Review: Ashes to Ashes by Melissa Walker

Ashes to Ashes
by Melissa Walker
Hardcover, 356 pages
Expected publication: December 23rd 2013
by Katherine Tegen Books

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If I Stay meets the movie Ghost in this first book in a teen duology about a teenage-girl-turned-ghost who must cling to the echoes of her former life to save the people she left behind.

Ashes to Ashes is author Melissa Walker's sweeping, romantic, and emotionally rich story about the things that torment and tempt us, even from the Great Beyond. This book is perfect for fans of Die for Me and Imaginary Girls, and its breathtaking ending will leave readers anxiously awaiting the series conclusion, Dust to Dust.

When Callie's life is cut short by a tragic accident, she expects to find nothingness, or maybe some version of heaven.

Instead, her spirit travels to the Prism, an ethereal plane populated by the ghosts she thought were fictional. Here she meets a striking and mysterious ghost named Thatcher, who is meant to guide her as she learns to haunt and bring peace to the loved ones she left behind.

However, Callie uncovers a dark secret about the spirit world: The angry souls who always populate ghost stories are real, dangerous, and willing to do whatever it takes to stay on Earth, threatening the existence of everyone she ever cared about.

As she fights to save them, Callie will learn that while it may no longer beat, her heart can still love-and break.

What happens to your body when you die? Where does your soul go? How do you reach your loved ones to help them get over your passing and what if they still had something to tell you?

Ashes to Ashes is a journey that 16 year old Callie takes after a horrific accident. Callie is a thrill seeker, she uses this to mask the emptiness that she has after losing her mother to an illness many years before, which puts her in some pretty questionable situations.

It’s the summer between her sophomore and junior year of high school and her father has just given her first car. Having this car would change Callie's outlook on life forever!

In the Prism (the other realm), Callie meets the Guides-Thatcher, Sarah, & Ryan who will teach her what she needs to know to put her loved ones at ease and help them accept her death.

Along her journey throughout the Prism she learns that there too exists good and evil when it comes to the ghosts. She's taught in a sense that one's energy is like GOLD!

Throughout my reading, I noticed that Ms. Walker has her characters experience as many emotions as possible-sadness, anger, fear, embarrassment, happiness, and exhilaration.

Ms. Walker's writing style draws the reader into the pages of the book, I was able to feel the emotions with Callie, and I couldn't wait to see what happened next whether it be good or bad.

The book takes quite a few interesting turns which keep the reader's attention. Ashes to Ashes is packed with drama, romance, and action/suspense.

I recommend this book for ages 16+ because of the dramatics in the storyline, it may be a bit too much for a younger reader.

Ms. Walker, I would like to see more of this story continued from the Epilogue.

Out of 5 stars my recommendation would be 4.5.

Please welcome Fiona to the GCReading team! She will be our new part-time reviewer. Fiona loves reading middle grade, young adult, and mystery thriller novels. We are thrilled to have her on our team! :)