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325th out of 1,073 books
—
6,103 voters
Nearly Departed (Weirdsville #1)
Everything has a rational explanation . . . unless it doesn't. The creepy first book in a ghostly new series: Welcome to Weirdsville."I've seen a ghost," said Emily. "Well, not seen one exactly. Heard one. At least, I think I have . . . " Woodsville is not like other towns. Night falls a little earlier there, the shadows are darker and denser, and everyone knows it's a pla...more
Paperback, 1st edition, 272 pages
Published
February 4th 2010
by HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks
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Set in the spooky town Woodsville, Nearly Departed is a horror story dealing with a group of teens in high school and the ghosts they confront. Jay, Kelly, Hashim, Bethan and Emily are from different levels in the high school’s hierarchy of popularity and are put together in a group to do an assignment. But what was meant to be homework turns out to be a search for a ghost when Emily Night, a timid girl hated by others claims to have seen one.
And out of these five, only four would live to look...more
And out of these five, only four would live to look...more
I wasn't sure quite what to expect from this book as I've not read much in the YA horror genre but the when I saw Nearly Departed was described as Skins meets the supernatural I couldn't wait to read it. I really wasn't disappointed & this was a great start to a new series.
From the first chapter I was transported back to my school days - the class dynamics have been very well set up and I'm sure that everyone, young or old, will identify the characters with people they were at school with. I...more
From the first chapter I was transported back to my school days - the class dynamics have been very well set up and I'm sure that everyone, young or old, will identify the characters with people they were at school with. I...more
Just wow. An amazing, original, terrifying story, with believable characters and great plot; what can I say, I loved it.
I admit, when I first saw Nearly Departed I thought it would be a good read, enjoyable, put I wasn’t really expecting anything brilliant. Even with the first few pages, my initial impression didn’t really have high-expectations, if this was an adult book I would fully expect the first character we meet, bad-arse gang leader “Kevin Carter” to be brutally slaughtered within the f...more
I admit, when I first saw Nearly Departed I thought it would be a good read, enjoyable, put I wasn’t really expecting anything brilliant. Even with the first few pages, my initial impression didn’t really have high-expectations, if this was an adult book I would fully expect the first character we meet, bad-arse gang leader “Kevin Carter” to be brutally slaughtered within the f...more
If you have read The Diviners by Libba Bray you will be well accustomed to ‘creepy’ novels. But don’t get me wrong, this book does have its, I guess, scary moments – but they don’t make your skin crawl….they just mess with your head. Welcome to world of Weirdsville!
To be honest it did take me at least 60 pages to really get into this book. Mainly because I didn’t have much time to read, so that when I found myself on a 45min flight I knew that this was a now or never situation. And by the end of...more
To be honest it did take me at least 60 pages to really get into this book. Mainly because I didn’t have much time to read, so that when I found myself on a 45min flight I knew that this was a now or never situation. And by the end of...more
This book creeped me out than I care to admit. Not an 'I'm not going to be able to sleep' kind of way but a hypersensitivity to all noise, goosebumps all over, what the hell was that shadow I just saw out of the corner of my eye kind of thing. Which, I have to say, I'm very impressed. I did not expect this, especially out of a YA novel. Great Halloween read.
4 high school kids all agree to help out a classmate of theirs figure out if her house is haunted. They are all basically stereotypes. You...more
4 high school kids all agree to help out a classmate of theirs figure out if her house is haunted. They are all basically stereotypes. You...more
Not really sure why I picked this book up--I guess I was just looking for something that would scare me. I didn't really get that. What I got was a Breakfast Club-like book with ghosts. Weird. Not what I was expecting AT ALL.
Each character falls into a stereotype: nerd, bitch, jock, freak, hipster. All the guys have a crush on the bitch and the hipster thinks she's above it all. Typical John Hughes movie. Things only get interesting when they're thrown in a group project together (of course) th...more
Each character falls into a stereotype: nerd, bitch, jock, freak, hipster. All the guys have a crush on the bitch and the hipster thinks she's above it all. Typical John Hughes movie. Things only get interesting when they're thrown in a group project together (of course) th...more
I enjoyed this book and how it had different types of people coming to be friends; Hashim is popular, a joker and a footy lad who all the girls like but yet he's clever which he hides from most people. Kelly is popular also, a bit of a bully, scary and frightening to everyone but she uses it as cover for her own fears. Jay is seen as a geek, and good at changing the subject, he seems to let people push him around abit but as the group forms he mostly takes on the leader's role. Bethan is seen as...more
When five mismatched teens are put together to create a book-report, none of them quite realise what’s going to happen when Emily tells them she thinks she’s being haunted by a ghost she can hear but not see. Very quickly, the bunch realise that things aren’t all they appear to be in the town of Woodsville (nicknamed Weirdsville by the locals) and that it’s up to them to stop something terrible from happening.
