All the shivery feels, escalating to the nightmarish in spots.
A run-down mansion next to an old cemetery makes an uncomfortable new home for a boy who can see ghosts.
Still weirded out six months after the sudden disappearance of his dad, 12-year-old Gus Greenburg arrives with his likewise traumatized mom at Rotham Manor, which is located on a small island in Washington state, only to discover that the place has been mysteriously ransacked. As if that and the misty old adjacent burial ground weren’t creepy enough, there’s an angry child ghost that only Gus can see lurking in an upstairs closet (“Why does it always have to be closets?”). Along with this classically atmospheric setting and scary thumps and other noises aplenty, West treats readers to multiple specters that are even more rousingly hideous in her descriptions than in Skaffa’s spiky, stylishly grotesque monochrome scenes and spot art. The author also kits Gus out with new friends and instant allies: purple-haired Tavi, who has two moms and, like Gus, is Jewish, and Korean American Miles, an eager “ghostologist.” In the course of various unauthorized exploits that leave all three in deep doo-doo with their parents, the trio uncover evidence of the ghostly child’s identity. Hints of dark doings in the island’s past also emerge before this trilogy opener ends with a sudden and terrifying cliffhanger.
All the shivery feels, escalating to the nightmarish in spots. (map) (Paranormal mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: July 23, 2024
ISBN: 9781524888114
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
A riddling, sporting adventure and a story of true friendship.
“Like three sides of the same triangle, none of us can imagine what life would be like if we weren’t together.”
Sarah, West, and Hannah have been an intrepid trio since they first met. They bring their passion for math and numbers and their perfectly aligned strengths to solving escape rooms. With a foreclosure looming on Sarah’s family home—which would mean moving to live with her grandparents in Michigan—the only solution is to seek out the rumored Triplet Treasure belonging to Hans, Stefan, and Karl Stein. The treasure is supposedly hidden in a long-abandoned fun house they built in the 1950s. To outmaneuver the triplets’ ingenious riddles and tricks, the friends will need to overcome personal obstacles and unlock the doors within themselves. While the stakes are high, it’s reassuring for readers to know that Sarah’s family has a place to go, even if it’s far away from her friends. Early chapters detail the health challenges faced by Sarah’s father; his chronic illness has placed a strain on the family’s finances. Currie sets up a moving metaphor: Sarah’s enthusiasm for escape rooms becomes a means of tackling the unsolvable puzzle that has left her parent confined to his own inescapable room. This topic is treated with a gentle touch, but Sarah’s emotional depths could have been explored more deeply; West’s and Hannah’s emotional arcs are fulfilling, however. Main characters read white.
A riddling, sporting adventure and a story of true friendship. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781728259536
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Sourcebooks Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
Delightful fun for budding mystery fans.
Only children, rejoice! A cozy mystery just for you! (People with siblings will probably enjoy it too.)
Debut novelist Cornett introduces the One and Onlys, a trio of mystery-solving only kids: Gloria Longshanks “Shanks” Hill, Alexander “Peephole” Calloway, and narrator Paul (alas, no nickname) Marconi. The trio has a knack for finding and solving low-level mysteries, but they come up against a true head-scratcher when the yard of a resident of their small town is covered in rubber ducks overnight. Working ahead of Officer Portnoy, who’s a little on the slow side, can Paul, Shanks, and Peephole solve the mystery? Cornett has a lot of fun with this adventure, dropping additional side mysteries, a subplot about small businesses, big corporations, and economics, and a town’s love of bratwurst into the mix. Most importantly, he plays fair with the clues throughout, allowing astute readers to potentially solve the case ahead of the trio. The tone and mystery are perfect for younger readers who want to test their detective skills but are put off by anything scary or gory. The pacing would serve well for chapter-by-chapter read-alouds. If there are any quibbles, it’s the lack of diversity of the cast, as it defaults white. Diversity exists in small towns, and this one is crying out for more. Hopefully a sequel will introduce additional faces.
Delightful fun for budding mystery fans. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: April 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-3003-6
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
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