The Ghost Files - Apryl Baker - 4 stars

I read this book for one of the challenges for the Read Your E-Reader read-a-thon. It is a great YA paranormal horror story. I love stories about ghosts, and this one sure did fit the bill. So glad I got the chance to read it and I am anxious to continue with the story. For a free kindle book it was definitely worth the read.
Synopsis
Cherry blossom lipstick: check
Smokey eyes: check
Skinny jeans: check
Dead kid in the mirror: check

For sixteen year old Mattie Hathaway, this is her normal everyday routine. She’s been able to see ghosts since her mother tried to murder her when she was five years old. No way does she want anyone to know she can talk to spooks. Being a foster kid is hard enough without being labeled a freak too.

Normally, she just ignores the ghosts and they go away. That is until she see’s the ghost of her foster sister… Sally.

Everyone thinks Sally’s just another runaway, but Mattie knows the truth—she’s dead. Murdered. Mattie feels like she has to help Sally, but she can’t do it alone. Against her better judgment, she teams up with a young policeman, Officer Dan, and together they set out to discover the real truth behind Sally’s disappearance.

Only to find out she’s dealing with a much bigger problem, a serial killer, and she may be the next victim…

Will Mattie be able to find out the truth before the killer finds her?

Wow I loved the plot to this story so much. It had just the right pacing to keep it exciting. I thought that it was so original. I felt like I was in the middle of everything while I read this. The imagery is fantastic, it makes everything feel so real and that is great storytelling. It is chock full of terror and creepiness and is sure to please fans of paranormal horror. No sugar coating anything in this book. There are some pretty disturbing parts in the story, so if you don't like descriptive horror, you may wanna stay away from this one.

The characters are pretty good. I loved all of them for whatever part they were playing. I have to say that I loved Mattie the most. She is snarky and sarcastic, but not to the point of not liking her. She is also very strong and bullheaded. There was one thing that bothered me about her though and that was the way she had to over analyze everything. I know that this is part of her character and I just had to deal with that part of it. Otherwise I think she was fantastic.

I have to recommend this book to anyone who loves paranormal horror, and to those who are looking for good ghost stories for this spook season. I would love to see this as a movie. I think they could do a lot with it and make it amazing. I look forward to reading the rest of the series and I will be looking for them in physical form soon.