Review of Notes from Ghost Town by Kate Ellison + Giveaway!

Title: Notes from Ghost Town
Author: Kate Ellison
Published by: Egmont USA
Pages: 336
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback ARC
Available: February 12, 2013
Rating: 4 stars

Summary from Goodreads: When sixteen-year-old artist Olivia Tithe is visited by the ghost of her first love, Lucas Stern, it’s only through scattered images and notes left behind that she can unravel the mystery of his death. There’s a catch: Olivia has gone colorblind, and there’s a good chance she’s losing her mind completely—just like her mother did. How else to explain seeing (and falling in love all over again with) someone who isn’t really there? With the murder trial looming just nine days away, Olivia must follow her heart to the truth, no matter how painful. It’s the only way she can save herself.

A hauntingly beautiful tale.  Notes from Ghost Town is the type of story that will instantly draw the reader in with its mystery and keep you around because of the intriguing characters.

Olivia has lost it all when her mother went to jail for the murder of Lucus Stern, Olivia's best friend and secret love interest.  Not only does she get kicked out of her fancy art school, but she starts seeing Stern's ghost and gets the sneaking suspicion that not was all right with the murder investigation.  This poor girl has been through so much and yet as much as she wants to give up, she doesn't.  While I didn't connect with Olivia, I did respect her despite some bad decisions she made.  I'm sure if I was in her situation I would have rebelled far worse than her. 

Throughout the mystery of Stern's ghost and what really happened that night he lost his life, Olivia is determined to find out the truth, even if it does mean she's crazy.  She finds an unlikely ally in Austin, the boy she thought she hated.  I felt things with Olivia and Alex were a little rushed.  First Olivia hates him, then he's obsessed with her, then they are sort of friends.  It was all just a bit confusing and their relationship felt forced for the plot of the story. 

The mystery itself was intriguing with a couple of plot twists, but at the same time it was easy enough to have a pretty good guess as to who did it, but not why.  That was the part that exploded at the end.  Kate Ellison's writing kept the mystery alive and though the material was dark she didn't make it depressing.  She had a great balance between making us wonder about the murder or if Olivia was slowly losing it plus adding in some humor as well. 

Notes from Ghost Town had the perfect mix of murder mystery and a touch of possible paranormal that has you guessing what was real. 

Intrigued?  Here is your chance to read Notes from Ghost Town for yourself.

Want a chance to read Notes from Ghost Town by Kate Ellison ? Enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win not only a hardcover copy of Notes from Ghost Town, but also the new paperback release of The Butterfly Clues provided by the wonderful people at Egmont USA. 

That means you could win two books by Kate Ellison!

Plus some more great news...Egmont USA accidentally sent me an extra ARC of Notes from Ghost Town so I thought I'd give my international readers a chance to win as well!

Giveaway rules:
You need to be at least 13 years old to enter
The giveaway for Notes from Ghost Town and The Butterfly Clues is open to US and Canada readers
The giveaway for an ARC of Notes from Ghost Town is open to International readers
The winner will have 3 days to respond before a new winner is chosen
I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items.

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