'Claire: The Tutor's Ghost Stories' by Rod A. Galindo

​               After reading the synopsis for this book, I was so excited for a good 'them against the world' ghost story.  Unfortunately, that isn't quite what I got, though I do think that was the intention.

To be fair, in the background out of sight much of the time, Max and Claire are working toward a common goal.. even if we don't realize it for a long while. 

I will say that Galindo has a good grasp on story structure. I found his ideas within, to be creative and interesting. For a teen/young adult title, he played with some very adult concepts about zealotry and predetermined social assessment.

The story is nicely dark and the one thing I noted that I really like, is the author doesn't give in to the need to answer everything. At the end of the story, I did have a couple lingering questions, which is fantastic and rather rare.

It would have been nice, however, if he had prolonged the precise nature of her situation. 'Max knows and he's not telling' -- that's what the synopsis said. Yet we were told almost immediatedly. First by way of the tale she shares with him, then again right afterward through.. sort of a flashback of her actual experience. Frankly, the two together were overkill anyway. 

Also, while I'd hoped for that story of the two friends fighting side by side to save her, and that is the impression we're given.. it's not what happens. What does go on in between the times we see both of them together, is incredibly boring and not at all indicative of what's to come.

It was not awful. It was not great. For someone this might be worth a read, but not me.

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