The Book of Bad Things

by Dan Poblocki

One kid's trash is another kid's terror in this spooky supernatural mystery.

When Cassidy Bean leaves New York to spend the summer upstate, she's disappointed to find that Whitechapel is not the quiet, pleasant suburb she remembers. Ursula Chambers, the strange old hermit at the end of the cul-de-sac, has passed away under mysterious circumstances. And the townspeople are shocked to discover that Ursula was a Her farmhouse is teeming with stacks of newspapers, piles of furniture, mounds of antique dolls and taxidermy animals.

Cassidy watches as the people of Whitechapel descend upon Ursula's farmhouse, claiming her abandoned treasures for their own. She listens as rumors spread that Ursula's vengeful ghost is stalking the town with a warning from beyond the grave. And when Cassidy resolves to uncover the truth behind the strangeness, she learns there are more bad things in the world than she ever suspected. . . .

Modern master of the macabre Dan Poblocki is back with another scary story best read at night.

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Mystery, Zombies, Fantasy, Childrens

256 pages, Hardcover

First published August 26, 2014

About the author

Author of The Stone Child, The Nightmarys, The Ghost of Graylock, and the Mysterious Four series,The Haunting of Gabriel Ashe, and The Book of Bad Things.

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do not steal from the haunted hoarder house.

I thought this book did a really good job balancing traditional horror elements with more quotidian anxieties and interpersonal problems. The main character, Cassidy, is a poor kid from New York City who suffers panic attacks due to a traumatic experience. She spends summers with a more affluent small town family through a program which makes it all too clear to the kids that they are receiving charity. She thought Joey was her friend, but maybe he just spent time with her because his parents told him to? Now he's avoiding her; has he outgrown their friendship or is something sinister going on or, as his parents believe, is Joey having mental problems? And what's with the morbid new girl next door?

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun one! Middle-grade horror is always interesting. But this one was an absolute delight. It felt a little older than Goosebumps age, but not into Young Adult territory yet.

Cassidy attends a summer at an experience - she lives with another family. It's actually pretty cool, but there's some issues this year. Bad things, supernatural things, keep happening around town. And people are getting hurt! Throw in that her friend, and the son of the people she lives with, is not being as kind to her this year, and there's an odd ball girl next door who loves the macabre.... It'll be an interesting summer. That's for sure.

And a summer that I was obsessed with and need more! An absolute delight. It was a slow start, but once I was in I needed more! Absolute love. Spooky. Nerdy. Mysterious. Intriguing. Gimme more!

Five out of five stars.

[Dana Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun book. I love a good creepy middle grade book. This follows a girl who writes down anything bad or scary in a journal so she can learn to cope with her fears and anxiety.Can her fears end up saving her and her friends ? Who knows... Short and fun. Definitely worth your time and space on your shelf. I want to read the rest of his work now. So much fun.

[☼Bookish in Virginia☼]

I finished THE BOOK OF BAD THINGS last night, and if you have a Middle-grader that likes spooky stories, this would be a good choice.

It's a Scholastic book, and I have to say that via Netgalley I've been reading more of their spooky stories for Middle-graders and Young Adults and they're very well done. They might not be for all adults, but I find that I have no trouble enjoying them.

THE BOOK OF BAD THINGS has a female protagonist with male and female friends of all ages -- Zero love story (huzzah!) -- zero profanity, drugs. Some violence. The tale is well plotted and written, and it's not gory.

I hadn't heard of Dan Poblocki previously-- but he's excellent. This is a well plotted story where, when the kids do something dangerous, it's because there really isn't an alternative. Which is to say, you know how in some books you just have to pretend it makes sense not to go to the authorities or the parents,... well, you don't have that problem with this book.


WELL DONE. Older Tweens and Middle-graders (even you older teens and those of us who love YA) should check out THE BOOK OF BAD THINGS. It's a fun book. I enjoyed it and I'll be reading more of Mr. Poblocki.

