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Raised by wolves after being abandoned by his parents in the northern Minnesota wilderness, Vel Grande taught himself to read using the journals of lost hikers eaten by his pack. When he is not writing, Vel enjoys board gaming and howling at the stars while travelling the open road at night. The Essence - A Ghost Story in Three Days is his first book series.
Vel currently resides in International Falls, Minnesota, where keeping warm is actually a profession.
Reviewed by Gary W. Stout for Readers' Favorite
You never know what kind of trouble three kids might get into when left alone, but no one could expect the ghostly adventures shared by Alyssa, Bradley, and Sean when their parents take a long weekend from home. This is the setting for The Essence (A Ghost Story in Three Days) cleverly written by Vel Grande and illustrated by talented Krystle Carkeek. At seventeen, Alyssa is old enough to be left in charge, but her experience in babysitting and straight-A studies won't help her when a simple bedroom mirror becomes the portal into the stagnant, black, Nothing, where souls wait for new life. As if discovering the portal even exists isn't bad enough to ruin her weekend, Sean, her four-year-old brother falls through the mirror into Nothing, leaving Alyssa to wonder how she's going to explain THAT to her parents when they return. Sending Bradley, her thirteen-year-old brother, through the mirror after Sean starts out as a fine idea under the circumstances but the mirror portal suddenly slams closed, trapping Bradley on the wrong side as well. What follows is a wild ride through two dimensions with altercations between Lost Souls, twin brother ghosts, one evil and one good, and the hapless Sean and Bradley.
The Essence (A Ghost Story in Three Days) is a fun and quick read that will entertain young adults and their young-at-heart parents. Author Vel Grande brings his characters to life with dialog and humor and paints both dark and light imagery with deft strokes. Krystle Carkeek’s plentiful illustrations capture the emotion of the scenes, cementing each character’s details in the reader’s mind. The Essence is great escapism.
