Review by Kirkus Book Review
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) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
