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Give Up the Ghost

Megan Crewe (Goodreads Author)

3.53 · Rating details · 4,205 ratings · 454 reviews

Cass McKenna much prefers the company of ghosts over "breathers." Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable, and they know the dirt on everybody... and Cass loves dirt. She's on a mission to expose the lies and backstabbing between her fellow students.

But when the vice president of the student council discovers her secret, Cass's whole scheme hangs in the balance. Tim wants ...more

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Kindle Edition, 253 pages

Published December 1st 2015 by Crewe Morris Creative (first published September 15th 2009)

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May 02, 2009 Megan Crewe added it · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: my-books

My book! :) You can get it free here if you'd like: http://www.subscribepage.com/GiveUpTh... ...more

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Oct 14, 2017 Joy rated it liked it

Shelves: supernatural-paranormal-fantasy

The dead, maybe because they have nothing to lose, are always honest.

Cass McKenna can see ghosts. She listens and talks to the souls of the dead who haven't yet moved on to the afterlife. Basically, she's a walking Ouija board. And she's so sick of people betraying her and walking out on her. Ever since Cass was suddenly given this power, she's been on a mission to dig up all the dirty secrets at her school, dead set on bringing every lier and backstabber to justice. But when the vice president The dead, maybe because they have nothing to lose, are always honest.

Cass McKenna can see ghosts. She listens and talks to the souls of the dead who haven't yet moved on to the afterlife. Basically, she's a walking Ouija board. And she's so sick of people betraying her and walking out on her. Ever since Cass was suddenly given this power, she's been on a mission to dig up all the dirty secrets at her school, dead set on bringing every lier and backstabber to justice. But when the vice president of the student council Tim gets a bit too close to her own little secret, Cass's vigilante days may come to an end. As Cass tries to help Tim be at peace with his mother's recent death and stop him from making any decisions he may end up regretting, she realizes that she may need to give the living a second chance.

I liked how Cass and Tim didn't have a standard, cliché relationship -- there were a lot more than just a few speed bumps in their conversations. The characters, in general, had great development over the course of the book. I could really see how Cass, Tim and even secondary characters like Danielle grew through their experiences and became more mature.

One thing that actually really bothered me was how many times lists popped up in this book.
1. Exactly
2. Like
3. This
I'm thinking it happened at least four times. The first list was really clever because it made me feel like I was riffling through Cass's "mental files," but by the third time, I was wondering why Megan Crewe couldn't come up with another way of emphasizing Cass's thoughts. I know, I know -- it's a minor detail. But it seriously bothered me.

Also, the plot was just a bit too mundane and unexplained for me. I thought Cass's ability and how she used it to basically blackmail the whole school was really interesting. But whenever she was asked about the technicalities of ghosts or her power, she would just say it's because the dead make no sense... (BUT WHY?) And I felt like the plot wasn't deep enough or developed enough to really stand out. Tim's issues and all the school drama just wasn't enough.

Overall, Give Up the Ghost was a good book, just not great. 3.25 ...more

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Jul 24, 2009 Shannon rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, borrowed, paranormal, ghosts

The premise of this book was really interesting, but it ended up just being another cliché- and angst-filled young adult novel. I would give it 2 1/2 stars if I could but I decided to round down because it's not quite a 3 star book.

Cass can see and talk to ghosts. Just before she got this ability she had a huge falling out with her best friend. The best friend, the most popular girl in the school, turned the entire student body of not one, but two schools, against Cass. Now that Cass has a few The premise of this book was really interesting, but it ended up just being another cliché- and angst-filled young adult novel. I would give it 2 1/2 stars if I could but I decided to round down because it's not quite a 3 star book.

Cass can see and talk to ghosts. Just before she got this ability she had a huge falling out with her best friend. The best friend, the most popular girl in the school, turned the entire student body of not one, but two schools, against Cass. Now that Cass has a few ghost friends at the school that spy on everyone for her, she has all the dirt on everyone. So she's not picked on or bullied anymore and now everyone pretty much ignores her. Then one of the popular boys, Tim, asks for Cass's help in talking to his recently deceased mother. She decides to help him and slowly beings to form a friendship with someone who's actually alive.

