What do you think?
Rate this book
Ghost Handlers #1
Haint Misbehavin'
The start of a fun middle-grade series, The Ghost Handlers, follows Heather Tildy, an Atlanta teen with a troublesome habit of attracting ghosts. Middle-child Heather has enough to worry about with sisters, boys and school. Now that a trouble-making girl from the 1800's is poking her nose in Heather's business, her life has taken a supernatural turn for the worse! Before her life can get better, she has to figure out how to help the ghost move on.
Debut author Hardegree is a veteran short-story author for the well-known MOSSY CREEK HOMETOWN series. She plans multiple titles in this warm and funny YA series.
"Ghostly fun!" ~Gillian Summers, The Faire Folk Series
"A fun package of crushes, quests for popularity, and summertime antics,
tied together with a paranormal bow. Fans of Meg Cabot's Mediator novels will find much to like in Haint Misbehavin', the first of Hardegree's Ghost Handler series." ~Trish Milburn HEARTBREAK RIVER (as Tricia Mills), Razorbill
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2010
5 people are currently reading
328 people want to read
About the author
Maureen Hardegree
24 books6 followersAlthough Georgia author Maureen Hardegree concedes to having all the usual baggage of a middle child, she is NOT a ghost handler. She does, however, believe in connecting to her inner teenager and in feeding her active imagination-it likes Italian food and chocolate. When she's not writing, she's working on costumes for the Northeast Atlanta Ballet . . . or doing the bidding of her husband, daughter, and cats Pixie and Turnip Anne.
Maureen is a past president of Georgia Romance Writers and a member of SCBWI. She is also a longtime contributor to the Mossy Creek Hometown anthologies.
Maureen is a past president of Georgia Romance Writers and a member of SCBWI. She is also a longtime contributor to the Mossy Creek Hometown anthologies.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
July 21, 2011
✭✭✭
I'm a big fan of ghost stories (that don't freak me out too much), and Haint Misbehavin' is a fun one for the middle grade audience. Set in Georgia, there's enough flavor of the South to lend an air of plausibility that the ghost of a young girl from the 1800s would haunt Heather, a modern preteen girl.
While I enjoyed the ghost story, I felt enough rage about the unfair treatment Heather got from her parents and the nasty vendetta of her sister that I couldn't rate it higher.
It's a personal pet peeve, but I abhor books or movies that show unfair relationships toward one child with blatant favoritism of another. there is enough of a bias against Heather that I couldn't relax while reading most of the book. I wanted to jump into the story so I could throttle her older sister. I can't imagine anyone being that cruel to a sibling and their parents turning a blind eye, unless it was a Cinderella situation with the rest of the family being evil. But that's not how this family is portrayed. Were it not for the sibling injustice, they'd be an average American family.
Otherwise, it's an enjoyable story and I look forward to the next book, especially since the sibling rivalry won't be much of an issue in later books. I honestly hope my assessment doesn't prevent people from reading Haint Misbehavin', since it does have a fun ghost story, but as Ames would say, this is a borrow and not a buy.
The next book in the series, Hainted Love, just released in March. By the way, the cover of the second book is much better and will appeal a lot more to preteen girls.
Review originally posted at Libri Ago.
Advance copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley.
I'm a big fan of ghost stories (that don't freak me out too much), and Haint Misbehavin' is a fun one for the middle grade audience. Set in Georgia, there's enough flavor of the South to lend an air of plausibility that the ghost of a young girl from the 1800s would haunt Heather, a modern preteen girl.
While I enjoyed the ghost story, I felt enough rage about the unfair treatment Heather got from her parents and the nasty vendetta of her sister that I couldn't rate it higher.
It's a personal pet peeve, but I abhor books or movies that show unfair relationships toward one child with blatant favoritism of another. there is enough of a bias against Heather that I couldn't relax while reading most of the book. I wanted to jump into the story so I could throttle her older sister. I can't imagine anyone being that cruel to a sibling and their parents turning a blind eye, unless it was a Cinderella situation with the rest of the family being evil. But that's not how this family is portrayed. Were it not for the sibling injustice, they'd be an average American family.
Otherwise, it's an enjoyable story and I look forward to the next book, especially since the sibling rivalry won't be much of an issue in later books. I honestly hope my assessment doesn't prevent people from reading Haint Misbehavin', since it does have a fun ghost story, but as Ames would say, this is a borrow and not a buy.
The next book in the series, Hainted Love, just released in March. By the way, the cover of the second book is much better and will appeal a lot more to preteen girls.
Review originally posted at Libri Ago.
Advance copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley.
June 7, 2020
Meh. I didn't like any of the characters and the MC was TSTL.
Ok, you are 14 and all of a sudden can see a ghost and it can possess you. Your aunt is open about seeing ghosts and that she has one. Do you 1) call her up to pump her for info about ghosts and how to prevent being possessed by them and how to get them to go away or do you 2) attempt to muddle through on your own, because you want to be as "normal" as possible and you don't want to tell anyone that you are weirder than you already are because you can see and are possessed by ghosts? And then get in trouble when the ghost possesses you and it seems that you are being a terrible person when it's really the ghost possessing you?
Don't tell me 14 year olds are all dumb and will go with number 2 every time. Cuz I know I wouldn't when I was 14 and I doubt most 14 year olds with any sense wouldn't get help.
Not this one though. Nope. Can't have a story if she runs for help after the first possession. She learned the "rules" from the ghost who was possessing her and the ghost wasn't overly forthcoming with the "rules". Yeah, I rather trust my wacky aunt than a ghost possessing me and getting me into trouble. But that's just me I guess.
Anywho, I did some major jumping around in this book since I didn't like the characters and I don't think I missed much by doing so. Not a terrible book, but since the MC is female and discusses getting her period, it probably will have little appeal for boys.
Not a horrible book, but not one for me. 2, I didn't hate it, stars.
Ok, you are 14 and all of a sudden can see a ghost and it can possess you. Your aunt is open about seeing ghosts and that she has one. Do you 1) call her up to pump her for info about ghosts and how to prevent being possessed by them and how to get them to go away or do you 2) attempt to muddle through on your own, because you want to be as "normal" as possible and you don't want to tell anyone that you are weirder than you already are because you can see and are possessed by ghosts? And then get in trouble when the ghost possesses you and it seems that you are being a terrible person when it's really the ghost possessing you?
Don't tell me 14 year olds are all dumb and will go with number 2 every time. Cuz I know I wouldn't when I was 14 and I doubt most 14 year olds with any sense wouldn't get help.
Not this one though. Nope. Can't have a story if she runs for help after the first possession. She learned the "rules" from the ghost who was possessing her and the ghost wasn't overly forthcoming with the "rules". Yeah, I rather trust my wacky aunt than a ghost possessing me and getting me into trouble. But that's just me I guess.
Anywho, I did some major jumping around in this book since I didn't like the characters and I don't think I missed much by doing so. Not a terrible book, but since the MC is female and discusses getting her period, it probably will have little appeal for boys.
Not a horrible book, but not one for me. 2, I didn't hate it, stars.
August 29, 2011
Haint Misbehavin by Maureen Hardegree is, like the title would suggest, filled with all sorts of adventures of misbehavior. Although I had to ask myself what the heck is a haint... luckily it was explained very early on.
Heather is just just about to start high school. She's just "become a woman" and the opening scene where she is about to ask her sister for help using a tampon should set the audience for this book pretty solidly in the middle school aged girl range. Turns out she can also see ghosts. But she doesn't tell anyone this. And when her ghost Amy becomes active, Amy starts causing trouble with the guy Heather likes and the guy that likes Heather. Her sister already hates her and Amy doesn't make things any better. In fact Amy's antics make for a tough start to the summer for Hather and her sisters and her desire to be cool and liked.
