A book review by Yvonne Perry www.yvonneperry.net

Nearly every family has an eccentric member who seems odd to the rest of the clan. However, not many of us will be called to their bedside as a nursemaid when the individual is dying. That’s what happened to Mr. and Mrs. Peters and their daughter Davia when they decided to care for Mrs. Peters’ great-aunt Mari. Arriving in the humid, summer heat of a former southern plantation, Davia is surprised to find her relative living in a converted barn. Aunt Mari refuses to live in the big, haunted mansion on the vast estate. With her list of fears in hand, Davia and her family, including a self-righteous cat named GiGi, take up residence at Belle Foret.

Not only is the family expected to cater to the whims of an old woman who cannot be pleased, Davia is also expected to befriend Emilie, the ghost who haunts the grounds where she lived and died more than a hundred years before. Aunt Mari cannot “give up the ghost” and cross over in peace until Emilie does. However, the ghost has a secret that must come out in order to cross over and find peace in the afterlife. “Save me!” Davia must uncover the secret from the prankster spirit and help her forgive herself—a very tall order for two teenaged souls.

Davia is only fourteen, but mature for her age. She is not only dealing with the imminent death of her newly acquainted relative and the needs of a teenaged ghost, she is also coping with the aftermath of her mother’s cancer treatment. Is her mom really in remission or is there something her parents aren’t telling her? This book delves into the emotions of this brave, young girl and gives an example of how to deal with death by facing reality head on.

Sheri Sinykin did an excellent job with telling this story from Davia’s point of view. Her writing style is top-notch. I was engaged from the first page and could not put this book down. I hated to see the end because I had fallen in love with every character—even old Aunt Mari and the cat that decided to become her best friend.

If you are facing the death of a loved one or are assisting with the care of an aging family member, Giving up the Ghost is a must-read. Although the book is geared toward a teen reader, any adult can appreciate its solid foundation and grown up treatment of a topic that most people fear.

Title: Giving up the Ghost
Author: Sheri Sinykin
ISBN: 978-1-56145-423-5
Peachtree Publishers

Sheri will be my guest on Writers in the Sky Podcast on November 9, 2007. The show will be archived at http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com for those who wish to hear this excellent interview on death and dying, hospice care, and Sheri's book Giving up the Ghost.

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Yvonne Perry,
Author of RIGHT TO RECOVER Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America (www.right2recover.com)