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Book Review: The Haunting of Sunshine Girl by Paige McKenzie and Alyssa Sheinmel

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl by Paige McKenzie and Alyssa Sheinmel

Weinstein Books, 2015

ISBN-10: 1602862729

ISBN-13: 978-1602862722

 

Sunshine and her mother have left the comfort and warmth of Texas for the damp and chilly world of Washington State, a beautiful if isolated place.  She and her mom have a tight relationship, with little of the typical YA angst. Their relationship is tested and strained when the house turns out to be haunted, and only Sunshine can sense the ghost.

At first, Sunshine is intrigued by the laughter in the attic, but soon things become problematic. The ghost’s mood swings and temper tantrums start to worry Sunshine. Then the ghost sets its sights on her mother. Darkness seeps in, souring everything, and threatening the life of Sunshine’s mother,  who shows increasingly erratic and violent behavior.

The requisite love interest shows up, but in a satisfying twist, has a dark side which may cause Sunshine and her mom more harm than good.

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl originates from an ongoing YouTube webseries created by Paige McKenzie and hosted by The Haunting of Sunshine Girl Network, which has over 200,000 subscribers. With this novel, McKenzie, a teen prodigy, has entered publishing with a platform other authors would kill to have, with the assistance of Alyssa Sheinmel’s adept ghostwriting skills to guide her. The incredible success of the series means that fans already have expectations, and the book has to satisfy both fans of the show and readers who love supernatural fiction who know nothing about it: a difficult challenge. Rather than merely rehashing the plot of the show, McKenzie and Sheinmel’s approach meets the challenge, honing in on the story between the pages, and Sheinmel polishes the book into a slick, enjoyable read.

While this isn’t the most original tale, it is done very well. While common tropes appear frequently, they are twisted and turned in fresh ways. In addition, it’s interesting to see how the transmedia element was pushed front and center, with emphasis on the web series. While the idea is not new anymore, it’s fascinating to see how experiments in multiplatform technology in children’s and YA fiction is are playing out.  This book appears to be the start of a series, and, even without the emphasis on other media, is gripping enough to send readers unfamiliar with the web series on to looking for the next book. 

Reviewed by Dave Simms

Posted on December 15, 2015 by , Reply

Help a Reader Out: A Haunted Boarding School

Amy writes:

I read a book in the early 80’s about some girls who go to a special boarding school for the arts. One girl is a painter, one a writer and one is a musician. At night, they are possessed by the ghosts of famous artists (one is T.S. Eliot) but are unaware of this. They find out the teachers are using them to get more works out of the dead artists. Do you have any idea what book this is? I have no idea of the name or the author.  Thanks.

 
Ooh, I know this one!

It’s Down a Dark Hall by Lois Duncan. One of my favorites!

Posted on December 7, 2015 by , Reply

Book Review: 43 Old Cemetery Road: Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise, illustrated by Sarah Klise

43 Old Cemetery Road: Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise, illustrated by M. Sarah Klise

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009

ISBN-13: 9780547398488

Available:  Hardcover, Paperback

The first book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series, Dying to Meet You focuses on three main characters: Eleven-year-old Seymour Hope, living on his own at the Spence mansion; Ignatius B. Grumply (I. B. Grumply), a famous author of ghost stories for children; and Olive C. Spence, a ghost living in the Spence mansion. The premise of the story is that I.B. Grumply has rented the Spence mansion from Les and Diane Hope for the summer, hoping that a change of location will help him overcome a case of writer’s block. Unbeknownst to him, they have abandoned their eleven year old son Seymour and his cat, leaving them in the care of Mr. Grumply. Also unbeknownst to Mr. Grumply, the home’s former owner, Olive, still inhabits the old house as its resident ghost.

The story is cleverly told entirely as a series of correspondence between the three main characters and a handful of acquaintances. Through typed letters, handwritten notes, and local newspapers, we get to know each of these characters and watch as their relationships evolve. The story is not overly complex and is easy for young readers to follow, but is also very witty and includes quite a bit of humor. The illustrations, presented to the reader as drawings by 11-year-old Seymour, are well-suited to the book’s structure. Every character has a cleverly scripted name that is perfectly matched to the character’s personality and the general storyline. For instance, I. B. Grumply begins the story as a very grumpy loner represented by a literary agent named Paige Turner. The local real estate agent is appropriately named Anita Sale. Other minor characters include local librarian M. Balm, pet store owner Barry A. Lyve, and grocer Kay Daver. Humorous quips are also worked into each article (and ad) that is included in the newspaper pages scattered throughout the book. Readers who take the time to read each snippet in the papers are rewarded with a few extra chuckles.

The structure of the book makes it a quick read as the notes and letters between characters are generally not lengthy. Throughout the book, we are able to see the relationships of the characters grow and watch them form a unique family as they learn how to care for one another.

The book targets young readers 9-12 years of age. Readers who enjoy a tame ghost story would find this book a very entertaining read. The seventh and final installment in the series will be released April 2015.

 

Reviewed by Heather Hurley

Posted on February 16, 2015 by , Reply
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