Ashlyn's Radio [Kindle Edition]

Heather Doherty (Author), Norah Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Ashlyn Caverhill has left behind her senior year of high school to live with her grandmother, and she's not happy about it. Small-town Maine has nothing on Toronto. But her mother is ill, and there's nowhere else to go. Even though it contains one Caden Williams--the hottest guy she's ever seen--Ashlyn thinks Prescott Junction is the deadest place ever. She may be right. A lot of people seem to die mysteriously down by the long-abandoned train tracks. Her own father died there before she was born. The townspeople whisper about a ghost train that comes for the souls of Prescott Junction's most troubled citizens, but Ashlyn scoffs--until one night she sees the train for herself and its ghoulish conductor nearly coaxes her on board. Ashlyn's fear grows when she finds an old radio that haunts the Caverhill family. They've thrown it out. It comes back. They've buried it. It comes back. They've sunk it in the lake, and still it comes back. Even though it's never plugged in, the radio broadcasts stories of future events that always come to pass. Imagine Ashlyn's horror when the radio's top story is "Ashlyn Caverhill boards the ghost train." Now, with the help of Caden and her new friend Rachel, Ashlyn must find a way to escape the radio's curse before she's forced to ride the ghost train forever.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"These two blessedly talented ladies have created a story that is to die for!"
   --Uniquely Moi Books

"...a good scary story...in the tradition of Christopher Pike's Remember Me."
   --The Phantom Paragrapher

"I am a real sucker for good old creepy ghost stories. And this book is one of them."
   --Mostly Reviews

From the Author

Ashlyn's Radio has the same fast pace and paranormal scariness of our other Wilson Doherty books, but this one also has a really great romance! Ashlyn and Caden's relationship was so much fun to develop. But let's not forget Ashlyn's relationship with Rachel. Rachel is struggling with a difficult home life and relieving her stress through self-harm. The bond these two girls form is making me teary as I write this.

Product Details

• File Size: 455 KB
• Print Length: 249 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0987803719
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Norah Wilson (June 17, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0056O2D2S
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #344,743 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Spooky YA read February 5, 2012

By The Flashlight Reader

Format:Paperback

This was a pretty creepy story. It reminded me a lot of Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes (one of my favorite books of all time). The books don't have much in common except for the spooky supernatural element that lingers on every page in the book.

The story line was highly original in this book. There are several things going on at once. First, there is this ominous radio that has haunted generations of Caverhill women. You don't know whether it is run by a force of evil or not until the end of the story. Then, there is the demonic train conductor that is determined to capture Ashlyn on his train. Those two supernatural elements are in constant motion while the other plots have their turn. For the romance lover, there are tons of smooches and a few hot moments between Ashlyn and her boyfriend, Caden. Although the insta-love aspect annoyed me a bit, I managed to overlook it.

The best part of this book was the character Rachel. She was the so-called "town witch." However, she was far from a witch. While she did wear gothic like clothing and go out of her way to spook people in the small town, she had many secrets. She was the victim of horrible abuse at home, and her pain was evident in every word she spoke. I think of all the characters in the book, she was the best written and the most believable. I loved her.

I'm not a huge fan of horror fiction, but this one held my attention. There was enough suspense to keep me eagerly turning the pages until the very end. I even got a little misty eyed at some points in the story! I would give this one a solid 3 ˝ flashlights, but since I don't do half ratings, a three will have to do. There are some "harsh" words and sexual content that make this one suitable for the older YA reader.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read...hard to put down August 13, 2011

By Natalie Robinson

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book was great...you really felt like you knew and conected with the characters (awesome character development)...the story flowed and it was very hard to put down...There were some twists that were unexpected...I would recommend it highly recommend it...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good YA read! February 24, 2012

By Lisa Kelly Wilson

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm with others who didn't like the "insta-love" component of this book (and that the male love interest, is, of course, SO perfect), but, hey, I'm long past YA. As far as its "steaminess" factor, it certainly can't compare with Judy Blume's "Forever," but I wouldn't recommend it to "the younger ages" of YA.

What the book has going for it is some serious creepiness, lots of unanswered questions (all answered by the end of the book), and a resolution that is certainly satisfying on at least one, if not all, levels. (To avoid spoilers, I'll just cryptically say that what Ashlyn learns about key people in her life near the end of the book is satisfying.)

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Soo freaking SCARY! October 21, 2011

By Uniquely Moi Books

Format:Kindle Edition

Ashlyn's Radio is made from one part Heather Doherty and the other part Norah Wilson. These two blessedly talented ladies have created a story that is to die for! I don't know how many times I was in the middle of reading and had to stop just to think of how amazing this book was. So scary, it'll give Stephen King nightmares!

Since Ashlyn's mom has been admitted to the psych ward, Ashlyn had no choice but to move back to her mother's hometown. This is the same hometown that her mother was trying to prevent Ashlyn from ever visiting. Ashlyn doesn't know this, just like her mother doesn't know that that's where Ashlyn now resides.

All seems to be well for Ashlyn living in Prescott Junction. She now lives with her grandmother who has lived there for years. There is even a rather hot boy that works for her grandmother and if she plays her cards right, she just might snag him! The only odd thing is that she hears music playing at night. When she questioned her grandmother, she watched her face turn white while she warned Ashlyn to stay in bed at night. When the whistle blows, stay in bed. Everybody does, it's just what all the town people do. And the weird thing? Ashlyn has noticed that her grandmother is right. Not even teens sneak out at night. How odd.

Late one night, Ashlyn finally sneaks out with her friend Rachel as well as the hottie, Caden. Rachel knows all about what goes on while everyone sleeps. The dead bodies that people have found. Rachel knows what really caused it, and now she's going to show them.

Now, Ashlyn realizes just what the whistle belongs to. The ghost train. The train running on the tracks that nobody uses anymore. Those same tracks that have been shut down for years.... And once the train approaches, they all watch as the souls inside look at them in despair. The conductor collects them. Lures people out of their beds, only to have others find their lifeless bodies by the tracks the next morning.

What Ashlyn doesn't know, is that the music she hears has a connection to the train. She has far more history in Prescott Junction than she knows, and is about to find out she's in for a world of trouble. She's going to learn why everyone races home once dark.
When that conductor hands you that ticket, don't take it! Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great, Entertaining Read June 3, 2012

By Laura B

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book was a great read! The characters were well-developed and the plot kept moving forward. The young love aspect was well written and realistic. There was just enough paranormal stuff to keep me on the edge of my seat. Most of the loose ends were tied up by the conclusion, although I would have liked more detail regarding the town's reaction to the train.

Unlike many of the free Kindle downloads I've found, this one had very few editorial errors in the spelling and syntax. I very much appreciate that fact.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars It wasn't a bad book March 21, 2012

By joeycat

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

But it wasn't the best book I've ever read either. Maybe I had a harder time wrapping myself around the story because I really don't believe in ghosts or being able to talk with them. And I agree with another critic who said the last half of the book revolved so much around Ashlyn getting Caden in the sack. It grew a little tiring. But on the plus side, I did enjoy the character of Rachel, with all her problems. She was very believable to me. And I would not have predicted the outcome, so kudos to the author for keeping me guessing. To sum it up, I'd say if you're into the supernatural, you'll really like the book, if not, maybe keep shopping.