🎃The Girl in White by Lindsay Currie

 

What's better than a sinister middle grade ghost story to get the Halloween season off to a good start? And who better than Lindsay Currie to come up with the perfect spine tingler. Mallory Denton, 12, wasn't terribly happy when her parents decided to move from Chicago to Eastport, Massachusetts to open their dream restaurant, The Hill. It even comes with a ready made legend about a casket bursting through the wall from the graveyard next door one stormy October night. In fact, all of Eastport has haunting legends and curses and that's how it makes its tourist money.

And although Mallory and her best friend Emmie don't believe in the legends or curses, Mallory is having the same disturbing dream night after night centered around an old woman. Legend has it that Sweet Molly's brother Liam was killed in a storm one October night and Molly has been haunting the seaport ever since. Now, it is October, a time when the town capitalizes on  the anniversary of the Liam's death. So, when Mallory sees the same lady from her nightmares by the harbor one evening on her way home during an October  storm, she begins to doubt her own disbelief. Is she being haunted by Liam's sister Sweet Molly?

But when Mallory gets home to finally get some much needed sleep, she is surprised when, six hours later, her mother calls from the restaurant to see if she is OK. It seems that Mallory was seen digging in the sand near the harbor. Yet, Mallory has no recollection of going back to there. Could she have walked in her sleep? There is sand and water all over the house and even under her fingernails. Then, Mallory learns she isn't the only one haunted by the same woman. Next door neighbor Joshua, a classmate she hasn't ever really spoken to, tells her the same thing has been happening to him, including the sleepwalking. Together with Emmie and Joshua, Mallory decides it's time to get to the bottom of things. 

As the anniversary celebration draws near, complete with parade, Mallory's other friend Brianne is chosen to play the part of Molly. When Bri appears to be possessed by the spirit of Molly and goes after Mallory, she, Joshua and Emmie decide to include Bri in their investigations. So far, they have two theories - first, that Mallory and Joshua are being targeted because they are the only two kids not born in Eastport, and second, that Molly is getting more agitated as the anniversary of her brother's death comes closer.  And to make matters even worse, Joshua is chosen to play Liam for the anniversary. It's beginning to look like a recipe for disaster. But, can disaster be avoided and peace made with Molly's ghost? 

This was not the kind of ghost story I expected, which was kind of fun and kind of creepy at the same time, by which I mean that the ending was somewhat of a surprise, just not your usual ghostly fare. And that was part of what made this novel so good. Well, that plus the great descriptions of Eastport, and the haunting of Mallory and Joshua. So perfect for this time of year or anytime readers are interested in a story guaranteed to raise the short hairs on their neck. 

Currie, an experienced author in this genre, has created a town that on the surface appears almost comical in their obsession with legends and ghosts, but Mallory's haunting takes it out of the realm of droll and puts it into an almost believable paranormal realm. But the droll is needed, for example, the names Mallory's dad gives the food on his restaurant menus, like his Sunny-Side Up Skull eggs, to relieve some of the haunting tension. 

The Girl in White is a chilling story that is perfect for middle grade readers looking for some October frights. 

And if you have ever visited Salem, Massachusetts in October, than you can believe that a town can become as obsessed as Eastport is portrayed with its haunted legends. 

Thank you to Heather Moore at Sourcebooks Kids for providing me with a review copy of The Girl in White. 

You can see all of this week's wonderful MMGM books thanks to Greg at Always in the Middle

🎃Ghost Girl by Ally Malinenko

 

If you are in the mood for a good, spooky story, go no further than Ghost Girl. Eleven-year-old Zee Puckett has been living with her older sister Abby, 18, ever since their dad left their home in Knobb's Ferry to find work. Zee's mother had died when she was born, but not before she had named her Zera, which the kids in school changed to Zero. Zee was also born with bone-white hair that never darkened.   

Zee has always had a taste for the macabre, and so, after a terrible storm floods Knobb's Ferry, and school is closed, Zee and her best and only friend Elijah head over to the cemetery to see if any coffins had been pulled out of the ground because of the heavy rain. Separated from Elijah, Zee finds nothing except a large dog with blood red eyes, who disappears when Elijah returns. Elijah thinks it's just one of Zee's stories, but even after they leave the cemetery, Zee feels like the shadow of the dog is following her. 

When school begins again, Zee's class goes on a field trip to the main library, where she is caught talking to a boy only she can see. Caught by her nemesis Nellie Bloom, Zee is quickly nicknamed Ghost Girl. Back at school, Zee learns that the principal and the new kindergarten teacher are both mysteriously missing, and a new principal is immediately hired. Principal Scratch is as creepy as his name sounds, and he seems to mesmerize the students in his first assembly, well, except Zee and Elijah.  

Still plagued by the shadow of the dog with the blood red eyes, Zee discovers that like her mother, she has the ability to communicate with the dead, and it is the ghost of the kindergarten teacher who helps them figure what happened to her.

Soon, Principal Scratch is visiting the homes of Knobb's Ferry residents, including Abby, and telling everyone to visualize what they most desire. For Abby, that means hearing from their dad, whom they have not heard from in quite some time. Pretty soon, everyone in town is under Principal Scratch's spell, but what exactly is that spell? Is Abby really speaking to their dad all the time now, even though he isn't on the line when she gives the phone to Zee? And is that really Elijah's seriously ill mom, healthy now, even when Zee spies her still in bed at the same time? Is everyone really getting the thing they most desire so easily, but at what cost?

When Nellie's beloved dog Max goes missing, and it is Principal Scratch who finds the dog, she is convinced it isn't her Max that he returns to her. Now, she must join forces with Zee and Elijah to discover what is going on. Luckily, she has an aunt who the same ability to speak to ghosts as Zee has. 

But can three kids go up against a powerful, paranormal force like Principal Scratch, especially now that everyone in town is under his spell? And to what end does this benefit their very creepy principal?

I thought this would be a perfect book to read just before Halloween and Ghost Girl certainly lives up to its promised creepy storyline. I didn't particularly like Zee at first. I thought that running off to the cemetery after a storm to see if any coffins has surfaced a bit morbid, and I also found her to a little too headstrong, like just an annoying step beyond spunky. But as her plight got worse and it was clear Principal Scratch had his sights especially on her, I began to feel more empathy for her.   

Principal Scratch certainly is evil incarnate - literally. Zee seems to be the only one with the ability to resist his seductive suggestions to visualize what is most desired that everyone else in town seems to fall for, with the exception of Nellie. Even Elijah believes his sick mother has made a recovery until he realizes what her cake batter consists of. 

I know that my 11-year-old self would have loved this book, hanging on every word and reading it in one sitting. My now self didn't love it as much as I would have, partly because of the convenient coincidences (Nellie's aunt, the kindergarten teacher) and the quick resolution. Even so, this is a fun book and for the most part, I enjoyed reading it. It's also a nice commentary on how easily people can be led to believe anything if they want it badly enough and there is a charismatic enough leader who seems able to provide the means to get it. 

This book is recommended for readers age 9+

Thank you to Talish and Sabrina at SparkPoint Studio for providing me with a review copy of this book.

Joe Quinn's Poltergeist by David Almond, illustrated by Dave McKean

**Contains Spoilers**

Joe Quinn's Poltergeist by David Almond,

illustrated by Dave McKean

Candlewick Press, 2019, 80 pages

While watching his crush, Josephine Minto, playing tennis, his friend Joe Quinn comes along and tells Davie and another friend Geordie that his house in haunted by a poltergeist. Naturally, both boys are skeptical but curious. After all, Joe and his mother are known for making up stories. But Joe insists that the poltergeist is real and invites Davie and Geordie to come over for tea and see for themselves.

Sure enough, when they get to Joe's house, they see a broken window and bits of broken cups and plates all over the kitchen. While they are eating the chips that Mrs. Quinn serves them, a slice of bread with butter flies across the room, followed by more crockery. Geordie is convinced that Joe and his mother are making things sail across the room, and refuses to believe that there is a ghost. Davie, on the other hand, isn't so sure, and Mrs. Quinn is certain that he can also feel strange forces in the house.

Davie may be susceptible to her suggestions. His younger sister Barbara, with whom he was close, had died a few years ago and he's never really come to terms it that and, additionally, with his faith. And lately, he has been dreaming about Barbara and wondering whether her spirit could ever come back.

Later, Joe returns to the Quinn's house, bringing Father Kelly, an Irish priest who has already lost his religion, with him. Ironically, after spending time at the home of Mrs. Quinn, and despite his inebriated state and lack of faith, Father Kelly, manages to give to help Davie find some peace of mind when he tells him "There is not Heaven to go to. And no Hell...There's only us, and this...But what an usness and a thisness." Ultimately, Davie concludes that there is no poltergeist, but that "...the poltergeist is all of us, raging and wanting to scream and to fight and to start flinging stuff; to smash and to break. It is all of us wanting to be still, to be quiet, to be in love, to be at peace." Usness and thisness?

What do I think?

I first read Joe Quinn's Poltergeist in a book of short autobiographical stories by David Almond called Half a Creature from the Sea. I found it interesting, but now as a graphic novel, I find it even more so. It is a story about the existential angst of a teenager asking for answers to questions about life and afterlife, and Almond captures his inner turmoil so well. And leaves it to the reader to decide if Davie's conclusions are right, or maybe we each have our own conclusions about these questions.

Click to Enlarge

I think, however, what really removes this book from being an exception short story in prose and puts it into the realm of wonderfully dark graphic novels are the illustrations. As you can see, Dave McKean's angular mix-media illustrations are as haunting and emotional throughout the book as is the illustration on the cover.

David Almond has always been a favorite of mine and this story, that borders on horror, has not failed my expectations one bit. The short story is worth reading (and re-reading as I recently did) and so is the graphic novel. The different formats almost make each one feel like a different story.

This book is recommended for readers age 13+
This book was an EARC received from Candlewick Press through NetGalley

The Archived #1 by Victoria Schwab

Welcome to a world where the dead are shelved like books in an archive because every life has a story and when you die, your story becomes a history, a history that can only be read by a staff Librarian.  But sometimes, a history wakes up and wanders, confused about where they are and why.  Usually they don't get further than the Narrows, a dark place separating the outer world from the Archive.

It is the task of a Keeper to return the history to its rightful place.  And that is what 16 year old Mackenzie Bishop has been trained to do by her own grandfather, Da.  When she became a Keeper, she was only 12, the youngest Keeper ever (the usual age for becoming a Keeper is 16).

Mac and her parents have recently moved to a run-down former hotel turned apartments after the death of her 10 year old brother Ben.  Mac hasn't been able to come to terms with Ben's death and keeps going to the Archive, asking to spend time with Ben, or rather where his shelf is.  A Keeper cannot have any direct contact with the dead, except to return them when they wake.

The first thing Mac discovers in her new home is that the murder of a girl about 15 years old has occurred in her room back in the early 1950s.  And the murderer just walked away.  Now Mac is curious to see if he actually did get away with murder or if he was caught.  Perhaps some of the present residents can help enlighten her.

It doesn't take long for Mac to meet Wesley, who turns out to be another Keeper and a possible love interest.  The problem is as a Keeper whenever Mac touches another person, she can read them and the noise is unbearable, but she hasn't learned how to successfully block it out the way her Da and Wesley have.

Mac also meets Owen in the Narrows who saves her life when a history attacks her with a knife.  But Owen is a little odd, and might or might not be a love interest.  When Owen touches Mac, she feels no noise, just an addictive quiet peacefulness throughout here being.  Either way, he asks Mac to be allowed one more day before she returns him to the Archive.  Mac agrees, which she seems to think is OK since his name was never on her list of wandering histories.

But suddenly there are lots of histories waking up and wandering the Narrows, more than she has ever had to deal with before.  So many that she has had to accept some help for Wesley.  And it is all the more difficult because her parents don't know she is a Keeper and they want her around to help get her mother's new cafe clean and in order.

Can Mac solve the problem of so many histories are escaping?  Could there a breach in the Archive by one of the Librarians?  Can it all be somehow tied to the murder in her room?

I have to confess I had a hard time getting into this book, but then all of a sudden, I couldn't put it down.  Mackenzie was an interesting character, stressed by being such a young Keeper and having to constantly lie to her parents and disappearing on them.  The story is told in first person by her, but there are times when it is in third person, but they are her memories of being trained by her Da and of their close relationship.   I thought Wesley, with his spiky hair and thick black eyeliner was kind of a fun guy, able to relax and have fun and maybe, just maybe help Mac learn to do it, too.  He was certainly the most appealing love interest.

There were a few weak spots in the novel.  For one thing, I did finish the book wondering what the purpose of the Archive is.  It isn't like anyone could go there, read a history and do something with it.

Still, to Schwab's credit, I did not see the ending coming and that was kind of fun.  I hate when a mystery is so transparent, I can figure the ending out half way through a book.  All in all, The Archived is a  well-done, exciting story that should be read by anyone who enjoys a good paranormal story.  It is apparently the first in a proposed series, but it also works really well as a stand alone novel.