The problem I had with this book was that the main idea seemed fresh but the execution, not so much. The fact that Cass only uses the ghosts to be vindictive and further alienate herself from her classmates is both unimaginative and petty. I understand that she's a teenager and that's how they think, but really, she's just being a jerk. Cass gets excited when she finds out that her ex-best friend is being cheated on and you start to agree with everyone else that Cass is a creepy bitch.

So obviously, I had a hard time connecting with Cass. But then again, any time I read a book about a socially awkward teen outcast I have a hard time connecting so that could just be a problem with me. I don't understand the mentality of being bullied and not standing up for yourself. Cass has no friends and no ambition in life and basically her only goal is to make everyone as miserable as she is, and I just can't fathom putting that much energy into something so negative.

Another big thing that really bothered me; why do so many teen books have to end at the prom? It's just so overdone.

I wish this book had centered more around Cass's ability and her ghosts and less about her petty vindictiveness. Thankfully, she did grow up a little toward the end, but if the author writes a sequel I don't think I'll bother with it. ...more

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Jun 01, 2009 Faye rated it really liked it · review of another edition

So lately i think i've been reading a lot of books involving ghost. I actually enjoyed Give Up the Ghost a lot more than I thought I would. Love the cover too :P

I liked Give up Ghost because it isn't your normal ghost story, it wasn't scary, the ghost weren't all like BOO!! I loved the characters.Cass, she is so brave and does this whole i'm cleaning out your closet thing.I mean she knows every bodies secrets( like cheating on BF & GF's,things you hope nobody would find out) thanks to her friend ...more

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Jul 05, 2009 Sherwood Smith added it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I didn't just read this book, I inhaled it.

From the very first line--"You would think it'd be easy to get along with a person after she's dead."--I was hooked. In so many respects, seventeen-year-old Cassie was me--angry, isolated, at the bottom of the high school pecking order--only I did not have a dead sister hanging around, who only I could see.

Cassie can see ghosts. She doesn't know why. The first she ever sees is her sister Paige, the night of the prom, just after Paige drowned. Cassie wa ...more

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Apr 09, 2009 Kristi rated it liked it · review of another edition

Another fantastic debut novel! Give Up the Ghost had a more serious tone that I had initially anticipated. Which wasn't a bad thing, but it took me a while to switch gears. That's why you should never have a predisposition about a book! I wasn’t expecting the prominent role that death played in this novel, I mean sure it’s about ghosts, but I was thinking more along the lines of happy times with Casper the friendly ghost, something more light-hearted. Anyhow, once I switched myself over to a mor ...more

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May 09, 2017 Fafa's Book Corner added it

DNF

Mini review:

I had heard about this book when I was much younger. I think I was in grade 8? I remembered it again through an email I got from another author. It was a freebie so I decided to give it go. Unfortunately it was not for me.

To be honest I think the subject doesn't really interest me. I feel like I way too old to be reading about a girl who has the help of ghosts exposing the bad things people do in her school. Well more like I'm way too old for how it was executed. It felt juvenil ...more

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Mar 08, 2016 Gia rated it it was ok · review of another edition

2.25 stars.

Plot was really interesting but I did not enjoy reading the book much. This was just: meh

Highschool drama *groans*

I felt something was lacking. Maybe because it was too short? Idk. It could've been better.

There were, um, maybe just two parts that I liked. ...more

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Jun 01, 2009 Jennifer Wardrip rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-personally-by-moi, trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

If there's one sentence that could sum up Cass McKenna's life, it would probably be that infamous line from the movie The Sixth Sense: "I see dead people."

Ever since Cass's big sister, Paige, drowned the night of her Junior Prom, Cass has had the gift - or curse - of being able to see ghosts. Or, to be technical, to see, hear, and communicate with spirits who haven't moved on to wherever spirits go after people die. The morning after her sister's death, Cass ma Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

If there's one sentence that could sum up Cass McKenna's life, it would probably be that infamous line from the movie The Sixth Sense: "I see dead people."

