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kdschaefer522's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
brandypainter's review
3.0
A fun, quick read about kids who have to save their town from a malevolent ghost. This is one of those MG books where the adults can't do what needs to be done and the kids rise to the occasion. It takes place in a world where hauntings or normal except in this one town. The mystery revolves around figuring out why and why that seems to be suddenly changing. The characters are easy to identify with and the world is built enough to understand without going into too much detail. I would've liked to see more resolution on a couple of points on the plot and character development though.
bookgirl4ever's review
3.0
Rosa and her ghost appeaser mother relocate to a library in a town that is unbelievably not haunted. No on knows why it is not haunted like everywhere else, but people from all over have come to Ingot to escape their ghosts. When strange creature interrupts the summer Renaissance Fair, Rosa sees that the people of Ingot have some memory problems and that the protection surrounding the town from ghosts is on the verge of failure. Fun story. Not as scary as Stroud's Lockwood and Company, but similar in that the world is full of ghosts.
Upper elementary
Upper elementary
neglet's review
5.0
Loved loved loved this book! It hit all my sweet spots: feisty heroine, ghostly doings, and love for libraries! Just so much fun and well-written too.
fallingletters's review
5.0
Review originally published 26 April 2018 at Falling Letters. This book was a Cybils 2017 finalist.
At the start of A Properly Unhaunted Place, Rosa and her mother, a talented appeasement librarian, have just moved to Ingot. Rosa feels frustrated with the movie because Ingot is “the only unhaunted place that Rosa had ever heard of” (5). How will she and her mother appease ghosts when there aren’t any around? Rosa soon finds herself caught up in the mystery of why Ingot is unhaunted when she and her new friend Jasper encounter the first ghost seen in Ingot in decades at the Renaissance Fair. Although ghosts star in this book, it’s more mystery than horror. (I would like to note that the cover has a lovely subtle shimmer effect, which you can’t see in the image above.)
In a twist on the typical ghost story, Alexander makes ghosts and hauntings a normal part of the world, thereby rendering Ingot an anomaly. The medieval fair injects character into Ingot and creates room for levity within the story. The concept of ghosts being something that can and should be appeased, rather than defeated, prevents the ghosts from being too traditionally frightening. The distinguishing between banishing and appeasing makes way for an allegorical reading of the story, exploring the implications of ignoring (‘banishing’) one’s problems instead of resolving (‘appeasing’) them. An allegorical reading, however, is not necessary to enjoy this relatively straightforward ghost story.
Alexander writes in third person limited, switching perspectives between Rosa and Jasper. Both are relatable children who work well together. Jasper is Black and Rosa is Latina (this book is #ownvoices for Latinx representation). Their families (particularly Jasper’s dad and Rosa’s mom) play notable roles in the story. The death of Rosa’s dad prompted her move to Ingot, but his death plays only a small role in the story.
The book contains seven full page black and white illustrations, most of which emphasize the story’s dramatic visual scenes. These illustrations contribute to the story by helping readers visualize sights they may have never seen before, such as a man dressed up for a renaissance fair (8) or a forest of ghosts (108).
Accompanying activities could include identifying a ‘haunted’ place at home or at school and creating an appeasement plan, researching the Renaissance or local renaissance fairs, or conducting a job interview for an appeasement librarian.
The Bottom Line: Coming in at under 200 pages, this easily digestible and self-contained story could appeal to reluctant readers, especially ones who like the idea of ghosts but also would like to sleep through the night. Watch for the sequel ([b: A Festival of Ghosts|36373559|A Festival of Ghosts|William Alexander|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1509270136s/36373559.jpg|58060831])coming in August!
At the start of A Properly Unhaunted Place, Rosa and her mother, a talented appeasement librarian, have just moved to Ingot. Rosa feels frustrated with the movie because Ingot is “the only unhaunted place that Rosa had ever heard of” (5). How will she and her mother appease ghosts when there aren’t any around? Rosa soon finds herself caught up in the mystery of why Ingot is unhaunted when she and her new friend Jasper encounter the first ghost seen in Ingot in decades at the Renaissance Fair. Although ghosts star in this book, it’s more mystery than horror. (I would like to note that the cover has a lovely subtle shimmer effect, which you can’t see in the image above.)
In a twist on the typical ghost story, Alexander makes ghosts and hauntings a normal part of the world, thereby rendering Ingot an anomaly. The medieval fair injects character into Ingot and creates room for levity within the story. The concept of ghosts being something that can and should be appeased, rather than defeated, prevents the ghosts from being too traditionally frightening. The distinguishing between banishing and appeasing makes way for an allegorical reading of the story, exploring the implications of ignoring (‘banishing’) one’s problems instead of resolving (‘appeasing’) them. An allegorical reading, however, is not necessary to enjoy this relatively straightforward ghost story.
Alexander writes in third person limited, switching perspectives between Rosa and Jasper. Both are relatable children who work well together. Jasper is Black and Rosa is Latina (this book is #ownvoices for Latinx representation). Their families (particularly Jasper’s dad and Rosa’s mom) play notable roles in the story. The death of Rosa’s dad prompted her move to Ingot, but his death plays only a small role in the story.
The book contains seven full page black and white illustrations, most of which emphasize the story’s dramatic visual scenes. These illustrations contribute to the story by helping readers visualize sights they may have never seen before, such as a man dressed up for a renaissance fair (8) or a forest of ghosts (108).
Accompanying activities could include identifying a ‘haunted’ place at home or at school and creating an appeasement plan, researching the Renaissance or local renaissance fairs, or conducting a job interview for an appeasement librarian.
The Bottom Line: Coming in at under 200 pages, this easily digestible and self-contained story could appeal to reluctant readers, especially ones who like the idea of ghosts but also would like to sleep through the night. Watch for the sequel ([b: A Festival of Ghosts|36373559|A Festival of Ghosts|William Alexander|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1509270136s/36373559.jpg|58060831])coming in August!
hilaryjsc's review
4.0
I would now like to change careers and become a Library Appeasement Specialist who keeps ghosts in line.
molly_dettmann's review against another edition
3.0
A spooky read that younger readers that love books like Ghoosbumps, Ghostlight by Sonia Gensler, and other kidlit horror. This one is definitely more on the adventure/ghost lore side of the horror spectrum.
michelles_teaandreads's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
pagesofpins's review
4.0
Really delightful. An alternate universe in which ghosts populate every town, and because books are links to both the past and information, librarians are "appeasement specialists" who work on getting the ghosts of the past to interact peaceably with life in the present. Except in Ingot, the only unhaunted town. (No one knows why.)
Rosa is angry that her appeasement librarian mother has moved them to a town with no ghosts after her father died. She quickly meets Jasper, who helps his dad with the local Renaissance festival, hates attention, and has never seen a ghost. Together, they discover that Ingot is perhaps not as unhaunted as they thought.
Seamlessly woven into the story we have: how Rosa deals with anger about her life and uses it to prompt herself to action, facts about science and history casually thrown in, how hard it can be to deal with the past and its losses, the dangers of mob mentality, and no-big-deal-diversity all over the place. I'll be recommending it as a spooky read in fall, no question.
Rosa is angry that her appeasement librarian mother has moved them to a town with no ghosts after her father died. She quickly meets Jasper, who helps his dad with the local Renaissance festival, hates attention, and has never seen a ghost. Together, they discover that Ingot is perhaps not as unhaunted as they thought.
Seamlessly woven into the story we have: how Rosa deals with anger about her life and uses it to prompt herself to action, facts about science and history casually thrown in, how hard it can be to deal with the past and its losses, the dangers of mob mentality, and no-big-deal-diversity all over the place. I'll be recommending it as a spooky read in fall, no question.
turrean's review
4.0
All you need to know is that this book has librarians that communicate with ghosts. Done.
I did not care for the illustrations, which were on the cartoon-y side, and thus not a perfect match for the descriptive, lyrical text. Like this: “He pushed his goofball approximation of old chivalry right through silliness and out the other side, to a place that wasn’t serious but carried the same weight.”
I did not care for the illustrations, which were on the cartoon-y side, and thus not a perfect match for the descriptive, lyrical text. Like this: “He pushed his goofball approximation of old chivalry right through silliness and out the other side, to a place that wasn’t serious but carried the same weight.”