Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe

Cass McKenna much prefers ghosts over "breathers". Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable, and they know the dirt on everybody... and Cass loves dirt. She's on a mission to expose the dirty secrets of the poseurs in her school.

But when the vice president of the student council discovers her secret, Cass's whole scheme hangs in the balance. Tim wants her to help him contact his recently deceased mother, and Cass reluctantly agrees.

As Cass becomes increasingly entwined in Tim's life, she's surprised to realize he's not so bad — and he needs help more desperately than anyone else suspects. Maybe it’s time to give the living another chance... (via GoodReads)

For some reason this novel was not what I expected. Don't take me wrong, I really enjoyed it, but I originally anticipated a fun, upbeat YA novel about girl who sees dead people. This was not the case. Yes, of course, there is a girl who sees dead people, but this is a much more serious novel then I expected.

Cass was fantastic - she was funny, and witty, and has a knack for knowing the deep, dark secrets that her classmates try to hide behind their popularity and cool facades - they just don't know she is getting the "down low" from her see-through friends. See Cass was once part of the "cool crowd", until the day she and her BFF had a falling out and she became an outcast. Now her only friends are of the silent and deadly variety - the two ghosts that haunt her school, Norris and Bitsy.

But all this changes when Cass is approached by Tim in the need of her "special" talent. And, although Cass is originally put off by the idea of helping Tim (especially since he's part of the in-crowd), she eventually agrees to do what she can to help him. This is their story of how they struggle with their parents, friendships, and death.

What I truly enjoyed the most about this story is how realistic Cass’s tale felt. Despite this being a story that revolves around the supernatural, this is really a book about a teenage girl struggling to find her place in a world that isn't always easy.

I enjoyed Ms. Crewe's writing - it was straight-forward, flowed nicely and introduced us to a set of characters that, even with their flaws, were all relateable and likeable. This is a coming-of-age story, it is about fitting in, but more importantly, accepting oneself and letting go of grudges. It is about grief and loss, and moving on. A great book!