Review: A fun family ghost story
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 15, 2013
In movies, casting makes or breaks the film. The same can be said for books.The author has a great cast in Getting Back To Normal.Vannie's almost twelve when her father uproots the family and moves them into a dumpy old cottage on the grounds of Merry Mount Gardens, the estate he works for.She's not happy with the move and neither is her little brother Robby. He's obsessed with a stray cat he's been feeding, Theodore, and worries if the new people living in their old house will take care of him.Vannie worries about who will take care of them, as her father has immersed himself in matters of the estate and is often absent.Her father looked to his wife for comfort and support. They all did. She was the glue that held them together.Now that she's gone, they are quickly becoming a dysfunctional family.Vannie's saving grace is Aunt Mayda. She's not really her aunt. She was her mothers best friend. She owns Merry Mount and helped them to get the cottage.Aunt Mayda lives in the city but makes frequent visits, lending her support where needed.One day, Vannie makes a new friend.Archibald Heatherton is Mayda's grandfather. He's also the resident ghost.Vannie is the only one who can see him, and he's asking for her help.He chose to stay after his "foolish death" to ensure Mayda lives happily ever after.Vannie thinks it's a pretty tall order. Does anyone get their happily ever after?Vannie is a brave young lady. Her situation adds a heavy responsibility on her small shoulders. Her dad is buried in his work, her brother is obsessed with a stray cat, she's missing her home, her school, her friends.Now a silly ghost wants a real life fairy tale ending. Can helping Archie maybe help her own family? Will they ever get back to normal?  What is normal anyway?Without Archie the ghost, this could have been a heavy read. Archie, with his backflips and cartwheels, and aura of mystery, lightens the mood, making this a fun story told from Vannie's point of view.Getting Back To Normal is for young readers. I'd say middle grade. The characters are real and the situations are true to life, well, except for Archie, and the adventures are exciting.  And I'm all for a happily ever after.This took me back to when I was young and I spent all my time in the library. I would grab my selected books and sit in a quiet corner, reading until it was time to go home. I loved taking those books home, choosing which one to read first, and diving into a new world.I wish I had young children to share this book with. I would love for them to meet these characters and interrupt me when I'm busy to exclaim about something that happened in the book.I was provided this book for my honest review.