popthebutterfly's review against another edition
3.0
Disclaimer: I received this book through KidLitExchange and the publishing company. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Rating: 3/5
Publication Date: September 25, 2018
Genre: MG Mystery
Recommended Age: 12+ (mystery, some spooky moments)
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 272
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Denise Farber has just moved back to New Orleans with her mom and step-dad. They left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and have finally returned, wagering the last of their family's money on fixing up an old, rundown house and converting it to a bed and breakfast.Nothing seems to work around the place, which doesn't seem too weird to Denise. The unexplained noises are a little more out of the ordinary, but again, nothing too unusual. But when floors collapse, deadly objects rain down, and she hears creepy voices, it's clear to Denise that something more sinister lurks hidden here.Answers may lie in an old comic book Denise finds concealed in the attic: the lost, final project of a famous artist who disappeared in the 1950s. Denise isn't budging from her new home, so she must unravel the mystery-on the pages and off-if she and her family are to survive...
Review: For the most part this book was cute and enjoyable. The book had a good mystery in it and the characters are fairly well developed. The story is engaging as well and it would be a cute mystery for younger readers.
However, I didn’t like how the book brought up the topic of white people coming in to “white up” the neighborhood but didn’t go anywhere with it. It seemed like the book could have done better on some of the more social conscious issues but it failed to push those. Instead the book pushed random/unimportant aspects to the point where I felt that it was just trying to fill the book.
Verdict: A cute mystery.
Rating: 3/5
Publication Date: September 25, 2018
Genre: MG Mystery
Recommended Age: 12+ (mystery, some spooky moments)
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 272
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Denise Farber has just moved back to New Orleans with her mom and step-dad. They left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and have finally returned, wagering the last of their family's money on fixing up an old, rundown house and converting it to a bed and breakfast.Nothing seems to work around the place, which doesn't seem too weird to Denise. The unexplained noises are a little more out of the ordinary, but again, nothing too unusual. But when floors collapse, deadly objects rain down, and she hears creepy voices, it's clear to Denise that something more sinister lurks hidden here.Answers may lie in an old comic book Denise finds concealed in the attic: the lost, final project of a famous artist who disappeared in the 1950s. Denise isn't budging from her new home, so she must unravel the mystery-on the pages and off-if she and her family are to survive...
Review: For the most part this book was cute and enjoyable. The book had a good mystery in it and the characters are fairly well developed. The story is engaging as well and it would be a cute mystery for younger readers.
However, I didn’t like how the book brought up the topic of white people coming in to “white up” the neighborhood but didn’t go anywhere with it. It seemed like the book could have done better on some of the more social conscious issues but it failed to push those. Instead the book pushed random/unimportant aspects to the point where I felt that it was just trying to fill the book.
Verdict: A cute mystery.
alex_wordweaver's review
4.0
Loved the style of this book moving between novel and comic and back. Also liked the characters, even though they made me feel Old(TM) at points.
biblioemily's review against another edition
3.0
Creepy ghost story; also touches on gentrification, white folks moving into predominately black neighborhoods, & post-Katrina NOLA. There is some mild language, but it isn't too frequent. Also a few mentions of the m.c.'s parents drinking, but not to excess. I'd give this to mature 6th graders who like ghost stories, too, just with a warning that there is some language.
ash_the_cryptid02's review
5.0
I LOVE this book! It is the perfect amount of scary while also being super fun. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. And I did not see the ending coming. It feels like goosebumps for young adult readers, mixed with a graphic novel aspect and it is amazing.
catladylover94's review
3.0
it was ok not the best in the story line, took to long to finish. glad its over with though
kingreinhardt's review
4.0
I've never read (Or even come across, now that I think of it!) a story that was half novel and half comic, but it was so fun to go back and forth between the two! The writing style was simple and flowed very nicely, and though I wasn't fond of Denise (Or Terry, if we're being honest) at the beginning, they definitely grew on me! My only real complaint is the lack of depth to the relationships between Denise and her friends. Those were super flat. Otherwise, a really fun romp!
pygment's review
4.0
I should know better than to read Cherie Priest's books at night. Either I can't sleep cause good ghost story, or I can't sleep cause I'm still reading.
robinsandtea's review
4.0
Not quite what I had expected, I had settled down for something a little more like The Family Plot, but got a nice supernatural Nancy Drew instead. Definitely really well written, but I think the target audience was a little bit younger than I am.
I definitely enjoyed the social commentary in the book too, I have visited New Orleans a lot and take in pretty much any media I can about the city and it definitely touches on a lot of the problems they’ve been having post Katrina. Thanks for introducing younger readers to the whole concept of gentrification.
I definitely enjoyed the social commentary in the book too, I have visited New Orleans a lot and take in pretty much any media I can about the city and it definitely touches on a lot of the problems they’ve been having post Katrina. Thanks for introducing younger readers to the whole concept of gentrification.