Lois RubyRecensioni

As someone who loves everything Salem witchcraft trials - I've seen every documentary, movie, mini-series and probably read every book out there on it, I just could NOT get into this one. I tried my hardest, I really did. I think I went back to this maybe 3 or 4 times and I just could not get into it.

The synopsis made it seem like this book was going to be amazing, so kudos to whoever wrote that, but this book did not live up to the hype. The little girl, Abigail I think her name was, was so annoying. Thomas' POV wasn't half bad, but Prudence, it was breathtaking how boring some of her dialogue was.

This is actually the second book I've 'read' by this author. The first one, The Secret of Laurel Oaks was alright. It is another YA book, I basically read it because it is about the Myrtle Plantation and ghosts, both of which I love, and I had difficulties reading that one as well, but not nearly as bad as this one. Maybe the author's writing style and I just don't mix. I read a ton of YA and NA, so I don't think it has anything to do with the genre.

This was a great story, set during the Salem witch trials. I loved Thomas and Patience, and I like the twist of Thomas being a Quaker, as usually you here about the Puritans when reading about the trials. My only real complaint is I’m not crazy about the use of present tense. It didn’t flow very naturally, and I think first person narrating with the use of past tense would’ve worked better. That said, the story is compelling, and Ruby does an excellent job of bringing characters and setting to life. If you have a teen/YA reader who has an interest in the Salem witch trials, this is a great fictional read to gift them!

***Contains Spoilers***

This book was alright. It sorta reminded me of The Dollhouse Murders but less thought out. It was definitely too long and there didn't really seem to be a reason for the mystery since I think Aunt Amelia knew where Lady was because of her hints? Like, why couldn't she just do it herself or tell someone else to?

The story was OK - it just didn’t mesh with the kid telling it, nor the expectation that the scenario might be plausible. Some parts were too basic, some too advanced, some too obvious, some just oh really?! There were lots of lessons being taught and to be learned, lots of religious information and tradition, some humor, however it was a tick off - all of it. “But suddenly words begin to form in the back of my mind - the kernel of the nucleus of an atom of a quark of an idea.” Now that is a great thought and perhaps the best line in the book.

Eddie Whatever to the rescue - but whose? I love children’s books as well as YA but this one missed the mark for me. Another issue I found troubling was the less than honest and often bad behavior, rule breaking, and wonder about the lesson of justification being offered.

Thank you NetGalley and Carolrhoda Books for a copy

care-center, senior-citizens, bar-mitzvah, Oklahoma, falsely-accused, family, family-dynamics, friendship, robotics, theft, memories, investigation*****

Eddie is an ordinary kid preparing for his Bar Mitzvah and that includes community service at the local care home. He also has some problems in his home life that the parents don't want the kids to know about. While at the home he learns that the old folks are interesting once he takes the time to listen to them, even when some of them repeat the same things over and over or don't talk at all. He even learns things about the holocaust and even about gangsters. Then the thefts begin and his sleuthing follows soon after. .Excellent story!
I can testify to the changes that can happen to young folk when they spend time with folks at care home as I worked as a second shift nurse in them for several years.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Lerner Publishing Group, Carolrhoda Books ® via NetGalley. Thank you!

I read this book to see if it would be appropriate for my daughter. I am handing it over to her; nothing too terrifying here. A solid effort, a fast and easy read and pretty much everything you would expect from a Scholastic offering. I'm sure my daughter will read it and be just fine.

In my own childhood, (back in the 70's, when we didn't wear helmets or seatbelts or sunscreen) life had a much more primitive, medieval quality and the creepy doll/haunted dollhouse novel that terrified me was [b:Among the Dolls|24889|Among the Dolls|William Sleator|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391664360s/24889.jpg|498888] by[a:William Sleator|14004|William Sleator|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1206554364p2/14004.jpg]. It was quite dark and disturbing; or at least that is how I remember it.

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I was obsessed with this book as a pre-teen; picked up a library copy to see how it holds up some 18 or 20 years later. Will try to jot some thoughts later.

I enjoyed this book, but at the same time I found it one I was stunningly neutral about. Both main characters were interesting, the supporting characters were interesting, and the switches between time periods where well done. It isn't a time travel book.

