Walk of the Spirits [Mass Market Paperback]

Richie Tankersley Cusick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 17, 2008

When Miranda Barnes first sees the sleepy town of St. Yvette, Louisiana, with its moss-draped trees, above-ground cemeteries, and her grandfather?s creepy historic home, she realizes that life as she knew it is officially over. Almost immediately, there seems to be something cloying at her. Something lonely and sad and . . . very pressing. Even at school and in the group project she?s been thrown into, she can?t escape it. Whispers when she?s alone, shadows when no one is there to make them, and a distant pleading voice that wakes her from sleep. The other members in Miranda?s group project, especially handsome Etienne, can see that Miranda is in distress. She is beginning to understand that, like her grandfather before her, she has a special gift of communicating with spirits who still walk the town of St. Yvette. And no matter where she turns, Miranda feels bound by their whispered pleas for help . . . unless she can somehow find a way to bring them peace.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—A hurricane forces Miranda Barnes and her mother to relocate from Florida to the small bayou town of St. Yvette, LA, where they are taken in by Miranda's aunt and the grandfather the teen has never met. Miranda wants nothing more than to be left alone, but she is thrown immediately into a school project with cocky jock Parker, his cheerleader girlfriend Ashley, Goth girl Roo, cute Gage, and mysterious Etienne. Even worse, her nights are disturbed by unearthly screams. It turns out that Miranda has inherited Grandpa's talents as a medium, and his sudden death forces her to continue his work. She attempts to unravel the tragedy of a Civil War-era love story while helping her classmates put together a "haunted history" tour of the town, making a few tentative sparks with Etienne along the way. While the setup is promising, Cusick's supernatural romance doesn't generate much mystery or passion. The playful banter and innuendo among the teens is entertaining (if occasionally misplaced), but the rapidity with which most of Miranda's new friends accept her psychic abilities is unconvincing. Those who like their love stories spiced with the paranormal should stick with Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series (Little, Brown).—Christi Voth Esterle, Parker Library, CO
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Review

Romance, danger and supernatural thrills abound...Cusick's fans will no doubt devour this new title. -- Kirkus Reviews

The playful banter and innuendo among the teens is entertaining. -- School Library Journal

"Cusick gives the new-girl-in-town plot the Southern gothic treatment in this charming, atmospheric novel. . . . vividly drawn." --Romantic Times Book Review, four stars

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Speak (April 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142410500
• ISBN-13: 978-0142410509
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #474,276 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Walk of the Spirits, April 19, 2008

By 

twingirl - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Walk of the Spirits (Mass Market Paperback)

Walk of the Spirits by Richie Tankersley Cusick is a well written young adult ghost story. I've read and own almost all of her books and this one doesn't disappoint. This story is about a 17 year old girl, Miranda, who relocates after a hurricane destroys almost everything in her life. She and her mother move in with her grandfather and aunt. Miranda starts hearing voices and having visions soon after arriving.

I found this book to be a very quick read, despite the fact it doesn't rely on a lot of action and gore. It is very atmospheric and creepy. I loved it.

I recommend almost all of her other books. Some of my favorites are: Teacher's Pet, Help Wanted, The Locker, The Mall, Fatal Secrets, Vampire, and Someone at the Door. She also wrote two adult novels, Scarecrow and Blood Roots.

The second book, Shadow Mirror, in this series was released March 2010, if you like this book I recommend that one as well.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the wait!, May 28, 2008

By 

JMB "BookSpook" (FL, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walk of the Spirits (Mass Market Paperback)

I've been a fan of Richie Tankersley Cusick since middle school, and I've enjoyed all of her YA novels to date. Walk of the Spirits was no exception. It's not like the horror tales of her earlier works, but rather a ghostly mystery involving spirits from the Civil War era. Though it's an easy, quick read, the story has all the charm and atmosphere of its Louisiana setting. I especially loved the interaction between Miranda and her new friends. The camaraderie between them made me nostalgic for my own high school friends. And I developed a particular fondness for Etienne, who reminded me of a childhood friend who had to grow up quickly due to family circumstance, and was often working a part-time job or caring for her younger sibling while the rest of us were enjoying our teen years. The end of the story leaves room for sequels, so hopefully we'll get to see Miranda and friends again.
While Walk of the Spirits doesn't have gore, it does have some profanity and mild sensuality that may not be suitable for younger youth. However, for older teens and adults who have been fans of RTC for years, I do recommend you give this book a try.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, January 12, 2010

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walk of the Spirits (Mass Market Paperback)

Hurricanes do anything possible. They cause chaos, damage, and emotional distress. For Miranda Barnes, the hurricane that hit Florida is causing all of the above... tearing her life apart.

Miranda is losing everything - her home, her friends; basically, the life she's adapted to. Now, once she moves into her grandfather's house in St. Yvette, Louisiana, strange things start to happen. It's bad enough that everyone thinks her grandfather is crazy, but now she is hearing voices while she's sleeping. Is she losing her mind, too?

Feeling disturbed and unsettled, Miranda is forced to join a group for a project centered on how the town is haunted. Her group is full of all types of people from different cliques - the jock, popular girl, goth girl, and two hotties. Add in Miranda and it's like The Breakfast Club. Miranda is in definite need of a pick-me-up. One of the hotties in her group, Etienne, is showing some interest. It's a definite plus that he is picking up on Miranda's distress, as it shows that he pays attention.

Turns out Miranda has the same power as her grandfather, where she can talk to ghosts who have yet to move on. The only hopes she has in beginning to have a normal life in this new town is by solving the mystery of the rose, helping the man who has been haunting her while she sleeps, and deciphering what it is between her and Etienne.

My favorite stories besides the ones all about vampires are those centered around mediators. WALK OF THE SPIRITS is haunting, intriguing, and at times amazingly sweet. All of the characters are well-developed and the chemistry between Miranda and Etienne is adorable. Readers will not be disappointed in this newest story by Richie Tankersley Cusick!

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen