A Review for Ghost Planet by Sharon Lynn Fisher

Posted by Guest Reviewer Melanie
Release Date: October 23rd, 2012

Finished Date: January 8th, 2013

Publishers: Tor
Source: For Review 

Format: Paperback 

Pages: 342
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Psychologist Elizabeth Cole prepared for the worst when she accepted a job on a newly discovered world—a world where every colonist is tethered to an alien who manifests in the form of a dead loved one. But she never expected she'd struggle with the requirement to shun these "ghosts." She never expected to be so attracted to the charming Irishman assigned as her supervisor. And she certainly never expected to discover she died in a transport crash en route to the planet. 

As a ghost, Elizabeth is symbiotically linked to her supervisor, Murphy—creator of the Ghost Protocol, which forbids him to acknowledge or interact with her. Confused and alone—oppressed by her ghost status and tormented by forbidden love—Elizabeth works to unlock the secrets of her own existence. 

But her quest for answers lands her in a tug-of-war between powerful interests, and she soon finds herself a pawn in the struggle for control of the planet…a struggle that could separate her forever from the man that she loves.

The Review: I’m not going to lie, I struggled with this in the beginning – it was hard to wrap my head around what was happening but once I got the gist of it, it turned into a really great read. I don’t usually read sci-fi books, I’m more of a paranormal girl but I’d thought I’d give this a go because I liked the sound of it and it can also be classed as paranormal and even fantasy just  by dealing with the ghost/alien subject.

The story was a unique one for me and I believe the synopsis truly says it all. I gelled with the characters straight away and felt their chemistry so when we got the big reveal about Elizabeth being a ghost, I was really shocked and then the curiosity kicked in. Because of the attachment I had to Elizabeth & Murphy, it was just horrible that things changed between them as soon as that discovery was made and Murphy implemented the ghost protocol on her, I didn’t see her any differently and was a bit puzzled as to why they couldn’t see that she could still be an asset to them in any form. I sort of knew where it was going in respect to what she would do about her predicament and how she would go about it but I always wondered why they hadn’t tried something like that before. I loved what happened later on between them and how that opened up a whole new insight, if only things could really be that way. I also loved that the tables were turned on Murphy too so he got a taste of what it felt like to be the ‘alien’. Their love story was a welcome lift and added a bit of spice to the story, it was sweet in a way and quite desperate as they fight it but bond anyway & let’s face it …. Who doesn’t like a bit of forbidden love?

The story was actually well rounded with both sides ghost/colonist being addressed and I liked that a lot, it made me question a lot of things as well especially the negative reaction from both sides, sort of like a modern racism against species that seemed to carry a message of tolerance, understanding and willingness to see the bigger picture of how they could help each other and unite, instead of segregation & unrest. I really liked the environmental aspect as well, how it was all linked together and when the truth comes out, the key is one we can only hope for… so not only do we get mystery, we get oppression, discrimination, power struggles, insurgence, jealousy, rivalry and a nice dose of forbidden love - hidden under the façade of big money organisations with ulterior motives and what started out quite slow with a psychological feel became an action packed adventure on a new planet where it seems like battle has only just begun & I would definitely read a sequel. It gives a lot of food for thought too.