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William Auten
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Pepper's Ghost Kindle Edition

by William Auten (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.4 3.4 out of 5 stars 12 ratings
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BEHOLD THE GORILLA-GIRL! Charlotte Alexandra Long is determined to leave all she knows: her ill-fitting office job, her unreliable boyfriend, and the city she has lived in since adolescence. But leaving that life requires leaving her haunted father who wants nothing but the best for her yet reminds her of a past he’s not ready to let go. After joining a traveling amusement company as a sideshow performer, where an old theater trick blurs illusion and reality, Charlotte transforms into Alex who ascends into a star. While wrestling with a spectrum of coworkers, her evolving identity, her troubled father, and her concerned mother, Alex faces an uncertain future that threatens everything she has established. As Pepper’s Ghost weaves in and out of the South and Midwest, Alex must reevaluate who she is and navigate the crossroads of family, memories, and places that challenge her in times of ambiguity and tragedy.

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  1. Print length
    317 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    February 1, 2024
  5. File size
    1839 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

2017 Eric Hoffer Book Award Finalist for Contemporary Fiction

Praise for Pepper's Ghost
An immediately absorbing read, Pepper's Ghost is a deftly crafted and consistently compelling novel that reveals author William Auten as a genuinely gifted and impressively skilled storyteller.
--Midwest Book Review

Pepper's Ghost will lure readers into its depth. The young character is unlike most leading female characters. William Auten portrayed the realities of life along with fantasy in way the just made readers like myself more curious. Memories and emotions were strong: it was easy to be swept up within them. Pepper's Ghost is entertaining, mysterious, and deep.
--Urban Book Reviews

From the Author

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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CLNLSJ5Y
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Fire In Hand Media; 2nd edition (February 1, 2024)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 1, 2024
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1839 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 317 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.4 3.4 out of 5 stars 12 ratings

About the author

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William Auten

William Auten

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William Auten is the author of the novels October (a quarterfinalist for 2023 ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition), In Another Sun, and Pepper's Ghost and the short-story collections Inroads and A Fine Day Will Burn Through. williamauten.com

Customer reviews

3.4 out of 5 stars
3.4 out of 5
12 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Danielle Urban
4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read...
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2016
Pepper's Ghost by William Auten is a YA read that will lure readers into its depth. The young character, Charlotte Alexandra, aka Alex, is interesting. She is unlike most leading female characters. What she really is surprised me...her journey was one wild roller-coaster ride after another. The dynamics of family life are played throughout this read. The parents make the life for Alex a bit more complex than should be. I liked how as a main character she was constantly challenged. Alex took on each challenge moving through life the best she could do. Sometimes things worked out and sometimes not. William Auten portrayed the realities of life along with fantasy in way the just made readers like myself more curious. Memories...and emotions were strong, it was easy to be swept up within them. Pepper's Ghost is a coming of age tale that comes off as entertaining, mysterious, and deep. The plot was developed and the pace was steady. Overall, I recommend it to all.
One person found this helpful
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Daniel
3.0 out of 5 stars Very average.
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2016
Rated 2.5 of 5

<em>Pepper's Ghost</em> by William Auten is an ambitious coming of age novel as Charlotte Alexandra Long ("Alex") struggles through a series of teen tropes but finds some answers in the circus sideshow where tricks serve as truths.

This is one of the most difficult sorts of books to review. There's nothing specific here that one can point to and say, "This is bad" but at the same time, there's nothing you can point to and say, "This really works." This is about as average a book as you will find.

I never got pulled into the story and Alex remained just a character in a book. Coming-of-age stories are pretty common fare for YA books, but if the central figure is distant or aloof, or otherwise doesn't capture the reader's attention, then the book becomes just another story instead of an adventure that you care about.

What drew me to the book was the circus theme. It's a popular theme in books today (it's hard to find a best-seller shelf that doesn't have at least one book set in or around a circus) but it's popular for a reason. Circus are fun and full of promise and mystery and just a little magic. But the inclusion of a circus also means that there's a bit of a promise from the author to the reader for that magic and I just didn't feel it.

There were little moments that I enjoyed though it ended a little easily and neatly.

Looking for a good book? <em> Pepper's Ghost</em> by William Auten is a tepid, average read.

I received a digital copy from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
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Angel Drew
3.0 out of 5 stars but a good heartfelt story
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2016
Reviewed through NetGalley for an honest, independent review.

Took it a while to get going for me, but a good heartfelt story.
2 people found this helpful
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Cherry A. London
4.0 out of 5 stars Finding oneself
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2016
This is a coming out story of Charlotte Alexander filled with all the teenage ups and downs, stressed, frustration, anger and a determination to finding herself and success along the way. It reverberates with her parents divorce ,especially her mom mixed up ideas and her fathers dreams for financial success. It's a tale of her finding her niche in life, a rather interesting tale indeed.
2 people found this helpful
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Kindle CustomerDebra Menard
4.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed reading about Charlotte's life
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2016
I voluntarily reviewed this ARC in exchange for a honest review.I enjoyed reading about Charlotte's life.I loved the title.It was what drew me in to this book.
2 people found this helpful
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debbie bridgford
4.0 out of 5 stars Coming of age story
Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2016
This was the coming story of Charlotte Alexander filled with ups and downs, stress and frustration. This was a good heart felt story, Erich I enjoyed very much.
2 people found this helpful
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