Author:   Beth Kephart

Publisher:   Harper Teen

 ISBN #:   978-0-06-166796-1

Type:   Fiction:YA/General

Pages:   280 Hardback

Published:  June 23, 2009

Website:  http://beth-kephart.blogspot.com/

Purchase:  $12.23 @ Amazon (HERE) 

The Story

“Ever since her mother passed away, Katie’s been alone in her too-big house with her genius dad, who restores old paintings for a living.  Katie takes a summer job at a garden estate, where, with the help of two brothers and a glamorous librarian, she soon becomes embroiled in decoding a mystery.  There are secrets and shadows at the heart of Nothing But Ghosts: symbols hidden in a time-darkened painting, and surprises behind a locked bedroom door.  But most of all, this is a love story – the story of a girl who learns about ove while also learning to live with her own ghosts.”

(Excerpt is from the cover of Nothing But Ghosts)

The Review

I had read several good book reviews about this YA novel.  In fact, there were so many from very reputable book review bloggers, that I had written down its title on my desk and promised myself to pick up a copy on Amazon.com.  Of course, I purchased it and put it on the higher end of my reading stack.

When I was finally able to crack it open, what I discovered was a book with beautiful writing, so descript and vivid with details.  The characters, the story, and the setting were all rich with life, color, and depth.  It was unlike most other YA novels that I had read this year in the way that it was more classic in the way it was written and the story it told.   It just held such a different feel.

The story’s heroine is pure of heart and full of integrity.  The book was not wasted on typical YA topics: boys, friends, school, etc.  Rather, it was a young lady’s search for answers about the mysteries of the life which surrounded her.  Beth Kephart is clearly, and obviously, a very talented writer.  This book is surely to be passed onto my twins for their reading enjoyment.

The Rating

On Sher’s “Out of Ten Scale,” in the genre Fiction:YA, I am giving this book a 9 out of 10. There is a wealth of benefits of reading a book that provides such a heartwarming story of a young lady’s passage from loss into the wealth of love.

9 Responses to “Book Recommendation: Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart”