Tag: ghost hunt

The Last to See Me by M. Dressler

The Last to See Me by M. Dressler

The Last to See Me is a fascinating story set in a world where ghosts are real and if they’re hanging around, they can bring down property values.

So, if you find you have an unruly poltergeist in your closet, you call a hunter to put them into the “eternal sleep.”

The tale is told from Emma, a ghost’s, point of view.

“My hearing is so much finer than when I walked alive and with a heartbeat. It’s something I’ve had a century to ponder: how much does the beating heart of one creature drown out the heart of another?” pg 6

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I found this story to be absolutely captivating.

“At the turn of the millennium, when the hunts began, I was as scared as any ghost could be. But fear, in the end, does a body no good. If you let yourself be afraid of what can kill you, it weakens you. So you can’t let yourself be afraid.” pg 21.

Inbetween Emma’s fight to remain alive, in a manner of speaking, we get to learn about her life before her death. So, there’s a bit of historical fiction thrown in the mix.

I think M. Dressler has written a fantastic ghost story.

“But I can tell you that the reason you felt something was hiding under your bed, all those years ago, is precisely because it was. It just knew better than to show itself to you.” pg 102

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I found myself cheering for Emma, even when the story takes a few surprisingly dark turns.

“But understand and hear me, my friend. Nothing dead, no matter how interesting or difficult, is worth keeping.” pg 129.

Also, I was amazed at how Dressler managed to weave various elements of the story into its conclusion.

Take your time and read carefully, I think you’ll be as delighted with this tale as I was.

Highly recommended for those who like not-so-scary stories or slightly spooky historical fiction.

Thanks for reading!

Ghost Hunt: Chilling Tales of the Search for the Unknown by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson

Ghost Hunt: Chilling Tales of the Search for the Unknown by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson
ghosthunt

I didn’t realize that this book was for middle grade kids when I picked it up from the library, but I still enjoyed it. Yes, the chapters that are based on the Ghost Hunter’s explorations overly simplistic but they’re also incredibly creepy. However, this isn’t just a horror book: Jason and Grant use these pages to educate the public about what they believe ghosts are and to diffuse any fear that a kid would naturally feel when confronted with something that she doesn’t understand. The last part of the book is composed of Ghost Hunter protocols so that kids can run investigations of their own and the definitions of commonly used phrases used in the book to build reader’s vocabularies.

Take the ending of the investigation into Fort Mifflin: “It’s a great historical site. And the paranormal activity going on is what we call a residual hunting. These ghosts don’t mean you any harm. In fact, they probably don’t even know you’re here. They are just so attached to the place that they can’t leave. So they do the same things over and over.” pg 115.

Or during an investigation when a four year old sees her deceased grandma and her parents are flipping out: “Kids are very open,” Jason agreed. “Sometimes they see and hear more than adults.” “Because they don’t know they’re not supposed to,” Lyssa added. pg 193. And isn’t that a shame?

A fun resource for children interested in paranormal investigations, societies, or television shows. This could be a great read for a reluctant reader as well. Depending on the sensitivity of the child, Ghost Hunt should be just fine for second to sixth grade. There are some truly terrifying moments, but the overall message is about moving beyond your fears of the unknown towards new knowledge. I think that’s a message worth spreading no matter what your area of study may be.

Thanks for reading!