Offering unexpected twists on established tropes, this collection will delight horror fans.
Read this—your life just might depend on it.
In the preface to this horror collection, a mysterious narrator, who was once held captive by vampires, notes that these creatures of the night “cannot so much as nibble you if you tell them a story,” so he has kindly left readers these tales, which served him well in the past. Some stories stand alone, while others return to the same characters or settings: summer campers sharing tales; an exorcist tasked with getting rid of ghosts. The exorcist’s stories mirror real-life horrors, like the Woman in White, a ghostly version of entitled White women we’ve become familiar with via social media videos. Many tales breathe new life into tried-and-true tropes, such as the hitchhiking ghost. Acker’s voice changes subtly through the progression of stories, making it believable that a young person is telling these tales off the cuff and becoming a stronger storyteller over time through more sophisticated language. Peppered throughout are humorous accounts of the narrator’s time with his fanged captors along with Buoncristiano’s arresting black-and-white artwork. Layers of nuance, plus hints at modern concerns, make this an entertaining read for a wide age range. Lack of physical description assumes a White default throughout, though the Park twins may be Korean, and the family harassed by the Woman in White might be people of color considering similar real-life incidents. One character uses they/them pronouns.
Offering unexpected twists on established tropes, this collection will delight horror fans. (Horror. 8-14)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-66591-700-1
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
Atmospheric but at times frustratingly flat.
A recent transplant wrestles with her seaside town’s complicated and ghostly history.
Twelve-year-old Mallory Denton has moved from Chicago to a tiny New England town. Eastport, Massachusetts, is a popular tourist destination, relying on its long and spooky history to keep its economy thriving. Its attractions include Mallory’s parents’ creepily themed restaurant that abuts a cemetery. Sweet Molly’s is Eastport’s most famous story, commemorated as the chief attraction in an annual parade. The legend tells of the time Molly Flanders McMulligan Marshall lost her twin brother, Liam, at sea when the townspeople pressured him to go out in his fishing boat even as a dangerous storm approached. After Mallory begins to see Molly in visions and nightmares, she must find a way to break Molly’s curse on the town before the vengeful ghost can exact her furious otherworldly revenge on the town that monetizes and celebrates her trauma. In tense, fast-paced chapters, Currie concocts a chilling setting replete with haunting spectral scares set in a town with an accessible but intriguingly complicated history. However, the thrills ultimately fizzle, as much is told rather than shown and pivotal plot points are revealed too soon and resolved too quickly and tidily. While some scenes are chillingly rendered, they lose their panache when juxtaposed against moments of cloying predictability. Most characters read as White.
Atmospheric but at times frustratingly flat. (Horror. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72823-654-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Sourcebooks Young Readers
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
A thrilling, action-packed journey filled with heart, bravery, and ghostly exploits.
An ocean-dwelling ghost girl confronts powerful forces.
Graciela is dead. She fell from a cliff into the ocean in a terrible accident, only to awaken as a ghost in an underwater community of spirits—souls of those who have died at sea. Her Guide and friend, Amina, teaches her how to navigate this new existence, from performing duties that make “the living world more bearable by keeping the sea in a delicate balance,” to the rules that protect them from the living. Amina dreams of joining the Almas, powerful spirits who guard the ocean’s secrets from the castle Salemúria, but Graciela is desperate for Amina to stay with her. Meanwhile, Jorge Leon, a boy from a long line of blacksmiths, is trapped by his brutish parents in a life of cruelty. His only joy is crafting whimsical toys from metal scraps. When Jorge discovers a sinister harpoon forged by his treasure-hunting ancestor—one capable of killing sea ghosts—he attempts to render it harmless but accidentally sets off a dangerous chain of events. When Graciela’s and Jorge’s paths cross, they must work together to confront and defeat evil forces. With breathtaking underwater worldbuilding and eerie details, Medina’s latest immerses readers in Graciela’s ghostly realm, and they’ll root for the unlikely duo on their perilous quest. The Balbussos’ hauntingly beautiful illustrations enhance the story. The characters and setting evoke Spanish and Portuguese cultural influences.
A thrilling, action-packed journey filled with heart, bravery, and ghostly exploits. (map, color guide, glossary) (Fantasy. 9-13)Pub Date: July 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781536219456
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025
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