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The Haunting of Derek Stone: City of the Dead and Bayou Dogs [Paperback] by Tony Abbott (1-Jan-2009) Paperback
Could the road to the afterlife be a two-way street?Derek Stone just turned fourteen. He's lived in the heart of New Orleans with his dad and older brother, Ronny, his whole life. He's a little overweight. He can't hear well out of his left ear.Oh, and he's on the run from the dead.Derek never imagines that the dead could be anything but dead. But there's no denying it. They're back - and they're after him.He just doesn't know why.And he doesn't have long to figure it out.
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About the author
Tony Abbott
210 books403 followersTony Abbott (born 1952) is an American author of children's books. His most popular work is the book series The Secrets of Droon, which includes over 40 books. He has sold over 12 million copies of his books and they have been translated into several other languages, including Italian, Spanish, Korean, French, Japanese, Polish, Turkish, and Russian. He has also written the bestseller Firegirl.
Abbott was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1952. His father was a university professor and had an extensive library of books which became one of Abbott's first sources of literature. When he was eight years old, his family moved to Connecticut where he went through elementary school and high school.
Abbott attended the University of Connecticut, and after studying both music and psychology, decided to study English and graduated from the University of Connecticut with a bachelor's degree in English literature. He attended the workshops of Patricia Reilly Giff to further develop his writing after college.
Abbott currently lives in Trumbull, Connecticut, with his wife, two daughters, and two dogs. Tony had one brother and two sisters.
Abbott was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1952. His father was a university professor and had an extensive library of books which became one of Abbott's first sources of literature. When he was eight years old, his family moved to Connecticut where he went through elementary school and high school.
Abbott attended the University of Connecticut, and after studying both music and psychology, decided to study English and graduated from the University of Connecticut with a bachelor's degree in English literature. He attended the workshops of Patricia Reilly Giff to further develop his writing after college.
Abbott currently lives in Trumbull, Connecticut, with his wife, two daughters, and two dogs. Tony had one brother and two sisters.
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October 25, 2012 This book is about a boy named Derek Stone. He lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, where most of the book takes place. For a couple years, it's only been his father, his brother, Ronny, and himself. He claims he doesn't "imagine". But the first sentence of the first page it says "I'll tell you straight: the dead are coming back. If he says he doesn't imagine, then you would have to believe him right?
On a late afternoon in Alexandria, Louisiana, Derek, Ronny, and their father got on a train to go back to New Orleans. They met two people, a young girl named Abby and her mother. As they crossed The Southern Arrow, Derek looked to notice a deep chasm between two slopes with a river at the bottom. Suddenly, the train shuddered and shifted heavily. The bridge collapsed and the train fell into the slope. After the wreck bodies were recovered and some weren't, along with Ronny and their father. A couple weeks later, Ronny showed up with police man at the front door of their house.
Ever since Ronny was ho e he acted strange, not like himself. Taking wild adventures with each other was amazing. Even though they would get chased by dead people, Ronny was pack and that's all Derek cared about.
On a late afternoon in Alexandria, Louisiana, Derek, Ronny, and their father got on a train to go back to New Orleans. They met two people, a young girl named Abby and her mother. As they crossed The Southern Arrow, Derek looked to notice a deep chasm between two slopes with a river at the bottom. Suddenly, the train shuddered and shifted heavily. The bridge collapsed and the train fell into the slope. After the wreck bodies were recovered and some weren't, along with Ronny and their father. A couple weeks later, Ronny showed up with police man at the front door of their house.
Ever since Ronny was ho e he acted strange, not like himself. Taking wild adventures with each other was amazing. Even though they would get chased by dead people, Ronny was pack and that's all Derek cared about.
August 29, 2016
Page-turner. :)
June 21, 2018
Fourteen-year-old Derek Stone lives in historic New Orleans with his father and brother Ronny. When a family outing turns into tragedy, Derek thinks his life can’t possibly get any worse… until the dead people start arriving in New Orleans.
