Review: Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board by Zoe Aarsen

Published: February 5th 2013 by Lovestruck Literary
Genre: Paranormal Mystery YA
Format: Kindle

Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary 

McKenna Brady thinks her junior year of high school is going to be the best ever when she’s welcomed into the elite group of popular girls at Weeping Willow High School led by blond, gorgeous Olivia Richmond.

Prior to junior year, McKenna was known in her small town as the girl whose twin sister died in a tragic house fire, and she’s overjoyed at the prospect of redefining her identity. She has a date to the Homecoming dance with Olivia’s handsome older brother, and a good chance of being elected to student council. For the first time since McKenna’s parents divorced, things are looking up.

But everything changes the night of Olivia’s Sweet Sixteen sleepover birthday party. Hannah, the shy, mysterious new girl in town, suggests that the girls play a scary game called Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board, during which Hannah makes up elaborate stories about the future ways in which beautiful Olivia, brassy Candace, and athletic Mischa will die. The game unsettles McKenna because she’s already escaped death once in her life, but she doesn’t want to ruin her friends’ fun. It’s only a game, she reminds herself.

But it doesn’t seem like a harmless game a week later when Olivia dies unexpectedly in a violent car crash, exactly as Hannah predicted. And something begins haunting McKenna’s bedroom at night, leaving her clues that all seem to point to Hannah. McKenna enlists the help of her cute next-door neighbor Trey in finding out exactly what kind of curse Hannah has put on all of the popular girls in the junior class.

As Hannah rises to popularity and seemingly steps into the life Olivia left unfinished, McKenna and Trey know they only have a limited amount of time to bring an end to Hannah’s game before more lives are lost.

“Whatever that thing is, it didn’t seem to appreciate us fooling around,”  “Yeah, not a romance fan. Point taken.”

This book follows and is told from the perspective of McKenna Brady.   She was an over weight unpopular girl with a stigma following her involving the death of her twin sister.  However, the summer before her junior year she transformed herself.  She was now in with the popular girls.   McKenna is excited thinking her junior year will be the best year EVER!   Things take a sharp left after a slumber party for one of her new BFF’s Olivia’s 16th birthday.   They decide to play light as a feather, stiff as a board.  Hannah tells the story of Olivia’s death.  Here’s the kicker, Olivia dies in the EXACT manner that Hannah predicted.  Hannah is now stepping up as most popular, essentially replacing Olivia.  Now McKenna along with her other friends, Mischa, Candance, and Trey are on a mission to discover the truth about Olivia’s death and Hannah’s seemingly mysterious knowledge. I must say this book is exactly the type of books I love.   I am an avid horror fan.  While it is not what I would consider a dark horror story, it is not for people who are afraid of supernatural and ghostly spirits.   From the beginning, I was hooked on the story and the characters.   McKenna is the perfect lead for this story as she has a mysterious past and the reader is drawn in wanting to know more of her story.   Olivia, Mischa, Candance and Hannah are you typical high school popular girls.  They are kinda cliche at times but we eat that sort of thing up.   However they aren't really so much the mean girls type.  They are each endearing and lovable (well except the creepy Hannah) in there own right.

Oh My Is that a Ghost?!?!  I Love me some Ghosts! 

This book was pretty fabulous to me.   The story line had me hooked from the first page.   Anytime you involve physic/evil powers, and ghostly spirits, an author takes a risk.  They are usually really wonderful or really awful.  Maybe a few in between.  However, Zoe NAILED IT!  I NEVER scare or get freaked out when watching or reading horror stories.  (My sister often asks me if something is wrong with me because she says I am scared of NOTHING- except birds but that’s another story)  But there were a few times while reading this book, I was down right nervous.   Not so much that it was OMG scary but I was very nervous and could feel the fear from the characters.  The story was not over done or forced, it was just a good story plot and good story telling.   I was even pretty sure a ghost visited me LOL…The characters are likable and relate-able.   McKenna was perfect for the main character.  Zoe did a good job of making me fall in love with her.  She has had a few tough turns in the road with her twin's death and the damage that did to her family.  Then just as soon as she is becoming popular, her new BFF dies in a very mysterious way.  She is able to hold it all together without seeming cold, uncaring, or over the top with grief or emotion.  I LOVE horror books and this one is defiantly one I will read again.

But that Hannah Chick is EVIL, and evil is bad! 

I can’t really think of much I didn't like about this book. There were a few paragraphs/pages where it seemed like the transition to the next setting didn't flow quite right.  But that might have just been me and the way I read it.   But it by no means took away from the story.

Conclusion:   Everyone should have a Ghost Friend

I rate this book a strong 5!!!  I enjoyed reading it myself. There was never a lag in the story or just filler. It all flowed well and had a great story. The ghostly supernatural aspect was done just right.  It’s enough to make you question weird sounds in your house, but not so scary you won’t sleep at night.  I hope to see more from this author!

“Not exactly. Last night it didn’t shake my furniture, but I think it touched me.”

This is Free on Kindle as I'm writing this so you can get your copy: