The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts is the first book in The Unbelievables series, and it was an interesting enough read. In all honesty, my feelings are rather mixed. Some parts of this book I really enjoyed whereas other aspects I wasn’t as crazy about. Whilst I have given it a three-star rating, a three-point-five-star rating is actually more accurate.

This book is one of those stories that manages to mix a few different genres into a single book. It’s young adult supernatural read, mixed with some mystery and time-travel. If it’s a combination that leaves you thinking ‘what the hell’, such a response is understandable. Although the logical part of my mind argues it shouldn’t really work all that well, it did.

The supernatural aspect is well done – simple but efficient. We have the basic ghost element at the start of the book, and as the story progresses the supernatural element grows. Little things are added at a time, new elements slowly introduced, resulting in a much more complex supernatural system than you initially realised. There is plenty within the story to ensure you understand the supernatural happenings, but still enough mystery left to ensure you come back for those answers.

The mystery element is much like the supernatural element, in the sense it is simple yet efficient. I’m a mystery aficionado, meaning I’m never quite as taken in by young adult mysteries as I would like to be, but for such a story it was well done. Hints are given throughout, the details slowly build, and you get to watch as everything comes together. Mixing knowledge of the past and the present together, it makes for an enjoyable read.

Although I found the story to be interesting, despite being pulled it, it didn’t quite pack the punch I had anticipated. It interested me, I was turning page after page to see how it came together, but I was never on the edge of my seat. The story intrigued me, but the action failed to get my heart pumping. Hence my three-point-five-star rating. It was fun, but it could have done with a bit more of a push.

Well worth the read, though, and it certainly leaves you interested in book two.

The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts was a fast-paced and enjoyable read. When I first read the synopsis, I thought that it was going to a creepy, dark read full of ghosts and other paranormal creatures. As it turns out, this book was a wonderfully imagined historical fiction novel that also incorporates ghosts and magic.

Kat Preston has been trying to ignore ghosts her entire life. After a traumatizing experience when she was younger, she learned to block them out and has been trying to live a normal life. Then her research project about a bloody double murder takes her to the Isle of Acacia. Once there, she finds that she can no longer ignore her heritage when she accidentally transports herself and Evan Kingsley, a fellow researcher, back in time to 1886 while researching the murder. Despite their dislike for each other, the two must work together to solve the mystery and hopefully figure out how to get home before it's too late.

The time travel aspect to the plot was the highlight of the book for me. It brought a whole new meaning to researching a crime. Additionally, I liked that Kat and Evan were trapped in the bodies of two wedding guests, it was interesting to watch how the events unfolded through all the very different viewpoints. The mystery was compelling and intriguing, I kept changing my opinion of who the murderer was throughout the novel. The pacing was mostly excellent, although the ending did feel quite rushed. However, Tansley did a good job of wrapping up the mystery presented in this book while also opening a whole new can of worms for future installments to explore further.

At 240 pages, The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts is definitely a quick read. I found this one enjoyable and the ending had me intrigued enough to immediately continue on with the series. The atmosphere is excellent and, while it is a ghost story, it isn't scary. I would recommend this one to those who enjoy a nice mix of historical fiction, contemporary paranormal, and mystery.

Such a great book I read it twice! Time travel, spells, magic and ghosts....Yes please!

Written by K. C. Tansley, this book follows Kat, the daughter of a divorced paleontologist, her roommate and friend Morgan, and Evan and Seth as they set out to solve a murder where the body was never found and a curse on a family that kills the first born son by his 23rd birthday.

Okay, this had an interesting premise. But the execution was lack luster. I had no idea what was going on for the first 4 or 5 chapters. There was little, really no, background laid out for such a complicated story. Things would happen then be explained. Suddenly there is a curse. Oh, and magic. Oh, and here is this character who the main character is totally going to go for. 

I was just disappointed in this book. I am sorry. I wanted more from it. I wanted it to catch my attention and sweep me away, not give me interesting tidbits every now and again. The way the story is told just jumps around too much for me - not in timeline, but when details and information come to the reader and how they are conveyed.

This is a novel that likely would have been much better told in third person, something that is found less and less in most modern novels. But how the information would have been conveyed could have helped with the pacing and how the characters developed.

The characters seemed very two dimensional. They honestly were reacting like well developed characters far into a series, rather than new characters in the first of a series or a stand alone novel. 

It's a hard line to walk.

If you like paranormal novels or mysteries maybe you will like this novel. I didn't. 



*I received this as a review copy for an honest review.*

This was a really good mystery! I loved the fact that this book included time travel. The characters are interesting and the story is well written. I didn't want to put the book down because I wanted to see what would happen next! I really enjoyed this book!

Did not finish. Couldn't connect with the characters or the story. The three stars are based on the portion I did read.

I just finished this book this morning and I don't regret reading it. I had a few points where I wanted to put it down but I'm so glad I pushed through. It was definitely an enjoyable read. It wasn't the greatest thing I've read but I still enjoyed it.

Let's talk about points.

I gave this 13/20 points.

