My So-Called Haunting
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"Tamsyn Murray's second novel ... is just as funny, spirited and moving as her first. I loved it so much ... characters really captured my heart ... the dark, brooding and gorgeous Nico ... quite a few unexpected turns of plot ... Tamsyn Murray is fast becoming one of my favourite authors and so I can't wait to read her next offering, My So-Called Phantom Lovelife." -- solittletimeforbooks blog, September 2010
Product Description
Skye, a fourteen-year-old who can see ghosts, is very stressed. Not only is the ghost of a sixteenth-century witch giving her fashion tips, but she's struggling to settle into life with her aunt, and is developing a crush on the most unattainable boy in the school, Nico. When her aunt asks her for help with a troubled teen ghost called Dontay, she's glad of the distraction. But then Nico starts paying her attention, and she's soon facing a battle to keep her love life and her psychic life separate. As things get ever more complicated, it looks as though Dontay's past might cost Skye her future.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
My So-Called Haunting is the follow-up to Brit author Tamsyn Murray's fabulous first novel, My So-Called Afterlife. It's a companion novel rather than a direct sequel, which means that although we're hanging out with a different main character, there's a few familiar faces and a welcome return to ghost hangout The Church of the Dearly Departed.
Skye is your average teenager. She goes to school, she feels like a loser, and when she comes home she squabbles with the centuries-old ghost who haunts the place. Having seen ghosts her entire life, Skye is fairly easy-going about her 'gift', but there's a dark side to it too - such as being the only person on the bus each morning who sees the ghost of a woman repeatedly throwing herself off a bridge. Creepy, right? Though clairvoyance runs in her family, her mum doesn't possess it, and this puts a certain emotional distance between them. There's also some actual distance, since her mum is working overseas for a year and Skye's come down from Scotland to live in London with her equally clairvoyant aunt and her aunt's boyfriend Jeremy (if you've read MSCA, you'll recognise them). Although it's Skye's story, cantankerous spirit Mary Drover definitely steals the show - always on hand to accuse Skye of dressing like a strumpet or lament the unnaturalness of modern technology, she's like a really really old grandparent who just happens to be able to walk through walls.
While Skye narrates events with plenty of wry humour (the best kind) the tone is a perhaps a smidgen more serious than My So-Called Afterlife. Murray tackles the topical theme of gang culture as Skye befriends ghost boy Dontay, who was recently murdered and hasn't yet been able to move on. Dontay's story develops in a way that will undoubtedly convey a positive message to tweens and younger teens, although older readers might find the approach slightly simplistic. But where My So-Called Haunting really excels is in the romance between Skye and her (impossibly handsome, swoonworthy and mysterious) crush Nico. Although it starts out much as your regular paranormal YA romance, it soon heads off in a far more unexpected direction. It's twisty and entertaining and somehow far more real than all that 'instant soulmates' stuff you want to believe in but never quite can. When it comes to romance, this book has smarts, and that is a very good thing.
My So-Called Haunting is overflowing with wicked fun ghostly goodness. It's the kind of book you'll find yourself giggling out loud at, and quite possibly trying to pass off a few of Skye's witty asides as your own. If you like your ghost stories more snarky than scary, you'll like this.
Skye is your average teenager. She goes to school, she feels like a loser, and when she comes home she squabbles with the centuries-old ghost who haunts the place. Having seen ghosts her entire life, Skye is fairly easy-going about her 'gift', but there's a dark side to it too - such as being the only person on the bus each morning who sees the ghost of a woman repeatedly throwing herself off a bridge. Creepy, right? Though clairvoyance runs in her family, her mum doesn't possess it, and this puts a certain emotional distance between them. There's also some actual distance, since her mum is working overseas for a year and Skye's come down from Scotland to live in London with her equally clairvoyant aunt and her aunt's boyfriend Jeremy (if you've read MSCA, you'll recognise them). Although it's Skye's story, cantankerous spirit Mary Drover definitely steals the show - always on hand to accuse Skye of dressing like a strumpet or lament the unnaturalness of modern technology, she's like a really really old grandparent who just happens to be able to walk through walls.
While Skye narrates events with plenty of wry humour (the best kind) the tone is a perhaps a smidgen more serious than My So-Called Afterlife. Murray tackles the topical theme of gang culture as Skye befriends ghost boy Dontay, who was recently murdered and hasn't yet been able to move on. Dontay's story develops in a way that will undoubtedly convey a positive message to tweens and younger teens, although older readers might find the approach slightly simplistic. But where My So-Called Haunting really excels is in the romance between Skye and her (impossibly handsome, swoonworthy and mysterious) crush Nico. Although it starts out much as your regular paranormal YA romance, it soon heads off in a far more unexpected direction. It's twisty and entertaining and somehow far more real than all that 'instant soulmates' stuff you want to believe in but never quite can. When it comes to romance, this book has smarts, and that is a very good thing.