Lori’s parents have just yanked her out of her home in the big city of Philadelphia and they are moving to Civil War crazy Gettysburg. Lori does not want to leave her senior year of high school to move out in the middle of nowhere to help her parents run the B&B they just bought. Lori has the gift of being able to see and communicate with ghosts. Unfortunately, Gettysburg has a lot of ghosts in its past. Nathaniel is a Civil War solider who is trying to get Lori to figure out who murdered him during the war because he knows he was not killed in battle. Lori begins to fall in love with Nathaniel and she is confused by her feelings toward Evan, the current grounds keeper of the B&B. Lori is on a deadline to try to solve the murder of Nathaniel. It has to be wrapped up by the end of Battle of Gettysburg re-enactment, to coincide with the correct historical time.

This is a YA historical romance. There is nothing objectionable or inappropriate for a public or school library. The romance is very tame, so it’s appropriate for younger readers. I think the author captures the spirit of people who participate in re-enactments in the Gettysburg area. I think is also captures the attitude of the people who live there and cater to the tourists who show up every year. It’s a light and easy read. The ghost part is not very scary.

I would consider this book an additional purchase for a school library. It would appeal girls looking for Civil War ghost/romance books. I do think the plot kept moving and the mystery was intriguing. It was not completely predictable until the author started unveiling the details of events. Readers will like both Nathaniel and Evan, Evan being the better choice since he is still alive. This would be a good book to put on a list of fiction books to read during a Civil War unit in history.

Lori Chase has grown up living in hotels managed by her parents. When they announce that they have bought an aging one themselves and the family is moving from downtown Philadelphia to Gettysburg, She's upset for several reasons. She wasn't involved in the decision, she'll lose her friends and she's going to have to spend her senior year at a new school without knowing anyone.
When she arrives, she discovers the whole town is obsessed with the Battle of Gettysburg, even to the point of staging a four day reenactment of the battle. However, it's that level of obsession that will help her parents get a running start in their new business.
Lori meets some interesting people in the process of getting unpacked and figuring out what room she wants. Her choice is the small room at the top of the inn, just under the attic. Her first introduction is to odd and grumpy housekeeper Bertha, whose even stranger husband, Old Dryden is the bumbling handyman. There are two other people on the staff, Charlotte, a couple years older than Lori, who shares a secret talent with her, and Evan, the teen who mows lawns and strikes her as a bit arrogant.
Her most interesting discovery is Nathaniel Pierce, a ghost who was a couple years older than she is when he was murdered during the Battle of Gettysburg. He's been reappearing every year during the reenactment in hopes he'll meet someone who can help him solve the mystery of who killed him. Lori has been able to see ghosts for years, but hasn't said much to others because she's not comfortable with this ability. When Charlotte tells her she sees them as well, it's a big relief.
How Lori helps solve not one, but two mysteries while escaping some very scary situations, along with her budding romances with Nathaniel and Evan, make this a real page turner for teens and tweens who like a good mystery with a bit of history and romance. I particularly like how the author made Nathaniel be able to appear as a real person when around Lori.

"Rebel Spirits" by Lois Ruby was not my most favorite type of book, however it does teach you some historical background about the 1700's. Lorelei Chase falls in love with a ghost named Nathaniel Pierce who was shot after a battle. His soul cannot rest until he finds out who really killed him that night and it is Lorelei's job to solve the mystery before July 4th. Will she be able to help Nathaniel rest in peace, or will he never actually know how he died? This book started out interesting with suspense, until I got about halfway through. This is when the book started to bore me, as there wasn't really much action going on. However, this book may appeal to others and if you have a fondness for reading about ghosts and/or mysteries than this book is for you!½

The fact that I stayed up well past my bedtime to finish this should be review enough. An excellent ghost story, with just the right amount of spookiness, and really interesting historical detail.

The fact that I stayed up well past my bedtime to finish this should be review enough. An excellent ghost story, with just the right amount of spookiness, and really interesting historical detail.

The fact that I stayed up well past my bedtime to finish this should be review enough. An excellent ghost story, with just the right amount of spookiness, and really interesting historical detail.

The fact that I stayed up well past my bedtime to finish this should be review enough. An excellent ghost story, with just the right amount of spookiness, and really interesting historical detail.

Amazon Description:
Haunted by history. Bound by mystery.

Lori Chase doesn't know what to think about ghosts. She may have seen a few in the past, but those were just childish imaginings . . . right? Only now that she is living in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, spirits seem to be on everyone's mind. The town is obsessed with its bloody Civil War history, and the old inn that Lori's parent run is supposedly haunted by the souls of dead soldiers.

