The Presence: A Ghost Story

By Eve Bunting

Book Overview

A brutal car accident that claimed the life of her best friend has left seventeen-year-old Catherine in a state of shock and severe depression. She longs to move forward with her life, but feels she can't until she is somehow assured of her friend's forgiveness. On a Christmas visit to her grandmother in Pasadena, a mysterious and handsome stranger approaches Catherine at church claiming that he can put her in touch with her dead friend. Catherine is wary of the stranger's claims and his ghostly appearance but feels he may be the only key to escaping her past. She tells no one of the meeting but is approached by an elderly woman who warns her of the stranger's powers. The woman's teenage diary and eerie rumors surrounding other troubled girls who have disappeared from the church community leave Catherine fearful of the stranger's true intentions. She realizes she must find some way to confront this supernatural presence as well as the ghosts of her past.
A classic ghost story from one of Clarion's most distinguished authors. Eve Bunting brings a new edge to the genre of suspense by interweaving contemporary issues with sharp and frightful storytelling.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0547480326
• ISBN13: 9780547480329
• Release Date: September 2010
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 204 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.3" x 7.1"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

A ghost story

Seventeen-year-old Cathrine has been feeling guilty ever since the death of her pen pal and best friend Kristy who was visiting from Scotland. She goes to stay with her grandmother in California the escape from the town where memories of that night hang in the air. But at the church where her grandmother works Cathrine hears a strange voice saying her name. Then she meets Noah a strange boy who everyone else ignores. He promises he can help Cathrine talk to Kristy. But when she gets a gift from a strange old women...a warning of sorts she isn't sure about Noah anymore...What is it that he wants from her? A very creepy and well told story about guilt, letting go, ghosts, and love. I found the story to be very absorbing and thrilling. I was really interested in find out more about the car crash and Noah. I came to care for the characters such as Cathrine and Collin, and wondering how their relationship would go. I do wish there was more information on Noah, i felt like i wanted to know more about what drove him down the path he took.

The presence

Seventeen-year-old Cathrine has been feeling guilty ever since the death of her pen pal and best friend Kristy who was visting from scotland. She goes to stay with her grandmother in Califorina the escape from the town where memories of that night hang in the air. But at the church where her grandmother works Cathrine hears a strange voice saying her name. Then she meets Noah a strange boy who everyone else ignores. He promises he can help Cathrine talk to Kristy. But when she gets a gift from a strange old women...a warning of sorts she isn't sure about Noah anymore...What is it that he wants from her? A very creepy and well told story about guilt, letting go, ghosts, and love.

The Best Ghost Book ever!

This book ir really outstanding. Even at the first page makes you want to read more until you finish it. I realy liked this book and I bet anyone in all ages will like to read it too. It's the best mistery ghost book that will give you chills. I enjoyed reading this book and I will read it again!

A very pleasant surprise..... :)

Every now and then, while I am at the library, I will pick a random book out to read, and sometimes they turn out to be great books, sometimes they suck. But luckily enough, when I picked "The Presence" by Eve Bunting, I picked right. I am a sucker for ghost stories, so right off the bat, I had to pick this, but that didn't mean I expected it to be good, nope. Exactly the opposite, I thought it would be quite bad, quite ordinary. But it is not. The Presence is one of those rare stories that tells the tale of not only how one girl copes with loss, but how many cope with loss. And it does it well, this is the second book I have read recently on this issues, the other being "Pop Princess", but out of the two, I would have to say that this one is better. For a few reasons: 1. the humans are'nt walking cliches. The people are quite real, everything seems quite real, while keeping a somwhat surreal atmosphere. 2. The author doesn't fall into the same traps as Rachel Cohn, despite uses the same basic story, except in a different setting. The character in this is coping in a different way, but she comes off as very likeable, unlike the lead in "Pop Princess". Now, I know, you're probably going, "Geez, you must've hated that book!", actually, I loved it, but I think that it didn't succeed on the same level as The Presence. The Presence really captures Catherine's pain, by slowly revealing it to us throughout the novel instead of telling us right off the bat. It has an air of mystery too it, also because of the ghost she encounters, Noah, he is very mysterious, and his past is revealed slowly as well, keeping us wondering exactly why he is this way, until the end. :) The book doesn't end in a snug package, but it does end nicely. It didn't feel contrived, or unnatural, I liked the way it ended, because it shows us a little more than some novels show, but also a little less at the same time. :) Anyways, I know I haven't been overly descriptive, but I think it is best to leave you wondering, this book unravels its tale slowly, but it keeps you reading till the very end. And that is why I cannot reveal more without guilt, it just wouldn't be right. :D God Bless & *enjoy* ~Amy

An Excellent Book... READ IT!!

The book Presence by Eve Bunting is such a great book. I just kept on reading and reading it without putting it down. That's why I finished the book in 3 days. The way Eve Bunting describes the story is just remarkable! I could just picture the sequence of events in my head. My favorite part was when Catherine started to see all those girls that looked like her. She was so shocked. And I would be too if I saw all these girls that had almost the exact face as me. I would recommend this book to anyone especially 12 years and up. This book is great!