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antlersantlers's review against another edition
The plot was kind of goosebumps-esque (in that it's kid-horror and I would have been scared by it as a kid). What sets this apart is the illustrations. They're made to look like linocuts, which is much fancier and more interesting than the crud that's in most of the other intermediate series.
corncobwebs's review against another edition
"They say there used to be a lady who lived there, long ago," Marco said. He leaned in, spoke softly. "They say she was crazy, 'dama loca' they called her. She wandered these streets, lost as a little girl, howling at the moon. Anyway, one night, she got nailed by a hit-and-run driver - didn't even slow down to see if she was okay. Which she wasn't, on account of she was dead."
"What was her name?" Kelly asked.
"Bloody Mary, that's all I know," Marco said. "On account of all the blood. Ever since, lots of different people have tried living in that house. But nobody's ever stayed for long."
"Why not?" Liam asked.
Marco laughed. "By the looks on your faces, you already know the answer. Good luck, fellas. You're gonna need it."
I like that this book introduces kids to the myth of Bloody Mary -- although I think the actual origin of the myth comes from Mary, Queen of Scots, who was beheaded (?). Regardless of her origins, I think learning about Bloody Mary is an essential part of any kid's childhood. I still remember learning about Bloody Mary when I was in elementary school, and my subsequent inability to use the bathroom at night without being terrified (because of our big bathroom mirror). I'm glad that books like this will ensure that she'll persist in terrifying the current generation of kids.
This book (and this series) would be ideal for younger readers who are looking for scary books. There are thrills and chills, but nothing ever gets too scary -- kind of like the book equivalent of the Haunted Mansion ride at Disney World.
As a horror afficionado, I can't say this title will rank as a favorite in the genre, but it's good enough for me to confidently recommend to younger readers.
"What was her name?" Kelly asked.
"Bloody Mary, that's all I know," Marco said. "On account of all the blood. Ever since, lots of different people have tried living in that house. But nobody's ever stayed for long."
"Why not?" Liam asked.
Marco laughed. "By the looks on your faces, you already know the answer. Good luck, fellas. You're gonna need it."
I like that this book introduces kids to the myth of Bloody Mary -- although I think the actual origin of the myth comes from Mary, Queen of Scots, who was beheaded (?). Regardless of her origins, I think learning about Bloody Mary is an essential part of any kid's childhood. I still remember learning about Bloody Mary when I was in elementary school, and my subsequent inability to use the bathroom at night without being terrified (because of our big bathroom mirror). I'm glad that books like this will ensure that she'll persist in terrifying the current generation of kids.
This book (and this series) would be ideal for younger readers who are looking for scary books. There are thrills and chills, but nothing ever gets too scary -- kind of like the book equivalent of the Haunted Mansion ride at Disney World.
As a horror afficionado, I can't say this title will rank as a favorite in the genre, but it's good enough for me to confidently recommend to younger readers.
kkondrick's review
4.0
Ghostly Tales at their best. James Preller does an excellent job of keeping children on the edge of their seats, crying for more. The book is a nice legnth giving children a chance to get into a book without feeling overwhelmed. My students are fighting over this book.
lisadsam's review
3.0
Honestly a terrifying horror story for children. Based on the Bloody Mary urban legend. Good choice for those who like dark, disturbing tales. quick read, first in a series.
spellingbat's review
4.0
Definitely on the scarier side of things - for fans of Alvin Schwartz's In a Dark, Dark Room and looking for scarier stuff.
smcscot's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this up years ago when I still worked with Barnes and Noble as an ARC. It has always sat on my shelf and for some reason I never got around to it (I think it's because based on the cover it looked like it was a poor ripoff of Scary Tales to Tell in the Dark). I thought it was a collection of short stories and I was going to read it this October between other books, but when I opened it to the first page, I was surprised to notice that it was a slow pace for a seven page short story. It was only when I got halfway through the first chapter that I realized it was a whole book, so what better than to just read the entire thing?
This was a pretty fun little story, but it resolves too quickly and cleanly for my liking (literally has no resolution till the last page and then it's a happy conclusion). There are elements that are keep vague and dont really make any kind of sense as a part of the whole story. The tale is a great scary story for kids though, and now that I know there are six books in the series, I highly recommend it as a Halloween read for your kiddos.
This was a pretty fun little story, but it resolves too quickly and cleanly for my liking (literally has no resolution till the last page and then it's a happy conclusion). There are elements that are keep vague and dont really make any kind of sense as a part of the whole story. The tale is a great scary story for kids though, and now that I know there are six books in the series, I highly recommend it as a Halloween read for your kiddos.
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