Belladonna Johnson can see ghosts. It’s a trait she’s inherited from her mother’s side of the family, like blue eyes or strai... read full description
reviews
Oct 03, 2011
Nick
rated it: 
I found this to be a very unusual fantasy story, a ghost story that was not in any way horror...the scary bits were from something else entirely.
I have already recommended this book to a couple of kids who are voracious readers of fantasy, and they were hooked just from the cover and the description.
A girl with the delightful name of Belladonna [her family seems to have a tradition of names like that] can see ghosts, and lives at home with the ghosts of her deceased parents. Her gran More...
I have already recommended this book to a couple of kids who are voracious readers of fantasy, and they were hooked just from the cover and the description.
A girl with the delightful name of Belladonna [her family seems to have a tradition of names like that] can see ghosts, and lives at home with the ghosts of her deceased parents. Her gran More...
Jul 07, 2011
Sara
rated it: 
Spellbinder was an amazing book. Helen Stringer did a great job of creating a story that is frightening, funny and wonderful. It's a touching story of a young girl who can see ghosts. She feels like an outcast and works to separate herself from her classmates. Her ability works in her favor when her parents are killed. They pretend they are a normal family until all the ghosts disappear. Belladonna wants to save her parents but no one will tell her what is happening. She and her friend St
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Jun 11, 2011
Rachael
rated it:
Belladonna Johnson can see ghosts, but until recently, it’s been more trouble than useful, since it wouldn’t be good for Belladonna to be caught talking to someone invisible. But when her parents are killed in a car accident, she realizes how great her skill is. Even though no one else can see her parents, for Belladonna, it’s like nothing has changed. And for a while, everything is great—until one day, the stars blink out and her parents disappear without warning. Something is seriously wrong.
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May 09, 2010
Kelly
rated it:
I really loved this book, and I'm guessing (hoping) that it'll be the first in a series. (They definitely set it up for a sequel.)
According to the press release, it's sort of like Violet from The Incredibles living in a Beetlejuice world. I haven't seen The Incredibles in ages, but it's definitely like Beetlejuice--very dark and very funny.
Belladonna sees ghosts, but it's not like in The Sixth Sense. And it's actually a really good thing, because her parents died in a More...
According to the press release, it's sort of like Violet from The Incredibles living in a Beetlejuice world. I haven't seen The Incredibles in ages, but it's definitely like Beetlejuice--very dark and very funny.
Belladonna sees ghosts, but it's not like in The Sixth Sense. And it's actually a really good thing, because her parents died in a More...
Apr 21, 2010
Sarai
rated it: 
This book started out all right but got weaker as it went on. I liked the premise, but the action never really got exciting and I didn't feel like the characters meshed as well as they were supposed to.
From School Library Journal
Grade 5–7—Belladonna Johnson, 12, who has the family trait of seeing ghosts, appreciates the gift after her parents' car accident. They happily haunt the house, her mother still prepares meals, Belladonna still spends evenings watching Staunchly Springs More...
From School Library Journal
Grade 5–7—Belladonna Johnson, 12, who has the family trait of seeing ghosts, appreciates the gift after her parents' car accident. They happily haunt the house, her mother still prepares meals, Belladonna still spends evenings watching Staunchly Springs More...
Feb 11, 2010
Belladonna Johnson can see ghosts. This ability comes in handy after her parents die in a car accident; Belladonna is able to live with them at home as if nothing ever happened. However, when all the ghosts in the world disappear, Belladonna and her friend Steve must journey into the Land of the Dead to find out why, or she may risk losing her parents forever.
Spellbinder by Helen Stringer is a children's fantasy novel very reminiscent of the Harry Potter series, in a good way. As in More...
Spellbinder by Helen Stringer is a children's fantasy novel very reminiscent of the Harry Potter series, in a good way. As in More...
