Krista Reviews: Greg Weisman’s – “Rain of the Ghosts”
Rain of the Ghosts is the first in Greg Weisman’s series about an adventurous young girl, Rain Cacique, who discovers she has a mystery to solve, a mission to complete and, oh, yes, the ability to see ghosts.
Welcome to the Prospero Keys (or as the locals call them: the Ghost Keys), a beautiful chain of tropical islands on the edge of the Bermuda Triangle. Rain Cacique is water-skiing with her two best friends Charlie and Miranda when Rain sees her father waiting for her at the dock. Sebastian Bohique, her maternal grandfather, has passed away. He was the only person who ever made Rain feel special. The only one who believed she could do something important with her life. The only thing she has left to remember him by is the armband he used to wear: two gold snakes intertwined, clasping each other’s tails in their mouths. Only the armband . . . and the gift it brings: Rain can see dead people. Starting with the Dark Man: a ghost determined to reveal the Ghost Keys’ hidden world of mystery and mysticism, intrigue and adventure.
Paperback, 240 pages
Published December 3rd 2013 by St. Martin’s Griffin
ISBN
1250029791 (ISBN13: 9781250029799)
Written for younger readers, Rain of Ghosts tells a story of family, friends, and history. Rain and her family live on a tropical island in the Prospero Keys where her family runs a lodge for vacationers. The community of actual island residents is small, and they all know each other and have jobs catering to the vacationers. Rain has always had dreams to leave the island and explore the world.
Sebastian Bohique, Rain’s grandfather and best friend, passes away early on in the story. This leaves Rain devastated and coincides with her new ability to see ghosts. A man renting a room at her house shows interest in an heirloom she has just inherited from her grandfather and it soon goes missing. Together with her best friends Charlie and Miranda, Rain must find the heirloom and find out why she can now see ghosts.
The ghosts all seem to be tied together somehow and they keep trying to tell her something that she cannot understand. With her friends, she does everything in her power to help, travelling all around and even off the island; it’s a dangerous and wild adventure.
Rain learns a lot about herself and her grandfather in her search for answers. The writing is gripping and really makes you feel like part of the story. What I enjoyed most about this story is what Rain finds at the end of the story: a hidden secret treasure (of sorts) and I can’t wait to read the next book to see where she’ll go next.
I recommend this story. I enjoyed it and it was like having an adventurous vacation. This book had great characters and setting. I admired Rain and I think you will too.