My So-Called Haunting is overflowing with wicked fun ghostly goodness. It's the kind of book you'll find yourself giggling out loud at, and quite possibly trying to pass off a few of Skye's witty asides as your own. If you like your ghost stories more snarky than scary, you'll like this.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The dramatic first line instantly drew me into the story.
Written in first person narrative from Skye's point of view. At 15/16 she is small for her age, something she constantly mentions; I did feel perhaps Skye had a bit of a complex about her height. For the most part I think being petite generally aids girls/women as people want to protect them. Skye was born with psychic ability she deals with it very well and is lucky to have her Aunt Celeste for guidance.
It was so nice to see Celeste and Jeremy's characters progress from My So-Called Afterlife . A great piece of character and relationship development on behalf of Tamsyn Murray.
Although I liked Skye I can't say I fully connected with her. A myriad of unfortunate incidents add to the plot. The description of Nico and the Romanian Gypsy connection to psychics gave a multi-layered storyline. Not at all what I was expecting and the dramatic direction the action undertook was simply sensational.
I adore Tamsyn's writing style which seems naturally humorous on a personal level beyond just subjective reading - if that makes any sense at all. Very easy to relate to, each reader will take something different away with them. Some serious and topical issues are woven into the story, including gang culture, gun crime, suicide, death and bereavement. I know you are wondering how books containing these elements can be funny. It is difficult for me to explain but thanks to Tamsyn's writing style these subjects are tackled with sensitivity and humor while making you think about the consequences. I am obviously not be very articulate in my explanation SORRY. A mixed bag of a plot that blends surprisingly well together.
I haven't gone into detail about the other characters in the book especially Dontay as the plot really revolves around him and I don't want to spoil it for you. Just remember looks can be deceiving [ ; D ]
There are a number of plot threads left open involving other characters such as Mary (the resident poltergeist) and Nico (the love interest). I think these are the main characters in the next book My So-Called Phantom Love Life, at least I hope so as I would love to know more about these characters.
Written in first person narrative from Skye's point of view. At 15/16 she is small for her age, something she constantly mentions; I did feel perhaps Skye had a bit of a complex about her height. For the most part I think being petite generally aids girls/women as people want to protect them. Skye was born with psychic ability she deals with it very well and is lucky to have her Aunt Celeste for guidance.
It was so nice to see Celeste and Jeremy's characters progress from My So-Called Afterlife . A great piece of character and relationship development on behalf of Tamsyn Murray.
Although I liked Skye I can't say I fully connected with her. A myriad of unfortunate incidents add to the plot. The description of Nico and the Romanian Gypsy connection to psychics gave a multi-layered storyline. Not at all what I was expecting and the dramatic direction the action undertook was simply sensational.
I adore Tamsyn's writing style which seems naturally humorous on a personal level beyond just subjective reading - if that makes any sense at all. Very easy to relate to, each reader will take something different away with them. Some serious and topical issues are woven into the story, including gang culture, gun crime, suicide, death and bereavement. I know you are wondering how books containing these elements can be funny. It is difficult for me to explain but thanks to Tamsyn's writing style these subjects are tackled with sensitivity and humor while making you think about the consequences. I am obviously not be very articulate in my explanation SORRY. A mixed bag of a plot that blends surprisingly well together.
I haven't gone into detail about the other characters in the book especially Dontay as the plot really revolves around him and I don't want to spoil it for you. Just remember looks can be deceiving [ ; D ]
There are a number of plot threads left open involving other characters such as Mary (the resident poltergeist) and Nico (the love interest). I think these are the main characters in the next book My So-Called Phantom Love Life, at least I hope so as I would love to know more about these characters.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
My So Called Haunting is another witty paranormal read from the queen of comedy Ms Tamsyn Murray.
Skye is fourteen and she has just moved from Edinburgh to live with her aunt Celestine in London. Her aunt happens to be a psychic of rather extraordinary abilities. Skye's mum is working away in Australia so Skye has to start a new life. The thing is that Skye is not your average fourteen year old - at least in one very important way - she speaks to dead people. Skye is a psychic who conveys with ghosts which when you add that problem to the huge issue of being a teenager - you get a really entertaining story.