I have mixed feelings about a number of things about this book. I hated some of the characters so much that it had to be decently written to evoke such strong emotions. But I hated the characters on such a a scale that I almost stopped reading. So that says to me that the author maybe has gone a little overboard with some of them. Audrey and Amy primarily are the two biggest culprits of triggering this intense hatred. But I didn't even really like Heather all that much either. I understand sister rivalry but what was written here was absurd. And while Amy is supposed to be just a 10 year old she intentionally causes harm and is totally deluded in thinking that she's helping Heather. It was hard to take. It got to the point where I was laughing and I don't think it was intended to be funny. This had elements of the Judy Bloom coming of age for a girl book (and as a result I would not think that a boy would enjoy this at all) given the talk about getting her period for the first time) and the supernatural wasn't much of a mystery so much as merely a way to get Heather introduced to a boy she likes.
The ghost story wasn't really a ghost story and Amy's infantile behavior (even for a 10 year old they seemed beneath her) and Heather's just as infantile responses, the ghost story elements felt wasted. There was potential and to culminate in merely reasing a diary was not exactly exciting. The flip flopping of Heather's emotions towards Amy was also a little tough to deal with. I do wonder what the point of this books was. Was it intended to be a YA Paranormal story or a young girls story about how to deal with puberty and it just so happens to also have a ghost? Because those two things are vastly different to me and I feel we got the later when I was expecting the former.
What could have been a great feature of this book - Aunt G - was all but ignored. Her connection to the ghosts had so much potential. But we really didn't get much of anything from that. The best thing about this book seemed to be how quick a read it was. There wasn't much setting detail so the reader was free to create the home and the pool and the movie theater and the library without much in the way of description. Normally I don't want to be burdened by that but a little to make sure that the imagery my mind conjures is consistent with what the author intends is needed. Here, the lack of those details just meant the book was that much easier and faster to get through. The big mystery with Amy wasnt really a mystery so much as a few unknown facts that are unceremoniously and very anticlimactically revealed.
There is to be at least one follow up book (Hainted Love). Hopefully the author will have decidded which type of book she wants to write. Because otherwise, if you are looking for a YA paranormal series, I would suggest that there are better choices. I will also note that I think this is definitely steered more towards young girls and I am not sure boys will appreciate it. I was a teenage girl at one point and it was hard for me to read some of the whiney little girl stuff this book was overflowing with.
Heather is just just about to start high school. She's just "become a woman" and the opening scene where she is about to ask her sister for help using a tampon should set the audience for this book pretty solidly in the middle school aged girl range. Turns out she can also see ghosts. But she doesn't tell anyone this. And when her ghost Amy becomes active, Amy starts causing trouble with the guy Heather likes and the guy that likes Heather. Her sister already hates her and Amy doesn't make things any better. In fact Amy's antics make for a tough start to the summer for Hather and her sisters and her desire to be cool and liked.
I have mixed feelings about a number of things about this book. I hated some of the characters so much that it had to be decently written to evoke such strong emotions. But I hated the characters on such a a scale that I almost stopped reading. So that says to me that the author maybe has gone a little overboard with some of them. Audrey and Amy primarily are the two biggest culprits of triggering this intense hatred. But I didn't even really like Heather all that much either. I understand sister rivalry but what was written here was absurd. And while Amy is supposed to be just a 10 year old she intentionally causes harm and is totally deluded in thinking that she's helping Heather. It was hard to take. It got to the point where I was laughing and I don't think it was intended to be funny. This had elements of the Judy Bloom coming of age for a girl book (and as a result I would not think that a boy would enjoy this at all) given the talk about getting her period for the first time) and the supernatural wasn't much of a mystery so much as merely a way to get Heather introduced to a boy she likes.
The ghost story wasn't really a ghost story and Amy's infantile behavior (even for a 10 year old they seemed beneath her) and Heather's just as infantile responses, the ghost story elements felt wasted. There was potential and to culminate in merely reasing a diary was not exactly exciting. The flip flopping of Heather's emotions towards Amy was also a little tough to deal with. I do wonder what the point of this books was. Was it intended to be a YA Paranormal story or a young girls story about how to deal with puberty and it just so happens to also have a ghost? Because those two things are vastly different to me and I feel we got the later when I was expecting the former.
What could have been a great feature of this book - Aunt G - was all but ignored. Her connection to the ghosts had so much potential. But we really didn't get much of anything from that. The best thing about this book seemed to be how quick a read it was. There wasn't much setting detail so the reader was free to create the home and the pool and the movie theater and the library without much in the way of description. Normally I don't want to be burdened by that but a little to make sure that the imagery my mind conjures is consistent with what the author intends is needed. Here, the lack of those details just meant the book was that much easier and faster to get through. The big mystery with Amy wasnt really a mystery so much as a few unknown facts that are unceremoniously and very anticlimactically revealed.
There is to be at least one follow up book (Hainted Love). Hopefully the author will have decidded which type of book she wants to write. Because otherwise, if you are looking for a YA paranormal series, I would suggest that there are better choices. I will also note that I think this is definitely steered more towards young girls and I am not sure boys will appreciate it. I was a teenage girl at one point and it was hard for me to read some of the whiney little girl stuff this book was overflowing with.
October 29, 2010
Tis the season for spooky books!
If you asked Heather, she'd probably tell you that her life sucks. Not only is she super allergic to everything & anything, but she also has a sister that treats her like dirt & parents who completely ignore said sister's actions (unless they can't ignore them). Now on top of all of that she's discovered that she can see ghosts. Well, one ghost in particular, the ghost of a small child who died years ago & is intent on spending the rest of her afterlife haunting Heather.
Hardegree has done a good job mystery & world building for her first full length book, creating a character that many readers will be able to relate to. Not only that, but the book makes for a very easy read & should be a lot of fun for young readers in this spooky Halloween season. Also something to praise is Hardegree's setting up of ghostly rules & future plot points, most specifically those surrounding the character of Xavier, a geek with a crush on our young medium.
However there are a few things about the book that might wear a little thin with some readers. Heather's older sister Audrey is almost completely one-dimensional for a large chunk of the book & many might long for some sort of character depth other than "you embarrass me & I'm going to humiliate you in public". It's fine at first but it's almost completely nonstop, which gets pretty old after a while. Also wearing a little thin is how Heather's parents are completely oblivious to how she's treated- while I can understand parents wanting to think the better of their kids, Audrey's actions are so incredibly noticeable that I really wanted to see more reaction from the parents, even if it was signs that they were actively trying to live in ignorance. (Hey, I've had siblings who were just as evil, if not more so than Audrey & when it was as noticeable as this they did actually show that they noticed.) I can see where Hardegree was trying to go with this, but I just wanted to see more depth to the characters. I don't mind Hardegree making Audrey into a villain & the parents into the type who like keeping their heads in the sand, I just want to see a little more of their reasons for behaving as such. (She does show it towards the end, but it's a bit too little too late in the book for that.)
Overall though, this is a fun read & I can really see a lot of teens & young adults getting into this book. I just hope that Hardegree manages to balance out everything in the second book.
(ARC provided by NetGalley)
If you asked Heather, she'd probably tell you that her life sucks. Not only is she super allergic to everything & anything, but she also has a sister that treats her like dirt & parents who completely ignore said sister's actions (unless they can't ignore them). Now on top of all of that she's discovered that she can see ghosts. Well, one ghost in particular, the ghost of a small child who died years ago & is intent on spending the rest of her afterlife haunting Heather.
Hardegree has done a good job mystery & world building for her first full length book, creating a character that many readers will be able to relate to. Not only that, but the book makes for a very easy read & should be a lot of fun for young readers in this spooky Halloween season. Also something to praise is Hardegree's setting up of ghostly rules & future plot points, most specifically those surrounding the character of Xavier, a geek with a crush on our young medium.
