Reviews
Since her TV show, Ghastly Incidents, was cancelled, Jamis Bachman has been struggling with depression. She’s also questioning her sanity: she believes ghosts exist, but not being able to get proof makes her doubt everything she’s been working for. A call from a couple who think there’s a poltergeist in the house they’re renting brings her to Sage Creek, Utah. Jamis has promised herself (and her psychiatrist) that’s it’s her last chance to prove she’s right. If she can’t get anything out of this, she’ll stop chasing. The trip will get her a lot more than she bargained for. A poltergeist, a twenty-five-year-old murder, a new group of friends, the love of her life… In what I think is her debut novel, Jen Jensen weaves a fascinating story, fast-paced and gripping, with just the right amount of twists to keep me captivated without losing me. Maybe a tad too didactic at times but that’s a common flaw with first novels and it wasn’t a real problem. What was a problem for me, however, was the writing. I’m sure it will keep improving. At the moment, it’s a little jerky and chaotic, and at times tore me out of the story. Some authors use too many exclamation points and coordinating conjunctions, this one doesn’t use enough. And I also felt the tenses used were wrong sometimes but I’m not a native English speaker so the mistake might be mine. Anyhow, some sentences or even paragraphs are beautiful and it makes me very hopeful for Jensen’s next book. The jerkiness actually works really well for dialogues (though it wasn’t always clear who was talking). I really loved all the characters, and the dialogues fit them perfectly. Jamis is wounded and scared and sarcastic yet kind. Johnna, the woman she meets, is sweet and patient, and introduces Jamis to other sweet people, like her brother Sam and super geek Sapphire (my favourite of course). Then there’s Carmen, an older lesbian whose past Jamis will find out while chasing her ghosts. From the moment she began meeting them all, there was no way Jamis would go back to her former life in California. From what I understand, this novel is the first in a series, which is excellent news. I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Jamis Bachman, Ghost Hunter definitely hits the paranormal definition with a ghost hunter and some super creepy poltergeist phenomenon. The author adds an extra layer of mystery to the mix as Jamis tries to find out what is causing Stephanie to linger as a "hungry ghost". There was a nice bit of misdirection - at first the reader thinks that there is Stephanie trapped by a more malevolent ghost but as things unravel, that isn't the case. The mystery worked particularly well as there was enough doubt (and plausibility) over what happened to Stephanie. From a romance standpoint, this was pretty light - Jamis becomes captivated with Johnna early on and its more about being in love then falling in love. It was an instant attract/love - but it was paced in such a way that they both decided to take it slow and not rush in as most instaloves. I really enjoyed Jamis - she's got a lot of baggage and recognizes that she's at a turning point in her life. She's an interesting mix of extrovert and introvert - ready to talk to anyone (about anything) but still not comfortable in large social gatherings. She gave the book a decent amount of gravitas and respect to the subject matter - it wasn't ghost hunting for fun or laughs This book was a bit more intellectual - with some interesting ideas and information on Buddhism, death and the after life and I rather liked it as it gave a better grounding and it made some of the synchronicity of events and people easier to accept. From a paranormal perspective, there was definitely a creep factor - the poltergeist phenomena with Jamis and others actually physically as well as emotionally impacted. I wouldn't have gone into the house in the first place - let alone return. This is a great read and hits everything you would expect for a paranormal lesfic - with the understanding that the romance is just starting and will be further explored in the next book.