Nov 06, 2009
Ziaria
rated it:
This is a cute story involving a girl, her friend, and a bunch of ghosts including her parents who had died in a car accident the previous year. The ghosts start disappearing and she's finds out the doors to other dimensions are closing and it's up to her and a few zany characters to stop it. See in her world ghosts give you your dreams at night and without the ghosts you don't dream and if you don't dream you eventually die. So her job is to figure out how to get the ghosts back and set the wor
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Oct 18, 2009
Lexie
rated it:
When I first read the description of this, I thought 'So...Lydia got her wish?' (Lydia, from Beetlejuice, I sincerely hope you knew that), which was ridiculous of course. Spellbinder is an adventure as well as a magical story with a character who I thought was charming, but it didn't creep me out thankfully. Actually this is more like The Ghost Whisperer (which I love to death-haha).
Belladonna knows something is off lately, the stars are blinking out, there's less ghosts around and t More...
Belladonna knows something is off lately, the stars are blinking out, there's less ghosts around and t More...
Feb 21, 2011
Robert
rated it:
The Last Ghost is the story of Belladonna Johnson - a girl who can see ghosts - and what happens when the ghosts start to disappear. Since two of the ghosts in question are her dead parents, she's rather keen to get them back.
It's a children's / young adult novel, and as such it has a breezy pace, lots of energy, and a fair bit of spirit. Lots of things to like about it, really: it never gets boring.
As an adult reader, the main thing that gets on one's nerves is the port More...
It's a children's / young adult novel, and as such it has a breezy pace, lots of energy, and a fair bit of spirit. Lots of things to like about it, really: it never gets boring.
As an adult reader, the main thing that gets on one's nerves is the port More...
Jan 16, 2010
Heather
rated it:
Belladonna Johnson is just a regular, average twelve-year-old except for one thing: she can see ghosts. Including her parents, who died two years ago but still live in her house, and still cook her dinner, and still take care of her, but as ghosts. So although Belladonna has had this terrible thing happen to her when her parents were killed, life is pretty normal for her – until one day, when everything changes. Her parents disappear, along with every other ghost in the world. Belladonna re
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Jan 11, 2012
08erinb
rated it:
The book 'Spellbinder' is an interesting book. I personally liked it, but some people might think it was too typical for a fantasy story.
The story is about a young teenaged girl named Belladonna. Her parents died in a car accident, but it's as if they aren't really dead. She can still see them, or at least their ghosts. But her ghost parents can't leave the house. So they couldn't take her to the store or school. She buys the food, she goes to school on her own, but her parents talk to her More...
The story is about a young teenaged girl named Belladonna. Her parents died in a car accident, but it's as if they aren't really dead. She can still see them, or at least their ghosts. But her ghost parents can't leave the house. So they couldn't take her to the store or school. She buys the food, she goes to school on her own, but her parents talk to her More...
Oct 27, 2009
Ronald
rated it:
This is a very entertaining book filled with delightful characters engrossed in unstoppable action. Belladonna Johnson sits down to breakfast everyday with the spirits of her dead parents. Unlike her friends, she can see all the dead spirits in her town. That is until they start to disappear before her eyes. She will need all the help she can get from her classmate, Steve, who's major accomplishment so far is his penchant for getting in trouble. They follow the lost souls to the Land of the Dead
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Dec 10, 2009
Nancy
rated it:
I am loving this book! The plot is fantastic, the British-ness of the characters and their dialog is what makes the book for me, I think. Belladonna sees dead people. Her parents are prime examples. Killed in a car wreck, Belladonna doesn't see much change in her daily existence until one evening they are gone. Not gone as in died twice but GONE. Poof!
Enlisting the help on one of the few kids at her school who doesn't make fun of her, Belladonna and Stephen go off in search o More...
Enlisting the help on one of the few kids at her school who doesn't make fun of her, Belladonna and Stephen go off in search o More...
Nov 24, 2011
Samantha
rated it:
Decent little book, but heavy on description and the author so often mentioned the main character's hair falling over her face that I began to think it was going to have some significance.
I loved Belladonna and Steve, they were both fun characters who were more than willing to do whatever it took to save themselves and the world. Belladonna was a strong preteen character who came into her powers were the appropriate amount of fear and eagerness. Steve was a fun 'bad boy' and his eage More...
I loved Belladonna and Steve, they were both fun characters who were more than willing to do whatever it took to save themselves and the world. Belladonna was a strong preteen character who came into her powers were the appropriate amount of fear and eagerness. Steve was a fun 'bad boy' and his eage More...
