The Curse of Ravenscourt: A Samantha Mystery

American Girl Samantha Mysteries #1

by Sarah Masters Buckey, Jean Paul Tibbles (Illustrator)

Samantha is excited about her family's stay at a fancy new "apartment-hotel" - until she learns there's a terrible curse on the building's owner! As soon as Samantha arrives, one thing after another goes alarmingly wrong. Is it the curse - or is something else scaring the residents from Ravenscourt?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Childrens, Fiction, Middle Grade, Historical, Juvenile

181 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2005

About the author

Sarah Masters Buckey was raised in New Jersey and lived in Texas for 15 years. Sarah was nominated for the Agatha Award in 2008 for A Thief in the Theater and in 2005 for The Curse of Ravenscourt. She was nominated for an Edgar Award in 2007 for The Stolen Sapphire.

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We'll only be at Ravenscourt for a few weeks," Samantha said, trying to cheer Nellie up. "Aunt Cornelia says it's very nice."

Following the events of the main series and the short stories, Samantha is finally part of a large family, just like she's always dreamed of.

She lives with her Uncle Gard his wife, Aunt Cornelia, in their home in New York City. She even has three new sisters that were adopted by her uncle and aunt (Nellie, Jenny and Bridget).

"But with four children, the family's elegant home had begun to seem a little cramped."

Renovations must be done and the adults don't want to try to live in the house during construction.

Luckily a new building - Ravenscourt - has just opened up! It looks beautiful, majestic and promises to be the height of luxury but Nellie isn't quite so sure...

"It's just that I've seen ravens like that before. They always bring bad luck."

And when they do enter the building, they are blown away by the elegant chandeliers, the marble floors, and new-fangled elevators.

But Nellie is right. Something scary lurks beneath the shiny, new surface - a curse! There's scratching in the walls, strange things happen at night, and Aunt Cornelia seems to be getting more and more exhausted.

Is Ravenscourt truly cursed? Or is there something even more sinister afoot??

"Samantha sat still in the darkness, listening. Then she heard it again - a soft scrabbling that sounded like fingers grasping for a hold."

OKAY. I'll admit it. I went in with super low expectations.

Yes, I enjoyed the main series for Samantha. And yes, the short stories were pretty good. Annnnnnd yes, I have to admit, the craft book and cook book for the Samantha series were pretty darn good as well.

But surely , they can't also write a halfway decent mystery novel set in her universe...turns out I was right.

It wasn't halfway decent...it was full-way decent.

Seriously. What is up with this doll company and why are they so bound and determined to make these amazing books?

Okay, backing up a bit...this was a really good mystery for kids. It had all the right elements - plucky protagonist, spooky secrets and plenty of twists and turns.

I was really impressed by the emotional depth shown in this story. The author could have just focused on the mystery element but she took time to flesh out the changing relationship between Samantha and her new sisters as well as the emotional upheaval that all the girls felt.

Overall, if you are looking for a kids mystery - this one is fabulous!

A Peek into the Past

As with most American Girl books, we have a short section that expands upon a historical point mentioned in the story.

In this book we learn about the supernatural craze in the early 1900s - from Sherlock Holmes, seances, and apparitions - everyone was obsessed with finding evidence of an otherworldly presences.

We also get a behind-the-scenes peek at some of the elements mentioned in the story (i.e. how elevators of the past worked) and how that contributed to the spooky moments in the story.

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks)) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had a good ominous tone for middle grade readers. I loved the setting of NYC in the early 1900s.

[Babbity Kate]

if we could stop making Nellie sad please and thank you???

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The American Girl Mysteries didn't exist yet when I was the target age, so it was fun to take a further adventure with characters I loved as a kid. To the adult reader, many of the plot twists are fairly obvious, but Buckey did surprise me with the identity of the culprit!

More Samantha babble:
Meet Samantha | Samantha Learns a Lesson | Samantha's Surprise | Happy Birthday, Samantha | Samantha Saves the Day | Changes for Samantha

Nellie's Promise

Samantha's Winter Party | Samantha and the Missing Pearls | Samantha Saves the Wedding | Samantha's Blue Bicycle | Samantha's Special Talent | Samantha's Short Story Collection

The Curse of Ravenscourt | The Stolen Sapphire | The Cry of the Loon | Clue in the Castle Tower

The Lilac Tunnel: My Journey with Samantha

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was one of my faves when I was 11-or-so, and tbh, it still holds up. Nellie and Samantha's friendship makes my heart so full.

[Veronica Precourt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books they are so good

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could some of the issues in this book have been resolved by two characters communicating with one another? Yes.

Was I thoroughly entertained? Also yes.

[Emily Beckett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great. Samantha and Nellie have to find out if Mr Ravens is cursed. Aunt Cornelia battled a man on the roof with an Umbrella 😱. Bridget and Jenny got Chicken pocks. An elevator crashed but nobody was on it. There were rats in the wall 🐀 gross.

[Little Seal]

I actually enjoyed this one quite a bit, but not surprised since I am a Samantha girl at heart.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite American Girl mysteries when I was a child, and I also enjoyed it as an adult. It has a few glaring plot holes, like why on earth the girls went to visit a tenement when they had chicken pox germs from their younger sisters, but for the most part, it's a very believable adventure and engaging mystery.

I had forgotten most of this story. I deeply remembered the part involving the elevator, and I remembered something about tenements and a curse, but I wondered if I was confusing the latter parts with material from the Little Colonel series, particularly Mary Ware's Promised Land. These books do share some significant plot points, and it is a great compliment to this historical fiction novel that I could mentally file it with something written in a contemporary time period. I enjoyed revisiting this and seeing how many elements were similar.

This mystery covers a lot of different historical details and social issues, and does so in an engaging way without being preachy. I also appreciate the trauma-informed portrayal of Nellie's struggles to feel secure in her new family, and even though many of the plot elements in this book could have been solved easily with better communication, the core mystery and various subplots are all satisfying.

[Ali Book&Seaglasshunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samantha has just moved in to the new Ravenscourt hotel apartments while her family home undergoes renovations. Soon she and Nellie learn about a curse on the hotel’s owner, and troublesome events begin to happen. The girls decide to solve the mystery even if it could be dangerous. However Nellie and Samantha also have a few friendship issues to work out long the way, such as trust/abandonment and jealousy.

I’ve recently reread all of Samantha’s original six books, and then decided to read this book which is currently offered for free on the American Girl website. I have to say I enjoyed this one better than almost all of the original books. I liked the sense of mystery and the spooky mood, it would be a great October read for 9-11 year olds. I did think that the Aunt Cornelia piece of the mystery I had figured out immediately, but it might not be as apparent to the target age demographic.

The Eloise storyline was a little unbelievable in a way similar to a Grandmary in the original books. Her change from rich heiress to reformer happens in an instant. I understand it’s because of constraints in how much plot could be dedicated to it, but I’d like to see it done in a more believable way, maybe a character who was already questioning the status quo rather than one starting at zero.

[Hazel · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book was NOT the best. NOT my favorite. I would not suggest if for kids my age, 12

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was younger, the American Girl mysteries were some of my favorite books to read, and since a few of them were made free on the AG website, I decided to read this industrial revolution mystery.
Young Samantha Parkington, Aunt Cornelia, Uncle Gard, and her newly adopted sisters move to a brand new apartment building downtown as their home is remodeled. However, as soon as the girls arrive, they soon realize that something is awry and learn that Ravenscourt may be under a curse that was placed on the owner, Mr. Ravenscroft, for his neglectful and greedy ways.
This mystery is an excellent read, and for the young children who read it, they receive wonderful theme such as perseverance and honesty that each contributes to the resolve of the central conflict, showcasing the importance of these themes in real life and how important it is to maintain them in all circumstances.
What is also quite important, is the presentation of multiple social issues that young girls can still see pertaining to society today, as although it does give an accurate representation of its era, topics such as class dichotomy, unfit living conditions, and speaking up for what one believes is right are still useful and important today.
The plot was well suited to the age group that it is aimed at, and the only complaint I do have is that it seems as though because Samantha and her family are so isolated, aside from Eloise, the mystery takes hold very slowly and never truly seems to be of interest to anyone, other than the children, until the end. Likewise, I do think that it could have benefited from a greater deal of suspense being built up before the climax on the roof.
I would highly recommend this story, and I believe that it is most suitable for ages 7 and up.

[Joey Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting mystery. Samantha and her family had to move to a hotel and Nellie was terrified of being there because the man that ran it was cursed. But being there Samantha realises the curse may be real as she starts to uncover all the strange goings on.

One thing I loved about it was that Samantha was so determined to solve everything and find another solution that may not be the curse. She was scared at times but always carried on investigating. When Bridget and Jenny get sick and only want Nellie she steps back kindly even though she wanted to help, i loved that Samantha was mature in that situation.

The mystery itself wasn't as easy as I expected it to be, I sometimes find that page one I know everything however with this one I didn't at all solve it right away. I had my own suspicions of who was causing trouble but it progressed as it went through really well.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Randomly picked this from the library shelf and read it. I thought it was enjoyable for an older kids book. Has an element of mystery and a little suspense, but not too scary for kids who scare easily, and has a happy ending. I'll be interested to see how my kids like it.

Based on this book, I'd be interested to read the others in the series (when I'm in the mood for a quick read youth book), or to encourage my kids to read them.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked some of the historical details, like apartment buildings, tenements, cars and horses being in the road. There is a lot in there that could be discussed with young readers. The mystery and investigation follows the expected tropes for young readers. I liked that there were reasons for the adults to not be around. Overall it was a nice little mystery for young readers.

[Caity · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun mystery I particularly loved how the author tied in the historic elements. She did a particularly great job showing what life was like for people like Samantha but also for the working class.

[Katie Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fits into Samantha's world pretty naturally. The setting/plot still explores class issues and modernity in a way that I will forever be here for; however, Cornelia would not have left the girls alone with so little transparency (even to safeguard an Edwards fetus! Squee!).

[Harper Mahlburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harper age 8: Danger at the Zoo Visiting the Cincinnati Zoo to write a story for her column, Kit Kittridge stumbles into some strange doings in the monkey house. Her reporter's instincts tell her that she's onto something. (Read to find out)

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

best book ever by the way the maniger's ascent is fake!

[Kristen]

Fun books for ages 6-10 I'd say. They're typically very "American Revolution" heavy but The Curse of Ravenscourt is just a good easy mystery for a kids to read.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Grace Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun mystery for young readers!

[Gracie Sadler · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not one of my favorites of the American girl mysteries.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The American girl books where some of my favorite books growing up, but I never had a chance to read the mysteries until now. This mystery was quite good while still providing historical information on what life was like in the early 1900's. Samantha is a compelling character with a big heart and a lot of curiosity.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

The "Looking Back" section on elevators was terrifying!

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, to be a wealthy orphan in the care of Gardner and Cornelia Edwards.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rereading some cozy mysteries from my childhood 🥰

[Addie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an amazing book. I got many shivers many times and I thought that someone did it when it was someone else. I would recomend it to anyone who likes mystery and history

[xeioo · Rating 3 out of 5]

in my head this is all a stand in for samanthas internalized lesbophobia please you know im righ