When Prue Haywood's brother, Francis, died her loss was so great that she is determined to do anything to bring him back to life. When a recruiter comes to the farm she lives on with her parents to offer Francis an apprenticeship Prue pretends to be 'Frances' and goes with him back to Medlock. There she can learn how to harness ghosts and put them into manufactured bodies so they have a second life as personifates. Prue will do anything to find Francis and give him his chance at a second life.
Series
1 primary bookGhost Machine Adventure is a 1-book series first released in 2019 .
Reviews with the most likes.
In this children's book, Vashti Hardy explores the idea of bringing people back from the dead through the use of machines - although these ‘second-lifers' have no recollection of their previous existence.
This novel was a fast-paced and exciting read for its target audience, and is an excellent way for children to venture into the sci-fi and fantasy genre. With echoes of Frankenstein, I also found parts of it reminiscent of Harry Potter, which I know many people hate comparisons to. But I don't think it's a bad thing! I'm sure there aren't many authors who don't take inspiration from books they've enjoyed. The story itself was unique and well-developed and I found myself reaching for it often over other books to find out what would happen next. I thought the world building was very good and I enjoyed the strong female characters. Not only that, but it addressed issues of family, love and death in a sensitive way that could open good talking points for children. I've read that it's a stand-alone novel, which is a shame as I'd definitely read the rest of the series and feel like Hardy has set it up well for a sequel.
I'm going to give it a 4.25/5, but if I'd been its target audience (ie a kid) it probably would have been a five star for me.
