptionist Kevin like schoolgirls. It tried so hard to show women empowerment that it failed to deliver a good/original story and spent way to much time smashing that fact that the entire cast is women in our face ever other page just to turn around and play up the hapless clumsy misunderstood girl who becomes giddy once the cute guy comes by just like EVERY OTHER MOVIE!
Cliff notes version: Uninteresting/underdeveloped villain. Stereotypical "girl Power' main characters that are unappealing and preachy. Choppy story line that moves too fast with too many flashback thrown in between that once you get back to the main story line you've already forgotten it. Women empowerment one seconds gets thrown out the window of self insulting jokes against women to get cheap laughs. Unfunny lines said that I assume were supposed to get huge laughs fall completely flat. No secret shockers, we already know how this story ends. Steals ideas/situations from itself and somehow manages to make them boring.
I wanted to be wrong about this book from what I've seen in trailers and had high expectations. If this is what we can expect from the actual movie, the Ghostbusters franchise is dead all the studio decided to prove it can take any movie they want and do whatever they want to it without regard to the fans who made it a moneymaking franchise to begin with.
I found nothing funny, even though it tried it's hardest:(he walked out the door and she watches him saying "oh...well...ok, guess we're done talking.") It attempted to flesh out what may have been improved lines but on paper they come across as strange and unneeded. But then again many of the lines said by the characters in here seem cardboard and misplaced or just end abruptly like the author didn't know what else to put so she just dropped it and moved on. Maby I should have done the same thing.
Story line wise, this is a complete rip off/updated retelling of Ghostbusters. Many of the things done in the first movie are done here, i don't know if as a tribute or because no one could come up with an original idea for this movie. Also you read, it is painfully obvious what characters the original cast is playing even in this book, because they each say a line they said in the original movie. I picked each one out as I got tho their cameo characters so will you. They purposely sprinkle familiar characters throughout at strange times just to name drop, because they only appear for a sentence or small paragraph, enough for 'Hey, remember me? Ok then, enjoy the rest of the book." Why bring them in and not fully utilize them other than the nostalgia factor which fades with each page.
The story line keeps breaking off into long flash backs explaining the main Ghostbusters childhood, which was interesting at first to see why she was interested in the paranormal, but after the 30th flashback it just got annoying. After the first 150 pages there was more flashback than actual story.
Over half the book (I'm not kidding) is composed of lines such as this "You don't think i can do it because I'm a girl huh?" "Not too bad for a girl" "They think that because we're females" "Girl Power" "Just because I'm a girl i can't know math?" "Girls aren't supposed to be good at (insert science field here)" "The world will never be open to females in charge" "A girl can't be attractive AND Book smart?"...No joke: But in the same paragraph they make a fat chick joke or insult their looks or the way they dress or swoon over their receptionist Kevin like schoolgirls. It tried so hard to show women empowerment that it failed to deliver a good/original story and spent way to much time smashing that fact that the entire cast is women in our face ever other page just to turn around and play up the hapless clumsy misunderstood girl who becomes giddy once the cute guy comes by just like EVERY OTHER MOVIE!
Cliff notes version: Uninteresting/underdeveloped villain. Stereotypical "girl Power' main characters that are unappealing and preachy. Choppy story line that moves too fast with too many flashback thrown in between that once you get back to the main story line you've already forgotten it. Women empowerment one seconds gets thrown out the window of self insulting jokes against women to get cheap laughs. Unfunny lines said that I assume were supposed to get huge laughs fall completely flat. No secret shockers, we already know how this story ends. Steals ideas/situations from itself and somehow manages to make them boring.
I wanted to be wrong about this book from what I've seen in trailers and had high expectations. If this is what we can expect from the actual movie, the Ghostbusters franchise is dead all the studio decided to prove it can take any movie they want and do whatever they want to it without regard to the fans who made it a moneymaking franchise to begin with.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2024
Solid movie adaptation
July 11, 2016
This novel is a novelization of the new Ghostbusters film (based on the screenplay), a remake of the original 1984 Ghostbusters film. The novel follows Dr. Erin Gilbert in her journey after being disgraced at a job interview for her belief in ghosts. She joins her former friend Abby Yates and Abby’s new co-worker Jillian Holtzmann in investigating ghosts in New York City. MTA employee Patty Tolan joins their crew after spotting a ghost in New York City’s subway tunnels. Together these four paranormal investigators are determined to find out what’s happening in the city and put a stop to it.
I’m usually not one to read novelizations, but since the new Ghostbusters film has not come out yet, I decided to read this novelization. I enjoyed this book. It was funny and fast-paced. There were some parts of the book that were in the trailer for the film, so I could imagine the characters speaking. This book was also a quick read; I took about a day to finish it. My favorite character would have to be Patty. She’s just an average woman with no experience in investigating the supernatural, however she becomes a vital part of the team. She’s also very funny – delivering humorous lines at the perfect times. I got a little exasperated with Kevin: he seemed a little too dim-witted for my taste, but I think he’s supposed to be a character that is used for comic-relief, I guess.
I rate this book 3.5 stars out of 5. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced and humorous plot.
I’m usually not one to read novelizations, but since the new Ghostbusters film has not come out yet, I decided to read this novelization. I enjoyed this book. It was funny and fast-paced. There were some parts of the book that were in the trailer for the film, so I could imagine the characters speaking. This book was also a quick read; I took about a day to finish it. My favorite character would have to be Patty. She’s just an average woman with no experience in investigating the supernatural, however she becomes a vital part of the team. She’s also very funny – delivering humorous lines at the perfect times. I got a little exasperated with Kevin: he seemed a little too dim-witted for my taste, but I think he’s supposed to be a character that is used for comic-relief, I guess.
