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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
What a perfect middle grade read for kids who love a good detective story with a little bit of (but not too much) spookiness! Twelve year old Josie and her younger, savvy brother, Fox are confronted with tragedy, ghosts, a horrible curse, and the frightful Mothman as they race against time to save their town and themselves. Buy this as a summer reading treat for your favorite middle grader. They'll love it!
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A great, creepy story! Fast-paced and suspenseful. It is great for someone who wants something scary, but not too scary.
3.5 stars
I was kind of confused and perplexed at this being a children's book. It was properly scary, employing elements of horror films like cold air, floating objects, lights exploding, etc. I felt like it was a little all over the place and didn't quite come together. The scary elements were actually scary and that worked, but then the rest of the details felt slapped together--disasters being linked to mothman, mothman himself (at first I thought it was just going to be an urban legend sort of thing then it came out that mothman was real and people actually did see and believe), etc. I wasn't sure if it was a regional lore sort of thing that I wasn't privy to, not being from that area, so I appreciated the author's note at the end that gave context to Hayes' choice to use mothman, but I still feel like it will go over some people's heads.
I was kind of confused and perplexed at this being a children's book. It was properly scary, employing elements of horror films like cold air, floating objects, lights exploding, etc. I felt like it was a little all over the place and didn't quite come together. The scary elements were actually scary and that worked, but then the rest of the details felt slapped together--disasters being linked to mothman, mothman himself (at first I thought it was just going to be an urban legend sort of thing then it came out that mothman was real and people actually did see and believe), etc. I wasn't sure if it was a regional lore sort of thing that I wasn't privy to, not being from that area, so I appreciated the author's note at the end that gave context to Hayes' choice to use mothman, but I still feel like it will go over some people's heads.
Another sensational middle grade book! The story was intriguing, very fun and spooky at times. I loved Josie, Fox, and cute little Mason. Aunt Barb was also great. I loved how ambitious and smart the main characters were. Josie and Fox both were fantastic. Their love and concern for their family and especially each other, was very enduring and what drove them to figure out their problem(s). I don't want to spoil what happens, but it is big and not only involves them, but thousands. I loved the background of the auction house, and how Fox would peddle leftover items as "haunted". The Mothman legend was eerie and how John Goodrich was involved also made for a great story.
5 out of 5 stars. I can't wait for more from this author.
I received a hardcover copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
5 out of 5 stars. I can't wait for more from this author.
I received a hardcover copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I bought the book at the Mothman museum in Point Pleasant as a novelty item. I was so pleasantly surprised when I read it and it was ACTUALLY good. Very happy with my purchase.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Medical content, Grief
Minor: Cancer, Death of parent
Mothman’s Curse by Christine Hayes is a fun, little, middle grades read and I would definitely recommend it for MG readers (maybe even late elementary school) who like mysteries and spooky stuff. It is somewhere in the neighborhood of Scooby Doo but with tween and younger protagonists, but when reading that level of creepy in novel form, it could be a little too scary for some kids. I don’t want to overdo it: though there are supernatural things and death, it is pretty lighthearted and age-appropriate; It’s no Flowers in the Attic. I had a fun time reading it, which means that the writing itself is acceptable and I kept turning the pages to see what happened with Josie and her siblings.
Josie and her little brothers—the precocious Fox and inventive Mason—live on property with their dad’s auction house in Ohio. When they encounter a haunted camera that prints pictures of a dead man, they are thrown into a mystery that weaves back to the ol’ Mothman stories they heard about growing up. Still dealing with her mother’s death and with feeling like the un-notable sibling, Josie would do anything to protect her family. And with a curse and a mystery hanging around, that might mean any number of things.
I found this book while looking for Mothman literature. I am editing the first book in a YA trilogy that I am writing, which has a moth-man character in it. While I don’t actually want my moth-man to be the Mothman, I decided I should familiarize myself with the legend and where that legend has gone. This is the first Mothman book I bought and read, partly because it was the most affordable and readily available. Actually, there aren’t that many out there, to begin with.
