mh_books's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A strongly written story about a Ghost possession set in 1970's Ireland.
emilyusuallyreading's review against another edition
4.0
What I Liked
This ghost story was unexpected, and I liked it more than I thought I would. Two sets of twin brothers are contained in this story. Their relationships span generations and span life and death.
The little goblin boy's first appearance was one of the eeriest scenes I have read in a long time.
What I Didn't Like
I wish there had been a little more resolution into what the grey was. Dom doesn't believe in God or heaven or hell... there isn't really any kind of religion or belief in folklore in this book, and yet there is an intense and complex afterlife. What is real here? What belief system is this author following?
At times, I had no idea what these Irish characters were saying. The slang and lingo would go right over my head.
This ghost story was unexpected, and I liked it more than I thought I would. Two sets of twin brothers are contained in this story. Their relationships span generations and span life and death.
The little goblin boy's first appearance was one of the eeriest scenes I have read in a long time.
What I Didn't Like
I wish there had been a little more resolution into what the grey was. Dom doesn't believe in God or heaven or hell... there isn't really any kind of religion or belief in folklore in this book, and yet there is an intense and complex afterlife. What is real here? What belief system is this author following?
At times, I had no idea what these Irish characters were saying. The slang and lingo would go right over my head.
shogani_sumaru's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
dfmaiwat's review against another edition
3.0
Just a note:This may have ghosts and begin a bit creepy, but this book is not horror.
mlottermoser's review against another edition
3.0
Not a book to start reading before bed. My dreams were haunted.
snowbenton's review
Got to 32% and was just so bored. The first chapter was excellent and then it just stopped working for me. I couldn't figure out why Patrick was so angry at Dom and started to think Patrick was possessed, but it turned out to be so much less interesting.
yhtgrace's review against another edition
3.0
It's a ghost story, but also a story about family relationships, and about growing-up. An engrossing, chilling read, but I'm not sure how everything ties together.
lisa_savage's review against another edition
2.0
Celine Kiernan has penned a middle/early high school ghost story with lots of spooky atmospherics and some decent characterizations, but not much else. The book fails to deliver on the early promise of its first line, “We were watching the telly the night Nan burnt the house down.” The excitement of the first chapter is seldom reached again, nor is there much exploration of how, or even why, a grandmother suffering from dementia turned arsonist. The fire was a merely a plot device to get the family to move to a haunted house.
Copious descriptions of physicality and moody musings are no substitute for plot development, and many leads that could have been turned into motifs or themes of real interest go cold. What is the theme of this book? It is unpleasant in the zone between death and life; don’t go there. The only readers likely to love this book are avid ghost story fans with a penchant for Irish slang and family cuddles.
Copious descriptions of physicality and moody musings are no substitute for plot development, and many leads that could have been turned into motifs or themes of real interest go cold. What is the theme of this book? It is unpleasant in the zone between death and life; don’t go there. The only readers likely to love this book are avid ghost story fans with a penchant for Irish slang and family cuddles.
chinacatsun76's review against another edition
4.0
Full review to come. I'm vacillating between 4 and 3.5 stars...Loved the beginning and middle, but once the story became more solution-based (trying to avoid spoilers), it lost me. Overall a good read, especially for upper-middle grades in search of a story with horror/thriller elements.
couillac's review against another edition
3.0
Kiernan's novel is a good fit for a broad range of teen readers looking for a chilling ghost story built upon a touching sibling relationship. Patrick and Dom (twins) and their family, reeling from the fire that destroyed their home, journey to the coast where a spirit takes up residence in Patrick's twin. Kiernan's pacing is exquisitely suspenseful, and his ghost is truly chilling yet tragic. But what sticks with me most are the characters. Dom and Patrick are loving and supportive of each other, while also being realistic young teen boys, often hesitant to show affection or express fear. Their relationship with their much younger sister is sweet and believable, and their parents are complex, flawed adults, struggling to hold themselves and the family together, and arguing about the future. Teens and tweens who like a good ghost story will enjoy this one, but fans of realistic fiction with a dash of suspense will also find much to like here.