Kindle Edition Amazon PurpleRay Publishing Category:  Young Adult/Teen Publisher: PurpleRay Publishing ISBN-10:  0955019230 Type: Fiction Pages: 200 Copyright: June 2013 ISBN-13: 9780955019234 Price: $3.32 (eBook) How would you handle the dead? After losing his dad, 17 year old Marvin finds he can see and talk to the dead, an inherited 'gift'. Bonus, you might think, but Marvin hates it. It makes him different and he just wants to be 'normal'. He meets Stella in the graveyard that backs onto the house he's just moved into. 'My name is Stella, Stella McCartney. It says so inside my trousers.' (!?!) A mysterious business card reveals that Stella has lost her memories and all signs point to Moghador, a gateway to hell where a pawnbroker holds the answers.       Excerpt Marvin threw back the curtains and looked outside. ‘I don’t believe it! Great! Of all the places to move to,’ he said. The old neglected graveyard glared back at him. ‘As always, no one listens to me.’ A shuffling in the room made him turn sharply. The curtains fell back into place silently. ‘Dad!’ ‘I listen. I always listen.’ ‘You don’t count,’ said Marvin, looking at his father, who was wearing in an ill-fitting dark grey suit. ‘You’re dead! You might have had more say if you weren’t.’ ‘I don’t know why she married that insensitive idiot,’ said his dad, trying to pull the jacket sleeve down over the white shirt cuff. ‘Perhaps… because you’re dead?’ ‘But she could have done so much better. After all, she’s still got her looks…’ ‘Oh, please,’ said Marvin, perching on the bed. He looked his dead father in the eye. ‘That’s just too weird.’ ‘Being next to a graveyard. That’s going to be pretty tough…’ said his dad changing the subject. ‘Thanks. I know.’ ‘That’s not what I mean, Marvin. You know that.’ His dad sat down on the bed. ‘I’ve tried to teach you everything I know, but you still haven’t found a way of…’ ‘I have my sketch pad and pencils,’ Marvin protested. ‘You have a gift and you need to…’ ‘No, Dad! I have a curse!’ said Marvin, leaping up. ‘A gift is something nice, something you want.’ ‘Denying it won’t make it disappear,’ said Dad. ‘And neither will drawing.’ Dad joined Marvin at the window. ‘Life would be so much easier if you just embraced your special ability.’ Marvin frowned and picked at the loose shreds of wallpaper that clung to the window sill. He fought to remain calm, but this topic was one that had been discussed time and time again, and increasingly often lately. And the outcome was always the same – stalemate.

Imaginative Young Adult Paranormal/Horror Book

Marvin's life couldn't get much worse. He lost his father. He gained a stepfather. His stepfather has forced the family to move. The house is hideous, located next to a graveyard, and it smells. Of old, dead people.

Marvin's father still visits him as a ghost. He encourages his son to use his inherited ability to see ghosts. Marvin just wants to be a normal boy.

Debra Edwards' Marvin's Curse is a great paranormal/horror book for young adults. The characters are engaging. Ms. Edwards captures teenage angst, and adds her own brand of the paranormal.


Interesting
In this story we follow Marvin a young man who has a special gift. He can see and talk to spirits. I could relate to Marvin with some of the emotions he deals with after losing his father. With each turn of the page we watch Marvin grow from a boy into a young man. The characters and story are all very well developed and believable. The only downfall for me was it was over too quickly. I look forward to reading more from Edwards.

Great Read!!!
Marvin's Curse is a terrific read from start to finish. I liked that the author mixed a great ghost story with the hardships of being a teenager. With this story you get tons of suspense, mystery and a touch of romance that keeps you interested throughout the course of the story. This will be a great addition to anyone's reading list teen or adult. The characters are all very well developed and the story line is true to life and believable.Marvin's character just pulled at my heart-strings. He's dealing with the loss of his father and is angry and hurt,then on top of everything else he finds out he can see and hear ghosts, which he hates at first but comes to accept eventually.Overall this was a very well written story and I enjoyed reading it. I would love to see more of Marvin in the near future and hoping for another installment. Job well done Ms.Edwards!!!!