Ever since Cass's big sister, Paige, drowned the night of her Junior Prom, Cass has had the gift - or curse - of being able to see ghosts. Or, to be technical, to see, hear, and communicate with spirits who haven't moved on to wherever spirits go after people die. The morning after her sister's death, Cass made the mistake of mentioning to her parents that Paige couldn't be dead, since she was crying upstairs in her bedroom. One therapist later, Cass has realized that telling people about her little "secret" of communicating with the dead isn't a good idea.

Cass has learned to use her ghost-seeing powers to great effect. Never all that popular to begin with, she's made a lot of enemies at Frazer Collegiate by using the information that her spirit friends provide for her. Cheating on your girlfriend? Cass probably knows about it. Posting nasty things on a blog about the girl who does your homework for you? Cass probably knows about it. Passing along information to keep one of your best friends off the Athlete of the Year list? Cass knows about that, too.

It's not hard to see why Norris and Bitzy, the two resident school ghosts, are Cass's only friends.

But then enters Tim Reed, Student Council Vice President, who somehow manages to find out Cass's secret. Tim wants Cass's help in contacting his dead mother. Cass reluctantly agrees, planning to use Tim's popularity status to get dirt on the one person she needs to knock down the most - her ex-best friend, Danielle.

It all sounds like a good plan, except that Cass doesn't know that doing so will put her in a very strange position - that of learning to care about someone else, and finding out that revenge isn't always as sweet as you think it will be.

It's hard to believe that GIVE UP THE GHOST is Megan Crewe's debut novel. It's wonderfully written, has characters who are easy to relate to, and contains pitch-perfect dialogue. It deals with feelings of abandonment and loneliness, with bullying and depression, and even alcohol abuse and suicidal thoughts with true emotion and feeling. Nothing ever comes off as heavy-handed, but I appreciated the fact that Ms. Crewe showed the darker side of being a teen within the context of what could have been just a fun, frothy paranormal read.

The story comes to a not quite happily-ever-after conclusion, but I could easily envision more stories featuring Cass and Tim in the future. GIVE UP THE GHOST is a winner! ...more

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Sep 17, 2009 Michelle Rebar rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

GIVE UP THE GHOST is a fantastic debut by author Megan Crewe. Not only is it a ghost story, but it is also an angsty coming of age story. Fans of the supernatural will apprectiate it as well those who lean towards the humans. This book is about fitting in and letting go of grudges and grief. It shows that sometimes people and things go away and we have to learn to accept this and move on with our lives and keep living them. If we don't we will constantly be haunted by the past and never be able GIVE UP THE GHOST is a fantastic debut by author Megan Crewe. Not only is it a ghost story, but it is also an angsty coming of age story. Fans of the supernatural will apprectiate it as well those who lean towards the humans. This book is about fitting in and letting go of grudges and grief. It shows that sometimes people and things go away and we have to learn to accept this and move on with our lives and keep living them. If we don't we will constantly be haunted by the past and never be able to move forward into the future.

Cass used to have friends that were living, but after a fallling out she became an outsider. She is mocked and harassed by some and ignored by the rest of her classsmates. It's only fitting that the only people she talks to now are ghosts, especially since she has practically become one socially. It all began with the death of her sister Paige. Paige showed herself to Cass and ever since she's been a regular ghost magnet. This doesn't bother her at all because lately the ghosts are the only ones she feels comfortable around. Besides, nobody else can see them so she's been using them to snoop on her classsmates and teachers to find out all of their dirty little secrets. As far as Cass is concerned, they all deserve to be taken down or at least blackmailed into submission. Now that she's armed with all this information, people will finally leave her alone. Too bad Cass can't hide forever.

One day, as Cass is using some of her dirt to call someone out, she attracts the attention of Tim, the class VP. He figures out her secret and begs for her help in contacting his recently deceased mother. Cass doesn't know how to handle a real, live person. She surely doesn't want people to know about her, so she gives in hoping that Tim will go away once she helps him out. The only problem is that she discovers that Tim may need more than just a little help and a seance wont solve his problems. For some reason she can't just walk away from him. As they get to know each other Cass begins to realize that she hasn't been living and perhaps she should let go of her own bitterness and join the world again. If only she could give up the ghosts of her past as well as the "real" ones she's been spending her time with in the present.
...more

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Mar 31, 2009 J.E. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: canadian-authors, deb-09

I just finished putting this book down and my heart is aching with a mixed feeling of happiness at the ending, and sorrow that I am done reading it.

