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The Ghosts of Mercy Manor
Now she believes in ghosts. . .
Gwen is determined not to like her new foster family. But surprisingly, she quickly feels at home with the warm comfortable Mercys.
Yet as Gwen begins to feel part of the family, she realizes that a terrifying secret lurks in the Mercy home. It is haunted by ghosts: a sad young girl named Rose beckons to her--and a pair of desperate men frighten her.
What is the secret of Mercy Manor?
Gwen is determined not to like her new foster family. But surprisingly, she quickly feels at home with the warm comfortable Mercys.
Yet as Gwen begins to feel part of the family, she realizes that a terrifying secret lurks in the Mercy home. It is haunted by ghosts: a sad young girl named Rose beckons to her--and a pair of desperate men frighten her.
What is the secret of Mercy Manor?
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
8 people are currently reading
565 people want to read
About the author
Betty Ren Wright
96 books296 followersBetty Ren Wright was an award-winning author of children's fiction including The Dollhouse Murders, The Ghosts Of Mercy Manor and A Ghost in The House.
Known for her ghost stories and mysteries, Wright published 28 children's novels between 1981 and 2006, as well as picture books and short stories. Prior to pursuing her career as a full-time author in 1978, she worked as an editor of children's books.
Wright lived in Wisconsin with her husband, painter George A. Fredericksen, until her death in 2013.
Known for her ghost stories and mysteries, Wright published 28 children's novels between 1981 and 2006, as well as picture books and short stories. Prior to pursuing her career as a full-time author in 1978, she worked as an editor of children's books.
Wright lived in Wisconsin with her husband, painter George A. Fredericksen, until her death in 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
November 23, 2019
I have seen books lately in which authors squeezed a story around a detail but no reasoning incorporated it convincingly. Twelve year-old Gwen needed foster parents, in order to relate to a spirit who had been fostered too. In turn, not being a relative intended to justify someone being willing to dispose of Rose. But for those goals, the arrangement was odd. Gwen’s parents predeceased her elderly Aunt guardian, by a few years. Her out-of-town Brother keeps Gwen local. I love Betty Ren Wright. Some novels are better than others, which a prolific authoress cannot help and some are too juvenile for me. I liked enough about “The Ghosts Of Mercy Manor”, 1993, to give it four stars. Sometimes questionable proceedings are outweighed by the best parts.
Gwen will still see her best friend and loves acquiring a little sister, Tessie, as well as country living. Her foster Mom, Dena welcomes and appreciates the mature, helpful family member. Her teenaged son, Jason, is working his way through his Dad’s disproval of his preferring theatre-writing to sports. He listens to Gwen, when it is clear that she is upset about a phenomenon she needs someone to witness. Dena, who inherited her Aunt’s house familiar to her in childhood, does not accept the presence of a trio of spirits. Her husband, Frank is disbelieving. He feels that investigating or even discussing the anomaly makes Dena ill.
Torn between alienating her foster parents, in a place where she has succeeded in feeling at home, or continuing to deal with spirits who keep appearing: Jason is her hope for help if he manages to behold them personally. He too was sceptical, if he paid attention to anyone else at all. The novel becomes exciting, when he consents to a stakeout with Gwen at night!
Gwen will still see her best friend and loves acquiring a little sister, Tessie, as well as country living. Her foster Mom, Dena welcomes and appreciates the mature, helpful family member. Her teenaged son, Jason, is working his way through his Dad’s disproval of his preferring theatre-writing to sports. He listens to Gwen, when it is clear that she is upset about a phenomenon she needs someone to witness. Dena, who inherited her Aunt’s house familiar to her in childhood, does not accept the presence of a trio of spirits. Her husband, Frank is disbelieving. He feels that investigating or even discussing the anomaly makes Dena ill.
Torn between alienating her foster parents, in a place where she has succeeded in feeling at home, or continuing to deal with spirits who keep appearing: Jason is her hope for help if he manages to behold them personally. He too was sceptical, if he paid attention to anyone else at all. The novel becomes exciting, when he consents to a stakeout with Gwen at night!
March 23, 2022
Just gonna straight up give this one 5 stars, FTW. I love Betty Ren Wright (that of "Dollhouse Murderers" and "Ghosts Beneath Our Feet" fame), I loved this book, and was sad when it ended.
BRW has the uncanny ability to inhabit a child's mind and heart, and speak the truth from there. In the realm of Kids vs. Adults, she is Team Kid all the way, RIDE OR DIE!! Her simple yet elegant prose flows so freaking effortlessly, you can't help but be enmeshed in the little world she creates for you, the reader.
So we have our dear protag Gwen, who having been orphaned at a young age, was living with her sweet Great Aunt Mary...until she too passed away. She desperately yearns to live with her older brother, but the guy is getting married and moving out of town...and doesn't want to take Gwen with him 😭 DAMN, I THOUGHT I HAD PROBLEMS AT AGE 12 😭😭 But Mrs, Mercy, a kind lady who has heard about Gwen's predicament via Social Services, has stepped in, wanting to be her Foster Parent. And just like that, Gwen has kind of a new Insta-Family. Mr. and Mrs. Mercy, their sweet little daughter Tessie, and their tow-headed teenage son, Jason.
Gwen is determined not to like her new foster fam, but unexpectedly starts to feel right at home...until she starts seeing THE GHOSTS. Especially the ghost girl with the blonde hair, who seems to be trying to tell her something. But everytime Gwen mentions it to Mrs. Mercy, she freaks out, gaslights her by telling her it was all in her imagination, and quickly drops the subject. So what the hell is going on?? 👻👻👻
This book DELIVERS in the ghosties department (as does most of BRW's work), but at it's heart, this was a story about belonging, about staying true to yourself, and about owning your own shit. Beautifully written and imagined, I didn't want it to end.
My quick random thoughts and observations:
- My only gripe is that the ending felt slightly rushed...I would've loved an Epilogue or another chapter!
- Little Tessie is coloring in her book and asks her brother Jason what color she should color the rooster. He responds, "How about black and silver? A metal robot-rooster." 😂🤖🐓🤘In this world, aspire to be like Jason.
- The other two ghosts of the house are a middle-aged dude and young man who steal off in the middle of the night in a rowboat. I pictured them in my head to be Robert Pattison and Willem Dafoe from the movie "The Lighthouse" 🤣🤣 That is all 🤣🤣
5 out of 5 bumps in the night and of course you gotta go explore. If the ghost girl goes into the basement and looks at you imploringly to follow...well...it was nice knowing you, LOL. You gotta go and find out what the hell is going on! Because as they say, the truth will set you free, and it's all worth it in the end 👻👻💖💖
BRW has the uncanny ability to inhabit a child's mind and heart, and speak the truth from there. In the realm of Kids vs. Adults, she is Team Kid all the way, RIDE OR DIE!! Her simple yet elegant prose flows so freaking effortlessly, you can't help but be enmeshed in the little world she creates for you, the reader.
