Second Glance by Jodi Picoult

It seems like the older I get the more creeped out I am by ghost stories. I would have thought it would go the other way around. Now that I'm 30-ish and know for certain that there are only dust bunnies and abandoned sweaters under the bed, one would assume a ghost story wouldn't cause me to tip-toe around my dark house with a heavy object in tow. That assumption is incorrect. During the time this book resided on my nightstand I paused in my tip-toeing only long enough to leap out of my skin each time one of my dogs snored.
Despite the elevated creep-factor in this one, I wasn't as taken with it as I have been by some of Picoult's others. Suicide is a prominent topic and I have a difficult time understanding and empathizing with contemplated suicide. Because I don't understand, it is almost impossible for me to become invested in a suicidal character.
Additionally, there were multiple 'main' themes: a child with a terminal illness, a ghost unable to rest, another child tormented by her ability to see and communicate with spirits, a couple of moms in need of a romance, a lonely cop, a suicidal, ghost-hunting brother. It became nearly impossible to keep up with all of these characters and their -isms. This manic compilation of dramas inhibited me from becoming attached to any of the characters and as a result I never emotionally invested myself in the story. I finished it like I started it- with the quiet, unemotional turn of a page.

You will find an official description of the plot line at: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10911.Second_Glance