I rate this book 3.5 stars out of 5. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced and humorous plot.
June 30, 2016
Is it as good as the original? Probably not. But the story is coherent, with moments that are genuinely funny and scary, and it hits all the right beats; the characters are fun, with a lot of heart; and it has all the ghostbusting goodness that I wanted from a sequel/reboot.
I haven't seen the movie yet (it won't be out for a few more weeks), but the novelization appears to contain a few bits that are only mentioned in the screenplay, namely flashbacks of Erin's childhood: she got the name "Ghost Girl" after telling her classmates she was being haunted by the ghost of her curmudgeonly old neighbor, Mrs. Barnard. Mrs. Barnard pestered Erin's family endlessly while she was still alive, mostly because Erin's dog killed Mrs. Barnard's prized pet rooster. After dying, Mrs. Barnard's ghost appeared every night for a year and vomitted blood all over her--but no one would believe her.
The novel also includes multiple flashbacks from her budding friendship with Abby--the only one who believed her about Mrs. Barnard's ghost--and even includes their infamous science fair rap. They end up writing a book about the science behind the supernatural, but Erin flakes out on Abby during a TV interview about the book, ruining their friendship.
I haven't seen the movie yet (it won't be out for a few more weeks), but the novelization appears to contain a few bits that are only mentioned in the screenplay, namely flashbacks of Erin's childhood: she got the name "Ghost Girl" after telling her classmates she was being haunted by the ghost of her curmudgeonly old neighbor, Mrs. Barnard. Mrs. Barnard pestered Erin's family endlessly while she was still alive, mostly because Erin's dog killed Mrs. Barnard's prized pet rooster. After dying, Mrs. Barnard's ghost appeared every night for a year and vomitted blood all over her--but no one would believe her.
The novel also includes multiple flashbacks from her budding friendship with Abby--the only one who believed her about Mrs. Barnard's ghost--and even includes their infamous science fair rap. They end up writing a book about the science behind the supernatural, but Erin flakes out on Abby during a TV interview about the book, ruining their friendship.
July 21, 2016
The trailers released for the film just didn't do it for me, so I decided to read through the novelization of the 'Ghostbusters' reboot instead.
And I enjoyed reading the novelization. The ghostly sequences, mostly at the beginning and towards the end, were pretty good. I did like Holtzmann in the book, a really fun quirky smart character (she did come across that way in the trailers), and the technical jargon used to describe the equipment and things at Ghostbusters HQ weren't over done, but I wasn't that impressed with Kevin the secretary though (Chris Hemsworth in the film), just seemed a bit too one dimensional, and the joke that he was a bit of an airhead dried up pretty quickly even though it was repeated over and over.
As I've not seen the film, and with the case with some novelizations, there may be points where things are expanded upon and quite possibly includes deleted scenes. I couldn't really tell as the book flowed and worked well for me. So if I do see the movie, it will be interesting to see how much differs from the novelization.
Overall, any fears were laid to rest with the novelization. Nothing too in depth, definitely has parallels from the original movie, it is a reboot after all, but still an enjoyable read.
And I enjoyed reading the novelization. The ghostly sequences, mostly at the beginning and towards the end, were pretty good. I did like Holtzmann in the book, a really fun quirky smart character (she did come across that way in the trailers), and the technical jargon used to describe the equipment and things at Ghostbusters HQ weren't over done, but I wasn't that impressed with Kevin the secretary though (Chris Hemsworth in the film), just seemed a bit too one dimensional, and the joke that he was a bit of an airhead dried up pretty quickly even though it was repeated over and over.
As I've not seen the film, and with the case with some novelizations, there may be points where things are expanded upon and quite possibly includes deleted scenes. I couldn't really tell as the book flowed and worked well for me. So if I do see the movie, it will be interesting to see how much differs from the novelization.
Overall, any fears were laid to rest with the novelization. Nothing too in depth, definitely has parallels from the original movie, it is a reboot after all, but still an enjoyable read.
July 3, 2016
ok. I won this book in a goodreads giveaway. Got it in the mail yesterday and decided to read it after I finished the last book I was working on. I'll be honest, the trailers have not been winning me over for this movie to begin with so i may seem a little sourpussed anyways. The book was written fairly well and went into good detail about their equipmemt and research. I however feel that it took way too long before they started really feel testing their proton packs. It was at the halfway point of their book and the book was nearly over before the mass busting started. Where the original had buildup throughout. This book fizzled trying to get all the background information up to speed.
However. I like how Holtz, Erin and Abby were described and how they came about doing what they do. But I feel that Patty was a bit more... glazed over?
I hope that the movie doesn't have as much of a slow burn as the novel.
Not a terrible read. And for new fans I am sure this book will be exciting as hell as they clamor for more info on the new movie. But it was 3*s for me.
However. I like how Holtz, Erin and Abby were described and how they came about doing what they do. But I feel that Patty was a bit more... glazed over?
I hope that the movie doesn't have as much of a slow burn as the novel.
Not a terrible read. And for new fans I am sure this book will be exciting as hell as they clamor for more info on the new movie. But it was 3*s for me.
February 11, 2017
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14397938
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14397938
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