However there are a few things about the book that might wear a little thin with some readers. Heather's older sister Audrey is almost completely one-dimensional for a large chunk of the book & many might long for some sort of character depth other than "you embarrass me & I'm going to humiliate you in public". It's fine at first but it's almost completely nonstop, which gets pretty old after a while. Also wearing a little thin is how Heather's parents are completely oblivious to how she's treated- while I can understand parents wanting to think the better of their kids, Audrey's actions are so incredibly noticeable that I really wanted to see more reaction from the parents, even if it was signs that they were actively trying to live in ignorance. (Hey, I've had siblings who were just as evil, if not more so than Audrey & when it was as noticeable as this they did actually show that they noticed.) I can see where Hardegree was trying to go with this, but I just wanted to see more depth to the characters. I don't mind Hardegree making Audrey into a villain & the parents into the type who like keeping their heads in the sand, I just want to see a little more of their reasons for behaving as such. (She does show it towards the end, but it's a bit too little too late in the book for that.)
Overall though, this is a fun read & I can really see a lot of teens & young adults getting into this book. I just hope that Hardegree manages to balance out everything in the second book.
(ARC provided by NetGalley)
Want to read
June 22, 2012Heather Tildy had enough to worry about with her sisters, boys and school. But then, when she thought her life couldn't get any more complicated, her first ghost shows up. Now, Heather not only has to deal with the embarrassing things her ghost Amy does that makes her look really silly but she also must help Amy move on so she can get back to her normal life. But how can she when Amy won't let Heather figure out her past?
This book was totally awesome! It was a very fun read with Heather and her haint (aka ghost) Amy, causing trouble in the most funniest and silliest ways. I can't count the many times I laughed out loud as I read this book. But what made it a great read for me was that I totally related and connected with Heather. Not that I can see ghosts (thank goodness!) but I'm also the middle child who is about to enter high school. And because I have so much in common with Heather, I understood and felt for her as she experienced embarrassing yet funny moments thanks to the mischievous Amy. I also loved the relationship between them--I liked how even though Amy drove Heather crazy or Heather was being unfair to her, they still became great friends. You should really read this book because it's fun, laugh-out-loud read with a great heroine. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
[Reviewed by Leslie:] 4.5 out of 5 stars
This book was totally awesome! It was a very fun read with Heather and her haint (aka ghost) Amy, causing trouble in the most funniest and silliest ways. I can't count the many times I laughed out loud as I read this book. But what made it a great read for me was that I totally related and connected with Heather. Not that I can see ghosts (thank goodness!) but I'm also the middle child who is about to enter high school. And because I have so much in common with Heather, I understood and felt for her as she experienced embarrassing yet funny moments thanks to the mischievous Amy. I also loved the relationship between them--I liked how even though Amy drove Heather crazy or Heather was being unfair to her, they still became great friends. You should really read this book because it's fun, laugh-out-loud read with a great heroine. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
[Reviewed by Leslie:] 4.5 out of 5 stars
July 16, 2011
Cute book - aimed at middle schoolers. The book is about a girlon the cusp of her freshman year who is determined to make her older sister like her, and to shake the reputation of weird girl that she has. However, as a super- allergic girl who suddenly discovers that her childhood imaginary friend is a ghost and back to play shaking the weirdness might not be the easiest of tasks.
I enjoyed this book - although well out of the age range it targets - although I almost broke into a cold sweat a few times at the trauma and awkwardness brought back in memories of my middle school days -Maureen captures that well. I would certainly pass it along to any middle schoolers I should meet - it was a fun read.
I enjoyed this book - although well out of the age range it targets - although I almost broke into a cold sweat a few times at the trauma and awkwardness brought back in memories of my middle school days -Maureen captures that well. I would certainly pass it along to any middle schoolers I should meet - it was a fun read.
October 7, 2014
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/mini-rev...
This was a fun, light ghost story for teens and middle graders. Heather is a great protagonist. She’s definitely not perfect – she has the habit of attracting ghosts, has multiple skin and respiratory allergies that make her stand out from the rest, and she’s geeky in a fun way. This book was light-hearted but kids will be able to relate to the characters and story just fine.
This was a fun, light ghost story for teens and middle graders. Heather is a great protagonist. She’s definitely not perfect – she has the habit of attracting ghosts, has multiple skin and respiratory allergies that make her stand out from the rest, and she’s geeky in a fun way. This book was light-hearted but kids will be able to relate to the characters and story just fine.
July 26, 2017
A cute book about a girl going into High School, trying to be cool, and attract the popular life saver at the pool; everything seems to go wrong for her once he imaginary friend from childhood turns up to be a real ghost. Funny mishaps galore.
August 29, 2011
I have mixed feelings about a number of things about this book. I hated some of the characters so much that it had to be decently written to evoke such strong emotions. But I hated the characters on such a a scale that I almost stopped reading. So that says to me that the author maybe has gone a little overboard with some of them. Audrey and Amy primarily. But Heather wasn't really well liked either. I understand sister rivalry but this was absurd. And while Amy is supposed to be just a 10 year old she intentionally causes harm and is totally deluded in thinking that she's helping Heather. It was hard to take. It got to the point where I was laughing and I don't think it was intended to be funny. This had elements of the Judy Bloom coming of age for a girl book (and as a result I would not think that a boy would enjoy this at all) givent the talk about getting her period for the first time) and the supernatural wasn't much of a mystery so much as merely a way to get Heaer introduced to a boy she likes and to have to se what it's like to be liked by someone different. The ghost story wasn't really a ghost story and Amy's infantile behavior (even for a 10 yera old they seemed beneath her) and Hathers just as infantile response, the ghost story elements felt wasted. There was potential and to culminate in merely reasing a diary was not exactly exciting. The flip flop with Heathers emotions towards Amy was also a little tough to deal with. I do wonder what the point of this books was. Was it intended to be a YA Paranormal story or a young girls story about how to deal with puberty and it just so happens to also have a ghost? Because those two things are vastly different to me and I feel we got the later when I was expecting the former.
What could have been a great feature of this book - Aunt G - was all but ignored. Her connection to the ghosts Had so much potential. But we really got not much of anything from that. The best thing about this books seemed to below quick a read it was. There wasn't much setting detail so the reader was free to create the home and the pool and the movie theater and the library without much int he way of description. Normally I don't want to be burdened by that but a little to make sure that the imagery my mind conjures is consistent with what the author intends is needed. Here, the lack of those details just meant the book was that much easier and faster to get through. The big mystery with Amy wasnt really a mystery so much as a few unknown facts that are unceremoniously and very anticlimactically revealed.
There is to be at least one follow up book. Hopefully the author will havedecidded which type of book she wants to write. Because otherwise if you are looking for a YA paranormal series, I would suggest that there are better choices. I will also note that I think this is definitely steered more towars young girls and I am not sure boys will appreciate it. I was a teenage girl at one point and it was hard for me to read some of the whiney little girl stuff this book was overflowing with.
What could have been a great feature of this book - Aunt G - was all but ignored. Her connection to the ghosts Had so much potential. But we really got not much of anything from that. The best thing about this books seemed to below quick a read it was. There wasn't much setting detail so the reader was free to create the home and the pool and the movie theater and the library without much int he way of description. Normally I don't want to be burdened by that but a little to make sure that the imagery my mind conjures is consistent with what the author intends is needed. Here, the lack of those details just meant the book was that much easier and faster to get through. The big mystery with Amy wasnt really a mystery so much as a few unknown facts that are unceremoniously and very anticlimactically revealed.
There is to be at least one follow up book. Hopefully the author will havedecidded which type of book she wants to write. Because otherwise if you are looking for a YA paranormal series, I would suggest that there are better choices. I will also note that I think this is definitely steered more towars young girls and I am not sure boys will appreciate it. I was a teenage girl at one point and it was hard for me to read some of the whiney little girl stuff this book was overflowing with.
November 20, 2010
This is my very first review for a file I received from NetGalley.com. I downloaded the ebook at no cost as a PDF file, in exchange for a review. Converting the file to kindle format and uploading it to my device was easily accomplished by emailing the PDF file to my kindle email.
