Gap Year in Ghost Town (2017)
Graveyard Shift in Ghost Town (2019)
Author: Michael Pryor
These books are absolutely hilarious! I often found myself smirking or chuckling or laughing out loud as I read them. Just what I needed right now, something to take my mind off of everything else. Plus ghosts, and a platonic guy – girl friendship that does not turn into anything romantic. You so rarely see that in any book these days let alone YA. I also quite enjoyed the Australian setting, even though I did have to look up some of the slang and other things mentioned that I was not familiar with.
“I have a phone charger, my pro standard GPS unit, a water bottle, a book and an e-reader just in case I finish my book. Can’t be without a book.” GYGT
I just adored Anton from the start. He is adorably nerdy and dorky, and really can’t handle it when things get tough. Although he does get better with that over the course of the two books. He is just not a fighter, but I loved his fashion sense! I really liked his family’s way of handling the ghosts too. They don’t destroy them like most ghost hunters do, but they release them and let them move on. Which made for an interesting dynamic when he meets Rani, who dispatches ghosts by chopping them up into little pieces until they disappear.
“She spun around and went Renaissance on his bum(which is like going medieval, but with extra enlightenment)…” GSGT
Rani is also a great character and a nice counterpoint to Anton. She is strong and not afraid of much. She was also trained by an elite group of ghost hunters, that taught her lots of strategic things that help her to survive. But even though she initially sees Anton’s way as being silly and not very safe, as you have to touch the ghost to do it. But as their friendship grows, she starts to question her beliefs and even does a little easing of her own.
Lots of great secondary characters in both books. I loved the Scottish twins in the second book, they really added a nice touch to the whole story. Bec is a childhood friend of Anton’s who adds a nice touch of normalcy to the story. I also like that Anton has a great relationship with his Dad.
“Stacey Evans, or the person who had been Stacey Evans before she was transformed into this supernatural serial killer, put her hands together on her lap. ‘Would you like a biscuit? I have Tim Tams somewhere, I’m sure.‘
I hesitated. After all, Tim Tams.” GYGT
The plot and the writing are just marvelous. I really liked that there were a lot of different classes of ghosts, from the benign moaners, to the truly dangerous zombie ghosts. Also, I liked that there wasn’t only one evil person, but there are these groups called Trespassers that use ghosts and ghost hunters in their nefarious rituals. Quite gruesome and nasty, these people are. The plot is nicely paced with lots of quiet moments interspersed with the action. some of the plot turns will certainly keep you on your toes as well.
This is another unfinished series, but the second book only came out last year, so there is hope. There was a two year gap between these two groups, and although I hate to wait that long I will take that over no book at all. In the meantime, I will be checking out some of this Aussie author’s other work. If you are looking for a funny ghostly read, you really should give these a try.
Confessions of a Serial Reader 