I found this book at one of my local Little Free Libraries. The book cover got my attention, and when I read the description, I was intrigued immediately. I love children’s books and anything with paranormal elements.
What a clever, imaginative book this is. It’s full of action and suspense that I’m sure will keep youngsters reading along. I enjoyed the author’s conversational style of writing – it made Derek’s character relatable and likable.
One thing I’d note is that the book’s description states that it’s geared towards ages 8 – 12, but I thought that perhaps the beginning “tragedy” might be a tad too intense for some of the younger crowd. Just something to keep in mind. It reminded me a little of an edgier Goosebumps story.
And, as several reviewers mention, the ending of this book is, in fact, open-ended. I didn’t mind that at all, since I felt that this particular book, “City of the Dead” did a great job of laying down the groundwork for what was to come. The issues that Derek experienced at the beginning of the book were revealed and dealt with within this book, but like any other book series the main character has more obstacles to overcome in books 2, 3 and 4. Just as one other reviewer mentions, readers can go to the library and read the entire series free of charge.
This book is a great start to a series. I’d recommend it to both kids and adults!
I found this book at one of my local Little Free Libraries. The book cover got my attention, and when I read the description, I was intrigued immediately. I love children’s books and anything with paranormal elements.
What a clever, imaginative book this is. It’s full of action and suspense that I’m sure will keep youngsters reading along. I enjoyed the author’s conversational style of writing – it made Derek’s character relatable and likable.
One thing I’d note is that the book’s description states that it’s geared towards ages 8 – 12, but I thought that perhaps the beginning “tragedy” might be a tad too intense for some of the younger crowd. Just something to keep in mind. It reminded me a little of an edgier Goosebumps story.
And, as several reviewers mention, the ending of this book is, in fact, open-ended. I didn’t mind that at all, since I felt that this particular book, “City of the Dead” did a great job of laying down the groundwork for what was to come. The issues that Derek experienced at the beginning of the book were revealed and dealt with within this book, but like any other book series the main character has more obstacles to overcome in books 2, 3 and 4. Just as one other reviewer mentions, readers can go to the library and read the entire series free of charge.
This book is a great start to a series. I’d recommend it to both kids and adults!
October 8, 2018
The Haunting of Derek Stone: City of the Dead and Bayou Dogs by Tony Abbott is a horror, fictional book. This is the 1st and 2nd book in the series. There are 2 more books, I believe. I find the first and second part of the book interesting because of how they describe the train crash that happened and other things, for example how the cheesecake that Abby was holding slid on the floor. Another thing that I liked about this book is that how the ending of the first part of the book was so familiar with the second part. For example, in the City of the Dead it was talking about how Derek can hear dogs barking even though there were no dogs around. In the Bayou Dogs it was continuing how the barking was part of clues that the dead were coming back. In other words, I liked how the story was unraveling and describing every single detail in the story. If you like stories that keeps on unravelling secrets that might surprise you, I recommend this book to you!
June 10, 2017
I'm a 9th grade English teacher of both avid and reluctant readers. I found this series while helping my 8 year old daughter select books for summer reading. Ghost stories and scary books are often big sellers in my class, and I believe my reluctant readers will really enjoy The Haunting of Derek Stone series. The protagonist is just the right age for my students, the narration is easy to follow, the descriptions of people and places are easy to follow, the action is fast-paced. When I reached the end of the first book, I immediately began the second and checked on the third and fourth books at my local library. I believe my students will want to speed through this series just as I am. I look forward to promoting this series at the beginning of the school year.
February 19, 2018
I started and finished this book in one day. I could see kids in fifth-sixth grade getting into this book and series. The pacing is fast, the writing direct, and the plot, which centers around ghosts/zombies/a rift in the world where dead souls return, kept me going. My one complaint--the book is clearly more like part one of a longer book than a self-contained book that has an ending to that particular story line.
May 2, 2018
One of my all time favorite books.
