This books has an interesting concept and would make a good supernatural starter for younger readers so I would recommend they have a go but personally I may be a little old for it.

Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this book. I found it to be rather old-fashioned in its tone and didn't't feel that it would appeal to its audience. It was also quite poorly edited.

I enjoyed this book. The premise of the book was interesting and the story is something different. There are so many subjects covered in the book. Though this could be good for some but at the same time it is also problematic as all these different subjects- bullying, mental health, family dynamics, mixed backgrounds, drugs, poor choices, consequences, spirituality vs religion, grief, shame- got mixed up in a mush. This could have been a great read if the focus could have been put n development rather than putting everything in a single book. However this could be a good book for the parents who want to make their kids learn about these topics.

Something a little out of the ordinary but I loved it. Full of twists and turns, you'll never know what to expect.

Unfortunately I found it very difficult to connect with this book and couldn't finish it. Possibly because it's aimed at a much younger audience as I found the story very robotic and simplistic.

am sad I didn't love Ghost Boy. I truly wanted to. I just didn't. The premise of the book was interesting, and at least I can say that the story is something different. The author attempts to cover too many subjects on the book at the same time (bullying, mental health, family dynamics, mixed backgrounds, drugs, poor choices, consequences, spirituality vs religion, grief, shame, right vs wrong), and it all gets mixed up in a mush of what could have been great, yet ended up flat as a board by the lack of continuity and development. Ghost Boy is aimed at a younger audience, probably middle-school kids. I tried keeping this in mind as I read it. Still, I felt it could have been significantly improved had the author focused on fewer subjects, and spent more time developing the story.

Being fair, I would recommend this book to parents looking out for books which explore death and the various meanings that it may have in families with mixed backgrounds. It would be a good starting point for conversations. Read it first to make sure it aligns to your family values.

I must apologize to NetGalley and John Hunt Publishing for posting my review so late. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Life was challenging for a couple of months. Thank you for your kind consideration.

Nope, not my cup of tea. I don't know why I first requested this book, but it turns out I would have been better off never knowing about it.

This was a very good book in my opinion. Not perfect but still great. I loved the characters, though they sometimes annoyed me and the whole paranormal vibe was perfect. All in all, a great read for the fall season!

Contemporary supernatural mystery

This is a children’s/teen novel, and as such, I am not an expert in what appeals to young people today. However, it held my attention which suggests that it is on the right track for younger readers, and the supernatural genre is very current.

Ben Conover is a twelve-year-old boy with all the hang-ups of that generation. Perhaps unusually, he is very kind and so inclined to champion the underdog as he knows what it is like to be the odd one out, Ben can see ghosts!

Unsurprisingly, what to Ben is a wonder, does not go down well with his down-to-earth father and this, of course, leads to friction.

As the reader follows Ben through one year of his life, we share with him a series of adventures leading to an unimagined truth.

This is well written and has all the elements of a good novel, and I would think it would appeal to a range of ages.

Pashtpaws

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

I recived a free e-book at netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
"Oh God! Dad, I love Abby. I love her. Don't ask me to shut her out. Just all the rest. And remember, the psychologist said I wasn't crazy. I'm just different" "No, Ben, he was being kind. You're just not quite right in the head. Not crazy. But, well, more than different. I'm worried about what it's leading to."
This is a coming of age about a boy named Ben. He starts seeing ghosts. He tells his friends and they start making fun of him and start calling him "Ghost Boy." He tell his mother and father about how he can hear his grandmother. His mother believes he has a special gift. His father is not so excepting and he ends up putting Ben in a milatary school. I loved the writing in this book. If I had read this in middle school. I wouldn't have understood it. The language is more mature. I liked that the parents were in the novel and that they talked about Ben's problems. There is a ghost girl in the book and she follows Ben. Ben develops feelings for her and they have a deep connection. I loved the twist at the end. It was sad and heartbreaking. This book has bulling, drugs and friendship and love (not romantice) I also loved the message of helping people and not judging who they are. I recommend this for teenagers 13 years old and above. It is a great read and very inspirational.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of GHOST BOY in exchange for an honest review.

Ben sees things. Things no one else can see. It is not long before the news has spread and he is the center of scrutiny and gossip. He struggles at home and tries to find balance to keep the peace, but is continually drawn back to his spirit friend. How will Ben cope with this unique gift that he has discovered at a young and impressionable age?

I enjoyed Ben and his kind heart, I enjoyed the premise of the story. I think it would be a book that a young reader would probably enjoy. It was not as deep as the books I am used to reading, and I didn't connect with Ben as I had hoped, but I think it would be plenty entertaining for a middle-grade reader who enjoys reading about spirits and ghosts.

This is a sweet young adult story about a little boy that sees and talks to ghosts. He is followed by a spirit guide who helps him navigate his gift and the difficulties it brings to his life. He is encouraged by his Mother and hated by his Father who calls him crazy and sends him to therapy. He suffers bullying and a family trauma. Through it all he utilizes his special gifts. I loved it and found it endearing and sweet. I recommend this book for all YA readers. It is especially appealing to all who enjoy ghost stories.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review, "Ghost Boy"
by Stafford Betty. This book was aimed for a different audience then myself but I was willing to look past this and give the book a chance anyway. It may have been the writing style or not being able to relate to someone who is so young. This book would do well with the right audience but it was just not for me.