Summary: Fourteen year old Heather Tiley has been ridiculed throughout her elementary and junior high school years because of her hypersensitive skin, earning her a reputation as a weirdo and a freak. The summer before entering high school, she feels like she may have a chance to turn everything around. It all starts with getting her older and much cooler sister Audrey to like her. Now that she's finally entered womanhood, she may have half a chance. But then, along with her menstrual, comes another big problem, the ability to see ghosts!
Heather's ghost, Amy, is a rambunctious ten-year old female who's only wish is for Heather to provide her with entertainment. As if it isn't already hard enough for Heather to ditch her freakish reputation on her own, how is she ever going to succeed with a cantankerous young "haint" tagging along. Heather's only hope at ever having a normal high school experience is to find a way to get Amy into the afterlife. The sooner the better. However, this task proves to be much harder than one may think! You see Amy is harboring a dark secret, a secret which has kept her lingering in this world afraid to ever pass into the next and she's refuses to talk about it.. Will Heather be successful in rectifying Amy's situation, sending her happily to the afterlife? Or is it her destiny to forever be known as the freakish weirdo with the hypersensitive skin who now can see ghosts?
Book Discussion: Book one in the Ghost Handler series. This story was an enjoyable and totally humorous read. The characters were true to the times. The author utilized the most current teenage language, styles and devices throughout the novel to create truly believable characters teenagers will be able to relate to. The reader could easily sympathize with Heather's plight. Most everyone has an inner desire to be liked and to fit in, especially as teenagers. It was brilliant the way the author wove these theme's into this unique storyline. A completely wholesome, clean, novel leaving the reader very satisfied and with a warm heart. I look forward to the rest of the series.
Recommendation: This book would be suitable for middle grade girls ages 11 to 15. I don't believe the plot or storyline would actively interest boys. The language and word choice is appropriate for this age group and also detailed enough even grown ups would be entertained.
Other Goodies: Author's blog: http://www.maureenhardegree.com/index...
Summary: Fourteen year old Heather Tiley has been ridiculed throughout her elementary and junior high school years because of her hypersensitive skin, earning her a reputation as a weirdo and a freak. The summer before entering high school, she feels like she may have a chance to turn everything around. It all starts with getting her older and much cooler sister Audrey to like her. Now that she's finally entered womanhood, she may have half a chance. But then, along with her menstrual, comes another big problem, the ability to see ghosts!
Heather's ghost, Amy, is a rambunctious ten-year old female who's only wish is for Heather to provide her with entertainment. As if it isn't already hard enough for Heather to ditch her freakish reputation on her own, how is she ever going to succeed with a cantankerous young "haint" tagging along. Heather's only hope at ever having a normal high school experience is to find a way to get Amy into the afterlife. The sooner the better. However, this task proves to be much harder than one may think! You see Amy is harboring a dark secret, a secret which has kept her lingering in this world afraid to ever pass into the next and she's refuses to talk about it.. Will Heather be successful in rectifying Amy's situation, sending her happily to the afterlife? Or is it her destiny to forever be known as the freakish weirdo with the hypersensitive skin who now can see ghosts?
Book Discussion: Book one in the Ghost Handler series. This story was an enjoyable and totally humorous read. The characters were true to the times. The author utilized the most current teenage language, styles and devices throughout the novel to create truly believable characters teenagers will be able to relate to. The reader could easily sympathize with Heather's plight. Most everyone has an inner desire to be liked and to fit in, especially as teenagers. It was brilliant the way the author wove these theme's into this unique storyline. A completely wholesome, clean, novel leaving the reader very satisfied and with a warm heart. I look forward to the rest of the series.
Recommendation: This book would be suitable for middle grade girls ages 11 to 15. I don't believe the plot or storyline would actively interest boys. The language and word choice is appropriate for this age group and also detailed enough even grown ups would be entertained.
Other Goodies: Author's blog: http://www.maureenhardegree.com/index...
Read
November 10, 2010I received Haint Misbehavin’ from the publisher along with another book I had agreed to review. I wasn’t expecting this book but I’m really glad I got it because it turned out to be quite a fun read. Ghost stories often tend to be fun stories and this one followed the trend. The story was fun, the characters were fun, the premise was fun, pretty much everything about Haint Misbehavin’ was fun.
Heather has been waiting for a long time for her period to come, but when it finally does it brings along a surprise. That surprise goes by the name of Amy and died in 1920. See the problem here? Heather has always been told that her Aunt Geneva has a ghost friend but she never actually believed it. Until now. Now Heather has to deal with Amy on top of getting her older sister Audrey to like her and make Drew the hot lifeguard to notice her. And of course there are all those hypersensitivity issues to manage. Now the real question for Heather is, can she get Amy to move on her way before she heads off to the beach for the family vacation?
Heather reminded me of my 14-year-old self, minus the whole ghost thing. She has all these problems that I remember having not so long ago. She was a fun character and I loved her humor and how she dealt with everything. Though how she treated some people kind of annoyed me but it wasn’t that big of a deal in the long run. Despite how much she complained, she seemed to just take everything in stride and no matter what would try to make the best out of the situation. Amy amused me. There is just something about a 10-year-old ghost who lived close to 100 years ago that can’t help but make me laugh. She always picked what she thought was the best moment to act, which of course tended to be the worst moment for Heather. But despite it all, she was a as good a friend as a ghost can be. In the long run her story is sad but how it all ended got me a little teary eyed.
Ghost stories are always a lot of fun but for some reason I always tend to forget and and remember it all once I start reading again. This happened again with this book. Ghost stories, at least the ones I read, don’t tend to carry the same heaviness as other paranormal books and in that sense they are great to read in between two heavier books. Haint Misbehavin’ was a great read and reminded me of Meg Cabot’s Mediator series which I absolutely loved. Both have the same light, fun playfulness and are really enjoyable reads.
Haint Misbehavin’ was a great fun and light read that reminded me of how great ghost stories can be. If you have read and enjoyed the Mediator series by Meg Cabot I definitely recommend you give Haint Misbehavin’ a try.
Heather has been waiting for a long time for her period to come, but when it finally does it brings along a surprise. That surprise goes by the name of Amy and died in 1920. See the problem here? Heather has always been told that her Aunt Geneva has a ghost friend but she never actually believed it. Until now. Now Heather has to deal with Amy on top of getting her older sister Audrey to like her and make Drew the hot lifeguard to notice her. And of course there are all those hypersensitivity issues to manage. Now the real question for Heather is, can she get Amy to move on her way before she heads off to the beach for the family vacation?
Heather reminded me of my 14-year-old self, minus the whole ghost thing. She has all these problems that I remember having not so long ago. She was a fun character and I loved her humor and how she dealt with everything. Though how she treated some people kind of annoyed me but it wasn’t that big of a deal in the long run. Despite how much she complained, she seemed to just take everything in stride and no matter what would try to make the best out of the situation. Amy amused me. There is just something about a 10-year-old ghost who lived close to 100 years ago that can’t help but make me laugh. She always picked what she thought was the best moment to act, which of course tended to be the worst moment for Heather. But despite it all, she was a as good a friend as a ghost can be. In the long run her story is sad but how it all ended got me a little teary eyed.
Ghost stories are always a lot of fun but for some reason I always tend to forget and and remember it all once I start reading again. This happened again with this book. Ghost stories, at least the ones I read, don’t tend to carry the same heaviness as other paranormal books and in that sense they are great to read in between two heavier books. Haint Misbehavin’ was a great read and reminded me of Meg Cabot’s Mediator series which I absolutely loved. Both have the same light, fun playfulness and are really enjoyable reads.
Haint Misbehavin’ was a great fun and light read that reminded me of how great ghost stories can be. If you have read and enjoyed the Mediator series by Meg Cabot I definitely recommend you give Haint Misbehavin’ a try.
