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Lily's Ghosts

3.7 of 5 stars 3.70 · rating details · 460 ratings · 78 reviews

Lily is Furious.

She can't believe she has to move again after her mom's break-up with the latest boyfriend. Now they're broke and they'll have to spend the winter in Uncle Wes's creepy summerhouse in Cape May, New Jersey.

And the place is crawling with ghosts.

From the spiteful teenager who mistakes Lily for her high school nemesis to the restless spirit of her eccentric Un

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Paperback, 258 pages

Published September 1st 2005 by HarperTrophy (first published August 1st 2003)

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The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

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Sep 13, 2012 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This review originally appeared at www.readinasinglesitting.com.

”I just didn’t think it would be this cold,” says Arden, Lily’s dreamily named and dreamily natured mother.
“You never think it will be this cold,” responds Lily. Or this bad or this hard or this long.

Lily and her mother have moved a dozen or so times in the past decade, shuffling along somewhere new each time one of serial monogamist Arden’s relationships don’t work out. Arden, all but lost to her family, desperately seeks to have m...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Sage Bowen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Lily’s Ghost Book Review
By Laura Ruby
HarperCollins Publishers Inc. 2003

Lily’s ghost is by Laura Ruby, it’s fiction. Lily is very confused about her family’s past, because her mom doesn’t like to talk about her family. Ever since Lily moved into her uncle’s old house, strange things have been happening to her.
Lily is a quiet dull girl who moves a lot with her mom. The house she is currently living in is her uncle’s. She spends a lot of time at home alone because she is homeschooled. One day Lily...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Marie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, my-books, fantasy, juvenile, reviewed

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. First of all, I loved the ghosts. I loved the set up, I love how they revealed themselves and interacted with the 'living' world. I even loved their perspectives.

Lily is a great young female protagonist, and not like many. She prefers science and doesn't trust fiction (though her friend Vas loves to read, even Hemingway). Lily is wounded and distrustful, and unlike certain older characters, actually mature for her age. Fortunately that doesn't make her preternaturally intelligent or poised, she'...more First of all, I loved the ghosts. I loved the set up, I love how they revealed themselves and interacted with the 'living' world. I even loved their perspectives.

Lily is a great young female protagonist, and not like many. She prefers science and doesn't trust fiction (though her friend Vas loves to read, even Hemingway). Lily is wounded and distrustful, and unlike certain older characters, actually mature for her age. Fortunately that doesn't make her preternaturally intelligent or poised, she's simply used to taking care of herself and her background has actually influenced. Like said unnamed character, Lily's mother is also a little flaky, but not an absent parent.

However, I'm not sure why Vas, the eventual love interest, is the only positive male role. There aren't very many characters at all, but of the two male villains and the female villain, only the woman is redeemed in any character. I suppose Uncle Max could count as a non-villain's male, but he hardly shows up as a character. Wesley is over-the-top super-duper evil villain, all but cackling madly, the librarian shows up as a vamp (why?) who is redeemed because Max didn't really leave her, and Benten is her whiny, weak brother. Even the other male ghost is just a flabby middle-aged guy.

Still. before the live-criminal plot showed up, I enjoyed the story. Lily's burgeoning relationship with Vas was authentic and cute, and gave her mother some character development. Even the mother's reluctance verses Lily's acceptance of the ghosts at the very end was interesting commentary on the nature of belief, given their characters. And the ghosts (aside from Max, oh wait, and Kidd--was he even really necessary?) were very well developed, and engaging.

What was the point of Kidd? There wasn't one. The secret conspiracy just went too far, it was too convoluted and absurd. Wesley could have been an interesting character, and I would have liked to get to know Max, who quite frankly was far more interesting than his pyromaniac, psychopath of a brother. A 22 year old who murdered his brother, and a year later commissions a portrait of him (presumably right after his mother's suicide.) And what tipped off the mother anyway? Why, for all the 'girl power' in this book, didn't she actually do something about it? If it were for older readers, or if she hadn't aimed for a high adventure with pirates, this might have made an interesting revenge story.

That's not fair to the novel, of course. This is a book for young adults and these are just my thoughts, as an adult and more sophisticated reader, so that part doesn't exactly factor into my review.

For kids, and I think the book is aimed at the 10 and older crowd, so for that group, this book should be great fun. And for older kids and adults, it's a quick, enjoyable read, and worth a try, should you have it somewhere. (less)

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Sep 26, 2010 Sofia rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
9/21 review
This book is about a girl who has to move from Montclair to Cape May. A small town in her Uncles home. However, during her stay there, strange things are happening to her, like jam in her shoes, wierd breathing when no one else is their, and more. So together with a new friend, Vaz, Lily will try to uncover who is behind all this and discover the house is haunted with ghosts.
The most recent thing that happened in my book was that Lily and Vaz broke into Bailey Burton's Library to f...more
9/21 review
This book is about a girl who has to move from Montclair to Cape May. A small town in her Uncles home. However, during her stay there, strange things are happening to her, like jam in her shoes, wierd breathing when no one else is their, and more. So together with a new friend, Vaz, Lily will try to uncover who is behind all this and discover the house is haunted with ghosts.
The most recent thing that happened in my book was that Lily and Vaz broke into Bailey Burton's Library to find out about her family's past and the ghost. They are nearly caught, but they escape just in time. Than they decide to explore the attic, but they get stuck inside. WHile they are inside they just start to kiss, but Lily's mom, Arden, barges in. Now Lily's mom doesn't trust her and will not let her be home alone and she has to go every day to her mom's shop.

