An appealing ghost story for budding book lovers.
Sisters struggle to make a haunted house feel like home.
As the Chapel family settles into Blackthorn House, which they plan to renovate, seventh grade fraternal twins Ava and Cassie go through the awkward transition of being the new kids at school. But the sisters make fast friends on the bus with two girls who show them around, and all four bond quickly over their similar reading interests. When their new friends reveal that Blackthorn House has a reputation for being haunted, Ava worries about Cassie, whose behavior starts to change after discovering a creepy, childish drawing beneath the wallpaper. Ava finds out more about the past residents, who include sisters Lily and Violet Blackthorn from the early 20th century. When the girls listen to a cassette tape that was hidden inside a wall, they are frightened by its recording of a séance conducted in 1978. Ava’s concerns increase as Cassie’s changes and challenges begin to mirror those of a prior Blackthorn resident. Ava and her new friends scheme about what to do when an increasingly troublesome “polterghost” makes an appearance. Main characters are White; Ava and Cassie’s new friends are racially diverse. Ford delivers a quick read with gentle frights and familiar themes that will appeal to middle-grade readers and fans of plot-oriented stories with supernatural twists.
An appealing ghost story for budding book lovers. (Paranormal. 8-12)Pub Date: June 28, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-75797-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Will delight readers in search of a fast but freaky ghost story.
A girl must reckon with her sister’s angry ghost.
Chelsea’s twin, Angelica, still follows her around nearly constantly despite having met an untimely death several years ago. Though 12-year-old Chelsea loves her sister, the situation leaves her feeling isolated. To make matters worse, the twins’ former friend Riley has relentlessly bullied Chelsea ever since Chelsea told Riley about Angelica’s paranormal presence. Unbeknownst to Chelsea, when Chelsea pays attention to other people, Angelica is relegated to a scary, mold-ridden underworld; until now, Chelsea hasn’t had any friends to distract her. But when Chelsea befriends her classmate Janette, Angelica’s rage boils over, and for the first time since her death, she begins siphoning off Chelsea’s energy to gain the power to exert her own will on the world. In this existentially chilling and quickly paced tale, psychological fears are equally matched with physical danger as the guilt of moving on after the death of a loved one manifests in multiple ways for Chelsea. Alexander continues to hone a talent for particularly relatable characters with authentic emotions, drawing readers firmly into twisted, nightmarish circumstances. Physical descriptions are minimal.
Will delight readers in search of a fast but freaky ghost story. (Horror. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781546116493
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
Young goths will be all-in for the trippy mysteries.
There’s something suspicious about the summer vacation that the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings are expected to spend with their Aunt Saffronia.
The Sinister-Winterbottom twins, Theo and Alexander, along with adopted older sister Wil, are woken up in the middle of the night by their parents and whisked away—by candlelight, of all things! Now they’re with Aunt Saffronia, about whom they know nothing. She brings them to Fathoms of Fun Waterpark to accomplish a task. “Find what was lost,” is all she will tell them. Also, something about needing time….No churros to eat, no running allowed, and hardly anyone besides themselves at the park. It’s all very weird! In fact, the park is rather Victorian and features parasols instead of sunscreen and mausoleums instead of cabanas. Since the only thing, or person, that seems to be lost is Mr. Widow, co-manager of the park, the Sinister-Winterbottoms decide to find him. The creepy gothic setting, the relationships between the siblings, the cast of unusual characters, and the teasers that this episode is just one part of a much larger puzzle will keep readers hooked. The action moves at a strong clip as the siblings uncover a plot involving impersonation and greed. Aunt Saffronia, however, shows no interest in the intrigue as she announces their next stop: the Sanguine Spa in the Little Translyvanian Mountains. The twins are White; Wil has dark brown skin.
Young goths will be all-in for the trippy mysteries. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: June 7, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-37904-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2022
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