So we have our dear protag Gwen, who having been orphaned at a young age, was living with her sweet Great Aunt Mary...until she too passed away. She desperately yearns to live with her older brother, but the guy is getting married and moving out of town...and doesn't want to take Gwen with him 😭 DAMN, I THOUGHT I HAD PROBLEMS AT AGE 12 😭😭 But Mrs, Mercy, a kind lady who has heard about Gwen's predicament via Social Services, has stepped in, wanting to be her Foster Parent. And just like that, Gwen has kind of a new Insta-Family. Mr. and Mrs. Mercy, their sweet little daughter Tessie, and their tow-headed teenage son, Jason.
Gwen is determined not to like her new foster fam, but unexpectedly starts to feel right at home...until she starts seeing THE GHOSTS. Especially the ghost girl with the blonde hair, who seems to be trying to tell her something. But everytime Gwen mentions it to Mrs. Mercy, she freaks out, gaslights her by telling her it was all in her imagination, and quickly drops the subject. So what the hell is going on?? 👻👻👻
This book DELIVERS in the ghosties department (as does most of BRW's work), but at it's heart, this was a story about belonging, about staying true to yourself, and about owning your own shit. Beautifully written and imagined, I didn't want it to end.
My quick random thoughts and observations:
- My only gripe is that the ending felt slightly rushed...I would've loved an Epilogue or another chapter!
- Little Tessie is coloring in her book and asks her brother Jason what color she should color the rooster. He responds, "How about black and silver? A metal robot-rooster." 😂🤖🐓🤘In this world, aspire to be like Jason.
- The other two ghosts of the house are a middle-aged dude and young man who steal off in the middle of the night in a rowboat. I pictured them in my head to be Robert Pattison and Willem Dafoe from the movie "The Lighthouse" 🤣🤣 That is all 🤣🤣
5 out of 5 bumps in the night and of course you gotta go explore. If the ghost girl goes into the basement and looks at you imploringly to follow...well...it was nice knowing you, LOL. You gotta go and find out what the hell is going on! Because as they say, the truth will set you free, and it's all worth it in the end 👻👻💖💖
November 7, 2011
Gwen is 12 and her aunt has just died. She thought she'd be going to live with her brother Greg and his wife in Phoenix, but he had other plans for her.
Greg set it up so Gwen could live with the Mercy family. Gwen tries hard to not like the Mercy family or her new home. But they are so nice to her and quickly she begins to feel at home.
But Gwen is having trouble feeling fully comfortable around the Mercy family and that is because she is seeing ghosts, but no one believes her. Gwen feels alone and scared and is worried she will have to leave the house and family she has come to care about.
I love this book - it was so good and I love the story. I like Gwen and can somewhat relate to how she feels throughout the book. The Mercys are nice, too. But Frank Mercy can be pretty annoying at times because he's closed-minded and really just wants things his way.
Overall, it was a great book. A good ghost that isn't scary, but there is a lot of mystery to it and right along with Gwen, you want to know what's going on at Mercy Manor. I'm very glad I decided to borrow this from my library.
Greg set it up so Gwen could live with the Mercy family. Gwen tries hard to not like the Mercy family or her new home. But they are so nice to her and quickly she begins to feel at home.
But Gwen is having trouble feeling fully comfortable around the Mercy family and that is because she is seeing ghosts, but no one believes her. Gwen feels alone and scared and is worried she will have to leave the house and family she has come to care about.
I love this book - it was so good and I love the story. I like Gwen and can somewhat relate to how she feels throughout the book. The Mercys are nice, too. But Frank Mercy can be pretty annoying at times because he's closed-minded and really just wants things his way.
Overall, it was a great book. A good ghost that isn't scary, but there is a lot of mystery to it and right along with Gwen, you want to know what's going on at Mercy Manor. I'm very glad I decided to borrow this from my library.
January 11, 2023
Betty Ren Wright books still gives me thrills and chills today, many years since she wrote them.
November 21, 2009
I'm rating The Ghosts of Mercy Manor based on what I thought I would have rated it back when I first read the book (when I was 11 or so). Honestly though, I'd still probably rate it a four star read anyway!
The story is about twelve year old Gwen. Her Aunt Mary just passed away and Gwen's brother, Greg, has decided to put her in a foster home instead of having her come live with him and his new wife. Gwen sees ghosts around her new house and no one in her new family believes her (except for three year old Tessie) until she manages to convince Jason who stays up with her one night.
Its a good ghost story for the younger generation and I'm glad that I found my copy of the book so that I can pass it down to my kids someday.
The story is about twelve year old Gwen. Her Aunt Mary just passed away and Gwen's brother, Greg, has decided to put her in a foster home instead of having her come live with him and his new wife. Gwen sees ghosts around her new house and no one in her new family believes her (except for three year old Tessie) until she manages to convince Jason who stays up with her one night.
Its a good ghost story for the younger generation and I'm glad that I found my copy of the book so that I can pass it down to my kids someday.
March 14, 2017
I loved The Ghost Comes Calling as a kid so I got this, but was disappointed with the character and story, put it down and had to make myself pick it up. I didn’t like Gwen. She starts out wobbling on 1-in heels and she’s only 12 yo. She had a bratty attitude the way she told her friends she looks 13 at least, and wanted to tell a woman she’s not a child, she’s practically grown up. Ugh.
It was an uninteresting start. Her parents died 5 yrs ago and her elderly aunt took her, but just died. She has a brother 15 yrs older, whose wife doesn’t want her. A woman comes to be her foster parent and Gwen was juvenile and unlikable.
The ghost story started way too soon. There wasn’t enough enough time to get to know the characters before we’re launched into the mystery. The first sec she gets to the Mercy’s house she spots a ghost in the girl’s window. There are 2 kids, and Jason is 16. Things got interesting with him.
She asks who it is, says she saw someone in the window and the mom shuts it down, says it’s no one, so we know she knows about it and doesn’t want to talk. This should have happened later in the book and not literally the first time she lays eyes on the place. She hasn't even gotten out of the car and it's bam! This is a ghost story!
Jason comes bounding in and stops when he sees Gwen. His mom introduces them and he says hi, looks at her warily and used a hand to cover the pimples on his chin, says nice 2meet you and then looks at his mom pleadingly and tells her he has stuff to put away in his room. What a cute 1st meeting.
Gwen finds a paper rose in her room, asks Tessie if it was her mom’s and she said no, she leaves it in my room and then takes it away. When asked who, Tessie says it’s nobody. So I saw it was going to be drawn out annoyingly. Gwen is set to write her bro for a plane ticket because it’s weird. Way too early to be planning to leave because of the ghost. She doesn’t even know what it is.
The dad had a bad first impression. He’s red with anger and yelling at Jason for not mowing the lawn.
