The Ninja Listens to. . .The Everafter by Amy Huntley

At first, Maddy doesn't know where she is. She has no body, no real senses. She seems to be. . .nowhere. But then she realizes: she's dead. Around her, barely illuminated enough to see, float objects that she soon recognizes as things she lost when she was alive. A piece of homework, a baby rattle, a hairclip, an orchid, even a single piece of popcorn.

When Maddy touches these objects and imagines holding or using them, she is transported back to that moment in her life. She eventually finds that she can not only view these memories, but actually re-live and even change them. But changing a moment means that other parts of her life change, too. And that might not be a good thing, especially when Maddy doesn't even remember how she died.

* * * * *
I listened to the MP3 version of this novel, then later went back and re-read some of it in book format. The audio version is read by Tavia Gilbert, who is wonderful at portraying the helplessness Maddy feels as she simply exists and re-lives pieces of her life.

Author Amy Huntley uses an interesting technique in telling her story; As Maddy touches each lost object and relieves moments in her life, she does so in a random order. One chapter might be when she is 17 and the next when she is 5. There is even a chapter when she is a baby. As confusing as this sounds like it might be, it really isn't. Amy Huntley does this in a way that we not only learn more about Maddy, but we learn more and more about her friends and loved ones, including her mother and sister, her best friend Sandra, and her boyfriend Gabe. I actually found myself anticipating Maddy re-visiting certain periods in her life, so I would say the author uses this technique very well in order to build up the reader's anticipation and even a sense of foreshadowing.

I have read some reviews of this that say there is no real happy ending. Some people were even depressed by the ending. I didn't feel that way. I felt that the ending gives hope. Maddy was given a chance not only to re-visit her life but to learn about life in general, learn about herself, and better understand everyone she knew and loved.

If you want to read something that is different, very emotional, and a little bit supernatural, give this one a try and you may be surprised.

Ghost Hunting Local Edition

Monday, October 19, 6:30 p.m.
Southwest Branch Library

Are you fascinated by the exciting ghost stories found in books and on television?. Meet the North Texas Paranormal Investigation, a true group of skeptics who take a scientific approach to hunting ghosts. Find out what is real and what is good television. For ages 10 and up.

Check out these books on ghosts:

Haunted Houses by Patricia D. Netzley

Picture Yourself Ghost Hunting by Christopher Balzano

The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits by Rosemary Guiley

The Ninja Reviews. . ."The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman

Nobody "Bod" Owens is just a toddler, barely able to walk, when he escapes the madman who murdered his family. Luckily for Bod, he finds his way into a nearby cemetery inhabited and protected by the ghosts whose bodies were lain to rest there. Bod is given the "freedom of the graveyard" and spends his years learning how to do everything a ghost (which he quite obviously is not) would do, such as fading and haunting.

But as Bod gets older, he wants to explore things beyond the graveyard, which, according to his ghostly protectors, might mean a gruesome death for Nobody Owens. His family's murderer is still out there, and he has been searching for Bod all these years, intent on finishing the job he started.

As I sometimes do, I went back and forth between reading the book and listening to the audio. The audio is great fun because the author, Neil Gaiman, reads it himself. If you've never heard Gaiman read, you should give it a try because he's very entertaining. I always love hearing an author read his or her own work because it puts a completely different spin on it than when someone else reads it.

The first chapter is rather creepy, with Bod narrowly escaping death, but that only served to make me want to read further. Bod's experience growing up in the graveyard is strange but really neat. Imagine how many different types of ghosts you might meet in a centuries old graveyard in England. Bod is educated by a Roman soldier, an English poet, and even an young witch. He discovers a secret in an ancient tomb, becomes friends with a werewolf, and is briefly kidnapped by ghouls.

This book gets 5 stars from me. I hope Gaiman writes a sequel, because the ending left me wanting more. I would recommend this to any fan of ghost stories, adventures, or mysteries.


This book is on YALSA's top 10 nominee 2009 books for teens. You can see the list of nominees here. During August 25 through September 18 you can vote on your favorite and help create YALSA's next top 10 list!


If you like this book, try these:

The Ninja Reviews...Evermore by Alyson Noel

Release date: Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009 ---> TOMORROW!!!

The cover is a bit reminiscent of Twilight and, once you get into the book, there are a lot of similarities. There is the new girl at school, beautiful and awkward, and the mysterious guy who is both charming and dangerous. Is he good for her or bad? Should she run from him? And do we want her to?

But to be fair, that is really where the similarities end.

Sixteen-year-old Ever lost her parents and younger sister in a car wreck that also left Ever with a multitude of abilities that she doesn't want. She can see auras, hear everyone's thoughts, and if she touches someone she can know everything about them. She lives with her aunt, who loves her but is distant, and has managed to make two good friends at school. But school is daily torture as Ever tries to ignore the bombardment of private thoughts and feelings of her classmates and teachers with the help of her two friends (who know nothing about her abilities), baggy clothes that make her a bit more unnoticeable, and the earbuds of her MP3 player always in her ears and turned up full blast.

When Ever meets Damen, she feels an instant attraction, but also fear. She just wants to be left alone. She can't deal with getting close to anyone. But when Damen touches her, all she gets is silence. She doesn't hear his thoughts or, for that matter, the thoughts of anyone around her. Is this good or bad?

Ever is an easy character to like. I really felt for her because of all she lost and what she struggled with daily. Her two best friends are also great characters who provide both a little humor. Another recurring character I enjoyed was the ghost of Ever's younger sister, who visits frequently. I kept asking myself if her sister was there to provide comfort to Ever or if she just wasn't ready to move on.

When Damen's past was finally revealed, I felt that the author took a few chapters too long to get there and that once she did, she rushed through it a bit. It was a lot of info to take in that quickly. And Damen - not sure if I liked him or not. He could be pretty creepy.

Overall, I thought Evermore was a really fast, engaging read with some great characters. It is the first in a series, so I'm eager to see if we will learn more about Ever, Damen and friends in the next one, or if the author will introduce us to some brand new characters. Either way, it's sure to be a great read.