Brian Krueger has a lot of problems: The death of his grandfather and his father’s alcoholism have led to hard times and a move to a new town, where his nearest neighbor is a pyromaniac and a bully. Brian runs to escape his troubles, but it’s on the gravel jogging path that he encounters the ghost of Jamie McVay.Brian and his new friend, Sharon, investigate the ghost’s origins. Clue by clue, … clue, secrets are revealed as the teens discover the truth behind Jamie McVay’s quest for redemption. Along the way they must deal with teen issues such as school, sports, friends and rivals. Brian also struggles to reconcile with his father, while facing dangerous Pete the Pyro..
Can Brian and Sharon prevent catastrophe on Halloween night? Will the ghost of Jamie McVay find peace for his unquiet soul?
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Sometimes local legends are true.
The details of Jamie McVey’s life and death were so vividly written that I actually googled him to see if this was based on a true story. It honestly felt like something ripped from the headlines of a small town newspaper. While it turned out to be fictional after all, this didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for figuring out what really happened to this ghost one bit. I was so interested in learning his secrets that I couldn’t stop reading.
I enjoyed finding all of the parallels that the author drew between Brian’s life in the present and Jamie’s life in the past. They had far more in common than I would have guessed, and many of their similarities were things that took some time to uncover. It was rewarding to see all of this slowly come together as Brian adjusted to life in his new community and began to explore the mystery of what really happened to Jamie.
The romantic subplot was handled beautifully. It definitely wasn’t something I was expecting to find in this tale, but I was pleased with how much time it was given to develop while all of the other storylines were going on as well. The characters involved in it had plenty of opportunities to slowly transition their friendship into a romantic connection. Given everything else that was happening in their lives, this was the perfect decision. I must also say that I really liked the idea of them being a couple! The fact that they were so well suited for each other as far as their personalities and interests go only made the idea of them falling in love even more appealing.
The Ghost of Jamie McVay is something I’d recommend just as earnestly to adult readers as I would to the middle grade audience it was originally intended for.
Overall Rating = 4.25
Storyline & Concept = 4
Writing & Delivery = 5
Cover Marketability = 4
Editorial = 4
R.G. Ziemer crafts his words into a play-like mystery that also delves into the mind-set of growing young people as well as the provincial mindset of a small town. The story is told in vivid images that keep the reader constantly picturing the scenes in the town of Winston. The town of Winston is a snapshot of many of omnipresent beliefs and behaviors, both positive and negative in any form of society. Within the story, the reader encounters town divisions, communal beliefs, and points of pride that has come into being over the history of the town. The town’s history is richly described by the informal town historian, and a driving force in the story, Sharon Rice. Jamie McVay’s ghost offers the always compelling unknown entity that haunts a small town. In combatting the entity, the story starts friendships, emboldens villains, brings out truth and closes the door on deception, revenge against sinners and atonement for the sinners. The book borrows flavors in the storytelling from books like To Kill a Mockingbird, Stephen King’s It, and Peyton Place, which helps it stand up as a book that will satisfy the genre-preference of many readers.
Sublime Line: “The Ghost of Jamie McVay stands as a timely parable for the rippling consequences a single act can bring to lives. The search for atonement, redemption, justice, while fighting unrepentant evil.”