The 4th night she hears a noise and sees the blond-headed girl she saw in the window going down the stairs. I found it hard to believe a 12 yo used words like gleaming and described the event in descriptive terms. They don’t have this vocabulary or think this deeply. The next day she helps Jason weed and said her aunt had nasturtiums. I’m supposed to believe a 12 yo remembers this big word and can pronounce it? She could’ve used an easier flower.
Gwen learns that night that Jason is writing a school play and building things for it. Not as interesting as I thought what he was working on would be. But if it’s good enough his teacher will have the drama club put it on.
Gwen brought up the girl going down the stairs that morning, and annoyingly the mom says she had to be dreaming cuz there’s no blondes in the family. Gwen and Tessie went to have a picnic by the stream, and as Gwen watches Tessie pick flowers, all of a sudden the stream turns into a raging river and there’s a boat with 2 men in it, and the blonde-headed girl watches from behind a tree. It was so fantastical that a whole scene could play out like that. Idk if I believe that can happen so it took away from the story a little.
Jason took Gwen to the mall while he went to the library. I was disappointed they didn’t stick together and hoped she would go to the library and he would go to the mall with her. He was disappointed when she said she needed an hour because he wanted more time at the library. I couldn’t wait to hear about them in the car together, but she jumped ahead a week and we didn’t get any details about their ride home.
She sent a bunch of letters to her bro in Phoenix, trying to get him to let her live with him. She talks about how much she misses cooking and cleaning, because she used to do that at Aunt Mary’s. I’m so sick of authors making all their girl characters enjoy chores in the domestic sphere. It’s so sexist. Way to prepare them for motherhood.
Dena took Gwen to the basement to get some books, and Gwen noticed a clock and a wooden door, asks if it’s a fruit cellar. Dena impatiently says “No!” and then admits it was, but it’s empty now and she can see for herself. Gwen thinks it’s odd that the basement only has 1 light but the little room had 2. She asks if Dena’s uncle used it as a work room and Dena said she didn’t know and let’s get out of here. She hates the basement and there’s a heavy feeling. So annoying.
That night when she goes to her room she sees the rose has been left on her dresser. She puts it in her draw, knowing she can't tell the family because they won't believe her. She expects the ghost to appear at night, so when she hears noises outside her door she knows it's the girl. She gets up and the ghost is at the back stairs. Gwen senses she wants her to follow her and as she does so the girl goes to the basement door. Gwen says no, remembering the feeling down there, and stumbles back up the stairs. That's when Dena finds her and Gwen tells her the girl led her to the basement. Dena has the same reaction as usual, shuts down, is cool and not wanting to hear any of it. Dena says she's upset about her aunt's death &dreams &reality are mixed up. I was sick&tired of the mean reactions &non-answers &tryin2 convince her it wasn't real. It got old fast.
Her bro wrote back and said he can’t write to every letter and for her to ask Dena to do chores since she likes it so much. That’s when Gwen knew he wasn’t going to ask her to live with him.
She hears Jason in the hall after and tells him about the ghost. He's skeptical and thinks she's been reading too many ghost stories. She's mad this time cuz he's only a few yrs older &treating her like a baby. She storms up to her room &slams the door. Jason comes up &knocks, says hey, what's the big deal? I was glad he came to check on her but I thought he would believe her &maybe know about the ghosts, so I was disappointed when he dint.
She starts to feel alone because no one will believe her about the ghost. Frank would think she was as beyond understanding as Jason, because Jason is spending his whole summer working on his play instead of with friends &playing sports.
Dena &Tessie invite her out to get a rug for her room. When going outside to the car, they see Jason on a ladder painting the barn. Tessie offers to help him by paintin the bottom, &Jason grins at Gwen, because that's not much help, but she pretends not to see because she's mad at him. I liked that he was including her but didn’t like that she ignored him.
She grudgingly admits he's a hard worker when he finally gets around to doind it, he does everything with care &probably treats his play the same way, but he's rude& self-centered &duznt care about other ppl's feelings.
The storekeeper was conveniently a social worker& remembers going out to their address but doesn’t remember why. Dena’s cool&says they only moved in a couple yrs ago&the woman says somethin about a runaway but before she cud say any more Dena interrupts, says she wouldn’t’ know anything about it. Another opportunity lost. It was amusing when on the car ride home Gwen tries to think what Aunt Mary would think of Dena&says "Poor girl—she has more ups&downs than a roller coaster."
Gwen, showing her age, writes that she's trapped there with people who don't believe her. Tessie and her are the only ones that see the ghost, she can't sleep bcuz she's sick she'll see the ghost, in a desperate attempt to get her bro to let her live w/him.
Dena has Gwen help her do clothes in the basement, &look for some prints of flowers to put in her room. Dena has to go back up &answer the phone, &Gwen finds a pic of the 2 men she saw at the river. All of a sudden the noise melts away &the clock falls &almost hits her, but she sees a flash of gold&it just misses her. The girl saved her.
Dena sees the pic of the men &tells her it's her uncle &cousin, &she doesn’t no why she dislikes them, bcuz she dint have anything to do with them when she stayed that summer, but the way it all turned out... Just as Gwen asks how what turned out, Dena has to go get back on the phone. Another diversion. Bad plot device.
During dinner the basketball coach calls and asks Jason to join the team again. Frank is mad when he learned Jason turned the coach down again because of his play. He wants a sports son. Jason tells his dad he thinks it's not important but it is to him. Later Gwen runs into Jason in the hallway &they talk and he says he isn't what his dad wants, but he is who he is&he isn't going to fall apart if everyone doesn’t approve. A nice message for kids and respectable.
Gwen helps Dena do the dishes & sees a magazine pic on the inside of the cabinet, of a dark haired girl &a taller blonde haired girl. Gwen thinks it looks like Tessie but Dena shuts it down.
Pg. 99 Dena was misspelled as Dana.
They go into the living room to eat cookies, &Gwen sees the girl &drops the plate. When she tells Dena, she gives the same worn-out spiel that she dint see anything &ghosts aren't real, but at least this time Gwen gets mad&says why won't you believe me?
Frank comes home early cuz he's sick and Gwen overhears Dena telling him about her&that they might have to move. Frank reacts angrily, saying it's craziness and if Gwen is going to upset her she shouldn’t be living here. Idk why Gwen liked Frank. He was a jerk and a bad dad.
He hears someone in the attic, is mad when he finds out it's Jason &learns what he's been working on. Jason sticks up for himself &says why won't you give me a chance?
Gwen awakes in the night to the sound of men outside. She looks out and sees it's the same 2men, but this time they're sayin "accident" & "get this over with" &they're carryin the blond-headed girl in a bag. Gwen surprisingly doesn’t say a word about the 2men havin murdered her. She just says she dint rly see them...stupid of her not to realize the significance of seeing 2men lug a dead body around.
