The Ghostly Grammar Boy

(The Dusk Duo)

Young Adult - Sci-Fi
262 Pages
Reviewed on 12/30/2013
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Sandra grew up in Sydney, Australia as a black-haired girl with two blonde sisters. She was not adopted, despite what they told her. She first discovered her passion for writing in primary school when she was forced to write a short story for a school assignment. She was surprised to discover that she really enjoyed it and began to read and write avidly.

After graduating from university in Sydney, Sandra began working as a full-time statistician. Her days were filled with number crunching, whilst her evenings were filled with Fiona's exciting supernatural adventures as she wrote the first book of the Dusk Duo series, The Ghostly Grammar Boy.

Sandra now lives in Tokyo, Japan where she is continuing to work as a daytime statistician and a nighttime author. She is currently working on book two of the Dusk Duo series, The Deadly School Camp.

'Hai!' Sandra also speaks some Japanese and is learning a lot about Japanese culture by making lots of mistakes. She writes about her experiences on her blog and is also working on a romantic suspense novel set in Tokyo called The Sakura Vacancy.

Sandra really appreciates the support of her readers. You can find her online at http://sandrathompsonauthor.blogspot.jp/

    Book Review

Reviewed by Cheryl Schopen for Readers' Favorite

In The Ghostly Grammar Boy by Sandra Thompson, Fiona has to deal with her sister and her sister’s new boyfriend’s problems. It’s a typical teenager’s life, except for the fact that her sister and her boyfriend are both dead. When Fiona’s twin sister, Ella, died when they were toddlers, Fiona gained the ability to not only see ghosts but also to communicate with and touch them. Now Ella wants Fiona to use her gift to help her new boyfriend solve the mystery of how he died. On top of all of her secret ghost issues, Fiona has other things to deal with too, including high school, work, friends, and boys. This is going to be one tough year.

There can only be one word to describe Sandra Thompson and The Ghostly Grammar Boy: AMAZING. Thompson’s first book in the Dusk Duo series was written incredibly well. The dialogue was realistic, the characters were completely believable, and the plot was entertaining yet surprisingly suspenseful. I literally could not put the book down. I stayed up for hours reading, determined to finish. And when I did, I was so frustrated that I would have to wait for the next book in the series. I rarely feel this way about a book, and since I am a huge bookworm, that says a lot.

This book has it all. There were times where I couldn’t help but laugh out loud, and then there were some touching moments that just made my heart flutter a little. Throughout the entire book, I was on the edge of my seat. It was so unpredictable with just the right amount of twists and unexpected turns. If you like suspense, mystery, humor, heart, a little bit of romance, and a character that will remind you of your high school self, then give this book a chance. You definitely won’t regret it; I sure don’t. I now have a favorite new author. I will be counting down the days until the next book in the series comes out.

Amanda Jones

I also could not put the book down and laughed at moments throughout the story. I don't know how the author can remember so clearly and bring to life so lucidly all those high school angst moments. The characters are so realistic I could almost identify them as my old school mates. I wonder how long it will be before the author gets a huge following?

Stephen Henning

The Ghostly Grammar Boy takes us into the realm of the TV series Ghost Whisperer, and I think it’s fair to say that if you enjoyed the exploits of JLH, then you’ll love Ms Thompson’s heroine too.

The premise is that 16-year old Canberra High School girl Fiona can see and talk to ghosts. She is a twin, although her sister Ella died aged when they were age two. Ever since that moment, Fiona has been able to talk to her sister, have a relationship with her, and all the while see other ghosts too.

Ella kick-starts the plot when she asks Fiona to help her ghostly boyfriend - Chris (recently deceased). There is the suspicion that Chris’s stepmother (subcategory: wicked) might have had Chris killed and may also be planning a similar fate for younger brother Alan.

As soon as Fiona begins her investigation, so begins a number of interesting twists, turns, ups and downs, encompassing wicked stepmother Sharelle, the school stud Shane, mean girl Carly, and the band of Fiona’s (perhaps too numerous to keep tabs on) friends.

I think the biggest positive about the book is the main character herself. Fiona is likeable, realistic, and a good plucky heroine. Carly, meanwhile is a good nemesis (if perhaps falling into the category of genre trope), and Shane provides an element of sexual interest for Fiona (and also threat).

The only slight negative, and it is purely my opinion, is that the end felt a bit too overcooked. The denouement all happens in one room, and it encompasses about 15-20% of the book. Revelations are repeated, some of the characters stop sounding like normal teenagers and resort to mad-scientist style threats. I kept thinking the entire last quarter of the book needed a bit more of a polish to do justice to the set up.

It’s probably fair to say that I don’t fall into the target readership of The Ghostly Grammar Boy (and generally it’s not really the type of book I go for), but the fact that I enjoyed it means that it’s appeal goes beyond it’s intended teen audience.

Overall it is a fun book with an engaging central character, and plenty of breathing room to develop into an enjoyable series.

Beverly McClure

What if your twin sister who died when she was two, is now a teen ghost and visits you often? What if she and her ghost boyfriend suspect his twelve-year-old brother is being drugged and they ask for your help? You’d offer whatever help you could, wouldn’t you?
Author Sandra Thompson’s novel THE GHOSTLY GRAMMAR BOY, a paranormal story for young adult readers, follows fifteen-year-old Fiona, who, unlike most people, can see and talk to ghosts, as she attempts to discover who wants to kill the ghost Chris’ brother, Alan. Enter Shane, a friend of Fiona’s brother, and also a hunk who suddenly takes an interest in Fiona. To her surprise, he also can see ghosts. Soon the mystery gets more complicated, and Fiona doesn’t know whom to trust. To keep from giving away the plot, I’ll just say that Fiona finds more trouble than she ever imagined.

The author adds twists and surprises to keep the reader guessing who and most of all why Alan’s life is in danger. I was beginning to suspect what was going on toward the end of the story, but Sandra Thompson kept the suspense and tension high so I wasn’t sure how the story would end. THE GHOSTLY GRAMMAR BOY is a fun read with good guys and bad guys, jealousy and friendship, along with danger and revenge. This is the first book in the Dusk Duo Series. I wonder what the ghosts will be up to next. This novel would make a nice addition to school libraries, perhaps to show how jealousy and revenge can drive a person to do the unthinkable.

The author provided me with a copy of this book for my honest review.
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