Kessler, Liz. Haunt Me.

Kessler, Liz. Haunt Me. Candlewick Press  2017  371p     $17.99    ISBN 978-0-7636-9162-2    ms/hs  Fantasy  VG-BN         

Joe dies; Erin’s family moves into his home after his family sadly departs.  When Erin finds Joe’s poetry written on his bedroom wall, Joe appears as a ghost and the two fall for each other.  Olly, Joe’s brother, meets Erin and pursues her, much to Joe’s dismay.  The twist?  Olly does not know that Erin has a relationship with his dead brother. This book must be savored for many reasons.  First, the relationship between Joe and Erin raises thought-provoking ideas for the reader about possibilities of life after death.  When Joe returns to his home after his tragic death (the reader does not know how he died until the falling action), he discovers a new family has moved into his home.  Erin, an equally tragic protagonist, accepts his attentions because she needs someone who needs her. She comes from tragedy herself, first, as a bullied young teen, and next, as a suicide survivor. She and Joe fall for one another. For a while, the plot becomes predictable, yet it is never boring! Yes, Erin meets Olly, Joe’s brother, at school and falls for him, all the while professing her love for Joe. Yes, Olly is looking for something unique because before Joe’s death, his larger-than-life personality and his extreme good looks only attracted girls who wanted him superficially. Now a changed man, he wants and needs depth. Erin is different, attractive and secretive, and Olly pursues her. Meanwhile, Erin is riding high with new friends at school, a ghost that she has fallen for, and the ghost’s brother, who is the only one who can provide some answers as to how Joe died. Joe remembers very little, only that he once had a wonderful family and that he wrote poetry under the wallpaper of his bedroom closet.

Love stories abound, but this one has the unusual twist of love between the living and the dead, without the vampire and without time travel or any other gimmick. Joe does not want Erin to see Olly, but she persists. Drama comes to a head near a cliff where Joe often wrote poetry, and the climax and falling action are quite original at this point. Book of note this selection is; it merits the honor because Erin’s character is as needy as Joe’s and Olly’s. Readers will be drawn into the conflicts. Teen readers beware; there is a spoiler alert. Do not read the flyleaf! One will not want to know that Erin does find true love.    

Regardless of the somewhat predictable nature of this book (the bullying, the good-looking brother and the less popular brother, etc.), the book merits a spot in both middle- and high-school libraries. It is about possibilities, love, death, tragedy, emotions and the curative power of conversation. Teen girls, especially, will pore through it and cry.    

Summary: Joe dies tragically; he returns to change some lives.

Ghost stories, Romance-Fiction           --Martha Squaresky

Alexander, William. A Properly Unhaunted Place.

Alexander, William.  A Properly Unhaunted Place. Simon & Schuster/McElderry Books   2017 192p $16.99  Uncorrected Proof ISBN 978-1-4814-6915-9  ms/jr   Ghost Story  VG-BN   

Rosa Diaz comes from a line of librarians who specialize in ghost appeasement.      This is a fast-paced, rollicking story of how Rosa comes to realize it is up to her to solve the town’s problem after her mother has had her powers neutralized. She teams up with Jasper Chevalier (who has always lived in Ingot), who knows the ins and outs of the Middle Age Fair. Librarians will love the constant use of the town library as a setting, and the ending packs a surprise.  This is a well-written book that would make an excellent addition to any middle-school library.

Summary: In this fast-paced, rollicking story, Rosa is a librarian who comes from a long line of librarians who specialize in ghost appeasement.  

Ghost stories, Librarians                                   --Linda McNeil

Poblocki, Dan. The Haunting of Gabriel Ashe.

Poblocki, Dan.  The Haunting of Gabriel Ashe.  Scholastic Press  2013  277p  ISBN 978-0-545-40270-5  jr/sr  E-BN      Supernatural     

Gabe and his family lost everything in their apartment because of a fire and had to move in with his grandmother, who lived in a small town in a mansion surrounded by woods and forest.  The house had a history that dated back many generations and now was known as the Temple house.  Gabe’s grandmother grew up in the house, and many years ago, when she was little, she became friends with a boy who lived nearby.  Tragically the boy was discovered missing and was never found after a terrible thing happened in the house he where he lived with his aunt and uncle.  Now Gabe has uncovered something sinister that seems to be lurking in the woods, and he is not sure if whatever is out there is dead or alive!

This is a book that will keep you guessing and at the edge of your seat to the very end.  It’s a really good ghost story.                 

Ghost stories                                               --Magna Diaz

Broach, Elise. Treasure on Superstition Mountain.

Broach, Elise.    Treasure on Superstition Mountain.  Holt  2012  280p  $15.99  ISBN 978-0-8050-7763-6        elm/ms      Mystery/Detective   E-BN     

It is only a few weeks after the end of the action that took place in the first title, Missing on Superstition Mountain, and the protagonists, the three Barker boys and Delilah, are diving headlong into more adventures.  While doing research in the library, they find a photograph of the first Julia Thomas, who looks strikingly like the current Julia Thomas, who is the librarian and president of the Historical Society.  The boys explore a nearby ghost town and recover the hotel ledger from it, which provides evidence that Julia Thomas visited the area just after the death of the discoverer of the mine.  Tradition says that she failed to find the entrance to the mine, even though she had directions.

When their parents plan a trip and Aunt Kathy comes to baby-sit the Barker Boys, they grab the opportunity to return to the mountain and look for themselves.  Delilah comes too, even with her leg in a walking cast.  The quartet is successful, but there is a lot of suspense along the way.

Well-written descriptions of the area and exciting, dangerous adventures fill this novel.  The rescue of the quartet each time they are in great danger seems a bit too easy, but readers will become involved in the adventures and the characters and overlook this problem.  Each of the four children has his or her own strengths and weaknesses, which means that they work very well together.

Both boys and girls will thoroughly enjoy the adventures of these four intrepid explorers.           

Adventure, Ghost towns-Fiction                                    --Joan Theal

Morris, Paula. Unbroken.

Morris, Paula.  Unbroken.  Scholastic Press/Point     2013  291p  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-545-41641-2      hs    Historical  E-BN   

Rebecca Brown travels to New Orleans with her father and best friend and winds up engaged in a mysterious ghost-related adventure once again, in this sequel to Ruined: A Novel.    While working on community service projects and visiting with old friends and family, she finds herself trying to locate a necklace at the behest of a ghost, to return it to the family that was intended to receive it. The necklace has close ties to a famous artist, and Rebecca works diligently to solve the mystery and return it to its rightful owner.  Rebecca relies on old friends introduced in the previous novel, and makes some connections to that mystery in order to resolve this one.

Paula Morris has certainly done her homework in writing this extremely fast-paced, exciting mystery adventure, which takes the reader on a historical journey along with ghosts of the past in New Orleans.  Accurate depictions of people, events, and geography in New Orleans add credibility and excitement to the story.

This is a fun, fast-paced mystery that will leave the reader unable to put it down until the very end.  The reader feels like a part of the action and can relate to Rebecca with racing heart and sense of excitement. This book is great for historical fiction fans, fans of the supernatural, and reluctant readers.

New Orleans-Fiction, Ghost stories                                      --Virginia McGarvey

Rosati, Gina. Auracle.

Rosati, Gina.        Auracle.                 Macmillan/ Roaring Brook Press               298p      $16.99  978-1-59643-710-4  2012                ms/hs E-BN          Supernatural                   

Anna has been leaving her body for a long time, whenever she wanted to. She now knows that it is called Astral projection.  Her best friend Rei is always watching out for her when she goes gallavanting around the world.  Her best friends include Rei and Seth.  They do almost everything together, but only Rei knows her secret.
 

Then one day Taylor, a new student, set her sights on Seth.  Seth is not interested and tells her to bug off, but Taylor is adamant that she will go out with him.  That is when things start to go wrong. Taylor steals Seth’s cell phone from his locker and demands that if he wants it back he must meet her at the Falls!  Seth reluctantly agrees and goes alone to meet Taylor.  Taylor tries her best to seduce Seth, but he is having none of it and demands his cell phone back.  When he gets close enough to grab it, Taylor loses her footing and that is when she falls to her death!

Accused of murder, Seth now must fight for his life, and Anna and Rei help him prove his innocence.

This is a very good fast read until the very end.  It is a love story, mystery story and ghost story all in one!             

Astral projection, Supernatural, Ghost story, Romance                                                                             --Magna Diaz