Lily decides to try and contact the ghost by going to see the local median. The median, Madame Durriken,doesn't know anything about talking to ghost, she just makes stuff up. However, Max, the "haunting" ghost is keeping and eye on them. He soons starts to interact with them and gives Lily a hint of what she needs to know.

Review from 9/20
The book I am reading now, and my all time favorite book is "Lily's Ghosts," by Laura Ruby. I like this book so much because it is original and suspensful. It is also my favorite book because it has a hilarious, yet creepy plot, and it is also really exciting.
In the book I am at the part where Lily and Vaz are learning more things about her families past in Bailey's library. One reason I think this book is good is due to how it was written. A second reason are that the characters are very descripted and interesting. A third reason is that the books plot is very funny and interesting.
The book is written in a way to go from the humans prospective to the ghosts view. For example most of the times a chapter ends, there are a few pages explaining what happened with a ghosts point of view (or someone who can see ghosts, like Madame Durriken). For examle once Chapter 4 ends, it is followed by "chapter Pink," from the point of view of Lola(a ghost).
Another reason why I like this book is because the characters in the book aren't boring. Lily, for example, sets of on an adventure to find more about her families past and she learns many new things. Lily's attitude is funny and nice because she's honest and she's sharp (sarcastic). Uncle Wesley makes you feel like you have chills running down your back becuase he is quiet, cold, and mysterious. Lily's mother, Arden is colorful and a complete opposite of Lily. the characters keep you interested.
The last reason why I like this book is because the plot is very interesting. I've never heard of a story about ghosts forcing a girl to reveal her families past. I also like it how Lily can't talk to ghosts (and she doesn't even believe they exists) making it harder for her to find out what is happening. I also like the plot because it is very random. It talks about ghosts, treasure, family, friends, pirates, and adventure.
This book makes you ask yourself questions or makes you think about parts. It keeps your mind gowing on what might happen next. (less)

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Sep 05, 2011 Grace Rorke rated it 2 of 5 stars

Summer Books-

I read the book Lily's Ghosts by Laura Ruby. Lily's Ghosts is a story about a girl named Lilly who moves to her Uncle Wes's house with her mother. Along the way Lily meets a knew friend named after running in to him on the sidewalk. One day when Vaz was over at Lily's house they feltbreezes noises when they were the only ones in the house, they ran outside and Vaz was shure there were ghosts. I thought this book was okay, they could have been a little more descritive in some place....more

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Jul 10, 2011 Charlotte Osborn-bensaada rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, 2011-centuions

13 year old Lily feels like she is the grown-up to her mother's constant attempt at finding happiness in all the wrong places. But when the most recent attempt backfire's Lily's mother must retreat back to her family's 100 year old house at Cape May New Jersey. Lily unlike her mom is in to practical things like science and having money. Her practical self along with several local character's allows her to unlock several long lost mysteries.

Book indicates it is for 10 and up, even though it is n...more

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Oct 22, 2008 Michele rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Age 13+

Gotta Say . . . I Loved It!
Reading this book with my daughter, she was a little more creeped out than I . . . but not much. This is good YA literature, which crosses over with both juvenile AND more sophisticated humor to appeal to adult readers as well. It’s also reflective of the human condition, where a very grown-up-for-her-age character named Lily, 13, has been abandoned by her father and faces a gypsy lifestyle with her free-spirited mother, Arden. Lily and Arden move into their newest hom...more

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Jul 27, 2009 Sharon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile-fiction, humor, horror

Much more along the lines of a cute ghost story than a truly scary one, Lily begins to find her ancestral home in Cape May is haunted from clues that begin subtly and progress to having her hair dyed and jam left in her shoes. She enlists the help of a cute neighbor boy (this is also partially a coming-of-age story) to help investigate the history of her house and its possible connection to ghosts, and ends up unraveling an old family mystery revealing dark secrets long buried.

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Feb 24, 2011 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ghost, teen

Lily's angry at her mom. They had to move again after her mom's breakup, and the only place they can find to stay is Great Uncle Wes's creepy summer house in Cape May, NJ. What Lily doesn't know yet is the place is crawling with ghosts, from a spiteful teen who does horror makeovers to Uncle Max to two sunbathers who don't know they are dead. The place has it all. Now Lily must solve the secret of her family's past before she joins the ghosts haunting the house.

