Tuesday 13 January 2009

Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman

Skeleton Creek
Patrick Carman
Scholastic
ISBN 9780545075664

Every now and then you come across a book that is so unique, so different, so incredible that you just want to share it with everyone you know. This is one of those books. I read it three times in a week, and still want to go back over it again, in case I missed anything. What makes this book so incredible is that it is actually more tha
n a book; it is a new entertainment experience. It is a book, it is a movie and it is fantastic. The story is told in two parts.

It
is the story of Ryan and Sarah, who live in Skeleton Creek Oregon. They become fascinated with the town's name, and the fact that it only changed to that recently. While investigating the mystery of the name, they find out about a ghost story of a man named Joe Bush who died in a mining dredge outside of town. While investigating the dredge, something strange happens and Ryan falls and breaks his leg. That is where our story begins. Ryan is in the hospital recovering and he starts to tell the story in his journal so he can make sense of it, and in case something happens to him. But the story is told by both Ryan and Sarah. Currently their parents will not allow them to see each other because they believe that it will encourage their investigative efforts.

Yet the two are staying in contact over the web. Ryan is writing the story in his journal, which is our book, and Sarah is creating videos and posting them on her website www.sarahfincher.com. Combined they tell the story. It is a great new media/literary adventure. Even the packaging and presentation is new. The book comes in a sleeve like a cover on a new DVD that says: "Read the book … Watch the videos." Once you slide the book out, it looks like a hard cover journal, and it looks like it was hand-written. The journal has illustrations and, what appears to be items taped inside it.

This story is incredibly well done. It is a ghost story for the net generation. You have to read the book and watch the videos and follow groups and websites online to find out more details and background to the story. It is well-written and the videos are amazing. I did read the book the first time to see if it could stand alone without the web component and it does, but the videos take the book to a whole new level of reading entertainment. Some of the websites that you can check out are:
www.enterskeletoncreek.com
www.skeletoncreekisreal.com
www.haunteddredges.com
www.sarahfincher.com
The only bad thing I can say about it is that it ends with a cliff-hanger and the conclusion, Ghost in the Machine - Skeleton Creek Book 2, is not due out until September 2009. This book has made my top ten all-time fiction list. It is a ghost story extraordinaire. So as the cover says, read the book and watch the videos - you will be drawn in and amazed by the story!

(First published in Imprint 2009-01-09.)

Other of Patrick Carman Books:

The Dark Hills Divide - The Land of Elyon Book 1
Beyond the Valley of Thorns - The Land of Elyon Book 2

The Tenth City - The Land of Elyon Book 3
Into The Mist - The Land of Elyon Prequel
Stargazer - The Land of Elyon Book 4

The House of Power - Atherton Book 1
Rivers of Fire - Atherton, Book 2
The Dark Planet - Atherron Book 3

Saving Mr Nibbles
- Elliot's Park Book 1
Haunted Hike - Elliot's Park Book 2
The Walnut Cup - Elliot's Park Book 3
A Windy Tale - Elliot's Park Book 4

Skeleton Creek - Skeleton Creek Book 1 - A Prereview.
Ghost in the Machine - Skeleton Creek Book 2

Crossbones - Skeleton Creek Book 3
The Raven - Skeleton Creek Book 4

The Black Circle
- 39 Clues Book 5


Trackers #1

Thirteen Days to Midnight

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

very good book

Anonymous said...

very good book

Anonymous said...

I loved that book. But the videos on sarahfincher.com scared me a bit...

Anonymous said...

do u know the sarafincher.com password? i am trying to get into the website to see the videos but i cant!

SRMcEvoy said...

There are in the book. If you have the book they are every 6 or 7 pages.

Jessica said...

Am I ever glad I found your site! I got to the end and was flabbergasted. Thank goodness there is more to come! I sell books for a living and very much enjoyed this book.

Anonymous said...

THAT WAS PREETY FREAKY!!!!!!!!!!!!

brnadi said...

this is the best book i EVER read!!! i just kept lookin at the videos when i was done. i couldn't even stop reading when i started i took up my spare time reading instead of hangin wit friends!AWESOME BOOK!!!!

brnadi said...

hey is there another book that goes wit this one cuz i wanna know more!! dothey get out? does ryan have to move?who was that thing that trapped them in there?

SRMcEvoy said...

Book 2 - Ghost in the Machine is suppose to be out in September.

Anonymous said...

Is this book scary at all?

Anonymous said...

i loved this book i read the whole thing in 2 days but the video scared be a little i loved this book !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

this is the BEST book i've ever read...i want the second one to come out already!! i <3 skeleton creek!

Anonymous said...

omg i am so mad this book has a cliff hanger darnet! i want book two i need book two! im gonna go nuts if i dont read the next book ASAP...im gonna die if i dont! i <3 Skeleton Creek

Anonymous said...

The videos are actually pretty scary.

Anonymous said...

my friend has the book and she has read it seven times and it's getting anoying.I don't love it . i's just okay.

al3x said...

I absolutle loved your book the only bad part was that it ends in an cliff hanger so i want to know are you making skeliton creek 2....

Jojo M. C. said...

i was told that it was a very good book so i read it and michael the person who told me to read it said that the first video was the scariest video but i thought the last one was! but i love it!

Anonymous said...

Hey guys, I was going to say it had a really bad ending, but seeing as theres going to be a second book, as long as it still has Ryan and Sarah in it im all good...I like the style of this book..(half movie half book) and very enjoyable as well as scary especially in "theraven" where the face just pops up. lol. sorry about long post

shadow5707 said...

I usually hate books but this book is fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wonder what will happen next....

Anonymous said...

Very very good book! I loved it! Its one of the best books I have ever read!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I love this book. My brothers read it and love it, even my mom read it. We can't wait for the next one to see how it ends.

Anonymous said...

Our son is reading this book in school and watching videos as part of a class project. The videos are very scary and troubling to him. What age are these geared toward? Are they age appropriate for an 11 yr old? Of those that posted they liked (or loved) the book/videos, what ages are you and what age would you recommend this set for?

SRMcEvoy said...

At Chapters it is in pre-teen fiction 9-12. It would depend on the child. If it is too scary stop. Or read it yourself and then decide.

Anonymous said...

i finished both books was great didn't expect the ending very awesome i love it the end was so unexpected
Basically it was so awesome.

Anonymous said...

Skeleton Creek was awesome.I just finished Ghost in the Machine!!! I hope ther is a 3 book!!!!!!

simran said...

how did you find out about this story and where was it the story taken place because everyone says its real

Caleb said...

when is the 3rd skeleton creek book coming out

SRMcEvoy said...

As far as I know there is no third book.

Anonymous said...

My ney all-time favorite searies! I loved it! I just finished Ghost in the Machine! But on sarahfincher.com Ryan posted a note that said that something was left behind and its not good. Spookey! I hope their is a third book about that!

Steven R. McEvoy said...

The will be a new series starting called Skeleton Creek Investigations. Looks really good. Also another series to use books and videos's but high tech called Trackers that comes out in may. The first book in that series is awesome.

Anonymous said...

It is great mystery/ghost story for anyone who is a horror fanatic like me! Somtimes the videos are just a little on the fake side, but some were enough to make me close my eyes. Even though the books were not enough to scare me they were a very good read. I would recommend them to anyone who loves anything.

Anonymous said...

loved this book, can't wait to read the second one!!