Lily's Ghosts [Hardcover]

Laura Ruby (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 5, 2003 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Lily is Furious.

She can't believe she has to move again after her mom's break-up with the latest boyfriend. Now they're broke and they'll have to spend the winter in Uncle Wes's creepy summerhouse in Cape May, New Jersey.

And the place is crawling with ghosts.

From the spiteful teenager who mistakes Lily for her high school nemesis to the restless spirit of her eccentric Uncle Max, Lily is haunted by a host of unhappy phantoms. But why are they here? And what do they want?

With the help of some mysterious clues, Lily and her new friend, local boy Vaz, uncover a sinister plot. If they don't foil the villainous plan in time, they may end up doing some eternal haunting of their own.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-A cast of eccentric characters plays out this intriguing story, which opens with an enticing description of Cape May, NJ, and the hint that ghosts might be hovering about. Lily, 13, and her mother have just moved to this shore community after her mother's breakup with her latest boyfriend. They take up residence in the old Victorian home owned by her mom's Uncle Wes, a relative with whom they have had little contact. Lily is so horrified by a portrait of her other great uncle, a pale, frightening-looking young man, that she hides it in the closet. Very soon, inexplicable things begin to happen: strange phone calls, objects changing location, jam in her shoes. Before long, Lily realizes that she is being haunted, and she resolves to solve a mystery from the past that involves her uncle's house and several of her relatives. The story shifts back and forth between her reality and a parallel world inhabited by ghosts, giving the book multiple dimensions and keeping readers guessing. A likable character, Lily is curious and courageous in her attempts to get to the bottom of things. A friendship develops between her and a local boy who helps her in her quest for the truth. Readers will be hooked right up to the surprising ending. A good pick for fans of Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Bernie and the Bessledorf Ghost (Atheneum, 1990).
Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ
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Review

"... Her often funny story…is capped by…a twist ending that is totally earned. This should be a movie..." -- Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2003

"A fast-paced, comic tale." -- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"A spirited novel.. Readers will fly through the pages." -- Chicago Sun-Times

"Satisfying. A good bet for girls ages 10 through 14." -- Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Sure to delight the reader…will tickle readers’ funny bones." -- Detroit Free Press

"This should be a movie just so ‘tweens and teens will come ask for the book." -- Kirkus Reviews

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (August 5, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060518294
• ISBN-13: 978-0060518295
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,850,155 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Laura Ruby is the author of books for adults, teens and children. Her titles include the Edgar-nominated tween mystery LILY'S GHOSTS (now updated for 2011), the children's fantasy THE WALL AND THE WING (3/06) and a sequel, THE CHAOS KING (5/07) all published by Harpercollins. She writes for older teens as well, and her debut young adult novel, GOOD GIRLS (9/06), also from Harpercollins, was a Book Sense Pick for fall 2006 and an ALA Quick Pick for 2007. She followed this with the teen novels PLAY ME (2008) and BAD APPLE (2009).

Her short fiction for adults has appeared in various literary magazines, including Other Voices and The Florida Review. A collection of these stories, I'M NOT JULIA ROBERTS, was published by Warner Books in January 2007. Called "hilarious and heart-wrenching" by People and "a knowing look at the costs and rewards of remaking a family," by the Miami Herald, the book was also featured in Redbook, Working Mother, and USA Today, among others.

Raised in the wilds of suburban New Jersey, Laura Ruby now lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two cats that serve as creative advisors.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Truly Enjoyable Read!, August 14, 2003

By 

Gretchen Laskas "Author" (Virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lily's Ghosts (Hardcover)

Go to any bookstore and look at the titles in middle grade and YA shelves and you'll see plenty about ghosts. But Laura Ruby's novel rings true on so many levels, that it can't help but, well, "leap out at you."

LILY'S GHOSTS has a cast of hilarious ghosts haunting throughout Cape May, NJ, a terrific living town of characters (and sometimes that word "character" can be taken literally!) and a warm and witty style that draws the reader into the story. Readers from all backgrounds will find something in Lily that speaks to them, and the mystery she solves is wonderfully done. This is a novel that is asking real questions without giving us absolute answers.

A truly enjoyable read!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great light & fun reading, August 15, 2003

By 

T. Deyoung "balthazar_d" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lily's Ghosts (Hardcover)

I just finished reading Lily's Ghost on a 5 hour trip to Hawaii. It's very much in the vain of Harry Potter but with a female heroine and ghosts. My favorite parts were the interludes where the ghosts chat amongst themselves and live out their afterlife as part of today's world. The prose flows easily and smoothly - intellectual enough for an adult but easy enough for any kid who would appreciate Harry Potter. The ending is a nice twist that gets you thinking. An easy recommend for anyone who likes ghosts or coming of age stories.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hovering Over Me, February 25, 2006

By 

Kool Fool (Umpteenth) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lily's Ghosts (Hardcover)

This has got to be one of the better children's books around. Well, I know I haven't read that many children's books and I'm probably not the best judge, but I've read books where the protagonist sounds either too young or too old or too dumb or too smart or too secure for someone his/her age, and in this book, Lily sounds just perfect. She may be a bit mature for a thirteen-year-old, but she still has foibles, which makes her so believable as a human being. In fact, both Lily and Vaz are about the only characters from children's books who are so three-dimensional they continue to linger in my head after I've finished the book.

I also love the writing style. It is descriptive but also fast-paced. It seems like things keep happening. I'm only disappointed about a chapter near the end, in which the author definitely rushes through, trying to wrap everything up neatly in a few pages. A few things remain unclear, but since the climax is over, I'll choose to overlook that.

The cover is misleading, though. I originally picked up the book because I thought it was going to be a funny book, but it's not really ha-ha funny. In fact, it's kind of creepy at parts, and I'm above the targeted audience's age. Still, I don't regret reading this book. It's awesome.