ARA Review by bstanzell of The Boy who Lived with Ghosts

[bstanzell]

[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, The Boy who Lived with Ghosts.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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The Boy Who Lived With Ghosts [i/] was not at all what I was expecting. I was expecting a paranormal book that followed the life of a boy living in a haunted house. While he was “haunted”, it certainly wasn’t that kind of haunting.

The story follows the life of John from a very young age until adulthood. The way the story is told reflects John’s age at the time. John details his existence along with his father (a drunk who is largely absent), his mother (an overwhelmed single mother), twin sister, and severely mentally ill older sister. This is not a feel good coming of age story. Rather it follows the type of arch similar to “Death of a Salesman”, “The Glass Menagerie”, “A Long Day’s Journey Into Night”, and “Great Expectations”. John’s life is haunted by the ghosts the family hides. Once reaching adulthood, John is able to fully understand the impact of his childhood.

I have compared this piece to classic works of literature not only because of the similar sad storyline, but also because it is truthfully very well written. Changing the voice of the story every time John jumps an age is no easy feat, but it is done smoothly. However, like the great works I mentioned above, I found it not to be my taste. This is an instance where I am able to recognize a well written piece of work while also not enjoying it. I do want to make it quite clear this type of story just isn’t for me, so take this review for what it is worth.

Honestly, I have no issues with the writing of the book. While my enjoyment of the book would be more on par with a 3/5, I can not rate it that low due to it being a great piece of literature. However, I also couldn’t rate it at a 5/5 simply due to the fact this book was not a book I was able to get into. The slow moving plotline is just too much of a downer for me. For this reason, I am rating it at 4/5 stars. If you enjoy works like the ones listed above, you very well could find this to be a 5/5 star work.

While not enjoyable for my taste, I also can say I really appreciate the talent this author shows. This is a book that really encompasses growing up in a broken home and in poverty. The struggles were heartbreakingly familiar to what I experience in my day job and so well described.

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