Will is Dougie’s best mate and they get along so well that a huge occurrence like death cannot separate them. Will was knocked down by a car but Dougie can still see Will’s ghost. No one else can. Some people naturally enough think that Dougie is mad, even his head teacher. Dougie is determined to find out why Will has not departed and is on a mission to achieve his aim without looking like he is round the bend.
The relationship between the boys is very entertaining, with witty banter which makes them quite realistic teenagers!
This novel goes from a slowish start to witty and frightening; both genres are equally strong and well written. The jokes were extremely funny and the scares in the haunted house made me jump out of my seat.
I really liked the character of Phyllis, who is also a ghost who has not passed over. She brings a touch of sadness to the book when Dougie and Will find out how she died, along with thrills as Dougie and Will attempt to capture her murderer.
I would recommend this brilliant book to boys and girls 10-13. It is a fairly short read at only 248 pages, but fantastic nevertheless. Full of suspense, the emotional threads are handled very well and thanks to some great humour I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars, which it wholly deserves.
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Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.
