Review & Giveaway: Notes from Ghost Town by Kate Ellison

Following my review there is an awesome giveaway! Enter to win a hardcover copy of Notes from Ghost Town and a paperback copy of The Butterfly Clues, both by Kate Ellison! Unfortunately, the giveaway is open for US/CA residents only, but I promise an INTL giveaway soon!

They say first love never dies…

From critically acclaimed author Kate Ellison comes a heartbreaking mystery of mental illness, unspoken love, and murder. 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.

I went into Notes from Ghost Town thinking it was likely going to be a tear-jerker and I was right. I probably would’ve skipped over it except I was super intrigued with the premise of the main character Liv falling in love with her best friend – who just happens to be a ghost now that he’s dead and her mother going to trial for his murder. Come on, anyone who knows what I like to read will know I could never walk away from a synopsis like that – forget the romantic angle – the mystery is there! Especially considering the fact she might not be communicating with her friend’s ghost at all, she might be having hallucinations or other symptoms of mental illness. So there’s layers of mystery to be had here, and I was hooked from the get go.

I was immediately drawn to Liv as the main character. I felt for her predicament. Her world had been torn upside down and inside out and she’s got nowhere to go for any answers. Her best friend, Stern, who she was just figuring out she liked more than a friend, is dead. Her mother in jail awaiting trial. Oh, and her dad is moving on with his life and getting re-married. Not even to mention the last time she saw Stern she literally went color blind which effects her close to the heart as a painter and artist. So life is no shade of rosy. But she’s also got nothing left to lose.

I know I would’ve easily sped through Notes from Ghost Town a whole lot faster if it wasn’t for that damn need to sleep! It was hard to put down! I think what made it so compelling was Liv. She’s lost it all and she’s ready to start fighting for some truth! Even if that truth means she’s going nuts and her mom is a murderer.

Liv is so likeable and through her we learn about Stern and he becomes real and loveable to us too. The more I read, I grew increasingly attached to Stern and felt so sad that no matter how the mystery ended, there probably wasn’t going to be a happy perfect ending. However, I do appreciate that the ending was realistic and even though we didn’t have a Lazarus moment, it’s alright.

I have to admit I kind of sniffed out who was responsible for things before Liv did. But I can’t say I was 100 percent sure, and I still was in shock how things turned out when she did figure it out. So the mystery aspect was pretty well done. I was such a sucker for the final scene between Stern and Liv. Major awwww moment, that really had me in tears.

So, I can definitely recommend this one. I mean it made me root for an impossible relationship – and we all know I’m not exactly one to be keen on the romance angle in most books ( although who knows that might be changing with all the stuff I’ve been reading lately!) it’s worth a read for the mystery and the relationship she has with Stern can’t help but snag your heart. Notes from Ghost Town touched me on a number of levels and it was a smooth easy read.

Notes from Ghost Town

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• This book was provided by the publisher for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. Please note that this post also contains affiliate links. To view our full Blog Policy, click here.

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