Customer Reviews

Giving Up the Ghost

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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.

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.

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.

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 GG, 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.

This is just the sort of book everyone dreams of writing -- a "quiet" book with a big, beating heart. It's tightly written and meticulously put together: Aunt Mari is a wonder. Emilie is spoiled and enchanting. And the "scaredy cat" heroine? She doesn't fool us for a minute -- behind the inhaler, all those worst case scenarios, and that fluttery stomach, is someone we know has honesty and self-awareness and her own kind of courage. We can't resist, then, when this novel invites us along on her journey. And who, across this whole daunting planet, I wonder, wouldn't benefit from traveling with her, out of hurt and fear to living in the now?

Davia, a 13 year-old-girl from Wisconsin, has a lot on her plate. She fears her mother's cancer returning, her family goes to a spooky Louisiana plantation to care for Aunt Mari in her final days, and there's a ghost to deal with, too! And not an easy, peaceful ghost either. Emilie is a spoiled, difficult girl from the 19th century. Davia must somehow find the courage to discover Emilie's secrets so she can finally be freed from the plantation.

Davia's family, along with volunteers from Hospice, lovingly provide comfort during Aunt Mari's last days. A direct and gentle approach is used that has Davia facing her fears about death and befriending Aunt Mari, who even gives Davia guidance on how to deal with Emilie. Light humor throughout adds to this appealing story.

A suspenseful page turner, Giving Up The Ghost is perfect for those dealing with cancer, dying and Hospice, or anyone who loves a gripping ghost story! I highly recommend it!

This is the moving story of a fearful young girl who gets help from a family ghost in coping with death and dying in New Orleans. This sotry is a real page turner! The suspense about the ghost - who she is -- her secrets - builds nicely. The writer knows her subject matter well and has a very light touch dealing with heavy topics.

A book for young and old. Very good and kept the interest of the reader. Worth the money spent on it. Will read it again and share it with others that share my interest in stories with Ghosts.

I'd say this is just a normal ghost story-ish book for 9-12 year olds except for the excellent way it handles death (like gradual age or sickness death). The author was present at her mother's death and clearly has a lot of experience with hospice stuff. Her descriptions were real enough that it brought back concrete memories from my grandparents' deaths. I appreciate an honest treatment of death. This book was classed as YA in my library, but I'm guessing that's simply because death was dealt with -- silly American culture.