I’m in my early forties, so it’s been a long time since I’ve read a YA book (in fact,...more
I’m in my early forties, so it’s been a long time since I’ve read a YA book (in fact,...more
I tend to read any supernatural book that comes my way even young adult fiction, so I was looking forward to reading this book from the description. However I just didn't seem to enjoy it much as I thought I was going to...
The main thing that I could put my finger on that I didn't like was that it was based in Britain, I personally cannot stand supernatural books/films that are based in Britain, as they always seem bigger and better thought out from the USA. The book relies heavily on the poore...more
The main thing that I could put my finger on that I didn't like was that it was based in Britain, I personally cannot stand supernatural books/films that are based in Britain, as they always seem bigger and better thought out from the USA. The book relies heavily on the poore...more
Nearly Departed is the creepy first book in a new ghostly series from Rook Hastings and I enjoyed it much more than I expected to.
The group of friends - Kelly, Emily, Bethan, Jay and Hashim - that Nearly Departed centres around each have distinct and well fleshed-out personalities and are all very different to each other. Jay is the geek who loves science, maths and Kelly; Hashim is the gorgeous, popular, football-playing guy that sees more than he lets on; Kelly is the fierce, scary girl with a...more
The group of friends - Kelly, Emily, Bethan, Jay and Hashim - that Nearly Departed centres around each have distinct and well fleshed-out personalities and are all very different to each other. Jay is the geek who loves science, maths and Kelly; Hashim is the gorgeous, popular, football-playing guy that sees more than he lets on; Kelly is the fierce, scary girl with a...more
I picked this up expecting to just read a kind of scary story, but it turned out to be so much more!
Bethan, Jay, Kelly, Hashim and Emily never thought they'd ever hang out with each other, but when a teacher puts them all in the same team for a school project everything changes. Emily confesses to them that she can hear ghosts and that she thinks her house is haunting. Each, for a different reason, decides to investigate the house and they find out more than they bargain for. The five of them wi...more
Bethan, Jay, Kelly, Hashim and Emily never thought they'd ever hang out with each other, but when a teacher puts them all in the same team for a school project everything changes. Emily confesses to them that she can hear ghosts and that she thinks her house is haunting. Each, for a different reason, decides to investigate the house and they find out more than they bargain for. The five of them wi...more
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My Review for my blog "Leituras & Fofuras" => http://bit.ly/rVHo9z
Hashin é um astro do futebol do time da escola, tem família com boa situação financeira e tem uma queda pela Kelly. Kelly é uma patricinha que adora humilhar as pessoas e "tocar o terror" em quem puder. Mas tem motivo pra isso, mesmo não sendo justificável...Bethan se sente incompreendida por todos e sonha em achar alguém com os mesmos gostos que ela fora da cidade, claro. Jay é um nerd interessado por assuntos sobrenatura...more
Hashin é um astro do futebol do time da escola, tem família com boa situação financeira e tem uma queda pela Kelly. Kelly é uma patricinha que adora humilhar as pessoas e "tocar o terror" em quem puder. Mas tem motivo pra isso, mesmo não sendo justificável...Bethan se sente incompreendida por todos e sonha em achar alguém com os mesmos gostos que ela fora da cidade, claro. Jay é um nerd interessado por assuntos sobrenatura...more
Also reviewed on the blog: http://gloriousbooks.blogspot.com/201...
Initially I thought this would be a really creepy weird read based on the beginning which - I'll be honest - freaked me out!
I wanted the book to carry on the way it did but sadly I got more and more disappointed. It was one of those situations where I really didn't want to carry on reading but I was already half way through so felt obligated to.
Initially the characters were really fun to read about. There was Hashim who was the c...more
Initially I thought this would be a really creepy weird read based on the beginning which - I'll be honest - freaked me out!
I wanted the book to carry on the way it did but sadly I got more and more disappointed. It was one of those situations where I really didn't want to carry on reading but I was already half way through so felt obligated to.
Initially the characters were really fun to read about. There was Hashim who was the c...more
I don't seem to come across many YA ghost stories, as there doesn't appear to be that many around. It's a shame, because they're a welcome change from vampires and werewolves, and explore a different side of the paranormal world.
Nearly Departed is a creeptastic novel that sent shivers up my spine a couple of times, and even made me check over my shoulder every now and then. I was reading it in the early hours of the morning though, so perhaps that's my own fault. Either way, it was an atmospheri...more
Nearly Departed is a creeptastic novel that sent shivers up my spine a couple of times, and even made me check over my shoulder every now and then. I was reading it in the early hours of the morning though, so perhaps that's my own fault. Either way, it was an atmospheri...more
I love ghost stories so I was really looking forward to reading this one. It did take a while to grab me but once it did I really enjoyed it. It was very quick, easy to read and even though I usually prefer first person narrative I really liked how it was written in third person as we got to spend time with each of the characters. They were the highlight for me and were where the story really came into itself. There were some great interactions between all the characters and their banter provide...more
The best thing about Nearly Departed is the characters. They are so convincing and while each one falls into a certain category, Bethan being studious for example, they aren’t defined by it. I particularly liked Kelly, normally she’d be my least favourite but her story turns things around brilliantly.
