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littlelifeofbooks's review
4.0
My nostalgia spooky reading days came back to me while reading this one! I always remembering looking for the “scary” books at my middle school library, and sneaking them home, hoping the covers wouldn’t make my parents investigate them too much.
This is actually quite scary for a middle grade story. The writing just completely takes over a chill in you, where you will find yourself wanting to wrap up in a blanket and make sure all of your shower curtains stay wide open.
The way the story played out made perfect sense and wrapped up in such a nice way. Because this takes place in Chicago, I knew nothing about the hauntings so I felt like I was actually experiencing a tour bus ride just like the one in this story. I think this is a perfect book to read in October, and if you teach middle schoolers you should absolutely read this one out loud to them!!
This is actually quite scary for a middle grade story. The writing just completely takes over a chill in you, where you will find yourself wanting to wrap up in a blanket and make sure all of your shower curtains stay wide open.
The way the story played out made perfect sense and wrapped up in such a nice way. Because this takes place in Chicago, I knew nothing about the hauntings so I felt like I was actually experiencing a tour bus ride just like the one in this story. I think this is a perfect book to read in October, and if you teach middle schoolers you should absolutely read this one out loud to them!!
snrmomfirst's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
A spooky ghost story that was very well-written and I so so enjoyed it!
After reading the amazing What Lives in the Woods I decided on checking out the one spooky book by Lindsay Currie (MG/Children at least) that I still had left: Scritch Scratch! Now I read all three books and now I can wait “patiently” for the fourth spooky book to appear.
Since I have been trying for a while, read the book April 20th and by the time I am writing this it is May 6th, to find the words to write a review. I decided that the best way now was to make a fun list of all the things I enjoyed. Because I didn’t really have anything that I wasn’t a fan of.
After reading the amazing What Lives in the Woods I decided on checking out the one spooky book by Lindsay Currie (MG/Children at least) that I still had left: Scritch Scratch! Now I read all three books and now I can wait “patiently” for the fourth spooky book to appear.
Since I have been trying for a while, read the book April 20th and by the time I am writing this it is May 6th, to find the words to write a review. I decided that the best way now was to make a fun list of all the things I enjoyed. Because I didn’t really have anything that I wasn’t a fan of.
katie1031's review
3.0
This was a very cute little book. A middle grade ghost story with conversations surrounding not judging new people before you really know them, friendship, and giving the people you love the benefit of the doubt (especially your parents). It was short and uncomplicated. There's nothing particularly complex, shocking, or unexpected in this book but nonetheless it was a cute little story. I don't think I see myself re-reading it, but I'm not mad I picked it up.
tagovert's review
4.0
For a book intended for younger audiences, the author Lindsay Currie was not afraid to implement many, most effective horror elements in this book. While I consider myself a horror aficionado, even I was unnerved at the main characters first haunting. Highly recommend this book to any young reader interested in something scary. It is well written, well paced, and thoroughly enjoyable. If I was one of those young readers, I would have given this book 5 stars in a skipped heartbeat.
ejh14's review
dark
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
Very dark and a little scary but really good. Focuses on history of Chicago that has been forgotten.
baileyyy's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
abanas's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
nicolemhewitt's review
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Kids that already know they like to be spooked will love this story. This book has the feel of a true ghost story and is sure to raise goosebumps and keep readers wary of every bump in the night. One aspect of this book that I loved is the fact that it puts the spotlight on a disaster that happened in Chicago that almost no one knows about (including me, even though it happened so close to my hometown). I won’t say what it is because that would actually spoil part of the mystery aspect of the book, but I found it to be fascinating. Claire’s dad runs a ghost tour in Chicago, so I actually learned about several spooky occurrences in the city that I hadn’t heard of before!
Like I said, this story feels truly creepy as Claire is haunted by a little boy in numerous eerie ways. As she tries to unravel the mystery of who the ghost is and what he wants from her, she has the help of her brother and her friends. I loved the focus on these relationships—Claire has felt a bit left out because her best friend has made a new friend. Her feelings of jealousy feel authentic, and I appreciated the way this storyline unfolded. Claire’s family relationships also ring true: she loves her dad, but she’s also a bit embarrassed by his ghost tours; and her sibling rivalry with her brother is overcome by the bonds that tie them together.
A truly spine-tingling read that features some little-known history!
Kids that already know they like to be spooked will love this story. This book has the feel of a true ghost story and is sure to raise goosebumps and keep readers wary of every bump in the night. One aspect of this book that I loved is the fact that it puts the spotlight on a disaster that happened in Chicago that almost no one knows about (including me, even though it happened so close to my hometown). I won’t say what it is because that would actually spoil part of the mystery aspect of the book, but I found it to be fascinating. Claire’s dad runs a ghost tour in Chicago, so I actually learned about several spooky occurrences in the city that I hadn’t heard of before!
Like I said, this story feels truly creepy as Claire is haunted by a little boy in numerous eerie ways. As she tries to unravel the mystery of who the ghost is and what he wants from her, she has the help of her brother and her friends. I loved the focus on these relationships—Claire has felt a bit left out because her best friend has made a new friend. Her feelings of jealousy feel authentic, and I appreciated the way this storyline unfolded. Claire’s family relationships also ring true: she loves her dad, but she’s also a bit embarrassed by his ghost tours; and her sibling rivalry with her brother is overcome by the bonds that tie them together.
A truly spine-tingling read that features some little-known history!