Ghost Girl: The True Story of a Child in Desperate Peril-And a Teacher Who Saved Her Paperback – 28 Jun. 2016

This is the first Torey Hayden book I have read. The cover says "The true story of a child in desperate peril - and a teacher who saved her", the problem is we are never sure whether that is really the case. Jadie, the child in question, is undoubtedly disturbed. She refuses to speak and is hunched almost double despite having no obvious physical handicap. Torey Hayden managed to get Jadie to speak almost as soon as she meets her, other teachers have spent years trying. She then tries to make sense of Jadie's wild stories and sexually inappropriate actions. The problem with this book is that all feels a little voyeuristic and the reader never gets to the bottom of what is happening. Hayden's intervention definitely helped Jadie but I am not sure about the conclusions reached. There seemed to me no evidence at all that her parents were abusing her. Hayden felt it odd that Jadie and her siblings had never been left in the care of anyone outside the family but they went to school every day, they weren't recluses. Of course children need to know that they will be belived when they speak out about abuse and Jadie was lucky to have such a supportive teacher, nevertheless I finished this book feeling frustrated at the inconclusive outcome. I also felt that I had violated Jadie's privacy by reading about her case. I have no doubt that Hayden changed many details but it still felt like an infringement of privacy to me.

So many book readers say "i couldn't put this book down" well now i'm one of them, this book really gripped me from the first page, and i will now be reading more from this Author, wonder how little Jadie is now!

Can't remember bought a while back for a class

I don't usually write reviews but this book affected me so profoundly that I felt I wanted to comment. The knowledge (as with all Torey Hayden books) that you are reading memoirs of actual events takes you - the reader - on a disturbing journey. In describing my emotions upon reading this book, I don't know that I could actually use the word "enjoyed" as other reviewers have. That seems an odd choice to me, but there is definitely something compelling about Torey's narratives that keeps you reading, desperate to know if the children get the help they so obviously need. Ghost Girl in particular draws you into one little girls' torturous world, and even if you never quite know just exactly what happened to Jadie, you know this poor child has suffered through terrible events. What is strengthening about Torey's books is that even whilst you glimpse the evil some adults seem capable of, you are at the same time upbuilt by the amount of compassion, kindness and love shown by Torey and her professional colleagues (social workers, police etc.) that are trying to help in these circumstances, who are there doing their best to protect vulnerable children like Jadie. Overall, Ghost Girl left me disturbed and uneasy yet with an overwhelming admiration for all truly humane and kindhearted souls, out there fighting the odds to defend otherwise defenceless children.

Wow Tory wow wow wow This is the book that got me hooked ill never ever forget this book you have an amazing talent and I hope you do more books like this.......

This is the third Torey Hayden book I have read (the first two were One Child and it's sequel, Tiger's child, both excellent). This book, Ghost Girl, is incredibly moving and extremely shocking. It is hard to believe that this sort of abuse goes on, but it does, and here Torey tries so desperately to help this little girl, Jadie, a pupil in her class for special needs kids, who is an elective mute but begins to talk to Torey almost immediately. It soon becomes clear that something is very, very wrong but Torey can't quite put her finger on it, and tries very hard to encourage Jadie to tell all. When she eventually does confess to everything that is happening to her and her six year old sister, Amber, and even to her 18 month old baby sister Sapphire, Torey is terribly shocked and unsure what to do, as she has promised Jadie she won't tell anybody of their secret after school conversations. But matters take a dramatic turn - you'll have to read it to find out the rest! I really enjoy reading Torey's books and find them hard to put down once started, and I am about to order 2 more to take on holiday with me! Highly recommended.

I have to say this book was very moving and painfull to read.I could not not stop myself from crying at times as the main little girl in this book called Jadie suffers such horrific sexual abuse it is very hard to read what her and her sister go through.What keeps you gripped is Torey Hadens love and kindness to Jadie, her concern and determination to get her out of this nightmare. Its very powerfull words.All i can say is it when you read this it does play on your mind and you will be upset by what you read but on the other hand it shows you there are amazing people like Torey Haden out there helping children escape these kind of nightmares and there are people willing to fight to put these evil people away.God bless you Torey Haden!!!!

This was the very first of Torey Hayden's books I had read and I was hooked, she writes so well and you cannot put it down she has you hooked from page one. You walk through her life with her and it's almost like you are beside her. You feel so much for the child in this book and find yourself wishing for her to get better. Torey Hayden is brill and there should be more people like her in the world i recommend this book and all her others if you have an interest in true life or damage caused to children by other people. Anyone who has ever been abused can take some comfort from these books and know there is hope out there it's finding that someone who can help and who wants the best for you.