Is fame as good as people think it is? For the protagonists of Paul Shipton's recent book, The Ghost in the Guitar, the answer to this question is a definite 'no'. When the book begins, we meet two young students, Katy and Tom. They are not so different from other children of similar age. They like music and have big dreams of becoming famous. Katy and Tom even have their own band - Steel City.
Things are going well for Katy and Tom until ...
Tom buys a new guitar. Almost instantly Tom's playing begins to improve. He sounds better. He seems more ambitious than before. Things seem good on the surface, but Katy detects more subtle and worrisome changes in Tom. It seems the musical instrument has not only changed the quality of Tom's performance, but more importantly, his demeanour. Tom is suddenly transformed from being the fun friend she'd always known and loved to a person who is very stressed and anxious. Tom seems to enjoy playing music less and less after getting his new guitar.
Things to consider when reading this book ...
Which character do you relate to the most? Why?
Is Katy a good friend? What about Tom?