Skeleton Creek: Ryan’s Journal (185 Pages)- Ghost in the Machine: Ryan’s Journal (205 Pages)
- The Crossbones: Ryan’s Journal (210 Pages)
- The Raven: Ryan’s Journal 232 Page)
The Author: Patrick Carman
I recently finished the collection and I’d be more than happy to share my thoughts. The thing is, if you don’t read the first book then the description of the other three books may be a spoiler for you.
I will not spoil the whole book but I will at least talk about the beginnings of each book.
BOOK #1
In the first book the main character Ryan McCray and his best friend Sarah Fincher are extremely curious of their mysterious small town, Skeleton Creek. As their curiosity builds up they began to do research on why the town was named Skeleton Creek and the mining history withing the town years before. They even looked through old newspapers to find out some information that might be useful to them. What they did find out online, was that there was incident on the New York Gold and Silver lawsuit that vanished after 1985. The incident was about a miner Joe Bush who died around that time, and some people in the town believe that the ghost of Old Joe Bush haunt that very dredge.
But then that makes you think, Don’t usually spirits hang around when they have unfinished business or when they cannot leave in peace?
[SPOILER ALERT AHEAD] THERE IS NO END!
BOOK #2
In the beginning Ryan asks himself “Am I really doing this?” he was becoming paranoid that Sarah was taking too long in the dredge. One night when Ryan was asleep he claims that there may be a chance that you wrote down some names on his wall over his bed, but does not recall writing them. His dad begins to question him on why he did it, but Ryan does not admit to it at that moment. Ryan has a list of all the people that may be a part of the mystery that him and Sarah are trying to solve, and as they start finding out more information he starts cussing out the names of the people who are no longer suspicious to them. After a while him and Sarah were not allowed to see each other after the incident where Ryan had fallen and broken his leg. they didn’t even want to risk emailing each other because both their parents were watching over them like hawks. They even began to write each other letters and placing those letters in the secret place where only they knew, since they were kids.
BOOK #3
“Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean people aren’t really out to get you.”
- This is my favorite quote out of the collection, because as I read that, I started to get paranoid myself; and my dad suddenly bust in my room. My immediate reaction was to grab what ever was near me and throw it at the door. He was lucky I missed because I was really into the book and it’s not the first time he tries to scared me, even watching a horror movie he’d try his own jump scare.
Ryan and Sarah How to save the town by solving a part of the mystery. Finding the gold was the reward that the town got, but the gold that Ryan was able to keep himself was in the bank and wish she could not touch it until he turned 18. Sarah’s pants thought it was a great opportunity when they receive their part of the money as a ticket to get out of Skeleton Creek. When Sarah moved out their friendship began to crumble, in their messages it went from essays to paragraphs and suddenly into sentences from here and there. One day she emailed Ryan telling him the great opportunity of her being accepted into a summer film school at UCLA It’s on the email was “get out or get dead”, of course Ryan was happy to hear the news but at the same time he felt it was an ending as well.
Ryan then mentions an envelope that was in the video and which Sarah recorded. That envelope was a question to everyone of what happened to it and where did it go since it had disappeared and no one claims to have seen it after the video. Of course Ryan kept it. What was inside was extremely unique it seems like a puzzle of mysteries that are not yet solved. That envelope was a new start to another mystery with our favorite Detectives Ryan McCray and Sarah Fincher.
BOOK #4
Ryan and his dad decide to leave Skeleton Creek early in the morning in order to get away as far as possible from the craziness of their town. Their phone had been ringing constantly to interview Ryan for his accomplishments on saving the town. First finding the gold on the dredge then discovering the missing Jefferson Library but no one knew that Sarah was a big part of the solve the mystery. Then again, if he had revealed that she was a part of it, he would risk her parents finding out and never trusting her again. Since she was the one who went from place to place to find the missing tapes when she was supposed to be focusing on her filming project. Ryan then here’s a chopping from outside and believed it was his dad at first but finding out that it wasn’t him at all. he went out to the woods to see what it was that he had heard. he sees a hooded figure who was close enough to hit him with an axe and said, “ storms coming”, “Gonna to be a big one”, “Dangerous, not like the ones before.” “ Better take cover,” without even realizing Ryan said absolutely nothing but he did record what happened. Ryan kept thinking about the possibility of that man being The Raven. Ryan then have to send a copy to Sarah of another mystery puzzle it seems that the case is still open. there are secrets and Mysteries that have yet to be discovered.
There are also videos to a website that Sarah Fincher created, throughout the book it gives you passwords to her website of certain videos that flow with story. As you are reading you will be able to watch a video of their encounter on certain events. If you would like to see the videos I will provide all the passwords to her website for each book.
I would truly recommend reading the collection, the funny thing is I had this collection since elementary school and buying them at the book fair, but at the time I wasn’t interested in reading those types of books.
Rating this book is the easiest thing I have so of course I’m going to give it 5 stars.
PASSWORDS:
[Skeleton Creek]
- HOUSEOFUSHER
- THERAVEN
- PITANDPENDULUM
- AMONTILLADO
- DRJEKYLLANDMRHYDE
- PETERQUINT
- LUCYWESTENRA
- MILTONARBOGAST
- TANGINABARRONS
[Ghost In The Machine]
- JACKTORRANCE
- CASTLEOFOTRANTO
- CARLKOLCHAK
- IMATSCHOOL
- MARYSHELLEY
- THEANCIENTMARINER
- GEORGELUTZ
- FATHERARISTEUS
- NEWYORKGOLDANDSILVER
[The Crossbones]
- MRSVEAL
- FACEINTHEMIRROR
- THELADYINWHITE
- SLAM
- HALLOFMIRRORS
- RAINSFORD
- MAGIC8BALL
- MISTERSMITHERS
[The Raven]
- MELANIEDANIELS
- EDWINDROOD
- FORTUNATO
- OSIRIS
- SPOOKSVILLE
- THEREDROOM1849
- THECLAUSE
- RESTINPEACE
[WC 1198]
What's on my mind today?... 