This book is recommended for readers age 12+
This book was received from the publisher

This is book 2 of my 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge hosted by The Book Cellar

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Evie O'Neill has gotten herself in trouble again for using her power to "read" a person's deepest, darkest secrets simply by holding an object of their.  Now, Evie is being shipped off to her uncle's until the resulting hoopla dies down.  Only problem is that Uncle Will lives in New York City, is the curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult, affectionately known as The Museum of Creepy Crawlies by New Yorkers, and it is the roaring 1920s.  Punishment?  Not for Evie O'Neill.

And no sooner does Evie arrive in New York, and she and her power to read objects are unofficially caught up in the investigation of some very strange, occultish murders after the police appeal to Uncle Will for help.

The Diviners is a big book - almost 600 pages.  And it is the first book in a series, which means it suffers from what I think of as intro-itis.  It must introduce the reader to a large cast of characters, those who will be recurring and those who are probably only in this one novel, like the villain Naughty John (though, of course, you never know...).  Naturally, most of the recurring characters, and they are a disparate group, all share the same secret as Evie - they too are diviners, though each person's power has a different manifestation.  There are some characters, like Mabel, Evie's best friend, and Uncle Will who may also have powers, but by the end of this book, we still haven't heard about them yet.

But Evie is the center of attention, an energetic teen who like to dress up and party at New York's best speakeasies (punishment?), and who really likes her hooch.  She is a girl of her time, a flapper right down to her headache band, not a bad girl, just a fun-loving one.

As Evie and Uncle Will get caught up in solving the mystery of who is killing people all over the city, a picture of a very creepy murderer begins to emerge.  Creepy not just because he kills, but also how and why he does it.  This is all made even more disturbing by the supernatural element surrounding him and by the song he chants when he is about to strike:

Naughty John, Naughty John

does his work with his apron on.

Cuts your throat and takes your bones, 

sells 'em off for a coupla stones.

On the negative side: my one big question is what parent sends their savvy, fun-loving teenage daughter to New York City to keep her out of trouble?  I know she had to get there, but really...?  OK, that aside, The Diviners is a great book with flaws.  For one thing, the copy I read, and in all fairness, it was an ARC, had so many typos that it was distracting.  For another thing, the whole book needed some serious editing desperately.

On the positive side: The Diviners is definitely the bee's knees.  I could hardly put it down and when I did, I couldn't wait to get back to it.  Bray has created a wonderfully suspenseful historical novel that really has the feel of the 1920s in New York City.  I loved the idea of a museum like the one Uncle Will had.  I only wish there really was such a place.  I have a Funky Museums board on Pinterest and would love to have been able to include The Museum of Creepy Crawlies.  I would have also liked it to have a more major role in the plot, but maybe Bray is saving that for a future book.

The Diviners is a definite read if you like good paranormal fiction, with an abolively, positutely wonderful cast of characters.  I can't wait for the next Evie O'Neill book.

This book is recommended for readers 12+

This book was an ARC received from the publisher 

Shadow and Bone: the Grisha Trilogy (Volume 1) by Leigh Bardugo

From the Publisher:
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh.  Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything.  But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life - a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free.  Wrenched from everything she know, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems.  With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha...and the secrets of her heart.

My Thoughts:
This book's initial appeal for me was its elements of fantasy mixed in those of Imperial Russia.  And since I had enjoyed The Gathering Storm so much for the same reasons, I figured that I couldn't go wrong with Shadow and Bone.  I am happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Shadow and Bone is loaded with the usual fantasy tropes that we all know and love in this particular genre: an orphaned hero/heroine with a special power; this hero/heroine represents the good side of a conflict between good and evil, while a dark figure represents the evil side of things; a settling that somewhat parallels reality; and a quest resulting not just in the conquest of good over evil but also in some real self-actualization on the part of the hero/heroine.

I don't bring these tropes up to be snarky, but only because they work so well and in the hands of Leigh Bardugo, coalescing in a book that is interesting and exciting.

The main character, Alina Starkov is the orphaned, plain, seemingly ordinary girl training to be a cartographer; ordinary that is until it is discovered that she is a Sun Summoner - a power so rare it is the stuff of fable.  Sun Summoning is her only talent, but it is a big one, big enough to offer the possibiltiy of uniting and giving complete power over all the inhabitants of Ravka to anyone who can get her to make it work for them.  What could be a more perfect metaphor for the representative of good in the battle of good and evil than a person who can provide bright light at will.

And naturally such a bright character needs a really dark foil.  You would think it very well could be the handsome, mysterious, really seductive figure of the Darkling, a powerful Grisha who instills fear in the hearts of the people of Ravka.  But he convinces Alina that his intentions are good, it was, after all, his grandfather who created the Shadow Fold and it is now the Darkling's greatest desire to fix things, to untie the country again.