This book was just amazing to me and really stood out from all the zombie books out there. I recommend anyone to read it. The story is about Derek stone who had just turned fourteen. his older brother had been in a serious accident that killed him. Then one night his brother had returned form the crash, alive. this book reminds me of "pride prejudice and zombies". Overall i think this book is great
This book was just amazing to me and really stood out from all the zombie books out there. I recommend anyone to read it. The story is about Derek stone who had just turned fourteen. his older brother had been in a serious accident that killed him. Then one night his brother had returned form the crash, alive. this book reminds me of "pride prejudice and zombies". Overall i think this book is great
May 23, 2019
I was hooked from the start! I had trouble stopping reading to focus on life a little, and i can't wait to read the rest of the series! ❤
Definitely a book I could judge by the cover (though it's 2-in-1 of course).. Cover looked cool, so i picked it up from a little free library. ❤
Already loved another of his series, so even though i didn't look at author name i picked it up.
Definitely a book I could judge by the cover (though it's 2-in-1 of course).. Cover looked cool, so i picked it up from a little free library. ❤
Already loved another of his series, so even though i didn't look at author name i picked it up.
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October 12, 2025I am not part of the Zombie fan club. So I will not rate this book. It did entertain me however. That is all I generally require from a book. This book is the first 2 in a series and I* am not left with the need to read the rest of the series but if I run across them I would not hesitate to read them either.
May 25, 2017
Love this series. This is what got my oldest son reading.
November 9, 2017
good but not great
November 15, 2018
I haven’t read this book in years, it was better than I remembered it. I suggest this book. It is really good
August 21, 2018
Its very thrilling a little freaky im sure however reads will like it .
February 21, 2020
I grabbed this book on a whim. The fun way it was written drew me in.
July 1, 2020
I'm definitely hooked! Gonna have to keep an eye out for the next book
August 23, 2023
A ghostly tale perfect for tweens. Not a particularly scary story, but with a great adventure with good overcoming an evil legion. You must read all four books to reach the conclusion.
March 26, 2018
Personal Response
I liked this book because you never knew what was going to happen next. At the beginning of the book I thought it was boring, but towards the end it got very suspenseful. I liked this book because it was different from other books I read in the past. The book also showed how someone can change for someone they love.
Plot Summary
The book starts telling you about Derek's family and how he doesn't have very many friends unlike his brother Ronny. They live with their dad because their mom left when they were infants. The two brothers go on a train ride with their dad because their dad loves trains. The brothers also had nothing better to do then spend the day with their dad. All is going well until they start to cross a bridge and the track falls apart underneath them. The train falls into a steep gap and there were only a few known survivors, including Derek. Derek then goes home and is very sad for a month until the cops show up at his house with his brother Ronny standing next him. Derek is super happy until he realizes that Ronny isn't really himself and then starts to look why. Derek then finds out that there was a train crash many years ago and that people were coming back from the dead in the recent crashes bodys. Derek then starts searching for his dad to see if he is alive, when he finds his dad he is still himself and is trying to reverse the people coming back.
Recommendation
I would recommend this book to middle school and above because there are many characters in the book to have to remember and know if they are a good guy or someone brought back from the dead.
I would also recommend this book to the male gender because there is so much action in the book I believe that they would like.
Characterization
The character that progressed the most throughout the book was Derek because before the train crash he was a fat boy that didn't have very many friends and didn't seem to care about anything. But as the book went on he cared so much about the past accidents and figured out who his brother really was in the inside and he had to do so much work just to figure out what was going on.
I liked this book because you never knew what was going to happen next. At the beginning of the book I thought it was boring, but towards the end it got very suspenseful. I liked this book because it was different from other books I read in the past. The book also showed how someone can change for someone they love.
