Tortured Souls Series By Ron Ripley

 Source: I purchased the first six books in this series. I won the sixth book from LibraryThing. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Genre:  Adult, Horror

Evil comes in so many forms. Sometimes in the form of ghosts, and sometimes in the form of those who use the ghosts for their own purpose. Janet Ladd is one who uses the spirits to get her what she wants, even if it means people are injured or killed.

Dan Tate lives in a historical school house and takes care of Coffin Cemetery attached to it. He was a former journalist who suffers from PTSD. While interviewing a young high school girl she is shot by an active shooter, along with several other students and teachers. Dan is helpless to do anything except hold her as she dies. His inability to move on from this event cost him his family, his job, everything.  When Eli, a young ghost living in the cemetery comes to him and explains what Janet is doing he agrees to help.

Ron Ripley has created a wonderful world filled with ghosts and a great plot line to go with it. I purchased this and the next four because I had won a copy of the last book. I am one that needs to read the whole series if possible. It is a good thing that I have spent my Christmas break doing exactly what I told my principal I would be doing, reading. Can’t wait to read the rest of the books in this series.

Something that is very important for the reader to know is that the story takes place in Anger, New Hampshire. Dan is still battling Janet and her ghosts. However, things are getting a lot hotter on the ghostly front. The evil seems to be growing. I kept wondering if Dan would be able to handle it all with everything he was going through. He still battles his PTSD. He has the help of the local sheriff who is also a distant relative to the young ghost boy Eli. They ban together to try to save the city that is being terrorized by the ghosts that Janet has unleashed on them.

It seems like each book in Ron Ripley’s “Tortured Souls” series is getting better. That is definitely what I enjoy in a good series. 

Dan continues to restore the school house and work out his issues from being involved in an active shooting at a high school. Unfortunately, he has made a big time enemy of Janet Ladd and the ghosts she has set after him.. She is the local medium who is using the ghosts to take people’s money. Unfortunately, Dan is the target of Janet’s latest ghost. Someone who is very evil and will do anything to Dan, including killing him.

We are introduced to a cannibal ghost in this book. That should say it all. This book is very gruesome. Good thing I like gruesome books.  It is very important that Dan keep on his toes in this book. I am finding that I have to read from beginning to end because this is not a book you can start and then go to bed only to pick it up the next morning. I am looking forward to the fourth book in this series.

This is the fourth book in the Tortured Souls series by Ron Ripley. I am enjoying this series immensely. We are introduced to Olivia. She is a ghost who is determined to kill Dan. Part of the reason is Mary's house. Dan has inherited it and the ghosts want it for the power it has. Each book seems to bring the tension up ten-fold. The ghosts get more violent and evil and Dan and his friends become more determined to stop Janet and her ghosts. Each book ends in a way that makes you yearn for the next book.  I'm not sure I would have stuck with this series had I started it when the first book came out and then had to wait so long for the next book in the series.  If you like ghost stories then this series is a must read.

True to form we are introduced to a new ghost. As I have read reviews about this series people have talked about a character from another series. Now that I have met him I will need to read the Berkley Street Series to find out who this Shane Character is. If that series is as good as this I know I will enjoy it.  Something else we find out in this book is who is behind controlling Janet. The violence gets worse. Dan's state of mind is worse. The tension is so high I couldn't put the book down. Looking forward to the last book in the series.

I feel so bad for Dan in this series. It seems like the harder he tries the more things he is up against.  He is worried about his children, having trouble with his ex-wife and now he has to try to do everything in his power to save the town of Anger. This is a town he has come to love.  How much more can he handle?  You will need to read this book and the rest in this series.  Definitely one of my favorite authors.  This is a must read series.

The Glimmer: Are you Listening by A.R. Bibeau

  

Genre: Young Adult, Traditional
Source: I won a copy from LibraryThing

Falk lost his mother and now his father is dead. His step-mother takes him outside of the village and abandons him. It was at this point I really despised her. The snow storm is vicious and Falk is lost. He hears the voices of children and follows them into a forest. Unfortunately the voices he hears are the voices of children who are already dead. He falls asleep with a glimmer of light in his hand. The children are determined to protect him. He becomes a part of their life and they become a part of him as does the glimmer. From this point forward change happens. I found this a strange book. It was difficult knowing that all of these children who had died had been abandoned or abused. I did enjoy the book even though it took me a while to read it because I had lost it.

Of Wise Oaks and Weeping Willows by Diane Robertson

 

Genre: Poetry
Source: I purchased a copy

This book of poetry is broken into several sections.  The first section about nature was probably one of my favorite sections. I grew up in the country in Indiana. I felt like I was back on our farm enjoying nature with everyone of her poems I read. She has the ebb and flow of the season down perfectly. The pictures that come to mind from her words are so vivid I felt I was standing in the scene.  I can’t wait to share some of these with my own students.

The section on Political and Social is a strong and powerful voice. Her poems tell of the depravity and promises brought to the masses by Hollywood. They tell of a time where our friendships were tested and tried by arguments, yet survived. A time now hindered by social medial and technology, no need to meet face to face to interact. In this section I found “King of all the Land” to be a very powerful poem about the power of individual choice. These are the kinds of poems teachers need to expose their students to. This author is an example of how powerful words can be.

The next section is titled “Religious”. Diane does not shy away from her Christian beliefs. Her poetry is full of reminders of what the Bible says. Her poem “Two Beasts” tells of end times. Her inspiration like many of her poems in this section is the last book of the Bible, Revelations. Oh if people would only read and take to heart the messages in her poetry.

The final section is called “Family and Love”. My favorite poem from this section was “Circling Back to Childhood”. She tells of a time in her life as a child where her imagination ruled. Then she grew up and those times were replaced. Then her children came along and she allowed their imaginations to grow and develop bringing back her own childhood.  I believe this poem is so precious to me because I grew up like this on our farm. I encouraged my children as I played with them to create their own worlds. Now I watch my daughter as she has done the same thing with her children. As a teacher I see so few children that remind me of my childhood. They are too caught up in technology where the creating has been done for them. It is so sad to see what they are missing out on.

My final say on this book of poetry is that it is  one I will revisit often. It is soothing to my soul, yet has so much to offer the reader. Well done, Diane Robertson.