October 26, 2010
Full review on Reader's Dialogue: http://readersdialogue.blogspot.com
Haint Misbehavin' started off with a bang and didn't let up right through the last words!
Heather Tildy has it rough - she has hypersensitive skin, she's seen as a weirdo by just about everyone in her neighborhood, the guy she has a crush on doesn't know she exists, her older sister hates her and is out to make her life miserable - and now, to top it off, along with her period, she gets her own ten-year-old, mischievous ghost! Heather wants to help Amy move on, but Amy doesn't seem to want to. With lots of laughs and wacky scenarios, Heather and Amy both learn some lessons from their time together.
The multi-layered plot of the book works really well. The different elements - the possible romance, the older sister problems, the weirdness problem, the parent troubles, and the ghost - all fit together seamlessly to create a really realistic-sounding story about a "regular" girl trying to fit in and learning that the best thing is to be yourself. The two guys in the story actually works really well, too. I've heard that the two-guy thing is starting to get on people's nerves already (think Twilight), but in this case, I think the author did a great job of it. Both guys are nice (though I'm rooting for Xavier) and it'll be interesting to see what Heather does about them in the next book(s).
The pace of the book is amazing, too. Partly because of all the different parts of the plot, I guess, things are always happening. But the amazing part is that there is no downtime in this story - every single scene makes a difference to the characters and plot, and my interest was never lost through the whole book.
I love the snappy, sassy tone of the book, and it's constant throughout. The style of the writing is so great that, while I didn't notice it while reading - another plus, that the goodness of the writing is unobtrusive - when I think about it now, the tone is modified at each scene to fit the mood and what's going on. But still, the snappiness and sassiness is pretty much constant, since Heather is a sarcastic-thinking - in a nice way! - kind of girl. The writing drew me into the story completely, to the point that when Heather finds the answer that will help Amy move on, I smiled so widely and felt a warmth spreading throughout my heart. (OK, so that sounds cheesy, but good books do that to you! Or to me, anyway.) And the very last line made me laugh out loud!
Hainted Love - now there's a sequel I'm really anticipating!
Thanks to Bell Bridge Books and NetGalley for providing me with an e-book for review!
Haint Misbehavin' started off with a bang and didn't let up right through the last words!
Heather Tildy has it rough - she has hypersensitive skin, she's seen as a weirdo by just about everyone in her neighborhood, the guy she has a crush on doesn't know she exists, her older sister hates her and is out to make her life miserable - and now, to top it off, along with her period, she gets her own ten-year-old, mischievous ghost! Heather wants to help Amy move on, but Amy doesn't seem to want to. With lots of laughs and wacky scenarios, Heather and Amy both learn some lessons from their time together.
The multi-layered plot of the book works really well. The different elements - the possible romance, the older sister problems, the weirdness problem, the parent troubles, and the ghost - all fit together seamlessly to create a really realistic-sounding story about a "regular" girl trying to fit in and learning that the best thing is to be yourself. The two guys in the story actually works really well, too. I've heard that the two-guy thing is starting to get on people's nerves already (think Twilight), but in this case, I think the author did a great job of it. Both guys are nice (though I'm rooting for Xavier) and it'll be interesting to see what Heather does about them in the next book(s).
The pace of the book is amazing, too. Partly because of all the different parts of the plot, I guess, things are always happening. But the amazing part is that there is no downtime in this story - every single scene makes a difference to the characters and plot, and my interest was never lost through the whole book.
I love the snappy, sassy tone of the book, and it's constant throughout. The style of the writing is so great that, while I didn't notice it while reading - another plus, that the goodness of the writing is unobtrusive - when I think about it now, the tone is modified at each scene to fit the mood and what's going on. But still, the snappiness and sassiness is pretty much constant, since Heather is a sarcastic-thinking - in a nice way! - kind of girl. The writing drew me into the story completely, to the point that when Heather finds the answer that will help Amy move on, I smiled so widely and felt a warmth spreading throughout my heart. (OK, so that sounds cheesy, but good books do that to you! Or to me, anyway.) And the very last line made me laugh out loud!
Hainted Love - now there's a sequel I'm really anticipating!
Thanks to Bell Bridge Books and NetGalley for providing me with an e-book for review!
October 22, 2016
Ghost Handlers #1, fun, chick lit, ghost story for young teens
This is the first book in a fun, paranormal YA series about Heather Tiley, a fourteen-year-old girl who attracts ghosts.
It's the summer before her freshman year and geeky Heather, who has endured years of ridicule from her peers because she suffers from multiple skin and respiratory allergies, is determined to reinvent herself by convincing her pretty, popular, older sister Audrey to back her as she enters the brave new world of high school in the fall. Unfortunately, just as Heather is reaching out to win over her sister, Heather's first period arrives, accompanied by a disastrous development--Heather can see ghosts, and most of them are unnervingly demanding.
The only silver lining in this horrifying situation is that Heather can apparently only be compelled to wrangle one ghost at a time. But the one who latches onto her is an overwhelmingly boisterous ten-year-old girl from the 1800's named Amy who makes incessant demands on Heather to entertain her.
The only way for Heather to offload Amy, and escape the embarrassing situations she constantly creates, is to figure out what is holding the little girl in this realm. But Amy refuses to cooperate, and it will take every bit of ingenuity Heather can muster to ferret out the mischievous ghost's secrets.
It was a treat discovering this lighthearted, G-rated, YA paranormal novel in the midst of a sea of dark, R-rated YA in today's marketplace. There is a tendency among many reviewers to label any book that is not "edgy" as "middle-grade," but I do not view this book that way. Yes, it is a "clean" enough read that girls as young as 10-11 can safely read it, but it is a solid-enough story that teens as old as 15 will enjoy it as well, and adults who are fans of the YA genre will definitely find this a very entertaining read. The story is filled with comic adventure, the characters are lively and three-dimensional, and Heather is a likeable, warm-heartedly hapless heroine.
I would label this book as both a comic coming-of-age tale and chick lit. The emphasis is on Heather's various relationships, family, friends, social enemies and, of course, ghosts.
I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 5 stars
Subcharacters: 5 stars
Fantasy World-Building 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Chick-Lit Plot: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars
This is the first book in a fun, paranormal YA series about Heather Tiley, a fourteen-year-old girl who attracts ghosts.
It's the summer before her freshman year and geeky Heather, who has endured years of ridicule from her peers because she suffers from multiple skin and respiratory allergies, is determined to reinvent herself by convincing her pretty, popular, older sister Audrey to back her as she enters the brave new world of high school in the fall. Unfortunately, just as Heather is reaching out to win over her sister, Heather's first period arrives, accompanied by a disastrous development--Heather can see ghosts, and most of them are unnervingly demanding.
The only silver lining in this horrifying situation is that Heather can apparently only be compelled to wrangle one ghost at a time. But the one who latches onto her is an overwhelmingly boisterous ten-year-old girl from the 1800's named Amy who makes incessant demands on Heather to entertain her.
The only way for Heather to offload Amy, and escape the embarrassing situations she constantly creates, is to figure out what is holding the little girl in this realm. But Amy refuses to cooperate, and it will take every bit of ingenuity Heather can muster to ferret out the mischievous ghost's secrets.
It was a treat discovering this lighthearted, G-rated, YA paranormal novel in the midst of a sea of dark, R-rated YA in today's marketplace. There is a tendency among many reviewers to label any book that is not "edgy" as "middle-grade," but I do not view this book that way. Yes, it is a "clean" enough read that girls as young as 10-11 can safely read it, but it is a solid-enough story that teens as old as 15 will enjoy it as well, and adults who are fans of the YA genre will definitely find this a very entertaining read. The story is filled with comic adventure, the characters are lively and three-dimensional, and Heather is a likeable, warm-heartedly hapless heroine.
