"Get out your tape recorders, crystals, and extra batteries— you’re about to go where our world meets the spirit world.

Psychic Kids, Paranormal State, Haunting Evidence—these and countless other television shows are making believers out of millions of people: Ghosts exist, and they’re living right beside us. For centuries, individuals have been trying to prove the existence of ghosts. But without hard evidence, it’s been difficult to make the case. But now as science and technology have progressed, ghost hunters have been able to use scientific means, along with more traditional psychic tools, to make their case. Photographs, video recordings, and sound recordings are all producing some amazing results.

In this new series, Ghost Huntress, meet Kendall Moorehead, a seemingly typical teen. When her family moves from Chicago to the small historical town of Radisson, Georgia, her psychic abilities awaken. She’s hearing, feeling, and seeing things that seem unbelievable at first, but with the help of the town psychic, Kendall is able to come to terms with her newly emerging gift. So, together with her new BFF, Celia, Kendall forms a ghost hunting team. They’ve got all the latest technology. They’ve got Kendall for their psychic. Now they’re going to clean up Radisson of its less savory spirits.The story is fiction. The science is real. Welcome to a new reality." - Goodreads
Title: Ghost Huntress: The Awakening
Series: Ghost Huntress
Author: Marley Gibson
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Release Date: May 4th 2009
Format: Paperback
Pages: 352
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Where to Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Nobles | The Book Depository

Where do I begin... I guess maybe saying that I ❤'d this book! Not many people would because not everyone is into the idea of "ghosts" (quoting in loose terms for the moment).

Now on to the book itself. Marley Gibson created a very interesting character named Kendall Moorehead, who grew up in south side Chicago. Home of deep dish pizza, the cubs, and the infamous windy city! But her dad gets a job and relocates the entire family to a small town an hour away from Atlanta called, Radisson. There you have a small main street, even a cafe oddly named 'Central Perk' (lol even the show is referenced in the book).

Through out the book, Kendall is tested by her old beliefs and the new ones she encounters. Her mother is a devout Episcopalian and a Registered Nurse, so you can guess how the news of her oldest daughter believing in ghosts goes over well. Anyway, she is also tested in waking life by the unseen and forces beyond her control. The one character that helps her learn how to deal with it all is a woman named Loreen who is a new-age type of person.

The one issue I did have was the dialogue. It was too much like how kids talk and think today, BUT I felt certain slang terms could of been used instead of point blank ones of like 'b***h' or 'sh*t' (using symbols to cover up the words a bit). I know it was written two years ago, but I would have loved to seen more slang terms that kids in chicago use in the inner city, especially the south side. That would have given Kendall a more authentic feel.

I do on the other side of this coin, love the phrases that she says. It all goes back to how Kendall's grandmother had all these sayings and now she uses them and also explains who and why or what they mean too (kind of makes you want to use them in places you normally say something similar to it).

Here are some interesting quotes from the book:

"It's so quiet you can hear the dead thinking."

"I am totally up shit's creek without a paddle."

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, more than I've enjoyed over time. I think it's because I live in an over 200 year old house and in an area in NY state where it's so old, even points to the river, the Hudson River, that George Washington use to ride in on (that famous painting of him in winter on that boat, yeah that's him on the same river i'm mentioning!). Not to mention the actual location that inspired the original tale of "Sleepy Hollow". All of that and it could make anyone think about "ghosts".

Anyway, I'd probably recommend this book to anyone that LOVES the show "Ghost Hunters", "Paranormal State", and "Ghost Adventures", because not only is about ghosts, but about the real aspects how ghost hunting is really done. There is an excerpt in the beginning of the book from Marley's fiance Patrick Burns (now by tomorrow officially her Husband!), who is a famous ghost hunting and such from TruTV's "Haunting Evidence". It goes on to explain a lot about it before you dive into the book about the world of ghost hunting and the book itself stays true to the technical aspects of it.

Also... I'm ready for the next book and to see what happens with Kendell and her Ghost Hunting team in Radisson, GA!