That morning she watches bunnies on the porch with Tessie. Jason came out, startled to see them. Tessie wants to see what’s in the attic so he shows them. He made a mini stage for his play. I really liked how Jason watched Gwen’s reaction and asked “What do you think?” like he valued her opinion. She gushed about it and said she didn’t know he was a writer and an artist and he was pleased. She said how neat it was and forgot he’d laughed at her & that she wasn’t sure she liked him. She said if she was his teacher she'd make the drama club put it on. He grins&says she hasn't even read it &maybe she'd think it was awful. Gwen is sure she wouldn’t think that, bcuz if it was awful he'd keep fixing it. She realizes she envies that he knows what he wants &works at it &stood up to his dad. She knows she just feels sorry for herself. Jason notices &even asks what's the matter? You look funny. Tessie interrupts as she hears her mom get up, so Gwen can't answer. She's embarrassed she whined to her brother about the ghost &wishes he won't read it.
Jason asks if she's goin out on the porch again, &I wanted more interaction between them but Gwen goes to her bedroom instead. She's determined to solve the mystery of the ghosts &handle her own probs.
The next day her friend Julie calls &she squeals Julie! Jason had ben passing by the door &grinned. It was cute he found her excitement amusing. I wanted more of that between them! Julie invited her to spend the night&she says she'll get Jason to bring her. Julie asks who that is &Gwen awkwardly says "He's my—my foster brother." When she goes in the living room Dena &Jason smile at her bcuz she's so happy. She goes back out on the porch w/Tessie, who asks what color she should color the rooster. Gwen again givs crazy color schemes (she told her 2color the horse green earlier) &Jason comes out&sits between them &says black &silver like a robot rooster but Tessie duznt like it. Jason says she's like their dad, no craziness, &Gwen thinks he's the same bcuz he dint believe her about the ghost. She knows they have a lot in common tho. Jason said that's the 1st time he's ever seen her rly happy. She says all he's done is gripe &grumble since she got here, which isn't true.
That night she hears the ghost and follows her to the basement. Light comes out from the cellar and she hears the men talk, but before she can learn anything Frank roars who's down there &gets mad when she tells him about the ghosts. Dena is upset and Jason is there. Frank is angry but Dena convinces him to go to bed, so it's just Gwen and Jason in the kitchen. They talk and he still doesn't believe, but she tells him his parents were talking yesterday about sending her away if she kept it up.
They go to bed and the next morning he's in the kitchen. Their mom has a headache so he suggests Tessie pick her some flowers. He's alone with Gwen and asks if she really thinks his parents will send her away because they aren't like that. She tells him about the ghosts and the dead body and Jason is smiling and joking, he still doesn't believe it and she's mad he doesn't.
Gwen totally doesn't sound like a kid. "...I think the spirits are going to keep acting out the crime again and again until the truth is uncovered." And "..ghosts that haunt houses right here in the Midwest. Ghosts <>want to rest in peace, but they can't when something is troubling them. I think a terrible crime was committed here a long time ago..." A 12 yo wouldn't talk like that and use those words!
She tells him about the crime and he says that's his mom's family she's saying are murderers, and that they won't believe it. If she just stays in her room at night and doesn't say any more about it she'll get to stay, bcuz his mom wants to be a good foster mom and his dad wants his mom to be happy.
Frank talks to Gwen and says she's upsetting Dena and they can't have that, so he's calling Social Services and her bro. It's because of the ghosts that ruined her chance at a family with the Mercy's. Frank blames it on "her" ghosts and tells her to tell Dena she wants to go to make it easier on Dena. Very unlikable guy.
When she goes to Dena's room Tessie is in there looking at a photo album and Gwen sees 2 pics have been taken out, labeled Uncle Raymond and Allen and Dena in the garden with Rose. Now the girl has a name. At the table Jason asks what's the matter with everybody and looks at Gwen first, who doesn't answer. Jason is upset that they're going to send her away just bcuz of the stupid ghosts.
Gwen leaves the table to be sick and when she comes back Jason is the only one there. She explains she really is seeing them but no one will believe her, and that it isn't her fault she's the only one that can see them. Jason comes up with plan B, says it'll be stupid and if it doesn't work she can't say any more about ghosts. He offers to stay up with her and watch for a couple nights.
Jason stayed downstairs reading until his dad went to bed, but Gwen ended up falling asleep and woke up the next morning upset that they hadn't come. When she goes downstairs she finds Jason asleep at the kitchen table with a book, and she cautiously wakes him up, fearing he'll be mad at her that he fell asleep like that. She starts to apologize and he does at the same time, saying he's sorry he didn't believe her and that they came. He saw the ghosts on the steps and heard them talking. I couldn't believe he saw them that easily. That happened way too anticlimactically. The first time he looks for them he just sees them. How convenient.
That night they plan to wait up and not fall asleep. After midnight she hears a noise and it's the ghost girl. She follows her downstairs and Jason sees them. She gets him to come with her as they follow the girl into the basement. The cellar door busts open and the men drag her into the room with them, come out and the young man is carrying her body. They know they're going to the woods and they have to follow to solve this once and for all. Rose knows this is her last chance because Gwen is leaving. Jason takes her hand and they set out after them. The ghosts stop at a clearing and start digging the grave, and that's when Rose comes up. The men see her and raise the shovel as if they're going to hit the kids, so they're scared to death and cling to each other as they run back home. On the porch they agree to tell the parents in the morning, but Dena overhears them as she's sitting in the kitchen. She had seen them go into the woods and is ready to listen.
They confirm what she remembers, that her uncle and cousin went into the woods with Rose's body. She remembers they used to keep the cellar locked and Rose wanted to know what they were doing. She was her aunt's foster kid and the men dealt in stolen art, used the cellar to hide it. When Rose caught them her cousin accidentally killed her in anger. Dena had seen her aunt go out after the men that night, knows her aunt knew and felt guilty about it, which caused her death in a mental hospital. Uncle Raymond died in prison and Allen was let out of jail after a couple of years, moved to California and was hit by a car and killed. Frank had come down when they went inside so he heard the whole thing. Dena wants the police to come and dig up the body to put Rose to rest properly, says without Gwen she would've never faced up to it. Gwen says it was Jason who wanted to go into the woods after them and his dad admits he wouldn't have done that and it took nerve. Jason glowed.
Tessie comes down and asks if Gwen is leaving; Frank answers that she’s staying if she wants to. Then it’s Dena saying they need to get some sleep because Gwen has a big day ahead of her with Julie. And tells her to invite Julie over for a picnic with her family, and that’s how it ends.
We had to wait way too long for the mystery to be solved and the ghosts to be put to rest. It was lacking in a lot of ways. Barely anything happened. It was dragged out for no reason. I wanted more of the story after the ghosts and got nothing. We didn’t get to experience the burial of Rose or Jason riding her into town, or anything happening between them. The ghost story was really lacking too. I was disappointed it was only art thieves caught by a young girl and accidentally killed her out of anger, then the whole family dies very anticlimactically. Nothing was very interesting at all. And omg, I just remembered Jason’s play. Are you kidding me?!?! On and on about how he’s so busy building and writing and we don’t even get to read it! And the family didn’t get to see the play! What a total letdown! The story ended before it should, and extra details about the family’s life after should have been included. I can’t believe it wasn’t. It just makes it worse.