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Aug 15, 2012 Kaitlyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book in the eighth grade, and I've read it multiple times. But even just a couple years later, I don't think I'd read it again. As great as it was, it does have his flaws. Regardless, I'd recommend it to anyone 12-14 years old. Any older and it probably won't be as interesting. That's hard to say though, since I haven't read it since I was 13. Who knows what I'd think if I read it now? (I no longer own it, so I can't really find out. Bummer.)

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Mar 29, 2010 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade, fantasy-realistic

A very fun middle-grade book that lots of kids will definitely enjoy. The characters are very real and relatable, and the relationships between Lily and Vaz and Lily and her mother are both well done. I also enjoyed how everything came together at the end, with a few surprises along the way. If your kids are looking for a fun, not-too-scary ghost story with a little mystery thrown in, this is a great one to get for them.

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Jan 26, 2010 Kenzie R rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book! It was hilarious and just caught my attention the WHOLE way! It was suspenseful, whic hI love, b/c it keeps me wanting to read more. I love things that keep my attention, and make me want to read more of their books. I recommend this book, b/c I think people ho love a good laugh, would probably enjoy this better than a movie.

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Jan 09, 2008 Jobi Mccarthy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Lily's Ghost is a werid mystery. If you like storys that make you think and make you wonder what possibly could come next, then you will like this book. honestly this book is really slow in the beggining and hard to follow in the first few chapters, but once it gets more into the middle of the book it starts getting good. This great book is about Lily a young teenage girl trying to find answers to the history of her family and why so many members have commited suicide, randomly dissapeared, or h...more

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Mar 08, 2010 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars

A young adult ghost story that has enough twists and turns to keep Lily's cat, Julep, busy for hours. If you are looking for an easy, thoroughly enjoyable read, check out Lily's ghosts. I loved it - even though I am a thirty-year old woman and it was probably written for tween-teens.

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Apr 30, 2009 Corri Johnson rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4th-grade

I had this book on my classroom shelf and decided that it looked kind of cute. Needless to say, I didn't enjoy it very much. It took a lot to get into it. It also had some language in it that did not need to be there. I may pull it from my shelf. I really don't know if it is worth reading.

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Apr 01, 2011 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

An enjoyable middle-grade read about a 13 year-old girl, her rather irresponsible mother, some old sinister family secrets, and the haunted house they move into. An amusing addition is that throughout the book are short chapters written from the various ghost's point of view.

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Sep 28, 2011 Eeboo added it

I picked this book to read out of my classroom library and really liked it. Me and my teacher write to each other in this notebook about whatever I read. I think anyone would really like this book. WARNING: This book has some swears. . . but who cares?

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Jul 26, 2012 Ann Curry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kids-books

This book was "pulled" from our kids' school book list when it received flack bc it references suicide. I contacted the author, Laura Ruby, back when this happened and met her later. She is a sharp, funny, insightful woman.

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Jul 02, 2009 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was the first book i read this year. What i liked the most about this book was about how it took place in Cape May. This made me really think the rumors that are told about Cape May might actually be true!

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Feb 14, 2009 Emdilem rated it 5 of 5 stars

dont ask me why but this is possibly my favorite book of all. great use of different perspectives and a refreshing mystery always make it hard for me to put down. quirky plot and round characters.

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Jul 15, 2010 Karmen Proffitt rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was very exciting! You can easily relate the characters to you. A read this book and I could never think of what would happen next. That's a good thing!!

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Aug 22, 2010 Lee Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

About 1/3 of the way through the book, I was confused and ready to give up. Then it got lots better quickly and kept the pace up until the end of the story.

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Jun 20, 2009 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lily's ghosts is a great book! a funny mystery with the always fun to points of view lily's and the ghosts. a great book i keep coming back to it!

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Mar 24, 2011 TheLibraryOfSarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

The ending was a little weird but otherwise enjoyable! I liked the idea of ghosts as characters.

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Jul 30, 2012 Sinala Gonzalez rated it 5 of 5 stars

My new favorite book! It was awesome. Laura ruby made it interesting right from the get go. It wasn't like it takes you a while to read and get interested. I loved all the ghost how they each had chapters.

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Oct 20, 2010 Kayla rated it 4 of 5 stars

it was really good. i like the ghost mystery kind of books. some good cliff hangers too!!

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Jul 09, 2011 Sara rated it 2 of 5 stars

I found this book in my mom's basement so I read it. It was a fun fast read.

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May 20, 2011 Shelsea Ross rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 28, 2010 Flower rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-readers-chapter-book

Ok story. I did like parts of it. The story overall was not that great.

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Jun 22, 2009 Missy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fantastic!!! Very spooky... but I really enjoy books like this.

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About Laura Ruby

Raised in the wilds of suburban New Jersey, Laura Ruby now lives in Chicago with her family. Her short fiction for adults has appeared in various literary magazines, including Other Voices, The Florida Review, Sycamore Review and Nimrod. A collection of these stories, I'M NOT JULIA ROBERTS, was published by Warner Books in January 2007. Called "hilarious and heart-wrenching" by People and "a knowi...more

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