Then Lori meets one such soldier -- the devastatingly handsome Nathaniel Pierce. Nathaniel's soul cannot rest, and he desperately needs Lori's help. Because Nathaniel was not killed in the famous battle. He was murdered. Lori begins to investigate the age-old mystery, stumbling upon shocking clues and secrets.

At the same time, she can't help falling for Nathaniel, just as he is falling for her . . . .

Opinions:
Rebel Spirit is a young adult paranormal story about a girl, Lori, who can see ghosts. She moves to Gettysburg with her parents where she meets a ghost claiming he was murdered during the Civil War. With only a few days, Lori must find out who his murderer was while stumbling through a mystery happening at the inn now. Although reading this book as an adult, I find it enjoyable and appropriate during the 150 year anniversary of Gettysburg this summer. For those afraid of ghost stories because they are too scary, don’t be with this one. If you like a little mystery with your stories, then try this book. The Civil War and its era is touched upon by a few stories through the characters, but not overwhelmingly educational (as in – this is not textbook writing.) I would probably have seen myself reading this book during junior high or early high school.

Characters:
The story is written in first person through the eyes of Lori. Lori and her parents move to Gettysburg because of their recently bought bed and breakfast. Lori had previous experiences with spirits but nothing as the extent she experiences in Gettysburg. Lori is a spunky girl who loves baseball, her dog, and her friends/family. She overcomes her skittishness of her abilities when she meets Nathaniel – a union soldier who was murdered during the Battle of Gettysburg. Nathaniel needs Lori to solve his murder before midnight on July 3rd. If not, he cannot come back until the next year’s battle anniversary. Although moving away from her best friend, Jocelyn, Lori meets some new friends who help her with this mystery: Charlotte, who works at her inn, can also see ghosts. Evan, who does the yard work, gets on board by providing interesting information on the war and the people at the inn. There are also some weird characters who may or may not be up to no good. I think Lori is relatable to other teenagers with her interests and attitude. One out of character moment for me was with Lori’s parents and the cemetery – near the end of the book. I won’t go in detail due to spoilers, but it went against a scene prior to that one with Lori and her parents.

Plot:
The plot moved along well and centered around discovery who Nathaniel’s murderer could be. Along this course, Lori discovers some suspicious behavior happening right then and there at the inn. Could things be connected? Will she discover the murderer before Nathaniel disappears for another year? Well, you’ll have to read it to find out. All I’ll say is that there is a slight twist at the end. One thing that I would have liked to see was a little more conversation between Lori and Charlotte near the end.

The Bottom Line:
Overall I enjoyed this book. It was a nice young adult read that had ghosts, mystery, and Civil War aspects. If you like these things, then you might want to try this book.

Not any teenager will enjoy this book. Need a certain knowledge of racism, slavery in the United States.½

I was hoping for a great ghost story but was disappointed in the implausible tone of the book... that is, it was supposed to be scary but ended up more like a social studies lesson on plantation life. It may find a warmer reception with a young adult audience.

I thought this book was a fantastic book!!!!! New things came in every chapter that just made your jaw drop!!!!!! Sometimes, throughout the book, i wished i could be there just to see the stuff that was happening for myself!!!!!! I highly recommend this book!!!!!!!

Steal Away Home is a story about a young girl who discovers a human skeleton in a secret room in her new home. She also finds a diary that unfolds some of the mystery of who the skeleton may have been. The book flips back and forth from the point of view of the young girl and a young boy that lived in the house just prior to the Civil War. A book that will intrigue young readers and may spark an interest in the Underground Railroad and the risks that station owners took to help runaway slaves escape to freedom. submitted by Kristy, Fall 09.

While staying with her family in Louisiana's Laurel Oaks Plantation, purported to be one of the most haunted places in America, thirteen-year-old Lila is contacted by the ghost of a slave girl unjustly convicted of murder. Story inspired by the author's visit to the Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana.

When I was growing up, this was one of my favorite books. (In fact, I bought a second copy because my first one was so tron up)
Adam is a typical American teenage boy. Although he was raised Jewish, he doesn't really believe in it.
Miriam is a classmate of Adam's who belongs to a religious sect that, among other things, frowns on medical treatment. When it turns out that she has cancer, the government requires that she be treated for it.
Adam and Miriam are assigned to do a project together, and this leads to their lives becoming increasingly connected, and, amongst the legal battle of religion versus the state, they fall in love...½