It's a truly delicious story about an outsider in high school, thanks to cruel tantrum-like revenge of an ex best friend. Cass deals the best she can with the help of the dead people she just happens to be able to see and talk to, including her older sister.

Despite the paranormal elements of the book, the story is real and contemporary and drew me i ...more

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Feb 07, 2017 Bex (Beckie Bookworm) rated it it was ok

Shelves: book-reviews, clean, young-adult, ghosts

I enjoyed Give Up The Ghost by Megan Crewe. This in my opinion is aimed at a much younger audience than myself, but it was still a lovely read. I don't really want to post any spoilers so i will just say that Cass Mckenna sees ghosts, and due to a certain set of circumstances has become the strange loner at school. Along comes a certain young man who has recently lost his mother and suspects that there is something not quite right about our lovely Cass, what forms is a friendship forged in share ...more

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Feb 16, 2016 Abbie rated it liked it

Shelves: kindle-unlimited

Actual rating - 2.5

This was a pretty slow read, and as there wasn't really that much going on, it dragged for me. It wasn't an awful read though. ...more

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Aug 06, 2009 Cinnamon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review

GIVE UP THE GHOST by Megan Crewe was a slightly different book than the one I was expecting. I thought the story would be fairly juvenile, but the premise still looked very interesting. I’m happy to say, however, that GIVE UP THE GHOST was really a great read. The story was complex and engaging with enough material to keep the reader entertained the whole way through. I would recommend this book to both young adults and adults alike.

GIVE UP THE GHOST is the story of Cass, a seventeen year old gi GIVE UP THE GHOST by Megan Crewe was a slightly different book than the one I was expecting. I thought the story would be fairly juvenile, but the premise still looked very interesting. I’m happy to say, however, that GIVE UP THE GHOST was really a great read. The story was complex and engaging with enough material to keep the reader entertained the whole way through. I would recommend this book to both young adults and adults alike.

GIVE UP THE GHOST is the story of Cass, a seventeen year old girl with more than her grades to worry about. Being in high school, we already know that life is going to be tough for our heroine. Combine that with the fact that she’s constantly receiving fashion advice from her dead sister and digging up the dirt on everyone at school, and you’ve got one busy young woman!

We journey through the story with Cass as she uses her abilities to talk with the dead to save the more unfortunate souls at the school. Everyone has secrets they’d rather keep hidden, but if they’re going to discuss them or do them in the open where any dead guy could see, well, they’re just asking for trouble. With a little romantic twist in the book and a full plot, Crewe gives us quite a bit to chew on and think about.

One of my favorite aspects of GIVE UP THE GHOST is Cass herself. In order for me to really fall in love with a book, I need to see some good character development. A story can be phenomenal, but if it has dead characters (no pun intended) then the story just kind of withers and fades away for me. Crewe did an excellent job, however, of breathing life into Cass and the other characters. I actually bookmarked the page where I knew that GIVE UP THE GHOST was going to be fantastic – page 28. That early into the book and I knew that this was a great story. I attribute this largely to the way Crewe rounded Cass out. We get to learn about her wants and dreams, her background, her future, and everything that makes her up. The characters in Crewe’s book aren’t just machines to keep the story going; instead they are vessels of knowledge and emotion. Like I said - fantastic character development.

I think the other part that really sold GIVE UP THE GHOST for me was the story itself. As I mentioned, I was expecting something a little younger out of this book, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the story, while still catering to young adults, was full of enough depth to satisfy a reader of any age. GIVE UP THE GHOST held a darker picture than one would originally think. I figured that Cass’s ghosts would run around doing silly pranks and generally causing a fun bit of chaos, but instead the ghosts help us look into the true side of people. The theme of truth seems to reign in GIVE UP THE GHOST and sometimes that truth isn’t pretty.

