Review: GHOSTS OF MANITOWISH WATERS by G.M. Moore

A secret sect, an Indian curse, and a bad boy--it's a mix fifteen-year-old Tess O'Brien can't seem to resist. When poachers threaten an albino fawn, three young adults brave the Wisconsin wilderness searching for the mystical herd to which it belongs. Filled with page-turning action and suspense, Ghosts of Manitowish Waters is a coming of age story about finding your own path and following it. It's a lesson in knowing when to obey your parents and when to have the courage to defy them.




My thoughts: Full of ambiguous mystery, Ghosts of Manitowish Waters seems to be an adventure story with a battle against poachers aiming to destroy a rare albino deer. And young, impressionable Tess is suddenly thrown into the path of medicine men and a dangerous hunt. But where did ghosts tie into all this? Was she supposed to be like a golden child, “the chosen one,” that would see dead deer?

Set against the backdrop of the secluded Indian plains, the story is expressed in a lushly lyrical language; however, it didn’t quite grab me as much as I had hoped. Not only was it challenging to understand the mystical powers of the Indian tribes, but the fact that the poachers were protected under the government made it more complex. I just didn’t find it interesting.

 

My rating: 2.5 stars