Our second Selective Collective book for March is “The Murmurings” by Carly Anne West. It’s a psychological thriller that should appeal to horror fans. The main character Sophie is not only grieving the mysterious death of her institutionalized older sister, but she’s also dealing with the possibility that she too is insane, because like her sister, Sophie hears “murmurings” and sees flashes of something in mirrors. The idea of ghosts is one that permeates all of pop culture, from music to movies to TV shows. Below we’re discussing our thoughts on ghosts here, there and everywhere. Many thanks to Simon Pulse for sending us all copies of the book for review.
Everyone thinks Sophie’s sister, Nell, went crazy. After all, she heard strange voices that drove her to commit suicide. But Sophie doesn’t believe that Nell would take her own life, and she’s convinced that Nell’s doctor knows more than he’s letting on.
As Sophie starts to piece together Nell’s last days, every lead ends in a web of lies. And the deeper Sophie digs, the more danger she’s in—because now she’s hearing the same haunting whispers. Sophie’s starting to think she’s going crazy too. Or worse, that maybe she’s not….
Stories about haunted houses or people who can see dead people are so compelling it’s hard to avoid them. From the kiddie program “Casper the Friendly Ghost” to “Beetlejuice” and “The Sixth Sense” to “The Shining,” “Ghost” and “The Others,” there is a ghost tale for every kind of audience. I think anyone who has grieved the death of someone they love will understand the fascinating, even comforting notion that perhaps those souls are still around us in some way. But whereas the ghosts we think of in our grief are there to comfort and guide us, the ones we tend to gravitate toward in popular culture are the creepy ones — the ones who linger about menacingly or try to force living humans to do something on their behalf.
Who can forget Haley Joel Osment’s connection with Bruce Willis in “The Sixth Sense,” or little Carol Anne saying “They’re coming…” in “Poltergeist.” Frankly I’d rather have my “Ghost” come in the form of Patrick Swayze, but even poor Molly (Demi Moore) only got him via Whoopi Goldberg! Kidding aside, ghosts continue to transfix us as audiences, whether we believe in them or not. What are your favorite ghost-themed books, movies, shows, etc.?
I’ll leave you with the video of one of my family’s favorite songs from 2012: “Ghosts” by the Head and the Heart:
Make sure to check out everyone else in the Selective Collective’s features, especially Candice’s interview with Carly Anne and giveaway of the book!
Candice @ The Grown-Up YA | Author Profile & Giveaway
Tee @ YA Crush | Casting Call
Brittany @ The Book Addict’s Guide | Roundtable Discussion
Daphne & Kristina @ Gone Pecan | Review
I love this idea for the freebie post! Personally, I am TERRIFIED of ghosts. I 100% believe in ghosts and I swear, if I ever encounter paranormal activity like that, I will be so incredibly scared!!
I cannot watch horror movies with ghosts because I swear, I will be scared for months afterwards haha!
That being said, I do like the “little” things (although they still kind of freak me out) – Like my mom, my sister, and I like to believe that we get little “signs” from our relatives who have passed, just to know that they’re still there/thinking of us, like a song on the radio or seeing a random sign somewhere that just reminds us of a connection with them. Even if it is pure coincidence, we like to believe it’s true and keep that connection alive even when our loved ones aren’t 🙂
Yeah, I’m like Brittany. . .I can’t watch many horror/ghost shows. Heck I’m still scared of clowns because of IT and I only was able to watch the first Paranormal Activity. I like to believe my family is still around in some way though. I don’t think I would be scared of them. Great post!
You know, I tend to blow off ghost stories like only crazy people have them, but I know a few people (sane ones) who have some pretty insane stories. Also, once or twice I watched shows about people who have ghosts (or something) show up in pics or in audio and it’s made me afraid to go downstairs at night by myself.