One of the things reviewers say a lot about this book is that they like the family dynamics. Yeah, mom is dead (isn’t she always?!), but dad is around (until he has to be removed enough to allow the kids room to make an actual story here), as well as an aunt and uncle, as well as familiar neighbors. And the relationship between the three siblings is also strong and loving, though not uncomplicated. I do appreciate functional families in literature, especially in children’s lit and especially because they are rare. Josie, etc. have enough issues; family can be a strong point. Plus, the characters are cute, and engaging enough for this reading level.
As I mentioned above, though there is a Scooby-Doo thing going on here, we are not going to find out in the end that Old Man Winters is under the Mothman mask. This isn’t giving anything away. This is a story that involves actual (fictional) supernatural monsters and events. Think Casper, but a little creepier. And it’s not set in some fantastical world or anything. Hayes was inspired by the legend of Mothman, which is featured in this book (and added to tremendously—Mothman is kind of a thin tale, actually, compared with, say, Bigfoot). It’s Ohio. It’s modern times.
And, yeah, it’s not really for middle-aged women, but it’s written well enough that an MG-reading grown-up could read it and like it and recommend it at the library or in the classroom or whatever. In other words, it’s not going to be an unpleasant experience for anyone, unless you scare really easily. Or if you don’t approve of stories about the darker side of the supernatural. Mothman’s Curse scares you. Makes you think about family. Tells a fast-paced, adventure story to tweens.
***REVIEW WRITTEN FOR THE STARVING ARTIST BLOG***
Josie and her little brothers—the precocious Fox and inventive Mason—live on property with their dad’s auction house in Ohio. When they encounter a haunted camera that prints pictures of a dead man, they are thrown into a mystery that weaves back to the ol’ Mothman stories they heard about growing up. Still dealing with her mother’s death and with feeling like the un-notable sibling, Josie would do anything to protect her family. And with a curse and a mystery hanging around, that might mean any number of things.
I found this book while looking for Mothman literature. I am editing the first book in a YA trilogy that I am writing, which has a moth-man character in it. While I don’t actually want my moth-man to be the Mothman, I decided I should familiarize myself with the legend and where that legend has gone. This is the first Mothman book I bought and read, partly because it was the most affordable and readily available. Actually, there aren’t that many out there, to begin with.
One of the things reviewers say a lot about this book is that they like the family dynamics. Yeah, mom is dead (isn’t she always?!), but dad is around (until he has to be removed enough to allow the kids room to make an actual story here), as well as an aunt and uncle, as well as familiar neighbors. And the relationship between the three siblings is also strong and loving, though not uncomplicated. I do appreciate functional families in literature, especially in children’s lit and especially because they are rare. Josie, etc. have enough issues; family can be a strong point. Plus, the characters are cute, and engaging enough for this reading level.
As I mentioned above, though there is a Scooby-Doo thing going on here, we are not going to find out in the end that Old Man Winters is under the Mothman mask. This isn’t giving anything away. This is a story that involves actual (fictional) supernatural monsters and events. Think Casper, but a little creepier. And it’s not set in some fantastical world or anything. Hayes was inspired by the legend of Mothman, which is featured in this book (and added to tremendously—Mothman is kind of a thin tale, actually, compared with, say, Bigfoot). It’s Ohio. It’s modern times.
And, yeah, it’s not really for middle-aged women, but it’s written well enough that an MG-reading grown-up could read it and like it and recommend it at the library or in the classroom or whatever. In other words, it’s not going to be an unpleasant experience for anyone, unless you scare really easily. Or if you don’t approve of stories about the darker side of the supernatural. Mothman’s Curse scares you. Makes you think about family. Tells a fast-paced, adventure story to tweens.
***REVIEW WRITTEN FOR THE STARVING ARTIST BLOG***