Overall I would have to give GIVE UP THE GHOST high marks. This was a wonderful story and one that made me an instant fan of Crewe’s. I’m excited to keep my eye out for this wonderful author and see what else she has hidden up her sleeve.
...more

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Aug 31, 2009 Thao Tran rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I'm not really into ghost stories, unless they're funny or there's a lot of romance in it. Give Up The Ghost has either of these qualities I look for, so why did I enjoy it so much? Simple, because the book is heartfelt and truly honest.

The very first thing that sucked me right into the story was that the appearance of the ghosts were very different. They did not scare the hell out of anyone, they did not look or smell creepy and most of them didn't seem to suffer from any kind of tiredness for I'm not really into ghost stories, unless they're funny or there's a lot of romance in it. Give Up The Ghost has either of these qualities I look for, so why did I enjoy it so much? Simple, because the book is heartfelt and truly honest.

The very first thing that sucked me right into the story was that the appearance of the ghosts were very different. They did not scare the hell out of anyone, they did not look or smell creepy and most of them didn't seem to suffer from any kind of tiredness for sticking around so long. They, for a matter of fact, were friendly and helpful to Cass, as if being creatures from two separate worlds didn't mean a thing to their relationship. And guess what I liked the most about them? The ghosts spied on people, trying to get their secrets, and then, taking delight when everything was spilled in front of the victims. Mean, wasn't it? Still, it felt so entertaining reading those parts. Megan Crewe's voice created a mysteriousness all over the story, making things interestingly misty. The ghosts' own stories, Cass's history, her current life, all seemed vague but became clearer and clearer as word trailed after word. Readers will find themselves unconsciously pay their full focus to every page to find out what was really happening in the story.

I heart each and every of the characters. Not just Cash or Tim but also Norris, Paige, Cass's parents. All of them played a significant part of building the whole story into a solid and real one. How they were before the death, ways they took to go through it, changes they had to adapt to move on - with these Megan sent a beautiful message of life to the readers. I loved the way the emotions were portrayed, especially the sadness and loneliness; it made me feel cold and empty at some point. You know what was brilliant about the book? That it didn't have to force romance in between everything to feel like a complete one. Instead of making two characters fall deeply in love with each other at rocket speed, the author chose to grow a silent understanding between them, leading them both to open their hearts and souls to people they never knew before, just to end up being good friends who helped one another to live better and happier.

The ending was perfect. No rush, no awkwardness. It just flew naturally. If I was to complain, it was because I thought Danielle the backstabber should have been punished more than that. She was so so so horrible I didn't know where to begin.

Recommended to everyone whether you like ghosts or not. Better if read on a gloomy/rainy days. Trust me, the effects were great in my case :) ...more

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Jul 25, 2009 Alea rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-for-review

Oooh did I like this book! It was serious but funny and sad but exciting! It had a little bit of everything and gave me a lot to think about!

Right off the bat I loved the main character, Cass, she was relatable and likable and I totally would have been friends with her (even if I am a breather!) She's the outsider that used to be an insider until her best friend turned on her out of jealously. So now she lives her life chatting with her friends that no one else can see, ghosts.

I really like the Oooh did I like this book! It was serious but funny and sad but exciting! It had a little bit of everything and gave me a lot to think about!

Right off the bat I loved the main character, Cass, she was relatable and likable and I totally would have been friends with her (even if I am a breather!) She's the outsider that used to be an insider until her best friend turned on her out of jealously. So now she lives her life chatting with her friends that no one else can see, ghosts.

I really like the first ghost we meet, and I'm not going to spoil who that is because I didn't know about them until I picked up the book and I was pleasantly surprised. Besides that unnamed ghost we have the two ghosts that "haunt" Cass's high school, Norris and Bitzy. They report back to Cass about the naughty going-ons of the students and staff of the high school and she basically throws it into their face that she knows what they are up to. We see a lot more of Norris than Bitzy, I'm not really sure why but I would have liked to have seen more of Bitzy, they are good friends to Cass.

Another character we meet is Tim the student council vice president, and in the same group as Cass's old best friend, which makes him instantly the enemy. But when Tim needs Cass's help he doesn't take no for an answer and it opens up a whole new world for Cass. I thought that Cass and Tim played off each other beautifully and I loved watching their friendship group.

Ok enough about the characters, Give Up the Ghost had a great sense of humor about it. The way Cass describes people or the comments she made, it definitely had me laughing! And while the book was really funny it was also sad (in a good way) at parts. And that balance made me love the book that much more, it covers all the bases.

Numerous times I've talked about my relationship with paranormal books and how I'm still testing the waters with books that have fantastical elements in them, and this is another one that is right up my alley. My own personal type of paranormal book, I'd definitely recommend this one! ...more

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Nov 01, 2009 Princess Bookie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

My Thoughts: I picked this book up after it had been sitting in my TBR a while. I'm sorry I waited so long! I thoroughly enjoyed the story! We are introduced to Cass who sees ghosts, she is termed weird by all the other students at her school. Nobody wants to talk to her, or be seen with her. She has a few friends who are ghosts so she doesn't mind it too much, she always has "someone" to talk too. She discovered she could talk to ghosts after her sister's death. Yes, her sister stuck around and ...more

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Jul 08, 2009 April rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, for-review, paranormal

Cass McKenna from Give Up The Ghost by Megan Crewe has the dirt on everyone, she knows everybody's dirty little secrets. How? Well, she can interact with ghosts, who see everything. However, there is one little problem, some has discovered Cass's secret and now she must decide the value of interacting with humans for a change.
Read the rest of my review here ...more

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Apr 23, 2009 Rebekah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book is worth 4.5 stars. I really, really, REALLY liked it. The story was different, but done amazingly well. I was hesitant at first, mainly because it sounded like any other ghost story. However, this was one of the ghost stories done well. I recommend it for everyone :]

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Apr 23, 2014 Alexandra Ravena rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A book that demonstrated us as boys and girls can be just friends.

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Jul 09, 2017 K.A. Wiggins rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: canadian

This was a really solid paranormal YA entry.

Ghosts, in the non-scary sense, not shifters etc., and the romance is very believable teen stuff; light, awkward attraction that doesn't really go too far too fast and involves believable interactions. I found the MC's voice a little rough at the start, but came to appreciate how prickly and challenging she was.

It covers some tough territory, with family deaths, bullying, adults not coping well, secrets and backstabbing, substance abuse and suicidal ...more

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Apr 13, 2017 Ellie Mitchell rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

From Megan Crewe comes Give up the Ghost, an unusual tale that sees young Cassie able to interact with spirits. Both sarcastic and brave, Cassie seeks to help out an unlikely friend, to act as a bridge of communication between worlds.

The author had me hooked from the first sentence, making me question the nature of Cassie's life and abilities. Hers is a deeply personal journey that touched my heart in many ways. I could feel every stitch of Cassie's heartache and adored her awkward, yet brutally ...more

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Jul 06, 2009 Deltay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own-arc

With Megan Crewe's brilliant debut Give up the Ghost, one has to give up one's preconceived notions about YA ghost stories of the modern age. Because this one? It blows them straight out of the water.

The overall vibe and connotation of Give up the Ghost is "[bright:] like a Chinese lantern" (Crewe 2). The concept of ghosts isn't new, but Crewe sets them up in a way that's entirely her own, and it's always intriguing to see new spins on old ideas. The main thread that the story follows makes for With Megan Crewe's brilliant debut Give up the Ghost, one has to give up one's preconceived notions about YA ghost stories of the modern age. Because this one? It blows them straight out of the water.

The overall vibe and connotation of Give up the Ghost is "[bright:] like a Chinese lantern" (Crewe 2). The concept of ghosts isn't new, but Crewe sets them up in a way that's entirely her own, and it's always intriguing to see new spins on old ideas. The main thread that the story follows makes for a very interesting plot - in short, a page-turner that grips the audience and does not let go, charging them to walk the pages of the book like ghosts walk the places they once inhabited.

Give up the Ghost definitely has very interesting characterization. For one thing, Cass McKenna's "mission to expose the dirty secrets of the poseurs in her school" is a trait of someone who's not your average preppy teenage girl. She's gritty, she's raw, but most importantly, Cass is real. Crewe isn't afraid to show Cass's flaws, and that's what endears her the audience. It's also nice to see a strong protagonist, to see a role reversal on the whole damsel-in-distress motif.

And as for Tim? Tim's definitely a very interesting male lead, and for good reason too. Again, his flaws make him more credible. It's also very refreshing to get a YA lit boy who isn't described as perfect - physically or otherwise. Crewe has also done a brilliant job of using her characters and plot as conduits to explore the theme of appearances vs. reality. Although Give up the Ghost may seem like just a ghost story on the surface, it's so much more. It's got elements of paranormal, of contemporary, of edgy YA - and this is what breathes life into the story. For the most part, the minor characters as well were nicely done, whether they were ghosts or "breathers". Personally I found it a little hard to connect with her parents, but then again, as it is from Cass's POV and she doesn't have a great relationship with them, it's understandable.

What really impressed me was Crewe's portrayal of high school. Perhaps it's not entirely what my school is like, or what your school is like - but it doesn't matter. The evocative connotations Crewe brought to life, the aura she conjured - basically, it all added up to make the setting seem credible and real. A few quirks here and there, but for the most part, the dialogue and teen voice was relatively well done. The phrase "shoot the breeze" was new though; I hadn't heard that before. I guess you learn something new with every book.

A few things would've been nice to get a little more clarification on, in terms of background information, but it works as is too. It's a combination of characters, of writing, etc., but the plot is also part of what keeps the audience hurtling towards the ending, breathless and anticipating what's to come. Crewe definitely pushed the envelope with Give up the Ghost, and although it may be unexpected where the story goes, now it's hard to imagine it going any other way.

In short, Give up the Ghost is masterfully done. Megan Crewe has created an engrossing, illuminating, and captivating tale - a very welcome debut to the YA community. ...more

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Jan 29, 2011 Jennifer Jensen (Literally Jen) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: purchased

Cass McKenna is one angry girl. Ever since she parted ways with her childhood best friend, she's been absolutely mean-spirited. Instead of trying to move on with her life, Cass is on a mission to tear down and make fools of her fellow classmates. Cass knows things about them that she definitely didn't witness first hand because she's able to communicate with ghosts. There are 3 ghosts that hang around her school and spy on her classmates for her. Anything they find out, Cass uses against them to Cass McKenna is one angry girl. Ever since she parted ways with her childhood best friend, she's been absolutely mean-spirited. Instead of trying to move on with her life, Cass is on a mission to tear down and make fools of her fellow classmates. Cass knows things about them that she definitely didn't witness first hand because she's able to communicate with ghosts. There are 3 ghosts that hang around her school and spy on her classmates for her. Anything they find out, Cass uses against them to bring them down and to make herself feel better.

Then someone suspects what Cass can do, and coaxes her into helping him make contact with his recently dead mother. Tim is the VP of the Student Council, and Cass loathes him because he is friends with her ex best friend Danielle. Though she doesn't want to admit it at first, she's becoming friends with him. The more time that Tim spends with her, the more he is able to see through the shallowness of the people he calls friends. Whether they want to admit it, Cass and Tim need each other, and Cass is going to have to let go of her prejudices if she's going to keep Tim from joining his mom on the other side.

This wasn't at all what I was hoping for with this book, and by the time I made it all the way through I was pretty disappointed. Maybe I should have read more reviews, tried a chapter or two before buying it so I knew more of what I was getting myself into. I wanted more ghosty stuff, but the ghosts are merely part of the device to get Cass and Tim talking to one another. I wish that Crewe had developed that aspect of this novel more, maybe let us know how exactly Cass is able to communicate with ghosts. All we know is that she couldn't see ghosts, but then her sister drowned and became a ghost, and now she sees them everywhere. But why?

I was also hoping for a little romance between Cass and Tim, even though I didn't really like either of them all that much. I totally get why Cass would be miserable. I've been through being bullied and tormented in school, and there were definitely times when I wanted revenge. But Cass has been hanging on to all of this baggage for far too long. I couldn't sympathize with her at all. I actually found myself siding with Danielle when she tells Cass that she needs to get over herself.

