Product Description

When Miranda Barnes first sees the sleepy town of St. Yvette, Louisiana, with its moss-draped trees, above-ground cemeteries, and her grandfather’s creepy historic home, she realizes that life as she knew it is officially over. Almost immediately, there seems to be something cloying at her. Something lonely and sad and . . . very pressing. Even at school and in the group project she’s been thrown into, she can’t escape it. Whispers when she’s alone, shadows when no one is there to make them, and a distant pleading voice that wakes her from sleep. The other members in Miranda’s group project, especially handsome Etienne, can see that Miranda is in distress. She is beginning to understand that, like her grandfather before her, she has a special gift of communicating with spirits who still walk the town of St. Yvette. And no matter where she turns, Miranda feels bound by their whispered pleas for help . . . unless she can somehow find a way to bring them peace.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #691619 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780142410509
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up—A hurricane forces Miranda Barnes and her mother to relocate from Florida to the small bayou town of St. Yvette, LA, where they are taken in by Miranda's aunt and the grandfather the teen has never met. Miranda wants nothing more than to be left alone, but she is thrown immediately into a school project with cocky jock Parker, his cheerleader girlfriend Ashley, Goth girl Roo, cute Gage, and mysterious Etienne. Even worse, her nights are disturbed by unearthly screams. It turns out that Miranda has inherited Grandpa's talents as a medium, and his sudden death forces her to continue his work. She attempts to unravel the tragedy of a Civil War-era love story while helping her classmates put together a "haunted history" tour of the town, making a few tentative sparks with Etienne along the way. While the setup is promising, Cusick's supernatural romance doesn't generate much mystery or passion. The playful banter and innuendo among the teens is entertaining (if occasionally misplaced), but the rapidity with which most of Miranda's new friends accept her psychic abilities is unconvincing. Those who like their love stories spiced with the paranormal should stick with Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series (Little, Brown).—Christi Voth Esterle, Parker Library, CO
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
Romance, danger and supernatural thrills abound...Cusick's fans will no doubt devour this new title. -- Kirkus Reviews

The playful banter and innuendo among the teens is entertaining. -- School Library Journal

About the Author
Richie Tankersley Cusick is the author of more than twenty books for young adults, including The House Next Door, April Fools, and several Buffy the Vampire Slayer books. Cusick’s success can be seen in her tremendous sales (4 million copies and counting), 74 bestseller lists, and numerous awards, including CBC Children’s Choices, New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, and an Edgar Award nomination. Richie was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and lived in a sleepy part of town near the bayou. The haunting magic of the region made a big impression and was the inspiration for this novel. She lives in Lenexa, Kansas.

Customer Reviews

Walk of the Spirits
Walk of the Spirits by Richie Tankersley Cusick is a well written young adult ghost story. I've read and own almost all of her books and this one doesn't disappoint. This story is about a 17 year old girl, Miranda, who relocates after a hurricane destroys almost everything in her life. She and her mother move in with her grandfather and aunt. Miranda starts hearing voices and having visions soon after arriving.

I found this book to be a very quick read, despite the fact it doesn't rely on a lot of action and gore. It is very atmospheric and creepy. I loved it.

I recommend almost all of her other books. Some of my favorites are: Teacher's Pet, Help Wanted, The Locker, The Mall, Fatal Secrets, Vampire, and Someone at the Door. I can't recommend Blood Roots (an adult novel) though unless you enjoy V.C. Andrews type books.

If you like this author you might also like L. J. Smith, she's the author of several series including: The Vampire Diaries, Night World, The Forbidden Game, and The Secret Circle

Well worth the wait!
I've been a fan of Richie Tankersley Cusick since middle school, and I've enjoyed all of her YA novels to date. Walk of the Spirits was no exception. It's not like the horror tales of her earlier works, but rather a ghostly mystery involving spirits from the Civil War era. Though it's an easy, quick read, the story has all the charm and atmosphere of its Louisiana setting. I especially loved the interaction between Miranda and her new friends. The camaraderie between them made me nostalgic for my own high school friends. And I developed a particular fondness for Etienne, who reminded me of a childhood friend who had to grow up quickly due to family circumstance, and was often working a part-time job or caring for her younger sibling while the rest of us were enjoying our teen years. The end of the story leaves room for sequels, so hopefully we'll get to see Miranda and friends again.
While Walk of the Spirits doesn't have gore, it does have some profanity and mild sensuality that may not be suitable for younger youth. However, for older teens and adults who have been fans of RTC for years, I do recommend you give this book a try.

Engrossing
Walk of the Spirits is a captivating ghost story from Richie Tankersley Cusick. Even before she moves to St. Yvette and becomes haunted by a soldier in gray, Miranda is dealing with the ghosts of her past, having lost everything in a hurricane and being forced to start over in a place not her home. This leaves her hollow and withdrawn, so much so that she passionately dreads having to work on a group project for class. Through a smooth narrative narrative that easily draws you in, it soon becomes apparent to Miranda that she can communicate with the other side and, without her help, spirits like the gray soldier will never achieve peace.

As engaging as the ghost story is, Miranda desperately trying to figure out exactly why the gray soldier is restless so he can move on, that's not the true heart of the novel. Miranda forges endearing friendships with those in her project group, each one possessing a vibrant personality that simultaneously meshes and clashes. They're so dimensional, you expect them to walk straight out of the book and into real life -- so much so that Miranda pales in comparison to them. She's more of a cookie-cutter protagonist, developed enough to move the story forward, but not enough so for readers to fully grasp who she is as a character. Regardless, Walk of the Spirits is an engrossing read, the interweaving plotlines of loss and the peace that follows too compelling to pass up.