Author: Sharon Sala
Series: Yes, #1
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books
UK Release date: August 2011
Genre: Paranormal
Read via NetGalley
Moving from place to place with her uncle isn't easy for Tara Luna. Not just because she has to start a new school and make new friends every time they move, but because she's psychic. Her best friends are over-protective ghosts, she's being haunted by a mysterious new spirit and to top it all off, the mean girls at school don't like her. Welcome to Tara's lunatic life.
Review: Tara Luna was great - she's quick witted, down to earth and not afraid to stand up for herself against the popular crowd. Her best friends are two over-protective ghosts that follow her around and cause choas when anyone doesn't get on with Tara, adding a fun lighthearted element to the story. Her uncle Pat is also an interesting character, with his love for odd food combinations and fatherly concern for Tara. I would have liked the other characters to have been more developed though, as we didn't really know much about the mean girls or Tara's love interest Flynn who I would have liked to have known in more depth.
Although Tara tries to hide her gifts, she uses them to get her own back on the mean girls as well as help find why and where Bethany has disappeared to. This main plot is fairly simple and quick, with no major twists or turns, but it does mean Tara has to face her fear of telling others about her gift. The subplot, of the mysterious dark shape that is haunting her house is left open, but done in a way that really makes me want to read the next story to find out what happens. Although the ending is a bit sickly sweet, with everything ending pretty much perfectly, I think it would suit a younger YA audience.
Being psychic, Luna can see and talk to ghosts. I really liked this element, because her ghost friends added so much to the plot, but I wasn't expecting her talent of telepathy, mainly because it wasn't ever mentioned as a separate gift but bundled in with being psychic. Perhaps I'm being fussy, but I found it a little jarring when it was suddenly introduced because she hadn't mentioned for several chapters that she could read anyone's mind. I also thought that considering she could hear Flynn's thoughts, the guy she fancies, they are all very innocent thoughts and she doesn't seem very pertubed to hear what he's thinking. These issues are only touched on very lightly, and her gifts are rarely explored as a burden or difficult for her to handle, and this is one of the other reasons why I think the story is suited to a younger audience, or someone looking for a quick, easy read.
With plenty of paranormal intrigue, My Lunatic Life is a fun, lighthearted read.
Rating: 3.5*
1 comment:
Ive got this one and I cant wait to read it, sounds awesome.
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