Review: Ghost Huntress: The Reason by Marley Gibson

The predecessor to this book, Ghost Huntress: The Guidance (see our review), ends with a hook that provides an immediate sense of urgency to this, the third in the series. For several months now, seventeen year old Kendall Moorehead has been burdened with the memory of a frightening premonition of her own death. But nothing untoward seems to have come to pass, and Kendall is slowly settling back into her regular nonchalance. However, though the days in her new hometown of Radisson, Georgia, might be sunny and long, the reader is expecting a thunderbolt at any moment. And it doesn't take long for such an event to happen.

Kendall and her friends are called in to undertake an investigation at the home of the Mayor. While things that go bump in the night are pretty standard fare across all of Radisson, which has a long and war-torn history, a particularly malevolent spirit is causing some cruel mischief that's unsettling everyone in its vicinity. Kendall, however, is struggling to deal not only with the insecurity that has plagued her since her premonition, but also her relationship with her boyfriend Jason, whose move to Alaska with his father is imminent after a tragic event involving his mother. Things go horribly wrong, however, and Kendall finds herself lost somewhere between this world and the next world, during which time she finds out a truth about herself that the reader has long suspected but that Kendall has furiously denied.

I approached this novel in the same way that I did the previous Ghost Huntress book'rather in the manner that I would climb into a Japanese hot spring. While the chatty narrative voice was off-putting at first, I knew from prior experience that I'd acclimatise quickly enough. A toe, then a foot, then a whole body dousing, and I was happily wading about in Kendall's life once more (although thankfully without the sulphur that tends to accompany Japanese hot springs).

Gibson has turned a corner with The Reason, and it's gratifying to see. While her characterisation has always been her strong point, the previous in the series suffered a little from its huge cast. The Reason keeps things small and intimate, and every character is given enough time that they all shine as individuals. The stereotyping and cliches that concerned me somewhat in The Guidance are scarcely evident here, and it's refreshing to see Gibson deal with both her teen and adult characters in a sympathetic and realistic light. The plotting, too, is simple but neat, and provides just enough for Gibson to really let fly with the emotional themes of this novel, which really are the key components of the book. Kendall's response to the information she receives about who she really is is thoughtful and moving, as is the way in which she deals with the situation with Jason.

For such a slight book, The Guidance packs an emotional punch. I'll be eagerly awaiting the fourth in the series.

Purchase Ghost Huntress: The Reason