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mehsi's review against another edition
4.0
I expected a bit more. More ghosts, more supernatural. Not something human. :(
ithilwen22's review against another edition
3.0
This was an okay book. There was some inconsistency in characterization and, middle grade novel or not, the extremely short chapters(some only one and a half pages) got a little annoying. I thought the big reveal was obvious, but I can see that it might not be so obvious to kids. Poblocki did write some great, creepy scenes, and I appreciate that the secondary plot didn't get tied up neatly at the end. Also, the ambiguity of the ghost's motivations was different than what you would usually see in this kind of book. I liked that the siblings weren't just a stereotypical pair of squabblers. Neil and Bree sniped at each other from time to time but their close bond was sweet. Overall, the book was a quick and entertaining read for both kids and adults.
jennymock's review against another edition
5.0
Spooky up until the last few pages. Action starts on the first few pages. Good for middle school age kids.
katiegrrrl's review against another edition
4.0
What a scary book! Loved the shout out to Libba Bray and Barry Goldblatt as guest to the Aunts house for movie night.
amelia_herring's review against another edition
4.0
Really well-written horror for middle grades. A boy and his sister move in with their aunts after trouble between their parents. Their new town holds a secret: an abandoned asylum in the middle of the woods, the site of several mysterious deaths. Of course, the kids decide they must visit the asylum, and the scares begin there!
babenclaw's review against another edition
5.0
An enjoyable middle grade mystery novel about the mysterious deaths of sick children at the Graylock Asylum.
Main character Niel and his sister Bree find themselves living with their aunts in a small town called Hedston. Neil, an amateur paranormal enthusiast, uses the local Graylock Asylum as a distractions from his parents' failing relationship and his new surroundings. But when the ghost of something- nurse? girl? Something else entirely?- decides to follow him home, Niel finds himself the center of a ghost story he has no desire to experience.
High interest, featuring murder, paranormal happenings, and a small town hiding a big secret.
Main character Niel and his sister Bree find themselves living with their aunts in a small town called Hedston. Neil, an amateur paranormal enthusiast, uses the local Graylock Asylum as a distractions from his parents' failing relationship and his new surroundings. But when the ghost of something- nurse? girl? Something else entirely?- decides to follow him home, Niel finds himself the center of a ghost story he has no desire to experience.
High interest, featuring murder, paranormal happenings, and a small town hiding a big secret.
itsjustmeguys's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
withthebanned's review against another edition
4.0
Originally reviewed on Books Take You Places.
I was lucky enough to be gifted this book by my very dear friend Brittany for our All Hallow’s Read book swap and I know she struggled in finding me a novel with the proper amount of horror. I have a very high threshold, you see, and she wanted to make sure that I was properly scared! I am happy to say that this book was just right for me, it has just the right amount of thrill that kept me glued to its pages.
The characters in The Ghost of Graylock were fun and relatable. Neil and Bree are the new kids in town, and their curiosity shows through their many adventures. What I liked about Wesley and his brother is that they weren’t those stock “weird” kids in town. In fact, Wesley’s older brother is kind of a “cool” kid who has some typical teenage male snarky behaviors, which I think made him more real! Parents were missing from this one, but Neil and Bree’s aunts are their and take care of them well enough, I would have liked to see more from them.
One of the best things about The Ghost of Graylock was the way in which Dan Poblocki compliments the story with very vivid imagery. I found myself to be so engrossed while reading The Ghost of Graylock that though the book was not overly scary or horrific, I still jumped out of my skin a few times. The author provides the reader with such detail that I found myself hearing the drip of lake water falling from a ghostly girl. I felt terror as the characters ran and hid for their lives in the walls of the old asylum. The end of The Ghost of Graylock was incredibly twisty and though I suspected some aspects, I did not fully see it coming. I love it when that happens! I definitely had a look of surprise upon figuring out just who the real bad guy was and what terrible things crimes they had committed.
One of my sincerest wishes is that Dan Poblocki forays into adult horror, because he completely has the ability to scare even the most fearless reader. I have a very high tolerance for the scares, and this one felt a little bit juvenile to be classified as a proper horror novel. However it was still wildly entertaining and just the right amount of creepy, and comes highly recommended if you are looking for something to have you looking over your shoulder from time to time.
I was lucky enough to be gifted this book by my very dear friend Brittany for our All Hallow’s Read book swap and I know she struggled in finding me a novel with the proper amount of horror. I have a very high threshold, you see, and she wanted to make sure that I was properly scared! I am happy to say that this book was just right for me, it has just the right amount of thrill that kept me glued to its pages.
The characters in The Ghost of Graylock were fun and relatable. Neil and Bree are the new kids in town, and their curiosity shows through their many adventures. What I liked about Wesley and his brother is that they weren’t those stock “weird” kids in town. In fact, Wesley’s older brother is kind of a “cool” kid who has some typical teenage male snarky behaviors, which I think made him more real! Parents were missing from this one, but Neil and Bree’s aunts are their and take care of them well enough, I would have liked to see more from them.
One of the best things about The Ghost of Graylock was the way in which Dan Poblocki compliments the story with very vivid imagery. I found myself to be so engrossed while reading The Ghost of Graylock that though the book was not overly scary or horrific, I still jumped out of my skin a few times. The author provides the reader with such detail that I found myself hearing the drip of lake water falling from a ghostly girl. I felt terror as the characters ran and hid for their lives in the walls of the old asylum. The end of The Ghost of Graylock was incredibly twisty and though I suspected some aspects, I did not fully see it coming. I love it when that happens! I definitely had a look of surprise upon figuring out just who the real bad guy was and what terrible things crimes they had committed.
One of my sincerest wishes is that Dan Poblocki forays into adult horror, because he completely has the ability to scare even the most fearless reader. I have a very high tolerance for the scares, and this one felt a little bit juvenile to be classified as a proper horror novel. However it was still wildly entertaining and just the right amount of creepy, and comes highly recommended if you are looking for something to have you looking over your shoulder from time to time.
fordkatherine5's review
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
annes_reading_journey's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed this book. Really fun read to break up genres.