Skye can't help feeling like the world is against her. She is the Bruce Almighty of paranormal fiction - Bless her! Trying to fit into a new school is rather difficult when your day starts by seeing a ghost jump off a bridge. But aside from her ghostly difficulties there is the issue of falling for the most swoon-worthy guy ever and having a best friend who will marry you off to the handsomest bidder.
My So Called Haunting is a really funny book. It is comical - there's slapstick, puns and the over-active cursing of a sixteenth century witch. But underneath all the wit and humour are some deeply serious issues. I felt reading this book that the author was making a statement about contemporary British culture. This is very much a book of our time. There are references to the Twilight phenomenon, commentary about the age of the love at first sight stalker types in our young adult fiction. But there is also the theme of crime and I thought the author was brave to tackle an issue such as gang culture in what is a very funny book. It is the literature of the absurd teenager and it really works.
Skye is a down to earth character despite her otherworldly contacts. I really liked that about her. I think it took the author a couple of chapters to really find her voice. Perhaps because she is more of a realist than Lucy from My So Called Afterlife and finding the soul of a new character is a challenge. By about the third chapter, Murray had nailed it and I was sucked into the world. Skye had my sympathy and my attention. I was cheering her on!
I am amazed at how much the author can cram in to such a short book. How does she do it? My So Called Haunting is the paranormal genre minus the gut churning angst and multiplied with adolescent humour. A fun read! Recommended for girls age 11+.
Skye is fourteen and she has just moved from Edinburgh to live with her aunt Celestine in London. Her aunt happens to be a psychic of rather extraordinary abilities. Skye's mum is working away in Australia so Skye has to start a new life. The thing is that Skye is not your average fourteen year old - at least in one very important way - she speaks to dead people. Skye is a psychic who conveys with ghosts which when you add that problem to the huge issue of being a teenager - you get a really entertaining story.
Skye can't help feeling like the world is against her. She is the Bruce Almighty of paranormal fiction - Bless her! Trying to fit into a new school is rather difficult when your day starts by seeing a ghost jump off a bridge. But aside from her ghostly difficulties there is the issue of falling for the most swoon-worthy guy ever and having a best friend who will marry you off to the handsomest bidder.
My So Called Haunting is a really funny book. It is comical - there's slapstick, puns and the over-active cursing of a sixteenth century witch. But underneath all the wit and humour are some deeply serious issues. I felt reading this book that the author was making a statement about contemporary British culture. This is very much a book of our time. There are references to the Twilight phenomenon, commentary about the age of the love at first sight stalker types in our young adult fiction. But there is also the theme of crime and I thought the author was brave to tackle an issue such as gang culture in what is a very funny book. It is the literature of the absurd teenager and it really works.
Skye is a down to earth character despite her otherworldly contacts. I really liked that about her. I think it took the author a couple of chapters to really find her voice. Perhaps because she is more of a realist than Lucy from My So Called Afterlife and finding the soul of a new character is a challenge. By about the third chapter, Murray had nailed it and I was sucked into the world. Skye had my sympathy and my attention. I was cheering her on!
I am amazed at how much the author can cram in to such a short book. How does she do it? My So Called Haunting is the paranormal genre minus the gut churning angst and multiplied with adolescent humour. A fun read! Recommended for girls age 11+.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Wonderful sequel to My So-Called Afterlife
Tamsyn Murray has written another fabulous ghost story with some of the characters from 'My So-Called Afterlife'. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Anne
A Very Worthy Sequel
This is the follow-up to tbe brilliantly fresh debut novel by Tamsyn Murray, My So-Called Afterlife, and it certainly lived up to my expectations after reading the first book. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Stef Hall
This is a book for when you need cheering up.
I haven't read the previous book for several months, but that didn't matter. MSH uses the same world, but slightly different characters. Skye is hilarious. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Jessica
Another great book by Tamsyn Murray
Tamsyn Murray's follow-up to the brilliant My So-Called Afterlife doesn't disappoint. In the first book, Tamsyn asked the question, what would it be like to be a teenage ghost? Read more
Published 19 months ago by Spencer Macleavey
My first read of a book by Tamsyn Murray - it won't be my last.
I bought this book on the strength of getting to know the author on Twitter. If I am honest I wasn't sure how I would get on with it as I am not usually so keen on ghost stories,... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Rebecca Emin
Teen enjoys an equally gripping second book!
I was very excited about this book, and as soon as I'd read the blurb I knew it was going to be very different to My So-Called Afterlife. Read more
Published 20 months ago by R. Carter
My So-Called Haunting
This is a book I was highly anticipating. I loved Tamsyn Murray's debut YA novel, My So-Called Afterlife, which released earlier this year and my daughter and I had also enjoyed... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Vicki @ Cosy Books
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