Put these characters in Ravka, a country which has been split in two by the Shadow Fold, a lightless strip of land running through it and inhabited by Volcra, the former men, women and children now turned into vulture-like creatures who attack anyone trying to cross the Fold and you have the perfect setting for a battle between a light summoner and a dark lord.  But could it be the Darkling, so called only because of his dark features, or could it be someone Alina would never suspect?

It all results in a fascinating first volume of Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy.  Shadow and Bone is an exciting, chilling, heart-stopping adventure with an absolutely sympathetic protagonist.  If you are in the mood for a good paranormal novel, you can't go wrong with this.

This book is recommended for readers age 12+
This book was purchased for my personal library.

This is book 2 of my 2012 Spooltacular Paranormal Reading Challenge hosted by Marie @Ramblings of a Day Dreamer

The Gathering Storm (The Katerina Trilogy Vol. 1) by Robin Bridges

From the publisher:
St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888.  As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret; she can raise the dead.  No one know.  Not her family.  Not the girls at her finishing school.  Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle.  Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift.  But when she used her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.  
An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines - and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar.  Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources...including two young men - George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.  The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose - and to whom will she give her heart?

My Thoughts:
OK, I, like so many who have reviewed this novel about a 16 year old necromancer living in Imperial Russia, have to rely heavily on the publisher's blurb for a succinct description of what this book is about.

Why?

I found The Gathering Storm to be very confusing in some places, but they were important places as far as the story goes.  First, this version of tsarist Russia is divided into two courts - the light and the dark - and apparently a member of the light court can't marry someone from the dark court.  So when future blood drinker Prince Danilo of the dark court shows and interest in Katerina, her mother is ecstatic.  Unknown to mom, Danilo needs her necromancer blood to become a full fledged vampire on his 18th birthday.  But George Alexandrovich of the light court is also interested in Katerina.  Both know her secret, but the tsar's son can read her mind as well.

George Alexandrovish brings me to the subject of names.  There are so many confusingly similar Russian names in this novel and I kept getting everyone mixed-up.  Confusion of characters sometimes led to confusion about the action - which court was so-and-so connected to and why is this important for that court?  I would have liked a list of who's who for the dark and the light courts, partly because Russian names are unfamiliar and confusing to American readers and so many names are mentioned throughout the novel.

Did I enjoy The Gathering Storm?  You bet I did, despite my confusion complaints.  I found Katerina to be a delightfully unreliable narrator, George Alexandrovish very sexy and Danilo just scoundrelly enough to be very seductive (and I envisioned his sister Elena looking very Kim Kardashianish for some reason.)  By the end of this first volume of The Katerina Trilogy, I did have a better understanding of the two court and who belonged to which, though it was disconcerting while reading.  And I had most of the people worked out, and luckily, some of them didn't make it to the end of the story, making things simpler, as least for the moment.

On the whole, therefore, I found The Gathering Storm to be loaded with action, conspiracies and intrigue all swathed in a wonderful paranormal wrapping and wonderful descriptions of balls and ball gowns. And I can't wait to read the second volume, The Unfailing Light, available on October 9, 2012.

All in all, I would give The Gathering Storm 3 1/2 stars.

This book is recommended for readers age 13+
This book was obtained from the publisher.

This is book 1 of my Spooktacular Paranormal Reading Challenge hosted by Marie at Ramblings of a Daydreamer

2nd Annual Spooktacular Paranormal Reading Challenge

What fun, I thought, when I saw that Marie at Ramblings of a Daydreamer was hosting her 2nd Annual Spooktacular Paranormal Reading Challenge.  Participation is easy -

1- just read a minimum of three paranormal books between October 1st and October 31st and post your reviews somewhere - your blog, Amazon, GoodReads, etc.  And when you link up your review over at Ramblings of a Daydreamer, you will automatically be entered into Marie's giveaway, a copy of her new book Undressed;

2- follow Marie on GFC;

3- Grab this button and place it on your website

4- Start reading.

Oh yes, one last thing - what counts as a paranormal book for this challenge?  According to Marie, it can be paranormal, fantasy, urban fantasy - basically any ‘creature’ or ‘otherworldly’ book counts - vampires, werewolves, faeries, shape shifters, zombies, angels, demons, mermaids, dragons, witches/wizards/sorcerers, trolls, sirens, banshees, etc.