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A review by mariahistryingtoread
The Haunting of Granite Falls by Eva Ibbotson
3.0
I’ve read almost all of Eva Ibbotson’s ghost/creature books and this is definitely one of the better ones. Objectively speaking I’d say that Beasts of Clawstone Castle is the best though I personally enjoy Which Witch and The Secret of Platform 13 more. This was below the three aforementioned books, however, it is above The Great Ghost Rescue which will remain the worst unless Dial-A-Ghost turns out to be a bust or I’m misremembering the quality of Island of the Aunts.
As is customary of all her books in this category the quality of the book is directly related to how strong the mystery is. Ibbotson gets a lot of mileage out of the characters just missing one another which can be a little frustrating. I’d say the kids factor in a lot less than they normally would compared to the ghosts. This felt very ghost and mystery heavy. Ibbotson does not have particularly strong characters. They have a few characteristics so as not to be totally flat - the success of this fluctuates depending on the book - but Ibbotson prioritizes functionality over depth.
I honestly don’t have a lot to say. I usually end up reiterating the same points when it comes to reviews of Eva Ibbotson’s work. The books are fairly standard in structure and execution so most are fairly predictable outside of small twists that vary in efficacy. I like The Haunting of Granite Falls a lot, but the pinnacle of children’s literature it is not.
The Secret of Platform 13
Which Witch?
The Great Ghost Rescue
As is customary of all her books in this category the quality of the book is directly related to how strong the mystery is. Ibbotson gets a lot of mileage out of the characters just missing one another which can be a little frustrating. I’d say the kids factor in a lot less than they normally would compared to the ghosts. This felt very ghost and mystery heavy. Ibbotson does not have particularly strong characters. They have a few characteristics so as not to be totally flat - the success of this fluctuates depending on the book - but Ibbotson prioritizes functionality over depth.
I honestly don’t have a lot to say. I usually end up reiterating the same points when it comes to reviews of Eva Ibbotson’s work. The books are fairly standard in structure and execution so most are fairly predictable outside of small twists that vary in efficacy. I like The Haunting of Granite Falls a lot, but the pinnacle of children’s literature it is not.
The Secret of Platform 13
Which Witch?
The Great Ghost Rescue