Today on the blog, I review Ghost Therapy by Mark Rosendorf. I have also read and reviewed several other tales from Mr. Rosendorf's excellent Witches of Vegas series.
Having just finished writing a ghost story myself, I was intrigued to read Rosendorf's take on this horror subgenre.
When tragedy strikes, Sam joins the ghosts stalking the hallways of Pinedale Central High School. Despite wandering the school for decades, Sam is trapped forever as his 15-year-old self, unable to move on.
From this setup, Rosendorf weaves a heartfelt YA novel that includes several surprising and delightful twists. These devices add complexity to the plot. Combine that with the emotional punch the story carries, and you have a wonderful yarn, indeed.
An interesting trick Rosendorf employs is telling much of the story from the narrative voice of an adult, the school's guidance counselor. Generally, YA is told from the perspective of kids for kids. However, in this instance, telling the tale from the perspective of an adult works. The tough love and wisdom dispensed with an ample dollop of kindness by the counselor rings true to my ears, and it might sound genuine to teens. I suspect this authenticity comes from Mr. Rosendorf working as a guidance counselor for his day job.
Readers looking for a short and heartfelt tale that is mildly horrifying without being gory will find Ghost Therapy a real gem.
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