Past Midnight - Mara Purnhagen

Let me set the record straight. My name is Charlotte Silver and I'm not one of those paranormal-obsessed freaks you see on TV…no, those would be my parents, who have their own ghost-hunting reality show. And while I'm usually roped into the behind-the-scenes work, it turns out that I haven't gone unnoticed. Something happened on my parents' research trip in Charleston—and now I'm being stalked by some truly frightening other beings. Trying to fit into a new school and keeping my parents' creepy occupation a secret from my friends—and potential boyfriends—is hard enough without having angry spirits whispering in my ear. All I ever wanted was to be normal, but with ghosts of my past and present colliding, now I just want to make it out of high school alive….

(Synopsis taken from goodreads.)

Title: Past Midnight

Author: Mara Purnhagen

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: September 1, 2010

Source: Received through netgalley. I received this galley free of charge in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Harlequin Teen for sending me this copy for review. 

My Rating: 4/5

Charlotte is just your typical, normal, everyday girl. That is, until you find out that her parents happen to have their own ghost-hunting "reality" show. When she moves to a new town, and to a new school, Charlotte thinks that she can keep her parents' lifestyle under wraps. She is juggling both school, and her home life quite well; until one day, something eerie happens to follow her home. 

Charlotte is a relatable character. She just wants to lead a normal life, without the added complication of "celebrity status". She wants to have friends, go to parties, and just be a normal teenager; instead of staying in one place only long enough to finish a semester of school before her parents decide to relocate again. I could easily sympathize with her, and felt that she was a believable character. 

The plot line was equally interesting as I haven't read many books about debunking ghosts. Actually, this might be the only one that I have read which tackles the topic of ghosts in this way. Regardless, it was a good, fast read, and I certainly can't wait for the next book in this series to come out. I didn't find it overly "spooky", though others who have read and reviewed it have found it made them relatively uneasy. 

All in all, this is a quick and easy read. I enjoyed it, and found that the premise was unique, and therefore made it all the more interesting. I'm sure many will enjoy it, and want to carry on with the series as it progresses.