Everything starts when quiet Emily announces in class that she thinks she’s heard a ghost. At first she’s made fun off but Jay is intrigued and slowly talks the others into conducting a paranormal i...more
Everything starts when quiet Emily announces in class that she thinks she’s heard a ghost. At first she’s made fun off but Jay is intrigued and slowly talks the others into conducting a paranormal i...more
Normally young-adult chillers are not what I'd be reading, but I just thought I'd go out on a limb during a Kinokuniya sale and pick some up, and I wasn't disappointed. Cheesy as hell, and way more childish than anything I was reading when I was 12, the story was still a lot of fun, all the characters well-drawn, and the ending awesome, even though I had pretty much guessed all of it before.
I've seen a couple of other people compare these books to Skins (but with the supernatural) and I completely agree. This wasn't the 'deepest' book, but I liked the characters and the storyline, and I thought the ending was really good. I figured out what was going on pretty early on, but it was still shocking to read about (view spoiler)...more
When I had first ordered this book I had no idea that it was a Young Adult book. I've never read Harry Potter or Twilight and I've had no interest in reading YA books before. I decided that since I had bought it that I would read it. Who doesn't love a good ghost story? Well, it was very adorable. I mean, it was a super easy read, given the target demographic, but it was a lovely story with great characters. I love that it was placed in England and that it reminded me of my time wandering the ha...more
Omigosh, awsum story! I got it to scare myself, ya know read it atnite... I started at nite but ended up reading most of it in the morning coz i cldnt wait! Hashim is totally cute, I loooove kelly, Emily's sweet n bless my memory forgot the name of other two, but they were gr8 <3
Don't read alone at night... you might just get a fright!
Because anywhere else it's date night, but not in Weirdsville...
A great read not just about ghosts but the coming together of the most unlikely of friends and the courage it takes to stand together.
Because anywhere else it's date night, but not in Weirdsville...
A great read not just about ghosts but the coming together of the most unlikely of friends and the courage it takes to stand together.
this book was alright. its a great way to pass the time when you have no other books to read, dont get me wrong this book isnt boring, its interesting and different but i liked it alot... its surprising. enjoy!
Aug 11, 2011
Hannah
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone who loves creepy stuff
Shelves:
favorites
I loved this book frankly because it was creepy.
The characters were believable and I love the idea of a town
where darkness simply conquers all.
It has a deep story, charmng at times to down right scary.
I can't wait to read the sequel.
The characters were believable and I love the idea of a town
where darkness simply conquers all.
It has a deep story, charmng at times to down right scary.
I can't wait to read the sequel.
like I said, the book isn't too hot right now, te author is writng everyones emotions, veiws and thoughts all together. big mistake. this makes it harder or thereader to understand. afterreading this book, I doubt I'll read anymore of the authors books, unless they hill a bit and have a bit of a point
This book was ok... not scary like i expected but it was easy to read and i finished it in a day. The twist was good even though i half expected it and it's more for teenagers in my opinion but overall a pretty good book and worth reading.
Dec 04, 2011
Laura Newcombe
marked it as to-read
Oooh, this sounds a little bit like The Replacement. Can't wait!
Good. Liked the ghost theme, and the writing is serviceable enough. The characters were fun. I got a bit of an RL Stine feeling though. I think this one was just a bit young for me.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Another 3.5 for me.
It started out great and continued nicely until unnecessary side plots of destiny, long lines of ghost hunters, alternate universes and future wars with the undead popped out of the nothing. The ending and plot twist were very predictable, but I'll put 4 stars there because I liked the characters and they had neatly defined personalities, and the story was creepy, so it fulfilled its purpose as a ghost story.
It started out great and continued nicely until unnecessary side plots of destiny, long lines of ghost hunters, alternate universes and future wars with the undead popped out of the nothing. The ending and plot twist were very predictable, but I'll put 4 stars there because I liked the characters and they had neatly defined personalities, and the story was creepy, so it fulfilled its purpose as a ghost story.
Weird stuff even I knew they were hanging out with a ghost.
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Rook Hastings has been a writer of fiction for eight years. With a life long fascination for the paranormal, Rook has lived in two haunted houses. Once as a child, when an invisible ghost cat would make Rook break out in an allergic rash whenever it brushed by, and once as an art student when a recently deceased former housemate caused all sorts of spooky goings on for a whole year. Rook now lives...more
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