The Ghost of Danny McGee

Grim’s debut doesn’t fulfill the promise of its unusual premise: that affluent adults can pay to have their consciousnesses transplanted into cloned children’s bodies to relive childhood experiences. At Camp Phoenix, where Phoenix Genetics has created an environment “meant to resemble anyone’s childhood, and at the same time, no one’s,” counselor Sam Red and his coworkers undergo rigorous training to “build a secure environment the campers will have no need to question,” and are bound by strict confidentiality requirements. The isolated atmosphere begins to fray Sam’s nerves, as well as those of the other staff, and the campers, some of whom come to believe a murderous ghost is haunting the camp. Things come to a head when several of Sam’s charges disappear. Despite the isolated setting and high-concept setup, there’s not much atmosphere or tension. As well, the author provides no scientific basis to make the consciousness transfer feel plausible, and the characters lack depth, making it difficult to suspend disbelief. This fails to live up to its own ambitions. Agent: Emmy Higdon, Westwood Creative Artists. (Nov.)