Time of the Ghost

[Emilie]

Halloween 2016 is closing in: let's read 'Time of the Ghost' together and share impressions.

[Emilie]

FINALLY got around to start it! I've read the first three chapters, and so far, I have to say it is appropriately spooky, which is quite refreshing from DWJ. The book still has her unique signature though : her witty and light prose, a disfunctionnal family and of course magic. I quite like it so far.

[Paula]

I am visiting family, so I have not been able to read more than a chapter. I will read more tomorrow. Chapter one was a bit confusing and disappointing. I was hoping the girl was floating 'cause she had an overabundance of magic.

[Emilie]

More than halfway through (the hospital scene) and I'm hooked. As per usual, when the protagosnist thinks he/she has things more or less figured out, Jones twists the story around and changes the rules. This story reminds me strongly of Fire and Hemlock - the story of a teenager growing up in a dysfunctional family filled with foreboding about something she has forgotten and must remember at all costs. Still, even though the trope is similar, the reading experience itself is quite different, somehow.
I think I'm going to have a hard time not devouring the rest of the book tonight!

[Melanie]

I do still plan to reread it this month, but I've been too busy to run over to the library and pick it up yet. I didn't remember much of what you guys are describing, so I guess it is definitely time for a reread. XD

[Emilie]

I finished it last week - planning for a second reading this weekend to take it all in - or more acurately, to savour the nuances :)
I really liked it. I reminded me much of Fire and Hemlock, but with a spooky twist. High praise indeed! I think I actually enjoyed The Time of the Ghost more than F&H. Mostly because of the ending. Endings are generally DWJ's Achilles heel and though it has its flaws, the ending to TOTG did not leave me wanting, as it did in F&H.

[Paula]

I have completeed the story of Time of the Ghost. Pretty good story and a bit confusing. I didn't recognized it as a DWJ book at first. However, it was soon apparent. From what I read of DWJ parents, she modeled the girls parent after hers. It saddened me that the girls were gravely neglected. They had to fight for their food and their clothing was woefully inadequate. They fought almost constantly, but also looked out for each other.

I guessed who the ghost was early on. I just could not figure out how the 'ghost' came into being. I guess I would rather think of her as a spirit.

What made this story a DWJ story was the part of the story surrounding Monigan. One should not awake an evil goddess like creature. When one does, a whole bunch of problem solving must occur. The ending was a good one in that there was love all around.

[Alison]

I love this story of DWJ (although Fire and Hemlock is my favorite and perfect for Halloween too); it is quite spooky especially for her although the suspense of what happened seems to be the bigger plot point. The sisters are such wild, feral creatures when they are young and it's easy to feel sorry for them with their terrible parents which is another thing this book has in common Fire and Hemlock and hey books in general, adults are rarely problem solvers and are more often the root of problems themselves. The trickery with which they escape Monigan was the best!

[Emilie]

Alison wrote: "I love this story of DWJ (although Fire and Hemlock is my favorite and perfect for Halloween too); it is quite spooky especially for her although the suspense of what happened seems to be the bigge..."

Indeed, adults are rarely problem solvers in any od DWJ's universes, how very well said. That's one of the things I love so much about her works: the humanity of her characters and imperfection of authority figures in general. But what actually charms me most about DWJ's writing is the way she manages to make such flaws so vividly apparent to the reader while hinting that the protagonists remains unaware of their authority figures' many fails. It's all in the perspective.