The imaginative and truly horrifying monster at its center makes this tale stand out.
Noelle is excited about her family’s new house—until she learns of the monster in the basement.
Since Noe Wiley’s night terrors led to a friendship-ending incident, she’s glad to be moving. Right from the start, though, this place feels off, and the kids in the neighborhood tell her to stay out of her basement at night. A sleepwalking episode leads to her understanding the warning when she wakes up to see the Smashed Man oozing out of a crack in the wall. He can only come out after dark, and only children can see him. Noe slowly forms friendships with the neighborhood girls, Radiah, Ruthy, and Crystal, and they band together to learn more about the monster and how to defeat him once and for all. Vivid descriptions create a strong setting with plenty of tension and make scenes with the Smashed Man the stuff of nightmares. The girls are realistically portrayed, although their characterizations are lacking in depth. The pacing and plot get muddled in the middle as the overly complex paranormal world at large is explored and explained, but it’s worth wading through to get to the exciting final confrontation with the Smashed Man. While the ending is satisfying, new reveals at the end signal possible sequels. The majority of the cast is assumed White; Radiah is implied Black.
The imaginative and truly horrifying monster at its center makes this tale stand out. (Horror. 9-13)Pub Date: Aug. 17, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-299052-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heartily satisfying string of entertaining near-catastrophes, replete with narrow squeaks and spectral howls.
Three young ghost trappers take on deadly wraiths and solve an old murder case in the bargain to kick off Stroud’s new post-Bartimaeus series.
Narrator Lucy Carlyle hopes to put her unusual sensitivity to supernatural sounds to good use by joining Lockwood & Co.—one of several firms that have risen to cope with the serious ghost Problem that has afflicted England in recent years. As its third member, she teams with glib, ambitious Anthony Lockwood and slovenly-but-capable scholar George Cubbins to entrap malign spirits for hire. The work is fraught with peril, not only because a ghost’s merest touch is generally fatal, but also, as it turns out, as none of the three is particularly good at careful planning and preparation. All are, however, resourceful and quick on their feet, which stands them in good stead when they inadvertently set fire to a house while discovering a murder victim’s desiccated corpse. It comes in handy again when they later rashly agree to clear Combe Carey Hall, renowned for centuries of sudden deaths and regarded as one of England’s most haunted manors. Despite being well-stocked with scream-worthy ghastlies, this lively opener makes a light alternative for readers who find the likes of Joseph Delaney’s Last Apprentice series too grim and creepy for comfort.
A heartily satisfying string of entertaining near-catastrophes, replete with narrow squeaks and spectral howls. (Ghost adventure. 11-13)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4231-6491-3
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 28, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
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