Writing: 2/4
Characters: 3/4
Story: 3/4
Pacing: 2/4
Personal: 3/4

So overall, the pacing could have used a bit of work. It seemed to be very busy but at the same time, the beginning was fairly slow. It was about 60% and on that I was really into it.

The writing seemed kind of choppy to me. A lot of the talking and actions seemed kind of forced to me. I feel like a lot of the information was just skimmed over by saying "he told us the whole thing" rather than a gradual learning about everything.

The story was good, but again, parts were forced. I feel like some of the relationships and realizations were just forced. Specifically one relationship. It seemed like all of a sudden she realized she loved him. I really loved their relationship but I wish she would have realized a different way than she did.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. I can't wait to get into the next one. I'll be starting it right after I post this.

I generally love this kind of book but not this one. I got half way through the book and decided it wasn't for me... This was a different take on this genre and it just wasn't what I wanted.

I LOVED this book. The story draws the reader in right from the beginning. It had the paranormal parts, a little bit of the feels, and a WHOLE LOT of adventure. The main character in this story, Kat, finds out that she is not who she thinks she is. She has a whole family history on her father's side that she doesn't know but is definitely about to find out through a major crash course. With the support of her best friend, a teacher's assistant that doesn't believe in the unseen and doesn't want much to do with her, a playboy that likes to sweet talk any girl in the room just to get a rise, and a rich man she has never met that lives in a castle, Kat goes on the journey of a lifetime... or two! I can't explain too much of this book without giving spoilers. What I can say is that it is similar to the new series Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (also amazing reads) but this version is more YA and not so historical. It doesn't distract from the plot though. This book is just as great. I also recommend getting the next book in the series as well. It doesn't end in a cliff hanger but it leaves you wanting to be able to jump into the next one right away.

👻 Haunted Halloween Book! 👻

Trigger Warning: Sexual assault

"Ghosts don't exist. They can't touch me. They can't hurt me. They aren't real."

The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts is one of those books that has everything you want and all the stuff you didn't even know you needed, and yet it doesn't feel cluttered.

Intelligent female main character that loves to read and doesn't have a perfect body - ✔️

129 year old murder mystery to solve - ✔️

Intergenerational multi-family curse - ✔️

Ghosts, AKA, "I see dead people" - ✔️

Library in a castle on its own island with signed and first editions galore - ✔️

Time travel without a flux capacitor - ✔️

Bacon, eggs and coffee - ✔️

Secret passageways - ✔️

Sparkly gemstone jewellery - ✔️

Magic - ✔️

Kat grew up believing in the unbelievables. Ghosts were her childhood friends until something so scary happened that she had to stop believing. Fast forward eight years and Kat, now a junior at McTernan Academy, surrounds herself with people (especially unbelievers), animals, plants and stones, and recites her mantra to protect herself.

Kat accessorises with metal and stone - earrings, necklaces, bracelets, you name it, for additional protection. I loved that her knowledge of gemstones carries over into her descriptions of people whose eyes aren't boring colours but instead are aquamarine, larimar, hematite and iolite.

Assisting Professor Astor with his research into the mysterious events 129 years ago at Castle Creighton, Kat knows she is delving into dangerous unbelievables territory. Along with best friend Morgan, Evan the Terrible and serial flirter Seth, Kat winds up at Castle Creighton to investigate what really happened there and to study the Radcliffe Curse. Now Kat is stuck on an island with a hurricane approaching and there's no escaping the unbelievables.

I loved the way Castle Creighton's creeptastic secrets unfolded throughout the story. This story had friendship, forgiveness, hope, secrets and betrayal. It also had love, lots of love. Now, you've heard of a love triangle, but have you ever heard of a love pentagon? As a bit of a summary of how a love pentagon works (and for the sake of not ruining who everyone is in love with, we won't use their real names):

* A is in love with B.

* B is in love with C, is friends with A, is jealous of D, is using E to make D jealous.

* C is marrying D but has history with and also still loves B.

* D is marrying C but has history with E.

* E still wants D but is having fun with B, is using B to make D jealous.

Did you get all of that?

Beginning The Girl Who Saved Ghosts immediately! I would've gone mental waiting for the sequel if I'd read The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts when it was first published.

Tip to readers: Make sure you have the sequel on hand when you finish this book. While a lot of plot lines are wrapped up other questions are raised and you're not going to want to wait to find out what happens next!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Beckett Publishing Group for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback.

This was a good book. An easy read. A little different take on ghosts than other books I've read. (Ex: ghost tries to make human a nonbeliever). I think the idea of having one central family is interesting. A witch/priestess to protect them and then someone to give her strength. I'm just wondering what's so special about Sebastian's family and the book doesn't tell, so only 4 stars. It's still a great read with a great storyline. The story flows nicely. I'm looking forward to reading the next book.

Kat Preston has seen ghosts her whole life. And then, one tries to possess her. This, quite understandably, puts her off ghosts entirely. She is told by a helpful spirit to "not believe" even in the face of ghosts, to stop possession from occurring. It's not like she can actually not believe in what is always right in front of her, but by practicing "do not believe" it actually makes her less open to ghosts and not open means not open enough for a possession . [A lot of reviewers focus on the not believing as rather idiotic, so this is my peace with it.]

Little did she know that non-benevolent ghost who tried to possess her and the very one who tried to help her not be possessed again, would become entangled in her life in college? And the story of why and how is what makes this book thrilling. There's ghosts, time travel, magic, mystery and purpose, a long-lived deadly curse and the chance to save lives. It's a good thing these are all related to one central story! I really enjoyed the whole series and barely stopped for breath between the books!

This is a fun YA paranormal mystery with a bit of romance. Seventeen year old Kat, who has been able to see ghosts all of her life, but has been ignoring them for years, is drawn into a family curse mystery that she and her friends and others have to solve. Can they break the curse before another family member dies? In order to do so, she must travel through time, but is that enough? With time travel, ghosts, secret passages, and more, this is a fun book to read and I look forward to the next one in the series!

I don't read many books that are set in the 'pass' because most of the one I've read seem to be almost the same. But Lately, I've been able to find more and more books set in the past that I really enjoy. (That stand out!) But 'The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts' was one that I had a blast reading. Ghosts scare me but I found that this author balanced the leave of ghosts with past life, family/friends, mystery, and college life into a good pacing story.

Even though I found the characters strong, (The push and pull between Kat and Evan is also a major plus in this book. ) I think, personally, the plot and story its self is the best part of this book. I like how the 'ghost system' works, it plays a huge rule in this book and I think it makes it better with that as a rule that Kat has to follow. The way they travel in the past by the magic portal, how family plays into this story and so much more things like that just make this story a great read!

Love, curses, and magic make this book an enjoyable page-turner.

I enjoyed this book. The mystery is interesting and the characters are well developed. It’s not a creepy ghost story, but more a gothy tale of time travel, wronged love, and magical revenge.

My only complaint is the first couple of chapters tend to be info dumpy, but once Kat and Evan find themselves in the past, the story really takes off. The ending is primed for the sequel.

I will definitely read the sequel: The Girl Who Saved Ghosts.

I had trouble getting into this book and unfortunately couldn't finish it. But thanks so much for the opportunity!

The Girl Who Ignored Ghost by K.C. Tansley is about Kat Preston, a teenage girl who can see ghosts. Since a young age Kat has been surrounded by ghosts and has even been possessed. Years later, Kat becomes a very academically focused student who is trying her hardest to earn a scholarship to college. As a result, one of her teachers gives her a difficult assignment to write a paper on a murder mystery that took place in the late 1800s. In order to complete her research Kat must go to the crime scene, an old Victorian mansion which is, of course, haunted. While Kat is there she goes back in time, possesses a person from the past and learns something about reincarnation.

As a teacher, I would recommend this book to girls who like to read about paranormal activity but don't like too much gruesome material. I think this book would be appropriate for teens 12-18.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely be looking forward to the rest of the series.

When I read the synopsis for this book, I was definitely intrigued. I love the supernatural aspect the author was going for, ghosts and all that spooooky stuff! Love it!

Brief breakdown:
Kat is trying to get to the College of her dreams, and has a knack for researching, just like her mom. But her well-meaning professor sets her up to do a research project with a couple other people that could put her on a path right into her past. But, if Kat doesn't do this project, she may not get into the College she so wishes to go to. Unfortunately the more she researches, and thinks about the "Unbelievables' the more they come to the forefront. The Unbelievables is what the dead call themselves, and after a harrowing experience as a child, Kat has been determined to not believe in them, so she could live a life of peace and normalcy. Unfortunately she has to dive head first back in to that world that almost hindered her existence, first to get into her school of choice, then to help her friends.

I have to say I was only thoroughly creeped out in two moments, the beginning of the novel when the MC was younger, and the scene in the library. I wished there were more moments of terror, but I really enjoyed the parts there was. There were moments of spooky-ness that were also enjoyable to read! I always say the more the better! :)

The world the author created definitely has it's merits, I enjoyed the 'Unbelievables' and how if you don't believe in ghosts, etc, you cannot see them. I feel in the next book the world will be more established, and can't wait to read the second book in this series!

The MC, Kat, grew a lot in this book, from a shy girl to someone who stood up for herself, and what she believed in. And fought for those beliefs. I was worried that the growth would arc too quickly, and it felt like it was going to, but Kat maintained her character quite well with bouts of growth within making it more believable.

One of my favourite parts of Kat was her love of books! I am a sucker for a main character, or any character really, that is as much in love with written word as I am.

"The best part? Four solid walls of shelves filled with books. I ran my fingers over the leather bindings. Books flat our did it for me. The smell, the fell, the look - I loved being surrounded by them"

^^^^ Ditto, girl, ditto! #kindredspirit

All in all I did enjoy this book. One criticism I would have is that the ending seemed a little rushed, and could have been spread out a little more, but I liked how the characters were connected in the end.

Bring on the second installment!

If Paranormal mystery and time travel are your thing, I would highly recommend this book. Who could want anything more out of a book! Lots of suspense, twists, and turns happened, and when the book was done I was longing for more. I would highly recommend this to all my friends.