I would label this book as both a comic coming-of-age tale and chick lit. The emphasis is on Heather's various relationships, family, friends, social enemies and, of course, ghosts.
I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 5 stars
Subcharacters: 5 stars
Fantasy World-Building 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Chick-Lit Plot: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars
January 8, 2012
Heather has enough problems: her hypersensitive skin causes her a lot of itching, especially when it breaks out in hives, and as a result she is known as Princess and the Pea around the neighborhood. Her older sister, Aubrey, whom she desperately wants to like her, is friends with a bunch of mean girls who constantly pick on her. The Supergeek who lives in her neighborhood is crushing on her, and she is crushing on the hot lifeguard at the pool, Drew, who doesn’t even know her name. To make matters worse, everyone thinks she is a weirdo, and she’s about to enter high school in the fall – she’d like to be liked for a change. Then, as if all that wasn’t enough, she reaches puberty and discovers that she can see ghosts – and the one that has attached itself to her is a young girl with a decidedly mischievous streak, who antics are blamed on Heather more often than not. Can Heather discover why Amy is staying and haunting her old farm? And once she does, can she get Amy to move on? Also, can she get Drew’s attention – and affection – while everyone else thinks she is a weird?
A really quite fun book for young readers – or those young at heart – who enjoy a fun ghost story and can empathize with the “weird” kid. I really enjoyed getting to know Heather and her “nice” little sister, Clair – not so much Aubrey – as well as their quirky parents. Amy was a quite annoying little thing, but at the same time she meant well – and I quite liked the Supergeek, Xavier – he’d probably have been my friend if I were Heather: or should I say, if Heather were like me, since I never really cared what people thought of me and reveled in being the “weird” one. I was happy that Heather started to learn the lesson, during the course of this book, that what other people think of you is really not that important as long as you are happy with who you are. Highly recommended for anyone who is capable of reading it - I think I could probably have read this one as young as 8 or 9, so there is no reason to keep your kid from it. Check it out! And look for the sequel, “Hainted Love.”
A really quite fun book for young readers – or those young at heart – who enjoy a fun ghost story and can empathize with the “weird” kid. I really enjoyed getting to know Heather and her “nice” little sister, Clair – not so much Aubrey – as well as their quirky parents. Amy was a quite annoying little thing, but at the same time she meant well – and I quite liked the Supergeek, Xavier – he’d probably have been my friend if I were Heather: or should I say, if Heather were like me, since I never really cared what people thought of me and reveled in being the “weird” one. I was happy that Heather started to learn the lesson, during the course of this book, that what other people think of you is really not that important as long as you are happy with who you are. Highly recommended for anyone who is capable of reading it - I think I could probably have read this one as young as 8 or 9, so there is no reason to keep your kid from it. Check it out! And look for the sequel, “Hainted Love.”
December 11, 2011
I thought this was a cute book about a girl that just can't catch a break, and ends up even worse off when she realizes that she can see ghosts, and one ghost in particular isn't about to let her catch a break either.
I really liked Heather, the main character and I really couldn't help but feeling for her character as she suffered through all of the trouble her sister put her through, not to mention her sister's friends. She really has a tough time. She just can't win and if you're a young girl reading this book, you'd probably fall in love with her right away because I'm sure you can find qualities of yourself in Heather. She's just a normal girl, well a girl that can see ghosts. And that certainly complicates matters.
Audrey, Heather's older sister made me despise her instantly and I kept waiting for her time to come, where something would happen to her that would put her in her place, but sadly nothing really did happen. Nothing big, or nothing punishing enough, at least in my opinion.
One aspect that I found a bit strange was how Heather received knowing that Amy, the girl she saw around her father's grapes was in fact a ghost. It seemed to go too smoothly. I'm not sure that someone that hasn't seen a ghost before or interacted with a ghost before, especially a teenager, could take to knowing the girl she's conversing with is indeed a ghost. However, things seem to get better for Heather and she does get better at interacting with Amy and working to try and help her. At first it's just her being annoyed and frustrated and wanting nothing more to do with her ghost pal because hey, she's a teen on summer vacation. Of course she has better things to do.
I'm interested in reading the second book in this series because it was a fun, light read. I would like to know where Heather goes next with her abilities, not to mention what happens to her next.
I really liked Heather, the main character and I really couldn't help but feeling for her character as she suffered through all of the trouble her sister put her through, not to mention her sister's friends. She really has a tough time. She just can't win and if you're a young girl reading this book, you'd probably fall in love with her right away because I'm sure you can find qualities of yourself in Heather. She's just a normal girl, well a girl that can see ghosts. And that certainly complicates matters.
Audrey, Heather's older sister made me despise her instantly and I kept waiting for her time to come, where something would happen to her that would put her in her place, but sadly nothing really did happen. Nothing big, or nothing punishing enough, at least in my opinion.
One aspect that I found a bit strange was how Heather received knowing that Amy, the girl she saw around her father's grapes was in fact a ghost. It seemed to go too smoothly. I'm not sure that someone that hasn't seen a ghost before or interacted with a ghost before, especially a teenager, could take to knowing the girl she's conversing with is indeed a ghost. However, things seem to get better for Heather and she does get better at interacting with Amy and working to try and help her. At first it's just her being annoyed and frustrated and wanting nothing more to do with her ghost pal because hey, she's a teen on summer vacation. Of course she has better things to do.
I'm interested in reading the second book in this series because it was a fun, light read. I would like to know where Heather goes next with her abilities, not to mention what happens to her next.
November 15, 2010
The teen years are tough, that’s a given. But when you throw a little ghost in the mix, things don’t get easier. Heather Tildy has two goals for the summer. The first is to make the hottie at the pool recognize her. The second is to get in good graces with her sister so when she starts high school this year, she can already be part of the cool crowd. Both of those seem to be a little harder to accomplish than she hopes.
The day she truly becomes a woman (use your brain, I’m not getting into the body science) she also is reacquainted with a childhood friend. Imaginary friend that is, who turns out to be a ghost from a hundred years before. Now she must help little Amy make her way into the afterworld, without getting into too much trouble. And with a misbehaving haint like Amy, that’s going to be a tough one.
Now I just recently said in a review that I felt like I was starting to grow out of some YA books. But this book proved me wrong. Although it was about a going-to-be-high-schooler, she didn’t get on my nerves and I thought the book was really cute. I think it may have been because a bit of this book was spent in the library, or the fact that there were some older characters who king of upped the maturity level.
Now this little cranky haint was annoying as all get out, but by the time her family history was revealed, I understood why and I felt really bad for her. Don’t worry, I’m not going to give it away, but I can almost guarantee you will feel the same way. If you REALLY want to know, shoot me a comment with your email address in it and I will message you
I give Haint Misbehaving 4 bookmarks and I will definitely keep my eye out for the rest of this series (you all know I am a series girl).
The day she truly becomes a woman (use your brain, I’m not getting into the body science) she also is reacquainted with a childhood friend. Imaginary friend that is, who turns out to be a ghost from a hundred years before. Now she must help little Amy make her way into the afterworld, without getting into too much trouble. And with a misbehaving haint like Amy, that’s going to be a tough one.
Now I just recently said in a review that I felt like I was starting to grow out of some YA books. But this book proved me wrong. Although it was about a going-to-be-high-schooler, she didn’t get on my nerves and I thought the book was really cute. I think it may have been because a bit of this book was spent in the library, or the fact that there were some older characters who king of upped the maturity level.
Now this little cranky haint was annoying as all get out, but by the time her family history was revealed, I understood why and I felt really bad for her. Don’t worry, I’m not going to give it away, but I can almost guarantee you will feel the same way. If you REALLY want to know, shoot me a comment with your email address in it and I will message you
I give Haint Misbehaving 4 bookmarks and I will definitely keep my eye out for the rest of this series (you all know I am a series girl).