Nov 13, 2009
Shannon
rated it: 
I so wanted to like this book. When reading the overview I thought "this could definitely be the next Harry Potter/Twilight". The premise certainly seemed interesting enough, but sadly it just wasn't all that well written. The whole book read like a concept for a film, like the author knew they were writing a book for want of having it become a phenomenon. So much of what was going on could have been made much more interesting by fleshing out the story itself. It seemed that the whole
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Nov 08, 2009
Caitlin
rated it:
This was a delightful book about a girl who can see ghosts (it runs in the family). It's good that she can see visitors from the other side because her parents are ghosts - killed in a car accident, but still taking care of her. One day, all the ghosts in the world begin to disappear, including Belladonna's parents. She and her friend, Steve, and her ghostly friend Elsie team up to discover what's happening.
This was a book where I loved both the story and the characters. Ms. Stri More...
This was a book where I loved both the story and the characters. Ms. Stri More...
Dec 27, 2009
Phoebe
rated it:
Mesmerizing from the first page, this fantasy about ghosts and alchemy is terrific. The author now lives in LA but was born in Liverpool and the British flavor seeps through. Belladonna is the "weirdest" girl in school--she can see ghosts, and the most peculiar thing is her deepest secret: her parents died in a car crash two years earlier, but they still live with her and take care of her. When her parents, and all the other ghosts, begin disappearing, Belladonna and her friend Stev
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May 13, 2010
M.
rated it:
This appears to be the first novel of a new series. Belladonna Johnson lives with her parents who are ghosts, having been killed in an accident 2 years previously. This works fine for Belladonna until there is a problem in the Land of the Dead which affects the Land of the Living—all the ghosts, including Belladonna’s parents, disappear. Since ghosts prevent accidents and cause dreams (which are necessary for the living to continue to live) the lack of ghosts is a severe problem. Belladonna a
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May 18, 2011
Nikki (Wicked Awesome Books)
rated it:
4.5
Spellbinder is complex, interesting, and way beyond the average middle grade read. Helen Stringer incorporates a great deal of mythology to make her story work, but it’s never overwhelming or confusing. She flawlessly mixes mythology into Belladonna’s journey to save her parents and return the ghosts to the world, while giving the reader a great deal to ponder, in regards to life, death, and everything that comes after.
Belladonna is everything a normal 12 year old girl More...
Spellbinder is complex, interesting, and way beyond the average middle grade read. Helen Stringer incorporates a great deal of mythology to make her story work, but it’s never overwhelming or confusing. She flawlessly mixes mythology into Belladonna’s journey to save her parents and return the ghosts to the world, while giving the reader a great deal to ponder, in regards to life, death, and everything that comes after.
Belladonna is everything a normal 12 year old girl More...
Jun 09, 2011
Kristen
rated it:
Why I read this: Because the lovely ladies at Blue Slip Media asked me to do a blog tour for the second novel and they kindly sent me a copy of this one. And because it sounded so good...
Plot: I was definitely thinking about my students when I read this book. They are always looking for funny but scary books and this one really fits into that niche well. The plot moves well along and is just so interesting. Belladonna can see ghosts, which is helpful since her parents had died but stil More...
Plot: I was definitely thinking about my students when I read this book. They are always looking for funny but scary books and this one really fits into that niche well. The plot moves well along and is just so interesting. Belladonna can see ghosts, which is helpful since her parents had died but stil More...
Oct 27, 2011
Rapunzel
rated it:
I bought this book a few months after I received the second book of the series. I found the second book interesting but I could not bring myself to read the two books out of order.
I did not really understand that the book was set in England when I was first reading the book. There is nothing beside some odd wording to give it away. The point that I realized that they were not in America was when it only took three hours to drive to her house from London. Impossible otherwise. At this p More...
I did not really understand that the book was set in England when I was first reading the book. There is nothing beside some odd wording to give it away. The point that I realized that they were not in America was when it only took three hours to drive to her house from London. Impossible otherwise. At this p More...
