Reviews

The Demons' Door by Chris Grabenstein

nthurman_dude's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

For a middle-school level haunted mystery, it is an engaging read. Some of the characters were a little one-dimensional and could have been fleshed out (pun intended?) a bit more, but the main characters have grown in this, the second book in the series.

mallorykjorgensen's review against another edition

3.0

Sequel to The Crossroads. Not as good as the first book, but still a captivating story about a fearless boy and the thin line between good and evil.

wiseowl33's review against another edition

4.0

Good book! Kept me turning pages until the end!

hisaacson's review against another edition

4.0

I gave it a four because goodreads doesn't do half stars. This one is really 3.5 stars. Not nearly as good for me as The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein.

Full review at: http://hollybooknotes.blogspot.com/2009/09/hanging-hill-by-chris-grabenstein.html

givnuapeacesign's review against another edition

4.0

This is a fast paced sequel to Grabenstein's first book, The Crossroads. Judy's book series about curious cats has been adapted into a musical. Judy and Zack head to the playhouse, Hanging Hill, to oversee production and rehearsals. Immediately Zack begins to see ghosts, but he does not want to bother Judy with it since she has much stress with her workload. The two main child actors arrive and the female lead can also see ghosts. The history of hanging Hill comes to life as ghosts appear everywhere. Of course demons appear too. A snarly janitor as well as the play's famous director have histories of their own. It seems demons want to re-inhabit their earthly bodies and need these children to accomplish this goal. Although this book was not as engrossing as the first novel, it was still a pleasant read appropriate for middle schoolers.

timsprincess's review against another edition

4.0

I really liked this YA book. The story had enough creepiness with out being scary, enough action without being unbelievable, enough paranormal without being 'out there', and likeable characters. It is a second book in a probably series but I did not think I really did not know what was going on without reading the first book.

booksandbosox's review against another edition

4.0

I don't know what I can say about this one that I didn't already say about the first book in the series. Grabenstein has created a delightfully spooky and mysterious series for middle-grade readers that I can't devour fast enough. The books are fun and exciting, fast-paced and filled with memorable characters (both physical and spectral). I loved that this one took place in a haunted theater. Perhaps the only thing I didn't love about this one is Zack's dead mother's attempts to make amends with her son. One of my favorite things about the first book was that she was not romanticized like most dead people are. In this one, there is a little more information on her life before she married Zack's father but it still doesn't fully explain how she got to be the villain we heard about in book one. To me, it seemed a bit of a cop-out that she would now be trying to fix after death what she damaged in life, but it didn't detract from the story too much. Overall, another delightful tale from Grabenstein. I can't wait to read more!

vkemp's review against another edition

4.0

Zach sees ghosts. He killed a demon in "The Crossroads." Now he has to free the ghosts at the Hanging Hill Playhouse and send the demons back where they came from. Guided by his mother's ghost (with whom he had a very bad relationship before she died), his dog, Zipper, and a little juggler girl ghost, Zach, once again, comes to the rescue of people who need it, including his stepmother and the rest of the cast of "Curiousity Cat," a musical based on his stepmother's books. Lots of fun, as always. Love Chris Grabenstein!

emilyn's review against another edition

4.0

I read this one without having read the first in the series, and while some parts were a bit confusing, on the whole it made sense. I liked all the characters and thought it was a good fantasy for 10-12 year old reluctant readers. It was pretty dark, but I liked all the characters and the fact that the stepmother was nice and well-liked.