Giving Up the Ghost [Hardcover]

Sheri Sinykin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2007 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

That s the first step, you know. Admitting you re afraid. But when there s love, Aunt Mari said, there can be no fear.

Davia is afraid of lots of things. Things like death, ghosts, strange places, and her mom s cancer coming back. But she can t avoid her fears now.

Far from their Wisconsin home, Davia and her parents are staying in Louisiana to help take care of her great Aunt Mara who is slowly dying. Everything about the spooky-looking mansion that Aunt Mara owns scares Davia.

When Davia first encounters Emilie, the ghost of an adolescent girl from the nineteenth century, she is frightened. Emilie seems eager to have Davia for a friend, but the ghost is unpredictable and difficult. Davia begins to learn secrets about Emilia and her own family s past from Aunt Mara stories of premature endings and regrets. As Aunt Mara s health deteriorates, she and Davia become closer. Together, they might just be able to help Emilie be released from the mansion and from world of the living.

Author Sheri Sinykin has written a sensitive, provocative tale of an adolescent who learns to accept uncertainty and comes to terms with fears. Readers will be mesmerized by the gripping supernatural mystery that lies at the heart of the story.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Equal parts psychological realism and supernatural thriller, this story about living in the present and conquering fear has teen appeal in spades...Sinykin's simple, straightforward prose can be read by those as young as nine, but the subject matter-disease, death, arranged marriage and suicide-makes this title more appropriate for older readers. A good choice for reluctant teens." -Kirkus Reviews

"Recommended for ghost-loving young teens. It's a great book for reluctant older readers too, as Sinykin's storytelling style is clear and spare." -50 Plus Lifestyles

"...the book will draw some readers through its subject matter and will thereby connect them with a character seeking to understand her family, her place in a larger scheme of things, and her glimpse beyond the natural world." -School Library Journal

"More than a ghost story, this book serves as a guide for teenagers experiencing illness and death in their families...Sinykin successfully blends essential information about the process of dying with a fictional narrative that could be useful for teens facing similar circumstances in their lives." -VOYA

"...includes a realistic look at death and dying...Through the story, death may become less frightening for YA readers, and questions will arise from the realistic tone and informational passages." -Kliatt

About the Author

SHERI SINYKIN is the author of a several novels for young readers. She holds degrees from Stanford University and Vermont College, where she received an MFA in writing for children. She lives in Wisconsin and Arizona.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Peachtree Publishers (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561454230
• ISBN-13: 978-1561454235
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,076,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in Chicago, but grew up in Sacramento, CA. After I graduated from Stanford University, I worked in the Midwest as a newspaper reporter, a hospital PR director, and the assistant director of a convention and visitors bureau. I began writing books for children when my youngest son was born, and collected 156 rejections before my first book sale six years later. In the 1990s, I published seventeen books for young readers, including eight as lead author of the Magic Attic Club. After a long period of loss and writer's block, I earned my MFA in Writing for Children at Vermont College. My critical thesis was entitled "Good Grief: Making Death and Bereavement Authentic for Middle Grade Readers." GIVING UP THE GHOST is the first published book of my "second career." It was inspired by my mother's eight-and-a-half-year battle with Stage 4B endometrial cancer, my own work as a hospice volunteer, and a love affair with New Orleans that began when our middle son attended Tulane.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An interesting twist on a paranormal story, December 6, 2007

By 

Kim Baccellia, "YA Books Central reviewer... (Southern California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Giving Up the Ghost (Hardcover)

Death affects people in many different ways. Children also have a range of emotions when a loved one is facing a serious illness such as cancer. I still remember one of my former students drawing pictures of a large cross next to his mother right after she died. That was his way of coping. In the book GIVING UP THE GHOST, Sheri Sinykin weaves in the emotions of a young girl who's mother is in remission from cancer, going to help a great-aunt who is dying, and the ghost of a young girl. All these elements work to make a very compelling story.

Thirteen-year-old Davina is scared of many things. One of her biggest fears is that her mother's cancer will return.

That summer Davina and her parents go to help her elderly Aunt Mari with in-care home hospice care. This only increases Davina's fears. And to make matters worse is Emilie, the ghost of a 19th century young Creole girl who lives in her great-aunt's deserted plantation. Emilie wants Davia to be her friend. But Davina finds Emilie to be spoiled and unpredictable. While her aunt's health deteriorates, they both grow closer. Aunt Mari tells stories of sudden ends and regrets. Also she tells Davina she needs to help Emilie in order to release her spirit from Belle Foret.

I love how the author deals with death in this story. Especially with how a teen would feel about ovarian cancer. I felt the emotions of Davina were very realistic. Another thing I liked was how Davina wasn't afraid to be with her aunt even when she knew she'd die. Together they helped each other face their fears. Davina also learns a valuable lesson from Emilie, one that sets both of them free.

This story addresses a paranormal theme in a whole different light. I loved the premise of a haunted Louisiana plantation with secrets. I recommend this book to those who are looking for a paranormal story with a twist. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Appealing Blend of Realism and Fantasy, November 6, 2007

By 

Amy C. Laundrie - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Giving Up the Ghost (Hardcover)

Davia, a thirteen-year-old girl, is haunted by Emilie, a tortured,
mean-spirited ghost. Davia tries to piece together the circumstances
surrounding Emilie's death while also comforting her beloved Aunt
Mari who is dying. Davia and her aunt hope to release
Emilie's spirit, but they must do so before Aunt Mari passes into the next world. Davia
discovers that Emilie had hopes of becoming a doctor. Emilie's
nineteenth century parents, however, had other plans for her. How did she escape her fate?

"Giving Up the Ghost" is an appealing ghost story as well as a
realistic account of the emotional trauma of watching a loved one
die. Having gone through the death of my mother recently, it was especially relevant for me. Others will also find themselves thinking about some of life's most difficult questions.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important book, November 6, 2007

By 

Kathleen Ernst "Kathleen" (Madison, WI, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Giving Up the Ghost (Hardcover)

Sheri Sinykin has written a very important book--the book I wish I'd been given to read when, as a young adult, I experienced for the first time the death of a grandparent. On the surface, "Giving Up the Ghost" works just fine as a ghost story, and young readers will appreciate it as such. On a deeper level, however, it explores the fundamental questions all kids are confronted with when faced with the loss of a loved one: How do people die? What should I expect if I'm helping to care for someone who is terminally ill? What happens after someone dies? Although never didactic, the book provides some solid information. And finally, protagonist Davia and her family will impart reassurance to Sinykin's readers: that it's OK to ask questions, it's OK to be afraid, it's OK to let someone go, it's OK to forgive yourself and others. I found myself thinking about this book long after turning the last page.