GHOST HAND
The PSS Chronicles #1
by Ripley Patton
Publisher: Self-Published (Nov. 2013)
Genre: Paranormal, Young Adult
Format: eBook (327 pages)
Source: Free book from author for honest review
Find It: Goodreads | Amazon Print | Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble
Rating: ★★★½☆ (3.5 stars)
Seventeen-year-old Olivia Black has a rare birth defect known as Psyche Sans Soma, or PSS. Instead of a right hand made of flesh and blood, she was born with a hand made of ethereal energy.
How does Olivia handle being the girl with the ghost hand? Well, she’s a little bit morbid and a whole lot snarky.
Her mother thinks her obsession with death, black clothing, and the local cemetery is a bid for attention. But when Marcus, the new guy in Olivia’s calculus class, stares at her like she’s a freak, Olivia doesn’t like it. And when her hand goes rogue, doing things she never imagined possible, Olivia finds herself running for her life with Marcus from a group of men bent on taking the power of her hand for their own nefarious purposes.
At A Glance
So different, so interesting. Ghost Hand is a great start to a great series (I just have that feeling).
The Good
I was so surprised by Ghost Hand. It started out with a bang and ended perfectly to make me excited to get my hands on the next book. The suspense, action, and little romance was a perfect blend to keep me reading in one sitting. The best part though was the unique paranormal aspect. A ghost hand??? Weird, right? But this whole PSS aspect really amped up this story.
Olivia seemed pretty average at first, well, except for the ghost hand. A little dramatic, petulant, and scared by all the crazy changes in her life. But by the end, Olivia is a strong woman who is taking control of her life. Leaving her childhood behind and getting ready to face the monsters chasing her. I felt so bad for her. Her mother cares very little for her, she has people after her for something she can’t help, and now she has to trust this random boy with her life. But I think she did the best considering her situation.
Marcus was such a mystery. We learn about him in small parts, and we still don’t know the true him until the very end. I totally understood his reluctance to let people in, but I hated how it hurt Olivia. But he is obviously an amazing guy. He’s brave and determined. You can’t help but like him. And he’s cute, that always helps. 🙂
The side characters all interested me too. They had individual personalities which I loved because I feel like a lot of authors are reusing “personalities” on all their characters and it’s getting annoying. No two people were alike. And that was made obvious with Jason’s rage and hatred, Emma’s determination and love, and Olivia’s mother’s lack of compassion and basic motherly instincts. A really diverse cast of characters.
The plot held up well and left room for the series to grow. The action and drama was fun to watch unfold. The writing flowed well ,as did the pacing. This is definitely a book/series to watch out for.
The Bad
Be ready to be annoyed with these teenagers actions. They do stupid things that almost get people killed. So frustrating. Then there is Jason. I HATE him. He is a nasty piece of work but no one makes him responsible for his actions, and he is suppose to be a GOOD GUY. Yeah, right! I would have punched him in the throat from the get-go. Marcus should have had better control of him, but he didn’t and it made me think less of him.
The Snuggly
Marcus and Olivia’s relationship had a nice, slow build. So cute. I loved them together. Marcus took such good care of Olivia (except with Jason), especially when she needed someone to finally care about her the way she deserved.
The sexual content is very suitable for the YA audience. Some language.
Final Thoughts
I almost gave Ghost Hand 4 stars, but the screw ups and bad decision making really bothered me. But that stuff tends to get to me very easily, which is why YA books are tricky for me sometimes. But this is a solid book that any YA lover will enjoy. Very recommended.
Something was crawling up Passion’s back.
Not just one something. Five somethings. Five elongated, wisp-thin tendrils, winding their way up strands of hair that escaped from her ponytail, making a moving, barely-perceptible pattern of bluish light on the back of her white turtleneck so faint I could almost convince myself it was an optical illusion.
But it wasn’t.
It was my hand.
“What the hell was that about?” yelled the guy on the ATV. “She pepper-sprayed me. My eyes are burning.”
“Shut up, you p*ssy!” Marcus yelled back. “She threw almonds at you. You’ve got salt in your eyes. I think you’ll live.”
BookaddictBieke
Oh hey, I got a copy of this one too! 😀
Jennifer Bielman
Awesome. Hope you love it.
Brandi Kosiner
I like the sound of Marcus, sounds so mysterious
Jennifer Bielman
He is. I was surprised by all his secrets.
Ripley Patton
Jennifer,
Thanks for the great review. I’m so glad you enjoyed Ghost Hand and see it as the beginning of a great series. Ghost Hold, book two, is done, and early ARC reviewers are saying it is even better than Ghost Hand. The e-book should be out September 30:)
Jennifer Bielman
Thanks again for the chance to read your book. Can’t wait to read Ghost Hold.
Dalene Rodman
Great review, thank you for having a giveaway also, I am putting this on my tbr and look forward to reading the book.
Jennifer Bielman
Awesome. Hope you get a chance to read it soon.
Braine TS
Be ready to be annoyed with these teenagers actions. – HAHA I’ll probably save the bad guys some time, I’ll kill them myself!
But I do agree, the idea of a ghost hand is interesting.
Jennifer Bielman
That’s what I wanted to do! lol.
Synchronized Reading
lol about Jason! I’ve seen plenty of characters that make me want to do that. I’ve never heard of this book, but it does sounds like a pretty interesting read. Great review!
Janina @ Synchronized Reading
Jennifer Bielman
Ugh, just thinking about Jason makes me want to pull out my hair.
kimbacaffeinate
Great review and um Jason making you think violent thoughts there Jen? LOL Curious about this ghost hand..thanks for sharing!
Jennifer Bielman
I know, Jason made my blood boil, but I guess that’s cool when a book can bring out such a reaction out of me.
Jaclyn Canada
I found the thing about Jason the character that was supposed to be a good guy but that you couldn’t stand pretty crazy. I’ve run across characters that I’ve hated that I was supposed to before. Overall it sounds like a pretty good book though. Thank you so much for sharing! Jaclyn @ JC’s Book Haven.
Jennifer Bielman
I really think you would like this book. So up your alley.
a pile of good things
Looks super interesting! Thanks for the giveaway 🙂
Jennifer Bielman
Thanks. Good luck.
emaginette
I have a hard time reading all YA because of the childish emotions and the decisions because of the emotions. It takes real skill to write a great YA story. It’s such a fine line.
The series sounds great and I’m sure the kids are going to continue making stupid choices. Kids? What can you do? 🙂
Jennifer Bielman
True, sometimes kidish behavior doesn’t bother me, but there are days that it irritates the crap out of me. But I am reading the second book for sure.
Elisa
I was telling my sister the premise of this story and it sounds so silly but I am so excited to hear it is well done! I love those types of storylines where you just have to read it to believe it. Can’t wait to read it myself 🙂
Jennifer Bielman
I know, I laughed when I first read the blurb, but it is so worth the read. Reading book #2 right now.