Plot Summary
The book starts telling you about Derek's family and how he doesn't have very many friends unlike his brother Ronny. They live with their dad because their mom left when they were infants. The two brothers go on a train ride with their dad because their dad loves trains. The brothers also had nothing better to do then spend the day with their dad. All is going well until they start to cross a bridge and the track falls apart underneath them. The train falls into a steep gap and there were only a few known survivors, including Derek. Derek then goes home and is very sad for a month until the cops show up at his house with his brother Ronny standing next him. Derek is super happy until he realizes that Ronny isn't really himself and then starts to look why. Derek then finds out that there was a train crash many years ago and that people were coming back from the dead in the recent crashes bodys. Derek then starts searching for his dad to see if he is alive, when he finds his dad he is still himself and is trying to reverse the people coming back.
Recommendation
I would recommend this book to middle school and above because there are many characters in the book to have to remember and know if they are a good guy or someone brought back from the dead.
I would also recommend this book to the male gender because there is so much action in the book I believe that they would like.
Characterization
The character that progressed the most throughout the book was Derek because before the train crash he was a fat boy that didn't have very many friends and didn't seem to care about anything. But as the book went on he cared so much about the past accidents and figured out who his brother really was in the inside and he had to do so much work just to figure out what was going on.
February 27, 2015
Title: - The Haunting of Derek Stone-City of the Dead
Author: - Tony Abbott
Story Elements: - Located in New Orleans
• The main character is Derek Stone who lives in New Orleans. He lives with his father, Carson Stone and his brother Ronny. His mother left the family and went away to France, saying that Mr. Stone was away too much and so his mother wanted go even farther. Even Derek does not get it.
• Derek Stone’s brother is Ronny who dies in the beginning of the story, like a couple of pages after in the first chapter, in a train crash on a bridge near a ravine, another soul enter his body, his soul gets out of his own, it is the soul of an another person called Virgil Black, who died the same way as Ronny but in 1938, a gap of seventy years! He is helping Ronny win the war against evil souls who escape afterlife like him, but Virgil is not evil.
• Carson Stone is Derek’s father everyone also thinks he dies because they find some parts of him, his hand; they think it’s his hand because the DNA in the hand matches with Derek’s Father, but he comes back, we see him at the end of chapter 18.
The problem the Main character is facing is that “The dead are coming back”. There is a two way street between real or human life and afterlife, it has been a war from ages and ages about afterlife trying to take over real life, the afterlife souls trying to come back to real life, like a person, into another person’s body if he/she dies like that soul.
Here is a chronological order of the main events in the Book: -
The train crash happens, Derek Survives, but everyone thinks that almost all the rest of the passengers die.
Ronny comes back alive after a week, but the soul inside Ronny’s body is not his, it is Virgil Black’s who died like Ronny in train crash like him that too in the same place and the same way!
Ronny does weird things.
Ronny lights a room in his school on fire.
Same day night, he cuts his finger of, the bone could be seen. But it does not hurt him at all.
Derek meets Big Bob Lemon.
Derek goes to the library and reads and gets to know about afterlife!
Derek’s father returns and tells him to go to the cemetery. Ronny gets lost somewhere
Derek goes to the cemetery and Ronny also comes to the cemetery somehow.
The ending of the book is weird, when Ronny comes to the cemetery. He sees moving shapes in a distance, Derek gets that they are the dead, and they are after him but he did not know why, Ronny says to Derek that they have to go to the Bayou Malpierre and they start running and that’s the end. It is continued in the next book.
Then themes of this book are horror, adventure and afterlife. There are many books in the world that actually talk about afterlife, even the ancient Egyptians believed in afterlife. There are even a lot of movies about afterlife including Mummy 1, 2 and 3.
It was easy to read, it had simple language, easy to understand. My favourite part was the when he got to know about after life, how he reacted and what happens to him after that.
I like this book, it is predictable for example we can just see the title and guess that it is going to have something about after life, soul, ghost or even zombies.
I would recommend this to a student and that to anyone who likes horror and adventure.