Read
February 7, 2011Main character Heather has a lot going on. She desperately wants her older (and popular) sister to like her, so that her first year of high school will start off on the right foot. She wants to be seen as popular instead of as weird and nerdy. I think just about everyone felt that way starting high school, I know I did. I wanted to be seen a cool and popular. I wanted people to like me. It really brought me back to my first few weeks of high school, trying to find my place.
Heather also has to worry about the monster sized crush she has on Drew, one of the lifeguards at the outdoor pool that she goes to. He’s cute, and older, and she wants to impress him, just like in one of the many daydreams that she has about him.
As if the transition from junior high to high school wasn’t enough to deal with, there’s also the matter of the ghost that has attached herself to Heather. Her name is Amy, and she’s from the last century. Heather has to help her deal with something before she can move on, but Amy is no help at all with figuring that out. All she wants to do is play with water, make everyone think Heather is absolutely crazy, and get in the way of her plays for popularity.
I thought the characters were definitely what made this book so enjoyable. It was a quick read, and a lot of fun to follow along with what was going to happen to Heather next. It’s a book that just about any tween will enjoy reading, because there’s so much for them to relate to Heather with.
I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next book in The Ghost Handler series.
Heather also has to worry about the monster sized crush she has on Drew, one of the lifeguards at the outdoor pool that she goes to. He’s cute, and older, and she wants to impress him, just like in one of the many daydreams that she has about him.
As if the transition from junior high to high school wasn’t enough to deal with, there’s also the matter of the ghost that has attached herself to Heather. Her name is Amy, and she’s from the last century. Heather has to help her deal with something before she can move on, but Amy is no help at all with figuring that out. All she wants to do is play with water, make everyone think Heather is absolutely crazy, and get in the way of her plays for popularity.
I thought the characters were definitely what made this book so enjoyable. It was a quick read, and a lot of fun to follow along with what was going to happen to Heather next. It’s a book that just about any tween will enjoy reading, because there’s so much for them to relate to Heather with.
I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next book in The Ghost Handler series.
December 28, 2010
Heather Tildy has her share of problems to worry about with her sisters, boys and school. But then, when she thinks her life cant get any worse, a ghost named Amy shows up. Now, Heather has to deal with the embarrassing things her ghost Amy does that make her look really silly but she must also help Amy move on so she can get back to her own normal life. But how can she when Amy won't let Heather into her past?
This book was Great! I totally absorbed it.. It is a fun read with Heather and her haint (aka ghost) Amy, causing trouble in the most funniest and silliest ways. I can't count the many times I laughed out loud as I read this book. But what made it a great read for me was how connected to the character I felt. Not that I can see ghosts (thank goodness!) but I'm also the mother of a middle child who is about to enter high school. And because she has so much in common with Heather, I understand and feet for her as she experiences embarrassing yet funny moments thanks to the mischievous Amy. I also love the relationship between them--I like how though Amy drove Heather crazy or Heather was being unfair to her, they still became great friends. This is a great read. It was an easy read have a chance to read this book. TAKE IT!
This book was Great! I totally absorbed it.. It is a fun read with Heather and her haint (aka ghost) Amy, causing trouble in the most funniest and silliest ways. I can't count the many times I laughed out loud as I read this book. But what made it a great read for me was how connected to the character I felt. Not that I can see ghosts (thank goodness!) but I'm also the mother of a middle child who is about to enter high school. And because she has so much in common with Heather, I understand and feet for her as she experiences embarrassing yet funny moments thanks to the mischievous Amy. I also love the relationship between them--I like how though Amy drove Heather crazy or Heather was being unfair to her, they still became great friends. This is a great read. It was an easy read have a chance to read this book. TAKE IT!
November 15, 2010
Heather Tildy has her share of problems to worry about with her sisters, boys and school. But then, when she thinks her life cant get any worse, a ghost named Amy shows up. Now, Heather has to deal with the embarrassing things her ghost Amy does that make her look really silly but she must also help Amy move on so she can get back to her own normal life. But how can she when Amy won't let Heather into her past?
This book was Great! I totally absorbed it.. It is a fun read with Heather and her haint (aka ghost) Amy, causing trouble in the most funniest and silliest ways. I can't count the many times I laughed out loud as I read this book. But what made it a great read for me was how connected to the character I felt. Not that I can see ghosts (thank goodness!) but I'm also the mother of a middle child who is about to enter high school. And because she has so much in common with Heather, I understand and feet for her as she experiences embarrassing yet funny moments thanks to the mischievous Amy. I also love the relationship between them--I like how though Amy drove Heather crazy or Heather was being unfair to her, they still became great friends. This is a great read. It was an easy read have a chance to read this book. TAKE IT!
4/5
This book was Great! I totally absorbed it.. It is a fun read with Heather and her haint (aka ghost) Amy, causing trouble in the most funniest and silliest ways. I can't count the many times I laughed out loud as I read this book. But what made it a great read for me was how connected to the character I felt. Not that I can see ghosts (thank goodness!) but I'm also the mother of a middle child who is about to enter high school. And because she has so much in common with Heather, I understand and feet for her as she experiences embarrassing yet funny moments thanks to the mischievous Amy. I also love the relationship between them--I like how though Amy drove Heather crazy or Heather was being unfair to her, they still became great friends. This is a great read. It was an easy read have a chance to read this book. TAKE IT!
4/5
September 15, 2011
received this book for review from NetGalley.
Product Summary:
Product Description
The start of a fun middle-grade series, The Ghost Handlers, follows Heather Tildy, an Atlanta teen with a troublesome habit of attracting ghosts. Middle-child Heather has enough to worry about with sisters, boys and school. Now that a trouble-making girl from the 1800's is poking her nose in Heather's business, her life has taken a supernatural turn for the worse! Before her life can get better, she has to figure out how to help the ghost move on. Debut author Hardegree is a veteran short-story author for the well-known MOSSY CREEK HOMETOWN series. She plans multiple titles in this warm and funny YA series.
REVIEW:
I thought this was a fun book. Heather Tildy is haunted by a young ghost named Amy. Apparently Heather has inherited the ghost whisperer gene from her crazy Aunt Geneva. I'm glad this is the first of a series, I look forward to hearing more about the crazy aunt. The characters are fun and the older sister, middle sister rivalry between Audrey (the rotten older sister) and Heather is almost comical. This book will appeal to girls, but I don't see boys reading this story.
Product Summary:
Product Description
The start of a fun middle-grade series, The Ghost Handlers, follows Heather Tildy, an Atlanta teen with a troublesome habit of attracting ghosts. Middle-child Heather has enough to worry about with sisters, boys and school. Now that a trouble-making girl from the 1800's is poking her nose in Heather's business, her life has taken a supernatural turn for the worse! Before her life can get better, she has to figure out how to help the ghost move on. Debut author Hardegree is a veteran short-story author for the well-known MOSSY CREEK HOMETOWN series. She plans multiple titles in this warm and funny YA series.
REVIEW:
I thought this was a fun book. Heather Tildy is haunted by a young ghost named Amy. Apparently Heather has inherited the ghost whisperer gene from her crazy Aunt Geneva. I'm glad this is the first of a series, I look forward to hearing more about the crazy aunt. The characters are fun and the older sister, middle sister rivalry between Audrey (the rotten older sister) and Heather is almost comical. This book will appeal to girls, but I don't see boys reading this story.
September 13, 2012
Reviewed by YoungBibliophile for TeensReadToo.com
Heather Tildy has finally "become a woman." But instead of becoming closer with her cool older sister, all Heather gets is a visit from her old imaginary friend, Amy.
And it turns out that Amy is actually a ghost, and her only chance of getting to the afterlife is through Heather.
Unfortunately, Amy doesn't really want to go back, so it looks like Heather's plans of sitting by the pool staring at her crush, Drew, have been sidelined.
Heather needs to find a way to send Amy on to the next life, but Amy is doing everything she can to hamper Heather's efforts. With a little creative research and help from a new friend, Xavier, maybe Heather can help Amy out, and save her summer.
