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A review by wdianasheppard
The Ghost Tracks by Celso Hurtado
4.0
3.5 rounded up to 4.
"The Ghost Tracks" by Celso Hurtado was pitched as "Fear Street for a diverse America", and I can... kind of see it. It's definitely a horror book, but it's much more graphic than I was expecting for YA horror, and the creeping dread...! Oh, the creeping dread was intense. Now, none of these are complaints at all - it's nice to get a YA horror that has teeth - but "The Ghost Tracks" lacks the playful, campy feel of the Fear Street series, and that is where I think it suffers.
Erasmo Cruz puts out an ad with his best friend claiming to be a paranormal investigator. His grandmother is ill, and they need to be able to pay her medical bills. The plot of "The Ghost Tracks" follows Erasmo and his friend as they encounter various weirdos and believers, and have to sort out for themselves who is lying and who is telling the truth regarding their paranormal experiences.
There was probably a little too much going on in this one; there were at least three subplots, and sometimes the plot moved forward more because it felt like it needed to go there rather than a character decision. The boys get caught up in a murder investigation that requires a great deal of suspension of disbelief. If you can let some plot holes go, it's a fun ride. Erasmo is an appealing character and despite the book's overall grim tone, he's a fun narrator. I particularly enjoyed how San Antonio was its own character; this is a town that the author clearly knows well, and it shows. The overall setting was very atmospheric.
A good debut. While it's not without its issues, "The Ghost Tracks" is going to be a fun start to a great horror career, I think. Just... definitely mind that this is harder horror than the average YA. The gore is intense.
"The Ghost Tracks" by Celso Hurtado was pitched as "Fear Street for a diverse America", and I can... kind of see it. It's definitely a horror book, but it's much more graphic than I was expecting for YA horror, and the creeping dread...! Oh, the creeping dread was intense. Now, none of these are complaints at all - it's nice to get a YA horror that has teeth - but "The Ghost Tracks" lacks the playful, campy feel of the Fear Street series, and that is where I think it suffers.
Erasmo Cruz puts out an ad with his best friend claiming to be a paranormal investigator. His grandmother is ill, and they need to be able to pay her medical bills. The plot of "The Ghost Tracks" follows Erasmo and his friend as they encounter various weirdos and believers, and have to sort out for themselves who is lying and who is telling the truth regarding their paranormal experiences.
There was probably a little too much going on in this one; there were at least three subplots, and sometimes the plot moved forward more because it felt like it needed to go there rather than a character decision. The boys get caught up in a murder investigation that requires a great deal of suspension of disbelief. If you can let some plot holes go, it's a fun ride. Erasmo is an appealing character and despite the book's overall grim tone, he's a fun narrator. I particularly enjoyed how San Antonio was its own character; this is a town that the author clearly knows well, and it shows. The overall setting was very atmospheric.
A good debut. While it's not without its issues, "The Ghost Tracks" is going to be a fun start to a great horror career, I think. Just... definitely mind that this is harder horror than the average YA. The gore is intense.