Synopses & Reviews
The summer before Troy Stotts turns seventeen, his mother dies. Troy and his father barely speak, communicating instead by writing notes on a legal pad by the phone. Troy spends most of his time with his closest friends: Tom Buller, brash and fearless, the son of a drunk; Gabe Benavidez, smart enough to know hell never take over the family ranch; and Gabes sister, Luz, whose family overprotects her, and who Troy has loved since they were children.
Troy and his friends dont want trouble. They want this to be the summer of what Troy calls “ghost medicine,” when time seems to stop, so they wont have to face the past or the future. But before the summer is over, their paths will cross in dangerous and fateful ways with people who will change their lives: Rose, a damaged derelict who lives with a flock of wild horses and goats; and Chase Rutledge, the arrogant sheriffs son.
Troy and his friends want to disappear. Instead, they will become what they least expect —brothers, lovers, heroes, and ghosts.
Review
Praise for Ghost Medicine: "This book is a pitch-perfect coming-of-age tale destined to be held aloft alongside other classics of young adult literature. The story flows like stark, lovely poetry shared by best friends around a mountainside campfire."--VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) "Smith's first novel, a deceptively simple coming-of-age story, defies expectations via its sublime imagery and its elliptical narrative structure."--Publishers Weekly, starred review "Troy wishes to be lost, but his greatest hope is to be found, and Ghost Medicine beautifully captures that paradox in this timeless and tender coming-of-age story. Not only will it inspire readers to prod the boundaries of their own courage, but it will also remind them that life and love are precious and fleeting.”--School Library Journal “…the slowly building narrative gathers the heart-wrenching moments together to create a fully engrossing tale….Troys attempts at invisibility contrast with other characters desire for recognition and fatherly approval…. Smith canters to a satisfying finish.”--Kirkus Reviews
Review
“A pitch-perfect coming-of-age tale destined to be held aloft alongside other classics of young adult literature. The story flows like stark, lovely poetry shared by best friends around a mountainside campfire.”—
Voice of Youth Advocates“Smiths first novel, a deceptively simple coming-of-age story, defies expectations via its sublime imagery and its elliptical narrative structure.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“Troy wishes to be lost, but his greatest hope is to be found, and Ghost Medicine beautifully captures that paradox in this timeless and tender coming-of-age story. Not only will it inspire readers to prod the boundaries of their own courage, but it will also remind them that life and love are precious and fleeting.”—School Library Journal
“The slowly building narrative gathers the heart-wrenching moments together to create a fully engrossing tale. . . . Troys attempts at invisibility contrast with other characters desire for recognition and fatherly approval. . . . Smith canters to a satisfying finish.”—Kirkus Reviews
A YALSA 2009 Best Books for Young Adults Selection
Synopsis
The story of a group of friends—teenage cowboys who live in ranch country—and a summer that changes their lives forever.
Synopsis
Reminiscent of "The Outsiders" and "All the Pretty Horses," Smith debuts with a story of a group of friends--teenage cowboys who live in ranch country--and a summer that changes their lives forever.
Synopsis
Troy and his friends will become what they least expect—brothers, lovers, heroes, and ghosts.
Synopsis
The summer before Troy Stotts turns seventeen, his mother dies. Communicating with his father mostly by notes, Troy spends his time with his friends: Tom Buller, brash and fearless; Gabe Benavidez, smart enough to know hell never take over the family ranch; and Gabes sister, Luz, who Troy has loved since they were children. They want this to be the summer of “ghost medicine,” when time seems to stop, and they can hide from the past and the future, and all the ghosts that come with them. Troy and his friends dont want trouble, but as the summer fills with dangerous and fateful encounters, can even the most powerful ghost medicine keep them hidden and safe?
About the Author
ANDREW SMITH is the author of Ghost Medicine, which was a YALSA 2009 Best Books for Young Adults pick, and In the Path of Falling Objects. His next book, The Marbury Lens, will be available from Feiwel and Friends in Fall 2010. In addition to writing, Smith teaches high school advance placement classes and coaches rugby. He lives with his family on a ranch in the mountains of Southern California, where the nearest grocery store is twenty miles away. You can visit him on the web at www.ghostmedicine.com, where he also maintains a blog about writing.