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Book Reviews - Horror/Suspense
Reviewer: Mr. Nelson's AM Class
Title: The Old Willis Place
Author: Mary Downing Hahn
Call Number: F HAH
Summary: This story is about a brother and sister who live in an old house that is abandoned. Christina moves to the property with her father who is the new caretaker. Christina meets the siblings and thinks they act a little strangely. Christina wants to explore the house but the other two are afraid to go in-it’s haunted! Once they enter scary things begin to happen.
Why should they read it? It’s spooky, it’s interesting, and it was written by one of our favorite local authors. The twist at the end will catch you by surprise! This was a Black-Eyed Susan winner a few years ago.
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Reviewer: Christine M.
Title: The Ghost Sitter
Author: Peni R. Griffin
Call Number: F GRI
Summary: Susan Miller has been waiting for 50 years. But she has not been alive. No, Susie died on the Fourth of July. They call her Sparkler Susie for a reason. For 50 long years Susie has waited for her sister, Gloria, to come back. She promised to stay put until she came back. Susie has been ignored in her own house for a long time. When a girl named Charlotte moves into the house, she wants to help Susie. Finally, someone has figured it out! Two girls named Charlotte and Shannon summon Susie and try to help her find her sister so that she can rest in peace.
Why should they read it? It is a great story that has a lot of surprises and twists. I think this is a ghost story that will make you wish you were a baby and that the book was real. I liked it because of the word choice and endings.
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Reviewer: Mrs. Stylos
Title: The Graveyard Book (2009 Newbery Award Winner)
Author: Neil Gaiman
Call Number: F GAI
Summary: Nobody Owens, (whom everyone calls “Bod”), has been raised and educated in a graveyard by the ghosts who reside there, ever since his family was killed by a mysterious stranger. It has always been a reasonably safe place to live, as long as Bod stays away from the Indigo Man, who lives in an ancient tomb deep in the side of a hill; the ghoul gate, which leads to a scorching desert and an abandoned city ruled by ghouls; and the Sleer, a mysterious and dangerous who-knows-what searching for its master. As he gets older, Bod longs for more. More contact with children his own age; more chances to leave the graveyard and maybe go to school; and more opportunities to learn who he really is and why his family was taken from him. Bod’s guardian and the residents of the graveyard love Bod, and want him to stay safely with them. They know that dangerous people are still out there who want to kill him. Why?
Why should they read it? I really loved this book! I thought it was a unique setting, living in a graveyard, and I felt like maybe sometimes, there is a very thin line between the living and the dead. I especially liked Bod’s guardian Silas. He is a very mysterious character who cares about Bod in his own unique way. I recommend this to anyone who wants a very different type of book to read. Parts of this book were scary, but the circumstances and adventures are so very unusual that I could not put it down!