Author: - Tony Abbott
Story Elements: - Located in New Orleans
• The main character is Derek Stone who lives in New Orleans. He lives with his father, Carson Stone and his brother Ronny. His mother left the family and went away to France, saying that Mr. Stone was away too much and so his mother wanted go even farther. Even Derek does not get it.
• Derek Stone’s brother is Ronny who dies in the beginning of the story, like a couple of pages after in the first chapter, in a train crash on a bridge near a ravine, another soul enter his body, his soul gets out of his own, it is the soul of an another person called Virgil Black, who died the same way as Ronny but in 1938, a gap of seventy years! He is helping Ronny win the war against evil souls who escape afterlife like him, but Virgil is not evil.
• Carson Stone is Derek’s father everyone also thinks he dies because they find some parts of him, his hand; they think it’s his hand because the DNA in the hand matches with Derek’s Father, but he comes back, we see him at the end of chapter 18.
The problem the Main character is facing is that “The dead are coming back”. There is a two way street between real or human life and afterlife, it has been a war from ages and ages about afterlife trying to take over real life, the afterlife souls trying to come back to real life, like a person, into another person’s body if he/she dies like that soul.
Here is a chronological order of the main events in the Book: -
The train crash happens, Derek Survives, but everyone thinks that almost all the rest of the passengers die.
Ronny comes back alive after a week, but the soul inside Ronny’s body is not his, it is Virgil Black’s who died like Ronny in train crash like him that too in the same place and the same way!
Ronny does weird things.
Ronny lights a room in his school on fire.
Same day night, he cuts his finger of, the bone could be seen. But it does not hurt him at all.
Derek meets Big Bob Lemon.
Derek goes to the library and reads and gets to know about afterlife!
Derek’s father returns and tells him to go to the cemetery. Ronny gets lost somewhere
Derek goes to the cemetery and Ronny also comes to the cemetery somehow.
The ending of the book is weird, when Ronny comes to the cemetery. He sees moving shapes in a distance, Derek gets that they are the dead, and they are after him but he did not know why, Ronny says to Derek that they have to go to the Bayou Malpierre and they start running and that’s the end. It is continued in the next book.
Then themes of this book are horror, adventure and afterlife. There are many books in the world that actually talk about afterlife, even the ancient Egyptians believed in afterlife. There are even a lot of movies about afterlife including Mummy 1, 2 and 3.
It was easy to read, it had simple language, easy to understand. My favourite part was the when he got to know about after life, how he reacted and what happens to him after that.
I like this book, it is predictable for example we can just see the title and guess that it is going to have something about after life, soul, ghost or even zombies.
I would recommend this to a student and that to anyone who likes horror and adventure.
March 4, 2017
It was good. I liked it. But, not that scary.
January 23, 2017
This is my first taste of Tony Abbot, and I have to admit, I was impressed with what he had to offer. Some of you might be familiar with his "Secrets of Droon" series, one that I have yet to read, but if they are anything like his Derek Stone series, I'm definitely going to have to take a look.
Backdrop: The book is set in modern New Orleans, and starts off normal enough ... a kid going on a train ride with his father and brother through the country side. However, thing quickly go wrong when the train mysteriously crashes, killing at least 9 people. After that, things start to go crazy ... it looks like the dead are coming back to life ...
This book is not for younger children. It definitely has some creepy and scary moments. The description of some of the walking dead is fairly graphic (by that I mean well done to the point of really being able to see what these things look like), and there are some intense moments in the book.
Mr. Abbot did a very good job with the characters in this book, making them believable and extremely relatable, especially with the main character. Derek Stone is in his lower teens and is a little overweight and clumsy. He's not some uber-athletic and handsome kid with special powers (though he can hear the voices of the dead). At times he finds himself unable to keep up with some of the other characters, tending to get short of breath rather quickly. He also get scared rather easily, and has an uncanny fear of water, stemming from an experience he had when he was much younger ... involving ghosts, barking, and being underwater for a long time.
