Ghosts of Harvard

A Novel

By: Francesca Serritella

Narrated by: Karissa Vacker

TEEN VOGUE BOOK CLUB PICK • A Harvard freshman becomes obsessed with her schizophrenic brother’s suicide. Then she starts hearing voices.

“A rich, intricately plotted thriller . . . Serritella, who is a Harvard grad herself, writes about the campus with an insider’s savvy.”—Maureen Corrigan, The Washington Post

“Every time I thought I knew where Ghosts of Harvard was heading, I turned out to be wrong. Part mystery, part ghost story, part psychological thriller, this novel is all entertainment.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult

Cadence Archer arrives on Harvard’s campus desperate to understand why her brother, Eric, a genius who developed paranoid schizophrenia took his own life there the year before. Losing Eric has left a black hole in Cady’s life, and while her decision to follow in her brother’s footsteps threatens to break her family apart, she is haunted by questions of what she might have missed. And there’s only one place to find answers.

As Cady struggles under the enormous pressure at Harvard, she investigates her brother’s final year, armed only with a blue notebook of Eric’s cryptic scribblings. She knew he had been struggling with paranoia, delusions, and illusory enemies—but what tipped him over the edge? Voices fill her head, seemingly belonging to three ghosts who passed through the university in life, or death, and whose voices, dreams, and terrors still echo the halls. Among them is a person whose name has been buried for centuries, and another whose name mankind will never forget.

Does she share Eric’s illness, or is she tapping into something else? Cady doesn’t know how or why these ghosts are contacting her, but as she is drawn deeper into their worlds, she believes they’re moving her closer to the truth about Eric, even as keeping them secret isolates her further. Will listening to these voices lead her to the one voice she craves—her brother’s—or will she follow them down a path to her own destruction?

Enjoyed. 3.5 stars.

Sometimes it was difficult to distinguish characters apart, due to narration voice difficulties. Otherwise I enjoyed the novel. I do like the tranquility of the narrators voice.

Excellent first novel!

This engaging novel has something for everyone- family secrets, history, ghosts, and love. And a few other things I won’t mention (because I don’t want to spoil it)! This is a fantastic book written by a talented young writer.

Wow! A compelling story right up to the end!!!

I highly recommend this book! Lots of surprises and a very satisfying read. I loved the author's notes at the end too!

Fabulous book

This was one of most enjoyable books I have ever read (actually listened to). Karissa Vacker was simply superb in the reading of the book.

I couldn’t put it down

Didn’t know what to expect. But it is an interestingly woven story of family struggles, loyalty and forgiveness. Combined with mystery and self discovery.