I really enjoyed HAINT MISBEHAVIN'. The way the story is written really makes it sound like a teenager speaking, and while the story seems light and fun, it touches on some deeper issues. I'm glad to see that this is the first of a series. I can't wait to see how Ms. Hardegree develops Heather's character and see what other messes she gets into!
Heather Tildy has finally "become a woman." But instead of becoming closer with her cool older sister, all Heather gets is a visit from her old imaginary friend, Amy.
And it turns out that Amy is actually a ghost, and her only chance of getting to the afterlife is through Heather.
Unfortunately, Amy doesn't really want to go back, so it looks like Heather's plans of sitting by the pool staring at her crush, Drew, have been sidelined.
Heather needs to find a way to send Amy on to the next life, but Amy is doing everything she can to hamper Heather's efforts. With a little creative research and help from a new friend, Xavier, maybe Heather can help Amy out, and save her summer.
I really enjoyed HAINT MISBEHAVIN'. The way the story is written really makes it sound like a teenager speaking, and while the story seems light and fun, it touches on some deeper issues. I'm glad to see that this is the first of a series. I can't wait to see how Ms. Hardegree develops Heather's character and see what other messes she gets into!
Read
December 13, 2010In Haint Misbehavin’ by Maureen Hardegree, Heather Tildy is revisited by her childhood imaginary friend Amy. Amy is actually a ghost who wants to play with Heather instead of moving toward the afterlife. Heather needs to find a way to send Amy into the next life so she doesn’t act like a complete fool in front of her crush Drew. Amy doesn’t want her past to be uncovered or have the guilt she holds over her death and those of her family lifted. With the help from a boy from school and some quick thinking Heather just might get the peaceful summer vacation she was hoping for.
I enjoyed the family dynamics described in this book. Heather is the middle child and often put aside by her parents, always on the outs with her older sister and hit and miss with her younger sister. She wants her older sister to like her and many times in the book she stops to think how this will affect her relationship. I felt a connection with the ghost Amy in this story. You feel her apprehension of her past being uncovered and her pain when you find out about her death. This is a fun quick read
I enjoyed the family dynamics described in this book. Heather is the middle child and often put aside by her parents, always on the outs with her older sister and hit and miss with her younger sister. She wants her older sister to like her and many times in the book she stops to think how this will affect her relationship. I felt a connection with the ghost Amy in this story. You feel her apprehension of her past being uncovered and her pain when you find out about her death. This is a fun quick read
August 31, 2011
Haint Misbehavin is okay book. I just have a hard time when I see someone picked on all the time. Heather has skin problems,allergies and itches a lot.She is the middle daughter.
Audrey is the oldest and picks on,gets her into trouble and even her friends pick on Heather.
Clare is the youngest girl and is really nice.
All of a sudden Heather has a ghost talking, making her body do weird things and getting her in all kinds of trouble. The ghost name is Amy she is around 10. Heather realizes Amy was her pretend friend when she was little. Heather wants to help Amy leave so her life gets back to normal. Amy gets board easly and when she does she causes trouble that Heather gets the blame. Heather doesn't want anyone to know she has a ghost following her and causing all the problems.
I liked the last part of the book the best even when I cried at one point.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange for honest review from Netgalley.
Audrey is the oldest and picks on,gets her into trouble and even her friends pick on Heather.
Clare is the youngest girl and is really nice.
All of a sudden Heather has a ghost talking, making her body do weird things and getting her in all kinds of trouble. The ghost name is Amy she is around 10. Heather realizes Amy was her pretend friend when she was little. Heather wants to help Amy leave so her life gets back to normal. Amy gets board easly and when she does she causes trouble that Heather gets the blame. Heather doesn't want anyone to know she has a ghost following her and causing all the problems.
I liked the last part of the book the best even when I cried at one point.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange for honest review from Netgalley.
October 18, 2010
What I Can Tell You: As hard as it is for me to review ebooks (I hate reading at the computer), I really loved this book. It took me longer than usual to finish it but enjoyed every bit.
Haint Misbehavin', Book One of the Ghost Handler series. Poor Heather, I felt so bad for her. She is like all of us at 14, feeling weird, crushing on older boys, hanging with her friends, putting on her favorite Lipsmacker; the only difference is....Heather has a ghost following her. Amy has a naughty streak and enjoys seeing Heather squirm.
This is a fun, witty book that girls between the age of 13 and up will love!
I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
There are 12 parts expected for the series. Love long term books for preteens and young adults, as it keeps them reading.
4 out of 5 stars.
Haint Misbehavin', Book One of the Ghost Handler series. Poor Heather, I felt so bad for her. She is like all of us at 14, feeling weird, crushing on older boys, hanging with her friends, putting on her favorite Lipsmacker; the only difference is....Heather has a ghost following her. Amy has a naughty streak and enjoys seeing Heather squirm.
This is a fun, witty book that girls between the age of 13 and up will love!
I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
There are 12 parts expected for the series. Love long term books for preteens and young adults, as it keeps them reading.
4 out of 5 stars.
January 29, 2015
I received this book from NetGalley.
Imagine a life where hitting puberty also means finding out that you can see ghosts. That's just what happens to Heather Tildy. Already the outcast for her severe skin allergies, having her whole town shun her while she's finally getting attention from the lifeguard of her dreams, is not how she wanted to spend her summer. Heather is going to do whatever it takes to get her new friend, Amy the Haint behave herself and stop making the chips fly off the shelves and the water fountains flood the library.
I thought this was a cute and fun read. I like that Heather has to learn to make smart choices and learn to love who she is. Great for middle grade readers.
Imagine a life where hitting puberty also means finding out that you can see ghosts. That's just what happens to Heather Tildy. Already the outcast for her severe skin allergies, having her whole town shun her while she's finally getting attention from the lifeguard of her dreams, is not how she wanted to spend her summer. Heather is going to do whatever it takes to get her new friend, Amy the Haint behave herself and stop making the chips fly off the shelves and the water fountains flood the library.
I thought this was a cute and fun read. I like that Heather has to learn to make smart choices and learn to love who she is. Great for middle grade readers.
June 23, 2011
Nice, easy and entertaining YA ghost whisperer story. The descriptions of Heather's allergies, family life and teenage tribulations were realistic without being too painful. While the depictions of the librarians weren't favorable, it was awesome that the Special Collections area contributed to the story.
At the midpoint the ghost's misbehavior had escalated and was occurring so frequently that I feared the story would never resume. Fortunately it did, and there was even a great one-liner to close: "No way should anyone have to spend eternity with a wedgie." :)
There were also about 3 or 4 minor errors - always frustrating.
At the midpoint the ghost's misbehavior had escalated and was occurring so frequently that I feared the story would never resume. Fortunately it did, and there was even a great one-liner to close: "No way should anyone have to spend eternity with a wedgie." :)
There were also about 3 or 4 minor errors - always frustrating.
August 21, 2025
I don't normally read YA, but this book so accurately recreated the summer between junior high and senior high that I almost gave it a four just for the angst it elicited. Wonderful characters with unique detail. I especially love the back story of the ghost, and--for once--I would love to see a sequel. I'm rooting for you, Xavier! [addendum: This is book one in a series. Be on the lookout for Hainted Love, the next book.]
July 31, 2011
Great YA read about a teenager trying to catch the attention of a cute lifeguard, but thanks to the young, capricious ghost who inserts herself into Heather's life, the attention isn't quite the kind she was hoping for.
Enjoyable read!
Enjoyable read!
August 28, 2011
This quirky story took me a little while to get into, but turned out to be much deeper than I first thought. The underlying plot was more compelling to me than the antics that the main character kept geting into. I can see this becoming a popular series for young teens, especially girls.
October 24, 2010
I tried so hard to get into this book, but I just couldn't. It never caught my attention in the least.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews