Stevens, Amanda "The Restorer" Start Date: June 8th, 2013 - "revisiting this one"

[Rebecca NJ]

Hina wrote: "Congrats Rebecca. When are you starting the next one in the series?"

Looking at the 22nd. Will that work for you?

[Hina]

Yup I have plenty to keep me busy! lol.

[Lisa Kay]

@ Sallie(Shuga)

#46 - Definitely!

#48 - Sorry you were left with that haunting legacy. That would be a tough one and I would do the same thing.

[Lisa Kay]

@ Rebecca

#57 - "I thought the real Gerrity was a jerk!"
Definitely!

[Lisa Kay]

Thanks, ❀Oo❀, for the info about NBC doing a TV show based on this.

[Lisa Kay]

Loved reading all your answers, ladies!

[Vi]

For those interested in reading , Here is the thread. We are planning to start 22nd June and you are very welcome to join in the BR. :)

[Rebekah]

I finished this book over a rapid-fire 4-day reading session. I tend to be more a literature reader, so it was a bit of a departure for me, but definitely enjoyable & a page turner.

1. Eeep! At age nine, Amelia Gray stared seeing ghosts pretty early. Does this make it more ‘conceivable’ to you that she can see them? Icy fingers trailing through her hair? Brrrrrhhh. Do you think she’ll heed her father’s advice? Or that her life will remain “dull”? Do you think her biological mother had any special abilities?

(view spoiler)[I think it's entirely believable she would start seeing ghosts at around age 9. That is probably the age that I most believed in ghosts. :) She's not going to follow his advice, and she shouldn't. This is one philosophical nit-pick I have with the book. It seems highly fatalistic, taking away people's free will. I am a clinical psychologist, so I like the idea that people can and do change and have control over their behaviors. The "ghosts" and "hauntings" pretty much take that away from the characters. Seems like you are "haunted" if you experience any sort of traumatic event. So Devlin is not supposed to ever be able to recover from that event or even meet new people/live his life because of these ghosts that have latched on to him? And we are supposed to avoid people who have been through traumatic events and experienced grief because they will "drain us of our life energy"? Eww. No. In this story, the ghosts go so as far as to control other people's behaviors, and even to remain latched onto them for eternity.

Yup, I think something is going on with her biological mother, all Southern mysterious. I'm pretty sure she knows about the father and Amelia's ghosts, maybe she is a fortune-teller or something... (hide spoiler)]

2. Whether you’ve been to the American South or not, do you get a sense of place? How do you like this author’s “voice”? Do you like the graveyard settings? The “luxuriant landscape of lost dreams”? Or does it creep you out?

I'm from rural Kentucky, so I enjoyed the atmosphere of the graveyard settings. I grew up attending a tiny country church that has a pretty much unattended graveyard in the back. It has, and will, always creep me out, and has been the setting of many many many of my dreams. I thought she did a good job describing the smells and sights of the Deep South, even though I have never been to South Carolina specifically. I think I was picturing New Orleans or Mississippi, mixed in with some of the creepy old graveyards from Kentucky.

3. Ghosts aside, what is the sense of foreboding that Amelia feels around Devlin? That she seems hyper-aware of his presence?
Repressed sexual tension, that is all. ;)

[Rebekah]

10. Is there any significance in Devlin being able to sleep in Amelia’s place? Do you like Amelia so far? Do you like the way she interacts with Devlin? What’s with Devlin’s silver medallion he wears? It knocks the wind out of her?

Oh you know, it's peaceful, the ghosts are outside, she's going to be the one woman that finally "heals/saves" him from his past. All that romance jazz.

I liked Amelia okay. She is better than most of the heroines in these type of books. She is smart and motivated and fairly self-sufficient. I thought it was a little annoying how she was always "I'm so shy, I'm a loner, i keep myself locked up in graveyards" but she just so happened to be bff's with all the beautiful, social, rich people in town, and she seemed pretty freaking aggressive with her detective work.

And, no, I did not like how our intelligent, independent, self-sufficient heroine became dumb, stalkerish, and obsessed with the mysterious hot police detective.

11. Any thoughts on the angles Amelia’s father is restoring: “all fifty-seven with nothing more than patience and a set of vintage masonry tools”?

Beautiful

13. Book Quote: (view spoiler) Eep! What a visual! Or was it too cliché for you? Comments.

Nope, definitely creeped me out!

19. What did you think of Ethan Shaw and Daniel Meakin? Did either of these two stand out to you? One more than the other?

(view spoiler)[I was immediately the most suspicious of Daniel Meakin being the murderer from very early on in meeting him. I think when he was creeping around the library archives. Come on, the smart, quiet, weirdo, loner that nobody expects? Oh and he just happened to be researching all the same things as Amelia? BINGO. As far as the who-dun-it goes I had this one tagged pretty early. I did not figure out the HOW though. (hide spoiler)]

[Rebekah]

26. Amelia crossed the veil and back. What? How? When? She started to see ghost with 9 years old? How can she crossed the veil? Was it before the adoption? If so, how did she only start seeing the ghosts at 9? And how can her father saw them? Does that mean that he's the one that took her there? And what about the [Somebody uh-comin’ for dis gal. Somebody with a soul black as midnight. Somebody dat walk with the dead. (hide spoiler)] part?

(view spoiler)[I think Amelia definitely died. Maybe she is one of the orphans that died in the fire. Which would explain why the dad is so obsessed with the angels. Maybe he made some kind of black magic deal to bring her back to life in exchange for something and now they are coming back for her. (hide spoiler)]

[Rebekah]

54. Could you understand Amelia’s mother not telling her she had cancer? Do you think her mother knows about her father’s ability?

Yes and yes. I like Amelia's mother and aunt. They seem like strong independent Southern women with secrets. :) I hope we learn more about them.

56. Okay, what in the world was going on with Amelia when she went to Devlin’s house? Was she “possessed” by Mariama? I didn’t think this the first time I read this book; however, on this second time, I’m really wondering what Essie’s “Life Everlasting” does to someone! That whole encounter was pretty creepy. Comments.

(view spoiler)[I don't think she was possessed, I think it was just a really screwed up sex scene lol. It was very creepy to be just about to finally ahem, consummate, and be surrounded by angry ghosts watching you. I thought this was probably the most messed-up scene in the book! (hide spoiler)]

57. What in the world?! So the “café au lait complexion” guy (see DQ #7) calling himself Tom Gerrity wasn’t Tom Gerrity?! Do you feel sure that he is really the ghost of Robert Fremont? Why didn’t Amelia know he was a ghost? Does all this change your opinion of how Devlin responded when he asked her if she’d been talking with Gerrity? What did you think of the real Gerrity?

(view spoiler)[I was *certain* someone in this book was a ghost and Amelia just wasn't getting it. I was suspicious of Gerrity, but I couldn't figure out why if he was a ghost, Devlin wasn't responding more freaked out to her using his name. (hide spoiler)]

58. What did you think of Clayton Masterson’s history? And there were two killers! Were you pretty sure of that? When did you realize the other killer was that “quiet, scrawny little thing,” AKA Daniel Meakin? When Tuly Mackey said so, or later?

(view spoiler)[I suspected the quiet scrawny weirdo in the library pretty early, but did not figure out the logistics or the other ghost's role. (hide spoiler)]

63. Do you think you’ll go on with the series?
Man, I must confess I am intrigued.

64. How did you rate the book over all? Did it help to have it as a “buddy read” with others?
Three stars. I liked it, but it wasn't amazing. I would have liked it more if it wasn't so repetitive. Maybe because I was reading it in one consistent setting. But I felt every few chapters she kept rehashing things. Devlin is so dark and haunted and mysterious...I'm all alone because I see ghosts...the Rich and Powerful control the city...over and over and over. I got it.