Anyway, I couldn't put this book down, and when I finished, I definitely wanted more. Though I wouldn't recommend this book kids younger than 12 years old, since I found myself getting a little creeped out ... and I'm 29, this is definitely one I'd hate to miss!
Backdrop: The book is set in modern New Orleans, and starts off normal enough ... a kid going on a train ride with his father and brother through the country side. However, thing quickly go wrong when the train mysteriously crashes, killing at least 9 people. After that, things start to go crazy ... it looks like the dead are coming back to life ...
This book is not for younger children. It definitely has some creepy and scary moments. The description of some of the walking dead is fairly graphic (by that I mean well done to the point of really being able to see what these things look like), and there are some intense moments in the book.
Mr. Abbot did a very good job with the characters in this book, making them believable and extremely relatable, especially with the main character. Derek Stone is in his lower teens and is a little overweight and clumsy. He's not some uber-athletic and handsome kid with special powers (though he can hear the voices of the dead). At times he finds himself unable to keep up with some of the other characters, tending to get short of breath rather quickly. He also get scared rather easily, and has an uncanny fear of water, stemming from an experience he had when he was much younger ... involving ghosts, barking, and being underwater for a long time.
Anyway, I couldn't put this book down, and when I finished, I definitely wanted more. Though I wouldn't recommend this book kids younger than 12 years old, since I found myself getting a little creeped out ... and I'm 29, this is definitely one I'd hate to miss!
June 21, 2012
This series isn't the best written I've ever read but it has held my interest. Abbott is pretty good at writing action and, in fact, several years ago I read The City of the Dead and was looking forward to the sequel. As time went by I forgot the name of the book but I remembered the train wreck in the book's beginning. It's graphic without being gruesome, horrific but definitely PG. So when I came across this 2-books-in-one and figured out it was "the train wreck book" I was eager to reread it and continue with book two. I'm going to read books 3 and 4 which is pretty good since I rarely read sequels.
Derek Stone is a chubby, smart 14-year-old who travels to a toy train convention with his father (a train aficionado) and his 19-year-old brother, Ronny. On the way back home, at night, the bridge the train is on collapses killing nine people. Derek's father and brother are among the victims. But wait! Weeks after the accident Ronny appears at Derek's door shocking both Derek and their Uncle Carl. But Ronny's acting extremely strange...and he's so cold! Eventually Derek and Ronny figure out what's going on basically. They know dead people are after Derek and want him dead, dead, dead. But why? Apparently, they believe Derek knows something, something that could hurt their mission to take over the world. It would be really nice if Derek knew what they think he knows. Ronny and Derek, in both books, are 1) trying to stay alive (well, maybe not Ronny); and 2) trying to piece together what is going on.
Recommended for reluctant readers because of the fast pacing.
Derek Stone is a chubby, smart 14-year-old who travels to a toy train convention with his father (a train aficionado) and his 19-year-old brother, Ronny. On the way back home, at night, the bridge the train is on collapses killing nine people. Derek's father and brother are among the victims. But wait! Weeks after the accident Ronny appears at Derek's door shocking both Derek and their Uncle Carl. But Ronny's acting extremely strange...and he's so cold! Eventually Derek and Ronny figure out what's going on basically. They know dead people are after Derek and want him dead, dead, dead. But why? Apparently, they believe Derek knows something, something that could hurt their mission to take over the world. It would be really nice if Derek knew what they think he knows. Ronny and Derek, in both books, are 1) trying to stay alive (well, maybe not Ronny); and 2) trying to piece together what is going on.
Recommended for reluctant readers because of the fast pacing.
March 18, 2015
This book was very weird, but good. It is about a boy named Derek Stone. He lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, where most of the book takes place. For a couple years, it's only been his father, his brother, Ronny, and himself. Derek noticed that lately his brother had not been acting like himself. Soon after that observation, he realized that his brother was actually not himself. He was possessed by a prison guard from 1938 that was carrying a train full of convicts over a bridge when it fell into a ravine, where the prison guard, Virgil, died. The spirit that possessed their brother, Ronny, got ver angry and burned their house to ashes. Afterwards, he stole their car too! The rest of the series contains their journey to Bayou Malpierre.