Another young adult novel, following an 11-year-old boy. His name is Ben, and he sees ghosts. Well, spirits, and only a few. Mainly, he sees Abby, a girl of his own age. His mother views his ability as a 'gift', but his father thinks he's crazy. He gets angry when Ben talks about Abby as if she's real, and tries several methods to rid Ben of his spirits.

Ben goes through a lot in this novel, from his cousin losing his foot, his father sending him to a shrink, being caught graffiti-ing, and being beaten up for standing up to a bully. And more! These things are mostly nothing to do with Abby or Ben's ability to see the dead, but there are some connections. In one case, Ben actually exorcises a 'dybbuk' from a stranger on a beach.

It is clear that Ben is desperate for his father's approval. He attempts daring and foolish stunts designed to impress him, and he ends up lying about taking anti-psychotic medication just to please him. His mother often stands up for Ben, but this causes h er to fight with his father. Ben's sister is rarely mentioned, and does not seem to make any comments on Ben's ability - if she even knows about it.

A lot of this book felt like it was completely disconnected to the main plot; it felt a bit like a generic YA fiction novel at times. The plot revolving around Abby seemed to disappear for a while, before being re-introduced.

The plot with Abby was actually very interesting. I had my hunches from relatively early on, but it wasn't overly obvious or predictable. I did find it a bit strange how Ben believed he had a romantic interest in her at one point, and the 'solution' she suggests is also a bit strange... But it was unique and innovative, that's for sure. I'm intrigued to know where Abby got her name from, as it is later revealed that her mother referred to her as Eliza.

Ben's exorcising ability was not explained or developed upon at all, and there was no other mention of/reference to dybbuks or similar demons. This was a bit of a shame, as that was an interesting aspect.

As Ben was quite a young protagonist, I do believe I am a bit too old to actually really appreciate this. The writing definitely seemed more suited to a slightly younger audience, but wasn't overly immature. I'd definitely recommend this for slightly younger readers. I noticed a few mistakes, but only generic typos. 3.5 stars.

I didn’t realise this was a YA book. That’s a compliment in many ways, it’s grwat to see such an amazing story being written for a younger audience, but I’m so glad I found it.
Such an important story, it made me question many things. I found it really spiritual,, heartwarming and all of those cliche descriptions, which don’t fit because it’s not a cliche story. Loved every page, and read it twice which I very rarely do, it’s beautuflly written and a beautiful story

The abrupt ending lets down what is otherwise a very sweet story of a young man who sees ghosts and his family's struggle to accept him.

Stafford Betty's Ghost Boy starts out like your typical supernatural YA book. Boy sees ghosts; boy tells people he sees ghosts; trouble ensues. Although there were some plot twists that made the story interesting, overall it seemed to lack a defining story arc and instead became a series of loosely connected short stories. It is a better fit for a young middle school audience than older teenagers. The lead character, Ben, is 12 so that might be a suitable reading age. There were many elements of the story that are appealing to me, but it was a difficult read. The transitions were practically non-existent and the characters were a little too flat. Ben was the only one who had any sort of development and even that was slight. Still, it was a good story with lots of potential.

Ben Conover sees people no one else can see. When he confides in his best friend, the air cackles with gossip and he becomes known as the " Ghost Boy".

Ben's sixth sense means he can see the ghosts of relatives that have passed. He is also first to help his fellow students. But when he tells them about the ghosts, he becomes the butt of everyone's jokes. It's also become a battleground for his mums acceptance and dads disapproval.

I quite enjoyed this thought provoking story. Oh wouldn't it be good if we could all see the ghosts of our relatives that have passed. The writing style is a bit choppy and the book also contains bad language. The twist at the end is a bit creepy. A book that is suitable for tweets and teens

I would like to thank NetGalley, John Hunt Publishing and the author Stafford Betty for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review: GHOST BOY by Stafford Betty

A lovely coming of age tale about a boy who is subtly "different": Growing up in Bakersfield, the son of a strict Alabama-raised father and a generous, open-minded Hispanic mother, Ben sees ghosts. A young girl who appears to alert him to potential danger he names Abby. She doesn't speak, but his late grandmother does. His father thinks he needs psychiatric help; his mother believes, and nourishes Ben's truth. Ben faces the decision every day to turn aside from his gift, or to fully embrace it.

This novel I recommend to all. It's heartwarming, encouraging, and inspiring. Ben is twelve and thirteen during the story, but readers of all ages can discover excitement and encouragement within these well-written pages.

This book was a great young adult book. I enjoyed the child's "sixth" sense of seeing ghosts. There is a lot of conflict around his abilities. I think this would be something hard for a child to live with and learn to accept as part of who they are. This book was a glimpse into this a little for me. I think the book could have had more into for me to full enjoy the story to its full potential. The book felt a little too young adult for me this time. *This book was given to me for free at my request from NetGalley and I provided this voluntary review.*