The author used a lot of big words that would go right over kids’ heads. I know challenging them to expand their vocabularies and look up some words to learn the meaning is important, but having the story be told through Gwen’s point of view—granted, in 3rd person—made it really unrealistic that these words were used:
Irritable, taut, offhand, grudgingly, conscientious, inquiringly, resounding, exclaimed, exasperated, irritable, sinister, irritability, dreadful, astonishment, resolutely, resignedly, indignant, somber, and many more I didn’t include. Gwen sounded like an adult.
There was no humor. The only thing I found funny was when Frank says Gwen’s handling the issue of her leaving maturely, so there’s no reason for Jason to be acting out, looks at her, waiting for her to act mature, but she says she’s going to be sick and has to leave the table. The book needed some life. It was very boring. She had no dreams, no interests outside of reading, cooking and cleaning, and she did nothing besides play with Tessie a lot.
It was an uninteresting start. Her parents died 5 yrs ago and her elderly aunt took her, but just died. She has a brother 15 yrs older, whose wife doesn’t want her. A woman comes to be her foster parent and Gwen was juvenile and unlikable.
The ghost story started way too soon. There wasn’t enough enough time to get to know the characters before we’re launched into the mystery. The first sec she gets to the Mercy’s house she spots a ghost in the girl’s window. There are 2 kids, and Jason is 16. Things got interesting with him.
She asks who it is, says she saw someone in the window and the mom shuts it down, says it’s no one, so we know she knows about it and doesn’t want to talk. This should have happened later in the book and not literally the first time she lays eyes on the place. She hasn't even gotten out of the car and it's bam! This is a ghost story!
Jason comes bounding in and stops when he sees Gwen. His mom introduces them and he says hi, looks at her warily and used a hand to cover the pimples on his chin, says nice 2meet you and then looks at his mom pleadingly and tells her he has stuff to put away in his room. What a cute 1st meeting.
Gwen finds a paper rose in her room, asks Tessie if it was her mom’s and she said no, she leaves it in my room and then takes it away. When asked who, Tessie says it’s nobody. So I saw it was going to be drawn out annoyingly. Gwen is set to write her bro for a plane ticket because it’s weird. Way too early to be planning to leave because of the ghost. She doesn’t even know what it is.
The dad had a bad first impression. He’s red with anger and yelling at Jason for not mowing the lawn.
The 4th night she hears a noise and sees the blond-headed girl she saw in the window going down the stairs. I found it hard to believe a 12 yo used words like gleaming and described the event in descriptive terms. They don’t have this vocabulary or think this deeply. The next day she helps Jason weed and said her aunt had nasturtiums. I’m supposed to believe a 12 yo remembers this big word and can pronounce it? She could’ve used an easier flower.
Gwen learns that night that Jason is writing a school play and building things for it. Not as interesting as I thought what he was working on would be. But if it’s good enough his teacher will have the drama club put it on.
Gwen brought up the girl going down the stairs that morning, and annoyingly the mom says she had to be dreaming cuz there’s no blondes in the family. Gwen and Tessie went to have a picnic by the stream, and as Gwen watches Tessie pick flowers, all of a sudden the stream turns into a raging river and there’s a boat with 2 men in it, and the blonde-headed girl watches from behind a tree. It was so fantastical that a whole scene could play out like that. Idk if I believe that can happen so it took away from the story a little.
Jason took Gwen to the mall while he went to the library. I was disappointed they didn’t stick together and hoped she would go to the library and he would go to the mall with her. He was disappointed when she said she needed an hour because he wanted more time at the library. I couldn’t wait to hear about them in the car together, but she jumped ahead a week and we didn’t get any details about their ride home.
She sent a bunch of letters to her bro in Phoenix, trying to get him to let her live with him. She talks about how much she misses cooking and cleaning, because she used to do that at Aunt Mary’s. I’m so sick of authors making all their girl characters enjoy chores in the domestic sphere. It’s so sexist. Way to prepare them for motherhood.
Dena took Gwen to the basement to get some books, and Gwen noticed a clock and a wooden door, asks if it’s a fruit cellar. Dena impatiently says “No!” and then admits it was, but it’s empty now and she can see for herself. Gwen thinks it’s odd that the basement only has 1 light but the little room had 2. She asks if Dena’s uncle used it as a work room and Dena said she didn’t know and let’s get out of here. She hates the basement and there’s a heavy feeling. So annoying.
That night when she goes to her room she sees the rose has been left on her dresser. She puts it in her draw, knowing she can't tell the family because they won't believe her. She expects the ghost to appear at night, so when she hears noises outside her door she knows it's the girl. She gets up and the ghost is at the back stairs. Gwen senses she wants her to follow her and as she does so the girl goes to the basement door. Gwen says no, remembering the feeling down there, and stumbles back up the stairs. That's when Dena finds her and Gwen tells her the girl led her to the basement. Dena has the same reaction as usual, shuts down, is cool and not wanting to hear any of it. Dena says she's upset about her aunt's death &dreams &reality are mixed up. I was sick&tired of the mean reactions &non-answers &tryin2 convince her it wasn't real. It got old fast.
Her bro wrote back and said he can’t write to every letter and for her to ask Dena to do chores since she likes it so much. That’s when Gwen knew he wasn’t going to ask her to live with him.
She hears Jason in the hall after and tells him about the ghost. He's skeptical and thinks she's been reading too many ghost stories. She's mad this time cuz he's only a few yrs older &treating her like a baby. She storms up to her room &slams the door. Jason comes up &knocks, says hey, what's the big deal? I was glad he came to check on her but I thought he would believe her &maybe know about the ghosts, so I was disappointed when he dint.
She starts to feel alone because no one will believe her about the ghost. Frank would think she was as beyond understanding as Jason, because Jason is spending his whole summer working on his play instead of with friends &playing sports.
Dena &Tessie invite her out to get a rug for her room. When going outside to the car, they see Jason on a ladder painting the barn. Tessie offers to help him by paintin the bottom, &Jason grins at Gwen, because that's not much help, but she pretends not to see because she's mad at him. I liked that he was including her but didn’t like that she ignored him.
She grudgingly admits he's a hard worker when he finally gets around to doind it, he does everything with care &probably treats his play the same way, but he's rude& self-centered &duznt care about other ppl's feelings.
The storekeeper was conveniently a social worker& remembers going out to their address but doesn’t remember why. Dena’s cool&says they only moved in a couple yrs ago&the woman says somethin about a runaway but before she cud say any more Dena interrupts, says she wouldn’t’ know anything about it. Another opportunity lost. It was amusing when on the car ride home Gwen tries to think what Aunt Mary would think of Dena&says "Poor girl—she has more ups&downs than a roller coaster."
Gwen, showing her age, writes that she's trapped there with people who don't believe her. Tessie and her are the only ones that see the ghost, she can't sleep bcuz she's sick she'll see the ghost, in a desperate attempt to get her bro to let her live w/him.
Dena has Gwen help her do clothes in the basement, &look for some prints of flowers to put in her room. Dena has to go back up &answer the phone, &Gwen finds a pic of the 2 men she saw at the river. All of a sudden the noise melts away &the clock falls &almost hits her, but she sees a flash of gold&it just misses her. The girl saved her.
Dena sees the pic of the men &tells her it's her uncle &cousin, &she doesn’t no why she dislikes them, bcuz she dint have anything to do with them when she stayed that summer, but the way it all turned out... Just as Gwen asks how what turned out, Dena has to go get back on the phone. Another diversion. Bad plot device.
During dinner the basketball coach calls and asks Jason to join the team again. Frank is mad when he learned Jason turned the coach down again because of his play. He wants a sports son. Jason tells his dad he thinks it's not important but it is to him. Later Gwen runs into Jason in the hallway &they talk and he says he isn't what his dad wants, but he is who he is&he isn't going to fall apart if everyone doesn’t approve. A nice message for kids and respectable.
Gwen helps Dena do the dishes & sees a magazine pic on the inside of the cabinet, of a dark haired girl &a taller blonde haired girl. Gwen thinks it looks like Tessie but Dena shuts it down.
Pg. 99 Dena was misspelled as Dana.
They go into the living room to eat cookies, &Gwen sees the girl &drops the plate. When she tells Dena, she gives the same worn-out spiel that she dint see anything &ghosts aren't real, but at least this time Gwen gets mad&says why won't you believe me?
Frank comes home early cuz he's sick and Gwen overhears Dena telling him about her&that they might have to move. Frank reacts angrily, saying it's craziness and if Gwen is going to upset her she shouldn’t be living here. Idk why Gwen liked Frank. He was a jerk and a bad dad.
He hears someone in the attic, is mad when he finds out it's Jason &learns what he's been working on. Jason sticks up for himself &says why won't you give me a chance?
Gwen awakes in the night to the sound of men outside. She looks out and sees it's the same 2men, but this time they're sayin "accident" & "get this over with" &they're carryin the blond-headed girl in a bag. Gwen surprisingly doesn’t say a word about the 2men havin murdered her. She just says she dint rly see them...stupid of her not to realize the significance of seeing 2men lug a dead body around.
That morning she watches bunnies on the porch with Tessie. Jason came out, startled to see them. Tessie wants to see what’s in the attic so he shows them. He made a mini stage for his play. I really liked how Jason watched Gwen’s reaction and asked “What do you think?” like he valued her opinion. She gushed about it and said she didn’t know he was a writer and an artist and he was pleased. She said how neat it was and forgot he’d laughed at her & that she wasn’t sure she liked him. She said if she was his teacher she'd make the drama club put it on. He grins&says she hasn't even read it &maybe she'd think it was awful. Gwen is sure she wouldn’t think that, bcuz if it was awful he'd keep fixing it. She realizes she envies that he knows what he wants &works at it &stood up to his dad. She knows she just feels sorry for herself. Jason notices &even asks what's the matter? You look funny. Tessie interrupts as she hears her mom get up, so Gwen can't answer. She's embarrassed she whined to her brother about the ghost &wishes he won't read it.
Jason asks if she's goin out on the porch again, &I wanted more interaction between them but Gwen goes to her bedroom instead. She's determined to solve the mystery of the ghosts &handle her own probs.
The next day her friend Julie calls &she squeals Julie! Jason had ben passing by the door &grinned. It was cute he found her excitement amusing. I wanted more of that between them! Julie invited her to spend the night&she says she'll get Jason to bring her. Julie asks who that is &Gwen awkwardly says "He's my—my foster brother." When she goes in the living room Dena &Jason smile at her bcuz she's so happy. She goes back out on the porch w/Tessie, who asks what color she should color the rooster. Gwen again givs crazy color schemes (she told her 2color the horse green earlier) &Jason comes out&sits between them &says black &silver like a robot rooster but Tessie duznt like it. Jason says she's like their dad, no craziness, &Gwen thinks he's the same bcuz he dint believe her about the ghost. She knows they have a lot in common tho. Jason said that's the 1st time he's ever seen her rly happy. She says all he's done is gripe &grumble since she got here, which isn't true.
That night she hears the ghost and follows her to the basement. Light comes out from the cellar and she hears the men talk, but before she can learn anything Frank roars who's down there &gets mad when she tells him about the ghosts. Dena is upset and Jason is there. Frank is angry but Dena convinces him to go to bed, so it's just Gwen and Jason in the kitchen. They talk and he still doesn't believe, but she tells him his parents were talking yesterday about sending her away if she kept it up.
They go to bed and the next morning he's in the kitchen. Their mom has a headache so he suggests Tessie pick her some flowers. He's alone with Gwen and asks if she really thinks his parents will send her away because they aren't like that. She tells him about the ghosts and the dead body and Jason is smiling and joking, he still doesn't believe it and she's mad he doesn't.
Gwen totally doesn't sound like a kid. "...I think the spirits are going to keep acting out the crime again and again until the truth is uncovered." And "..ghosts that haunt houses right here in the Midwest. Ghosts <>want to rest in peace, but they can't when something is troubling them. I think a terrible crime was committed here a long time ago..." A 12 yo wouldn't talk like that and use those words!
She tells him about the crime and he says that's his mom's family she's saying are murderers, and that they won't believe it. If she just stays in her room at night and doesn't say any more about it she'll get to stay, bcuz his mom wants to be a good foster mom and his dad wants his mom to be happy.
Frank talks to Gwen and says she's upsetting Dena and they can't have that, so he's calling Social Services and her bro. It's because of the ghosts that ruined her chance at a family with the Mercy's. Frank blames it on "her" ghosts and tells her to tell Dena she wants to go to make it easier on Dena. Very unlikable guy.
When she goes to Dena's room Tessie is in there looking at a photo album and Gwen sees 2 pics have been taken out, labeled Uncle Raymond and Allen and Dena in the garden with Rose. Now the girl has a name. At the table Jason asks what's the matter with everybody and looks at Gwen first, who doesn't answer. Jason is upset that they're going to send her away just bcuz of the stupid ghosts.
Gwen leaves the table to be sick and when she comes back Jason is the only one there. She explains she really is seeing them but no one will believe her, and that it isn't her fault she's the only one that can see them. Jason comes up with plan B, says it'll be stupid and if it doesn't work she can't say any more about ghosts. He offers to stay up with her and watch for a couple nights.
Jason stayed downstairs reading until his dad went to bed, but Gwen ended up falling asleep and woke up the next morning upset that they hadn't come. When she goes downstairs she finds Jason asleep at the kitchen table with a book, and she cautiously wakes him up, fearing he'll be mad at her that he fell asleep like that. She starts to apologize and he does at the same time, saying he's sorry he didn't believe her and that they came. He saw the ghosts on the steps and heard them talking. I couldn't believe he saw them that easily. That happened way too anticlimactically. The first time he looks for them he just sees them. How convenient.
That night they plan to wait up and not fall asleep. After midnight she hears a noise and it's the ghost girl. She follows her downstairs and Jason sees them. She gets him to come with her as they follow the girl into the basement. The cellar door busts open and the men drag her into the room with them, come out and the young man is carrying her body. They know they're going to the woods and they have to follow to solve this once and for all. Rose knows this is her last chance because Gwen is leaving. Jason takes her hand and they set out after them. The ghosts stop at a clearing and start digging the grave, and that's when Rose comes up. The men see her and raise the shovel as if they're going to hit the kids, so they're scared to death and cling to each other as they run back home. On the porch they agree to tell the parents in the morning, but Dena overhears them as she's sitting in the kitchen. She had seen them go into the woods and is ready to listen.
They confirm what she remembers, that her uncle and cousin went into the woods with Rose's body. She remembers they used to keep the cellar locked and Rose wanted to know what they were doing. She was her aunt's foster kid and the men dealt in stolen art, used the cellar to hide it. When Rose caught them her cousin accidentally killed her in anger. Dena had seen her aunt go out after the men that night, knows her aunt knew and felt guilty about it, which caused her death in a mental hospital. Uncle Raymond died in prison and Allen was let out of jail after a couple of years, moved to California and was hit by a car and killed. Frank had come down when they went inside so he heard the whole thing. Dena wants the police to come and dig up the body to put Rose to rest properly, says without Gwen she would've never faced up to it. Gwen says it was Jason who wanted to go into the woods after them and his dad admits he wouldn't have done that and it took nerve. Jason glowed.
Tessie comes down and asks if Gwen is leaving; Frank answers that she’s staying if she wants to. Then it’s Dena saying they need to get some sleep because Gwen has a big day ahead of her with Julie. And tells her to invite Julie over for a picnic with her family, and that’s how it ends.
We had to wait way too long for the mystery to be solved and the ghosts to be put to rest. It was lacking in a lot of ways. Barely anything happened. It was dragged out for no reason. I wanted more of the story after the ghosts and got nothing. We didn’t get to experience the burial of Rose or Jason riding her into town, or anything happening between them. The ghost story was really lacking too. I was disappointed it was only art thieves caught by a young girl and accidentally killed her out of anger, then the whole family dies very anticlimactically. Nothing was very interesting at all. And omg, I just remembered Jason’s play. Are you kidding me?!?! On and on about how he’s so busy building and writing and we don’t even get to read it! And the family didn’t get to see the play! What a total letdown! The story ended before it should, and extra details about the family’s life after should have been included. I can’t believe it wasn’t. It just makes it worse.
The author used a lot of big words that would go right over kids’ heads. I know challenging them to expand their vocabularies and look up some words to learn the meaning is important, but having the story be told through Gwen’s point of view—granted, in 3rd person—made it really unrealistic that these words were used:
Irritable, taut, offhand, grudgingly, conscientious, inquiringly, resounding, exclaimed, exasperated, irritable, sinister, irritability, dreadful, astonishment, resolutely, resignedly, indignant, somber, and many more I didn’t include. Gwen sounded like an adult.
There was no humor. The only thing I found funny was when Frank says Gwen’s handling the issue of her leaving maturely, so there’s no reason for Jason to be acting out, looks at her, waiting for her to act mature, but she says she’s going to be sick and has to leave the table. The book needed some life. It was very boring. She had no dreams, no interests outside of reading, cooking and cleaning, and she did nothing besides play with Tessie a lot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2014
This story didn't feel quite as 'finished' as other books by this author. Here we have a story of a girl in foster care, who goes to live at a house with several ghosts. Lots of spookiness, though not as creepy as some of Ms. Wright's other books. And there are some issues still not really resolved at the end of the book.
Still it's a fun book to read even if it's not her best. I still think of this author as one of my absolute favorite tellers of ghost stories for kids.
Still it's a fun book to read even if it's not her best. I still think of this author as one of my absolute favorite tellers of ghost stories for kids.
January 27, 2020
I began this book at work where I read with students. It caught me I had to finish it. Great story....
April 24, 2021
I first read this book as a child, in the 90's when it was first published. I really enjoyed it then. Rereading it now, as an adult, my perspective has altered somewhat.
Gwen was a foster child, who after the death of her Aunt, and the rejection of her elder brother, thought she had finally found a permanent home with the Mercy's. She suddenly had a new younger sister, who adored her, a brother who was friendly and a mom who really seemed to want her. The father, Frank Mercy, basically throughout the whole book seemed aggressive and borderline bullying to the whole family. He was not a likeable character until, literally the last page, when he became tolerable.
Once Gwen learns that the house is haunted by not only a despondent girl named Rose, but two desperate men, her life with the Mercy family takes a dramatic turn. Learning the ghosts' story, and how to help Rose, consumes Gwen. As seems to be per usual with these books, the adults never believe anything the children have to say, and think they are making it all up. It is not until the last five pages that all the adults suddenly realize the kids are telling the truth.
There were two other things that bothered me, re-reading it now. First was the ghostly activity. Basically, throughout the entire book it was minimal to non-existent. A few brief glimpses of the ghosts and a paper rose that seems to appear out of nowhere. It wasn't until the last two chapters that anything substantial really happened. In addition there was the ending itself. Due to the fact that there was so little ghostly activity, next to no story was created for them When Mrs. Mercy explains everything at the end it was like the author needed an excuse for the ghosts and came up with the most outlandish thing she could with absolutely nothing throughout the whole story to support it.
Overall, not the best ghost story I have ever read.
Gwen was a foster child, who after the death of her Aunt, and the rejection of her elder brother, thought she had finally found a permanent home with the Mercy's. She suddenly had a new younger sister, who adored her, a brother who was friendly and a mom who really seemed to want her. The father, Frank Mercy, basically throughout the whole book seemed aggressive and borderline bullying to the whole family. He was not a likeable character until, literally the last page, when he became tolerable.
Once Gwen learns that the house is haunted by not only a despondent girl named Rose, but two desperate men, her life with the Mercy family takes a dramatic turn. Learning the ghosts' story, and how to help Rose, consumes Gwen. As seems to be per usual with these books, the adults never believe anything the children have to say, and think they are making it all up. It is not until the last five pages that all the adults suddenly realize the kids are telling the truth.
There were two other things that bothered me, re-reading it now. First was the ghostly activity. Basically, throughout the entire book it was minimal to non-existent. A few brief glimpses of the ghosts and a paper rose that seems to appear out of nowhere. It wasn't until the last two chapters that anything substantial really happened. In addition there was the ending itself. Due to the fact that there was so little ghostly activity, next to no story was created for them When Mrs. Mercy explains everything at the end it was like the author needed an excuse for the ghosts and came up with the most outlandish thing she could with absolutely nothing throughout the whole story to support it.
Overall, not the best ghost story I have ever read.
September 12, 2007
The Ghost of Mercy Manor by Betty Ren Wright is a ghost story. This book is about a girl that is sad about her aunts death. She moves in with this a family that lives in the middle of a big ranch. Once she gets settled in she starts to see strange things in the house. A ghost girl starts to appear in the house. When she tries tell in her foster family they don't believe her.she is determine to find out the mysteries in that house but,when she is so close to finding out the father of the house finds her. He has been getting tired of her with her ghost stories and has made up his mind to kick her out of the house. This book was really interesting and had me on my toes the whole time. the only thing I really didn't like was the ending. The author could have said a bit more at the end. Besides all that it was a really good book.
The author did a good job of not telling the whole thing at once. The way she described the things was good too. I could always see the things that were going on. It started out like any other book would boring.Once you got into it you wished that you could stay up all night and day(without any disruptions)to read the book. I recommend this book to people who like a good mystery/ghost book/ghost book
The author did a good job of not telling the whole thing at once. The way she described the things was good too. I could always see the things that were going on. It started out like any other book would boring.Once you got into it you wished that you could stay up all night and day(without any disruptions)to read the book. I recommend this book to people who like a good mystery/ghost book/ghost book
March 27, 2015
I've been going back and reading some of my childhood books recently. This one is ok. I seem to remember it being spookier as a child. Many of Ren Wright's books hold up in that manner when you read them as an adult, but this is not one of them. Not a bad ghost story read if you're in the 8-11 age range, though!
August 17, 2018
Oh man, I loved Betty Ren Wright's books when I was a kid. Somehow, I missed this one! I loved Gwen and the mystery of Mercy Manor, but the ending felt incredibly rushed to me. Either way, it was still so fun to revisit this author.
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August 26, 2023I read a few of this author’s books as a kid, but not many — maybe the library didn’t have them? But I always always intrigued by the spooky titles when I’d see them listed on order forms in the backs of books (remember those?) A few years ago I found a stack at a used bookstore and bought them.
This is a fairly typical ghost story with some added drama about family and belonging (every adult male character is a jerk, fwiw). I most enjoyed learning that the book is set in Wisconsin and that the author lived here all her life. I can’t count how many times I’ve picked up a kids book and realized it was set in Wisconsin. Never happened when I was a kid in Utah …
This is a fairly typical ghost story with some added drama about family and belonging (every adult male character is a jerk, fwiw). I most enjoyed learning that the book is set in Wisconsin and that the author lived here all her life. I can’t count how many times I’ve picked up a kids book and realized it was set in Wisconsin. Never happened when I was a kid in Utah …
April 17, 2024
This one is a 2.5 rating that I rounded up because one of the adults was sort of redeemed in the end. But I do hate books when the adults are idiots and the kids do all the thinking. That is rather the way of things in this one. But, as the story wraps up we come to understand that one of the adults was acting out of fear and not stupidity. This is not this author's best work but it was a nice palate cleansing book to break up some far more heavy reading that is currently part of my world. I am going to need a break from really sad kids in foster care situations though. Those just hurt my heart so much (as well they should).
October 7, 2020
Twelve year old Gwen is newly placed in the care of a foster family after her aunt dies. She is welcomed warmly by her new family, but still wants to live with her adult brother. Gwen gets more comfortable with the Mercy family, and enjoys her new surroundings, until she sees a ghost. Gwen tells everyone about the ghost, but they refuse to listen and warns that she will go back to social services if any ghost talk continues. Now its up to Gwen to solve the mystery and to save herself.
May 2, 2023
This book is very nostalgic for me. I read it in middle school and remember being so scared but loving the book. I randomly came across it at a used book sale and had to have it. I just reread it as an adult and didn't find it scary at all, but the nostalgia got me and I had to give it 5 stars for that alone. I am interested in reading some more by this author. Simple easy to read and interesting enough.
December 6, 2019
Gwen is taken in by a foster family, and soon discovers their house is haunted. The mom knows about the ghosts but is in denial, the dad is kind of a jerk, the son has his own issues but makes friends with Gwen, and the little one also knows about the ghost but knows she's not supposed to talk about it. There is a lot of family drama, and not as much ghost action.
November 25, 2024
Another childhood revisit, this book is still spooky as an adult. It's a bit dated nowadays, but is still a good, gripping book. The main character Gwen is sympathetic, and easy to like, and the side characters build a very real world surrounding her. The Ghosts are the right blend of spooky and scary, and it all culminates in a tense fast paced ghost story.
September 20, 2023
I first discovered Betty Ren Wright as a child, when I read The Dollhouse Murders. I loved that book as a kid. I've recently been building my YA collection and found this gem. It was a good story, likeable characters and believable.
May 10, 2017
ok story, except the end it was just cut off too sharply
October 26, 2020
Good, nostalgic read.
November 2, 2020
I've been reading some of my childhood favorites and I remember owning this book. Its really an enjoyable read. I have always enjoyed this author's work.
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November 3, 2020I loved it!
April 4, 2022
First book I ever read as a child. Loved it then. Still do.
January 25, 2025
Beautifully written with great heart and emotion. It’s about family dynamics just as much as it’s about ghosts.
April 2, 2025
It was fast paced and had a great storyline but it felt rushed in the end. The dad was horrible and annoyed me so much.
April 19, 2025
I enjoyed this. Kept my attention and I wanted to know what happened. Wish there was a little more to the end or even a prologue.
May 26, 2025
A dun Spooky middle grade novel. My one complaint was how the foster father treated the kids throughout the book. It is definitely a product of the times.
April 21, 2015
I read The Ghost of Mercy Manor by Betty Ren Wright which was about a girl named Gwen who's aunt has died and now she has to live with the Mercy Family and she starts to see ghost's. I choose this book because I like the cover and because it was a Horror story and I like those types of books. My favorite part was when Gwen had seen the ghost of a girl and wouldn't leave her alone she was getting worried and scared about it that she felt like leaving the house.My least favorite part would be the beginning when her aunt died and Gwen had no one. I enjoyed this book very much since it was full of mystery and it was sort of scary in a way.Over all I would recommend this book to my friends so they could get scared but it is an interesting book.
March 27, 2009
I absolutely loved this book as a child. I was into spirits and the supernatural at the time, and my favorite author was Betty Ren Wright. (I would recommend many of her books to young adult readers.) This one, in particular, is scary without being terrifying, suspenseful, and sticks to my favorite part of the whole "undead mindset"-- that ghosts are merely spirits who can't move on because of a troublesome past.
Great for young people who like ghost stories.
Great for young people who like ghost stories.
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