And what is with the adults in this book? They are just so...absent. Tim's father can't see that Tim is totally about to go over the edge. Cass's parents don't even begin to see that something is totally up with her. How can they be so completely clueless? This didn't feel realistic to me at all.

I wanted so much more out of this book, and think I will probably shy away from reading any future novels from this author. ...more

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Jul 19, 2009 Sara Grochowski rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

I adored this book, to put it mildly. It pulled me in right from the beginning and refused to let me go!

The entire book was wonderfully written and imagined. Cass was a girl that I found extremely easy to relate to - especially her sarcasm. I loved that the author showed Cass' tough side as well as her softer, more vulnerable side that she usually keeps hidden from her peers.

I often find that authors add unneeded details to the plot - just to make it more interesting, but Megan Crewe not only h ...more

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Mar 02, 2009 Lauren rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own

With the interesting premise ( Ghost Whisper meets High School, anyone?) and awesome cover Give Up The Ghost had, I knew that I was in for one superb treat.

Give Up The Ghost was a new and fresh take on the whole ghost seeing subject. I liked how the ghosts Cass saw such as Norris and Bitzy were a key part of the story and two of Cass's closest friends. Also, it was interesting to see Cass and Paige's, her dead sister, relationship. Since, it provided for some drama and was overall a cute part of ...more

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Jul 21, 2009 Yan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book was reached the expectations that I had only dreamed of. Give Up the Ghost was gripping page turner that left me salivating for more of Megan’s works.

Cass has a slight social problem. It might be because she can see and talk to ghosts and every time someone catches her doing it, she looks like a freak. Or it might be the fact that the ghosts like to gossip giving Cass plenty of justified ammo to take down these villains. But when Tim asks Cass if she can talk to his mother, whom happen ...more

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Jun 02, 2009 Tina (Fantastic Book Review) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal, ghost

Cassie McKenna has been an outcast since Jr. High and she wants payback. Lucky for her she has help finding out her fellow student’s deepest and darkest secrets from the dead – Ghosts that is…

Crewe’s Give Up the Ghost is a pleasantly light paranormal read. I was able to read this book is one sitting, I enjoyed it so much! This is the first ghost book that I’ve read that didn’t give me the heeby jeebies, which was a surprise in itself. Cass is a loner and with her only friends being ghosts, I fel ...more

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Jun 28, 2009 Jael rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Let me tell you how excited I was for this book; YA supernatural books have been intriguing me for a while now. With so many different authors and mediums out there ghosts (which you can tell by the title is what this book entails) have been shown in so many different lights. Megan Crewe instead takes ghosts somewhere else, they're not trying to scare people or anything of the like instead they essentially watch them and that's where Cassie (or Cass) comes in they tell her the dirty on people an ...more

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Jan 09, 2016 Crystal rated it liked it · review of another edition

Interesting! I kept thinking it was like the show dead like me, but did better. The ending left me "bleh". Didn't like how it all just came out, helped someone, and then it was happy. Maybe I really wanted her to have been nastier with the bullies, put them in their place, or the bullies dos make a big deal out of showing they were truly sorry. It didn't go either ways! So that's why I say 3.5; only for the last third of the book. The beginning was different and fresh take on what I was searchin ...more

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About Megan Crewe

Megan Crewe

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Like many authors, Megan Crewe finds writing about herself much more difficult than making things up. A few definite facts: she lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband and son (and does on occasion say "eh"), she tutors children and teens with special needs, and she's spent the last six years studying kung fu, so you should probably be nice to her. She has been making up stories about magic and ...more

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Quotes from Give Up the Ghost

“I had the feeling deep in my gut that there'd been lines I should have spoken, gestures I should have made, that would have made things better. But looking back, I didn't know what they were. As a friend, I was pretty much useless, apparently.” — 37 likes

“For a guy who claimed not to be a stalker he sure knows the tricks of the trade.
Give up the Ghost” — 35 likes

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