Ghost Time
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that the convoluted plot of Ghost Time, a fantasy with a paranormal element, involves 15-year-old narrator-protagonist Thea being exposed to shame when she appears in sex videos that go viral on the Internet. She knows the incidents never actually happened (and they are not explicitly described), but the emotional charge of the story derives from episodes in which a feisty teen faces nightmares of confusion. Her rage and self-cutting after the breakup of her parents might make some young readers uneasy. Thea uses all the four-letter words when under stress, and some crude language, like "ass," when she's not. There's teen drinking, some nudity, and Thea describes passionate sex with her boyfriend.
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What's the Story?
Artistic, 15-year-old Thea is thrown into confusion when Cam, her math-genius boyfriend, disappears. From that moment, the story, narrated by Thea, alternates forward and backward in time. Cam's theory, that time is a code that can be hacked, appears to be coming true, as past events are shown to change and disjoin from the present. Thea's love for Cam grounds her sufficiently to hope for his return.
Is It Any Good?
With chapters alternating between past and present, some readers might like the reality-bending aspect of GHOST TIME; others may find it confusing. The plot turns on whether artistic Thea will be reunited with her nerdy boyfriend, who disappears for reasons unknown.
The first in a trilogy, this installment leaves many mysteries unresolved and might lose some readers before the sequels appear. The story grows stronger as it reaches deeper into Thea's past, fraught with self-cutting, and the healing she achieves through the love of her first boyfriend.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the notion that time is not a fixed entity. If you could reach into your own past and change one thing, what would it be?
Cutting is sometimes explored in teen novels. Does Ghost Time give you insight into how someone could be moved to harm herself?
Do you find the structure of going back and forth in time effective or confusing?
Book Details
- Author: Courtney Eldridge
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, High School, Science and Nature
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Skyscape
- Publication date: June 11, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 14 - 17
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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For kids who love fantasy and romance
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