I thought this book was very interesting! The problem I found was that it was very slow. The author took so long to develop the story. There was little to no dialogue which made it a tad less entertaining for me. He (the author) would have it so that the main character's, Derek's, thoughts were written out on to the page rather than dialogue. Other times, the author would make it so that he wa talking to the reader directly. That writing style, aside from the lack of dialogue was very similar to Lemony Snicket.
I would most likely recommend it to people with a lower reading level. The author does not tend to use big words, making the story very easy to read. Although the book was written simply, the idea in the book was a more complex senario than most books.
I thought this book was very interesting! The problem I found was that it was very slow. The author took so long to develop the story. There was little to no dialogue which made it a tad less entertaining for me. He (the author) would have it so that the main character's, Derek's, thoughts were written out on to the page rather than dialogue. Other times, the author would make it so that he wa talking to the reader directly. That writing style, aside from the lack of dialogue was very similar to Lemony Snicket.
I would most likely recommend it to people with a lower reading level. The author does not tend to use big words, making the story very easy to read. Although the book was written simply, the idea in the book was a more complex senario than most books.
June 1, 2010
Derek, is an unlucky and strange boy. Hr has lived with his brother and his dad his whole life in New Orleans. The weird thing about him is that he is being chased by the dead. Derek never imagined that the dead could be anything BUT dead. But there's no denying it and they're after him. Derek Stone was in a train accident in the heart of New Orleans and his father and brother were "dead", technincally. One day when he was cleaning up his brother, Ronny's room, he saw Ronny at his front door. He freaked out and fell down the stairs and everything. But only it wasn't Ronny and he wasn't acting like himself. That's when Derek started to get serious. He started to do some research and found out that there was an accident on the same bridge and same day and time it happened. Only it was a few years before this one. And that when that happened, the souls of the people who died in the old crash went into the bodies of the crash Derek was in. So there was somebody different in Ronny's body. So now the dead people in the old crash were after Derek, and not even he knows why. Pages flip themselves in Tony Abbot's Haunting of Derek Stone. I would deffinetly suggest this book to people who like mysteries and intense action. This book would be a mystery and I personally love this book because you can't put this book down and you can't get distracted while reading this book, READ IT! IT'S A GREAT BOOK!
June 22, 2009
Free books for school library if I do the book reviews.
Tony Abbott, author of SECRETS OF DROON, creates a fast paced, suspenseful, 4 volume series called The Haunting of Derek Stone.
The first book, CITY OF THE DEAD, introduces Derek, his older brother, Ronny and their Dad. After a train accident, which Derek survives, strange things begin to happen, starting with the appearance of assumed to be dead Ronny and others. Are they zombies? Why are they chasing Derek? Can this relate to a train wreck in the 1930's?
The second book, BAYOU DOGS, reveals more of the mystery of who these spirits are and what they want.
The story takes place in the Louisiana Bayou and New Orleans. A perfect locale for an eerie ghost tale. Easy to read, but lots of details hit you really quickly. Probably for 5th grade and older because it is really pretty scary. I think the students will love this.
Tony Abbott, author of SECRETS OF DROON, creates a fast paced, suspenseful, 4 volume series called The Haunting of Derek Stone.
The first book, CITY OF THE DEAD, introduces Derek, his older brother, Ronny and their Dad. After a train accident, which Derek survives, strange things begin to happen, starting with the appearance of assumed to be dead Ronny and others. Are they zombies? Why are they chasing Derek? Can this relate to a train wreck in the 1930's?
The second book, BAYOU DOGS, reveals more of the mystery of who these spirits are and what they want.
The story takes place in the Louisiana Bayou and New Orleans. A perfect locale for an eerie ghost tale. Easy to read, but lots of details hit you really quickly. Probably for 5th grade and older because it is really pretty scary. I think the students will love this.