May 23, 2010
Mary
rated it:
Belladonna Johnson is an unusual 12-year-old: she can see and talk to ghosts, like her parents, who died in a car crash, and Mr. Baxter (Dr. Ashe) who owned the laundromat, and Elsie who died on the school's tennis courts. It makes life uncomfortable for her, because she is caught between being rude to ghosts by ignoring them and being thought crazy because it seems that she talks to to herself. However, when all of the ghosts that populate Belladonna's world disappear, she learns how important
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Oct 27, 2010
Ruthanne
rated it: 
I really did want to like this book. The cover art and summary grabbed at my attention. The book started out good, but the rest was pretty confusing and I couldn’t quite grasp where the story was headed. Unfortunately, this book fell flat around disc 3. I felt the pacing of the book was up and down and in the end, I just didn't care anymore. Maybe it was just me worrying about my exam, or the book was just that…flat. The author narrated the book, so maybe it reads better than it sounds. T
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Jan 03, 2012
Amanda
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book. There were so many new spins on fantasy and the ghost story genre, that this was a truly unique read. I felt it incorporated many adult themes at just the right level. It was thought-provoking and incredible the way the author handled the purpose of ghosts. I'm sure everyone has dreamed of a deceased loved one at one time or another, and Stringer's rationale for this was nothing short of comforting and fantastical.
This was a ghost story that will not give y More...
This was a ghost story that will not give y More...
Dec 31, 2009
Karla
rated it:
Belladonna Johnson can see ghosts ~ not something she wants to blab about all over the school. It's pretty much a pain, until her parents die in a car crash. Then, instead of being gone for good, they're still at home taking care of Belladonna ~ only in ghost form. Until one day, they're not. In fact, all the ghosts are disappearing. "Tell the Spellbinder," one ghost tells her. Now it's up to Belladonna and her troublemaking friend, Steve, to find out what's happening to the ghos
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Apr 21, 2010
Michelle
rated it:
"I think I found another new series. And it's not even about vampires or werewolves! It does have ghosts, but it is an unique take on the purpose behind ghosts that kept me turning the pages. In fact, I love the purpose behind needing ghosts in our world. Given my fascination with the supernatural, Ms. Stringer's take on them has more than a hint of plausibility that makes it oh-so-appealing. [return][return] [return][return]Spellbinder is heavy with British slang. Normally, that sort
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Dec 29, 2009
Morris
rated it:
This book starts out slow, really slow. According to the press information, Spellbinder was written for the 9-12 age group. I believe a large number from that demographic will become bored and put down the book before the story picks up. That is a shame, because the story is actually quite good once it starts rolling along.
While the subject matter is certainly nothing new, the author does provide a unique spin. The idea of there being a world for the living and a world for the dead i More...
While the subject matter is certainly nothing new, the author does provide a unique spin. The idea of there being a world for the living and a world for the dead i More...
Dec 27, 2009
Alexia561
rated it:
This was a cute book that I read in a few hours, as I didn't want to set it down. Belladonna makes a good heroine, and I enjoyed her growing friendship with Steve and how they learned to work together. They were joined in their adventure by Elsie, one of the few remaining ghosts left.
One minor thing that annoyed me is how almost every child in YA fiction would rather jump into the deep end rather than ask adults for help. Granted, Belladonna's grandmother and aunt kept blowing her of More...
One minor thing that annoyed me is how almost every child in YA fiction would rather jump into the deep end rather than ask adults for help. Granted, Belladonna's grandmother and aunt kept blowing her of More...
Dec 31, 2009
Laura
rated it:
She sees dead people - and has very stay-at-home parents (apparently, ghosts can only haunt one place at a time). Belladonna's "talent" for seeing, and talking to, ghosts has its perks. It also has its minuses, like when all the ghosts disappear and it seems that she's the only one that can help save them.
Maybe "only one" is a bit misleading. She has help, Steve (still among the living, and the Palladin) and Elsie (dead since the early 1900s). Together the fin More...
Maybe "only one" is a bit misleading. She has help, Steve (still among the living, and the Palladin) and Elsie (dead since the early 1900s). Together the fin More...
Sep 25, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
I'm always looking for good teen books to recommend to my students, and this one looked interesting enough. I liked it, but it was definitely more fantasy-esque than I thought it would be. I love ghost stories, but the story evolved into much more than just ghosts and felt alternately Harry Potter-ish and Chronicles of Narnia-ish at the same time. There were some original ideas, though, but I wish they'd been the main focus. I'll probably recommend the book to my students, but only as a light re
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