Listen to the Ghost

Author: Beverly Stowe McClure
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Reviewed by Deb Watson

Jade Dalton, her best friend Elaine, along with Jade’s older brother David and his best friend Matt, are spending their summer vacation house- sitting for Jade’s grandparents in Charleston, North Carolina. In addition to the house sitting duties, David and Matt are working at a local restaurant during the summer, while Jade and Elaine have brought from Texas several of Jade’s paintings to show and sell during the Piccolo Spoleto festival. But before their summer adventures begin, odd things begin to happen to Jade. She hears music that can’t be explained, someone is whispering her name, but no one can be found calling her, now her diamond earrings are missing and she sees a pink mist floating overhead. She thinks she is going crazy until Elaine and David admit that they too have heard the singing. However, when the food starts flying and attacking all four teens finally believe that it's not the faulty wiring in the old house but that a ghost is present.

Eventually the pink mist turns into a young woman named Phoebe whose appearance is similar to Jade's. Phoebe is enchanting and mischievous. She adds a moustache and beard to Jade’s favorite painting, wears Jade’s clothes and jewelry and even warns her to stay away from her former boyfriend whom she believes is trouble for Jade. Jade begins to lose patience with Phoebe’s meddling until Phoebe finally agrees to stop creating mischief if the teens will help Phoebe find her wedding rings by July first. If they find the rings by that date Phoebe will be able to leave her ghostly form and rest peacefully and stop haunting the house. The quest to find the rings results in exciting escapades for the four teens.

I am always looking for a book which will ignite and delight the imaginations of my adolescent nieces and nephews. Listen to the Ghost fits the bill. McClure does a fine job of sparking the reader's imagination and creating suspense. She takes you on a roller coaster ride from her opening lines when Jade hears the voice of the ghost through the tense confrontation with Jade’s ex-boyfriend, and ends in a successful conclusion of solving Phoebe’s mystery of her missing wedding rings and a new romance for Jade. Listen to the Ghost should delight the younger adolescent readers.