September 27, 2010
In the beginning derek and his dad , brother ronny have a train accident. Ronny has another soul in his body from a similar accident.Derek finds out, well that soul tells him
that evil souls aka the legion is in a war with the good souls to return to earth. For some reson the legoin is after him
and derek is after him . His father is helping him ,and virgil
aka the other soul in ronny body aginst the legion. He tells
annie a girl that was in the accident that happned to him.
In her or annie mom there is another legion soul in her body that is after derek. That is so confused why the legion is after him. Then annie tells derek where the legion are giong next. Then derek agree with annie to meet at the trian station ,and that is the end
that evil souls aka the legion is in a war with the good souls to return to earth. For some reson the legoin is after him
and derek is after him . His father is helping him ,and virgil
aka the other soul in ronny body aginst the legion. He tells
annie a girl that was in the accident that happned to him.
In her or annie mom there is another legion soul in her body that is after derek. That is so confused why the legion is after him. Then annie tells derek where the legion are giong next. Then derek agree with annie to meet at the trian station ,and that is the end
October 29, 2010
This book is about a boy named Derek Stone who was in a train crash with his brother, father, and other passengers.years before there was another train crash where a man named Virgil was taking a criminal somewhere to be sentenced to death.both accedents took place in the same location.while the Derek survived his brother and father didnt.or atleast thats what he thought.his faher and brother did actually survived, his father was normal but soon Derek found out that the dead soul of Virgil had gotten into Derek's brother body.not only did Virgil come back, but also the dead soul of the criminal Kane came back and he wants revenge.this book is weird, but i kinda liked it.i would recommend this book to a person who likes mystery.
March 23, 2016
This is the first book in a new series. The link goes to the first book in the series only. Amazon will direct you to the remainder. This series is a new twist on the zombie tale and has a very Gothic feel. The dead are coming back! Derek Stone, his father, and brother are in a terrible train wreck exactly where another train wrecked many years before. At first he believes his brother Ronny to be dead, then Ronny's body returns inhabited by the soul of Virgil Black who was killed in the original accident. The books are not really stand alones, each leaves too many unanswered questions that you hope will be forthcoming in the next of the series; hence the entire series being listed under one entry.
January 18, 2017
I had a lot of ups and downs with the book The Haunting on Derek Stone:City of the dead and Bayou dogs. I liked the whole concept of the book but it was really hard to keep track of what was happining becuase i was really enjoying the book before Derek figured out that his brother was possesed by a young man that died the exact same way as he did, from a train falling in the exact same river and Derek called that river the death river, becuase both his brother and dad dies in the exact river. At the end of the first book i was getting really lost like REALLY lost an that is why i did not even try to read the second book but if you would like to try to read this book it has a lot of mystery/suspense.
April 5, 2009
If you're in grades four through seven and you like scary books, then this is one for you! After a terrible train accident, Derek Stone realizes that some of the people in the accident have come back from the dead and are chasing him. They are trying to tell him something...but what is it? You'll have to read more to find out!
The book is actually the first two Derek Stone books in one. It can be scary (and gross) at times--so don't read it if you're easily scared. But if you like a good ghost story, then you should read this book!
If you like ghost stories, then also try Deep and Dark and Dangerous or Breathe: A Ghost Story.
The book is actually the first two Derek Stone books in one. It can be scary (and gross) at times--so don't read it if you're easily scared. But if you like a good ghost story, then you should read this book!
If you like ghost stories, then also try Deep and Dark and Dangerous or Breathe: A Ghost Story.
August 4, 2009
I'm currently reading this book and I must say, I loved it from the beginning, thought it was a little bit difficult to follow at the beginning, the author did an excellent job painting the scene. I felt like I was there the entire time.This book is also very descriptive, and has some parts that may make you a little sick. If you don't like hearing about blood, and gore, I would suggest skipping this book. Overall a nice book to read. Great for teens!
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