Breathe: A Ghost Story

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Jack is used to danger. His asthma has nearly killed him more than once. But his new home has a danger he's never known before - the spirits of the dead.

They can't breathe, but in Jack's house they CHASE, HIDE and SCREAM.

Only Jack can see them. Only he can hear them. And only he can learn their secrets in time to save himself. But first he must confront the terrifying Ghost Mother...

'Breathe' is the multiple-award winning ghost story which was voted one of the top 100 novels of all time by British school librarians in April 2013.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

An evil presence lurks in the 200-year-old farmhouse that Jack moves into with his mother. Jack, who suffers from asthma, can communicate with ghosts (an ability he recognized after his father's death), and on his first day in the house, he senses that it harbors many secrets. Living in the house is a ghost Jack names Ghost Mother, as well as four ghost children of various ages. Readers will quickly figure out that the Ghost Mother is a menacing character who holds the ghost children prisoners. At first, Jack enjoys his conversations with Ghost Mother but then things take a disturbing turn. It seems that Ghost Mother wants to be Jack's mother ("I never had a son, you know, though I often wished for one of my own"). In her desperation, she enters Jack's mother's body. When Jack doesn't respond the way she'd hoped, Ghost Mother seeks revenge. A chain of events builds the suspense until Jack's near-death face-off with Ghost Mother. The alternating story in McNish's (The Silver Child) gruesome and chilling tale reveals what happened in the farmhouse 150 years before. Unfortunately, the happily-ever-after ending detracts from the overall creepiness of this intriguing and rather scary ghost story. Ages 10-up. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-8-Asthmatic Jack and his recently widowed mother move into an old farmhouse-but they aren't alone. The spirits of four children also inhabit it, but only Jack can see and hear them. Those spirits aren't alone, either. A Ghost Mother rules the roost and has enslaved the ghost children. And now she is after Jack. However, he has a second sight that might help him save the souls of those dead, abused children. Can he act fast enough to save himself and his mother? McNish keeps the pacing and action moving right along. While the story is plot driven, the author gives his characters substance, and his language usage and style are fairly sophisticated. This is a well-crafted story that is weightier than the standard chiller. Filled with suspense, it will keep readers riveted to the pages.-Elaine Baran Black, Gwinnett County Public Library, Lawrenceville, GA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.