Supernatural Tête-à-tête: Ghost Whisperer
Joy Fleishhacker -- School Library Journal, 4/1/2009
This television drama/paranormal thriller premiered on CBS in 2005 and has recently been green-lighted for a fifth season. Created by John Gray, the show was developed by medium James Van Praagh and inspired by the work of real-life ghost whisperer Mary Ann Winkowski. Jennifer Love Hewitt stars as Melinda Gordon, a compassionate young woman who has the ability to see and speak with the spirits of dead people. The owner of an antiques store in the small town of Grandview, NY, Melinda is passionate about her gift and her role in helping “Earthbound spirits” resolve their issues and “cross over” into The Light. Each episode centers around the protagonist encountering the ghost (or ghosts) in need of her assistance, collecting clues and researching their stories, and eventually discovering something about the individual’s past that encourages the ghost to open up to her so that she can help the spirit find peace. Season-long story arcs also deal with Melinda’s personal life, family mysteries, and relationships with other characters, some of whom also have supernatural abilities (and are not always committed to doing good). Ghost Whisperer currently airs on Friday nights and will be broadcast in reruns on ION Television, Sci Fi, and WE TV. Seasons one through three are also available on DVD (Paramount).On the Web
The show has quite a presence on the Internet with numerous interactive sites, blogs, and discussion boards. Teens can visit the official site (http://www.cbs.com/primetime/ghost_whisperer/) to watch videos, browse episode recaps, tap into fan forums, and access an online web series that runs as a companion to the TV show. Expanding on the plot, Ghost Whisperer: The Other Side invites its audience to see events through the eyes of a ghost, as it follows the earthbound spirit of Zach who tries to solve the mystery of his death while learning how to function in his new environs. This popular Web series is now in its third season (http://www.cbs.com/primetime/ghost_whisperer/the_other_side/).
In addition to linking to fansites and wikis, TV viewers can post their comments and read the musings of other devotees at CBS’s “Ghost Whisperer Community” (http://www.cbs.com/primetime/ghost_whisperer/community/)—a trusted source of feedback for the show’s producers.
Book Tie-ins
“Ghosties” will be riveted by Ghost Whisperer: Spirit Guide (2008), an inviting, packed-with-photos paperback from Titan Books. Penned by Kim Moses and Ian Sander, the show’s executive producers, the volume provides a detailed look at the series from its genesis through season three (with a glimpse at season four). Brief chapters introduce the main characters and provide back stories, commentary from the actors, Q and A, and lists of fun facts. A “Behind the Scenes” segment discusses the writing process, wardrobe, visual effects, casting, and more, along with insights from the creative crew. Four sections of “Melinda’s Spirit Guide” are interspersed throughout and deal with topics such as figuring out if a house is haunted, recognizing ghosts, and ghostly urban legends. Interviews and input from James Van Praagh and Mary Ann Winkowski will fascinate readers, as will the crews’ conviction that the set is haunted. This chatty, fun-to-browse tome ends with an episode guide (with explanations of the overriding themes and impetus behind each season) and is filled with eye-pleasing cast photos (both portraits and film stills).
A series of original novels based on the show, all with covers featuring the charismatic Melinda set against an eerie-looking backdrop, is available from Pocket Star Books. In Doranna Durgin’s Ghost Whisperer: Revenge, 
Gordon Reese, a one-time bad guy, is ready to put his violent ways behind him and start a new life, but is brutally murdered before he can do so, resulting in shattered dreams and a vengeful ghost intent on haunting the last man to see him alive. As Melinda investigates Gordon’s death, she faces danger from the ghost’s growing wrath and finds herself becoming the killer’s next target. Steven Piziks’s Ghost Whisperer: Plague Room (both 2008), set during the first season, has Melinda tangling with Wendy King, a self-proclaimed “Spiritual Consultant” who (for a fee) forces ghosts to cross over, and it is Melinda who must deal with the aftermath when Wendy’s actions release an evil spirit. The fast-reading novels combine mystery, action, and supernatural elements with strong depictions of the likable main character and her cohorts. Another volume, Durgin’s Ghost Whisperer: Ghost Trap, was released March 31.
IDW Publishing has gathered together issues #1–5 of its graphic novel series, Ghost Whisperer: The Haunted (2008),into a single, easy-to-circulate paperback volume. Co-written by Becca Smith (of the TV show’s writing staff) and 
Carrie Smith, with stunning art by Elena Casagrande, this sequence has Melinda taking on a spirit that believes itself to be no less than Osiris, Egyptian God of the Dead, who seems to be collecting souls. Through diligence and compassion, Melinda must win back the hearts of several recently dead teenagers who have committed themselves to the vengeful Osiris, while solving the mystery of this enigmatic individual’s true identity. The expressively drawn, action-packed scenes are punctuated with stylized pages retelling bits of Egyptian mythology. Dialogue balloons—and touches of humor—keep the plot moving quickly. Melinda comes across as a confident and kind heroine who consistently maintains her poise under pressure. A gallery of artists’ images and photos of Hewitt in character complete the package. As stated by the show’s creator in his foreword, this incarnation of the concept serves to “expand the world of Ghost Whisperer, and add more levels to the story telling and the mythology.” The compelling artwork and scintillating storytelling may also win over new fans to the graphic novel format.
Pub Info
MOSES, Kim and Ian Sander. Ghost Whisperer: Spirit Guide. Titan Books. 2008. pap. $16.95. ISBN 9781845769352.
DURGIN, Doranna. Ghost Whisperer: Revenge. 2008. ISBN 978-1-4165-5094-5.
PIZIKS, Steven. Ghost Whisperer: Plague Room. 2008. ISBN 978-1-4165-6015-9.
DURGIN, Doranna. Ghost Whisperer: Ghost Trap. 2009. ISBN 978-1-4165-6014-2.
Ea vol: Pocket Star Books. pap. $7.99.
SMITH, Becca & Carrie Smith. Ghost Whisperer: The Haunted. art by Elena Casagrande. IDW Publishing. 2008. pap. $11.99. ISBN 978-160010260-8.
