Ghost Girl

"I have one chapter left but I wanted to leave a review now. I was so skeptical. More than once I questioned how sane was this Jadie and if this book was actually fiction. I can't help but feel emotional when Jadie gave her teacher, Torey, a thank you note near the end. Simple gesture, big meaning... What an emotional ride this book is. "

"*Don't let the cover of this book shy you away from reading it. It's a great book. There is a newer edition has a nicer cover illustration.*<br/><br/>This novel follows fictional April Sloane from the time she is 11 to about 14 years old. She lives in a remote area in the mountains near where Herbert Hoover has built his retreat, Camp Rapidan. In 1929, it comes to President and Mrs Hoover's attention that there is no school for the children and families living on the mountains near their retreat. So they build and fund a schoolhouse and provide a teacher. April longs to go to school more than anything, but she meets much resistance from her mother. April also has some tragedy in her past. He younger brother recently died, and his death haunts their family, especially the mother. There's more to this incident, but I don't want to give plot spoilers.<br/><br/>What I enjoyed most was the growth April experienced over the course of the novel, her motivation to learn, and her independent nature, her stubborn streak. April is full of imperfections, and yet is very lovable. I loved the other characters the author built up--the grandmother, the teacher, the Hoovers, the bully/friend (preachers' son), some of the marines, and more. I loved that the situations in the novel were far from perfect and that many things were resolved, but not perfectly. It felt more authentic than a neat and tidy conclusion."