[Nick Pes]

This book follows the story of 12-year-old girl Cassidy and her adventures in Whitechapel, New Jersey. However, the town starts to have peculiar, supernatural activities. After her neighbor Ursula dies, bodies start dying, and worst of all, they're missing. People start seeing Ursula's ghost. The terror continues.

This book was very well-written and as an author Dan has met up to his expectations. I would recommend this book for 5-6th graders.

[Jarrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good book showing that sometimes bad things can be good

[Join the Penguin Resistance! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: THE BOOK OF BAD THINGS by Dan Poblocki

I discovered the work of Dan Poblocki several years ago, and became an immediate, enraptured fan. Although his newest has characters who are in the category of upper middle/lower YA ( three of the main protagonists are 12 headed for 13), this story is relevant for older YA and also.adults (which I think is true of his earlier writings as well). His writing is engrossing, with a special way of interweaving several backstories (in some cases, parallel narrative). I can't highly enough recommend this book and thus author.

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received from: Scholastic
Received Via: NetGalley.com

THE REVIEW

Why this book?

The cover grabbed me

What I thought

I really liked this book. It kept me at the edge of my seat. I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I read it one setting.It's equal parts mysterious and creepy filled with zombies and ghosts. I just wish I read this when I was younger it really would of creeped me out. I still enjoyed the creep factor though. Overall an enjoyable read.

[Chelsea Hagen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I liked it's short chapters, making it easier to read. The story kept you interested right to the very end. I liked character Cassie because she was in a foster home and had experienced tragedy.

[Pewdiepie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quarter 1: Book review
"The Book of Bad Things" follows Cassidy Bean and her friends Joey, Ping, and Hal as they get to the root of strange things happening in the town of Whitechapel.

I've read some of Dan Poblocki's books in the past, and all of them were excellent. I read this book with high expectations, and they were definitely met. It had no love story, a unique story, and most of all, it was actually creepy. It had me laying in bed thinking about what was happening, and what would happen next. This book is also actually realistic too. At least as realistic as a zombie story can be. The kids wouldn't do any dangerous things unless they had to, and it even showed a bit of how death could affect kids, with Joey thinking that his dog could still be friendly, and stopping at nothing to see him again.

There were, of course, a few bumps in the road. There were some spots where the author tried to make you feel something, which mostly fell flat on its face, and there were also some things that didn't make sense, like the monster chasing Cassidy, Ping, and Joey even though they only entered Ursula's house once.

A few disclaimers for younger readers:
This book contains some gory descriptions, death, zombies, and just a lot of dead things. If that doesn't sound up your alley, I wouldn't recommend this book.

Overall, this was a great book. It was well written and had a great plot. This book is also not very well known though, being overshadowed by Dan's other works (mostly Ghost of Graylock). The only reason I found out about it was just messing around in the horror section. But anyways, if you're looking for a good middle-school level horror book, then The Book of Bad Things is for you.

[Davis Finch · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main Character is Cassidy, she is a kind girl that writes all of her scary things into a little journal. She lives with a not so loving mother, so every summer she goes to White Chapel to stay wither her friends, they are basically family to her. But this summer was different, Joey her friend was acting different. Joey would not talk to Cassidy at all, and shut her away. Weird things start happening, and Cassidy tries to figure it out. The neighborhood hoarder, Mrs. Chambers has died.

People start taking all of the things that Mrs. Chambers had, and the people that took the items start disappearing. Bad things start happening. Then this girl named Ping became friends with Cassidy, because Cassidy did not have anyone to help her with what was going on. Joey claimed he saw some things. Cassidy believed him and saw those things herself. Cassidy starts to try and be friends with Joey again, and they become friends again. Joey becomes friends with Ping, even though he hated her. They go out and try to figure out why people are disappearing. They figure out that whoever took Mrs. Chambers stuff would get killed.

The house that Mrs. Chambers lived on was a haunted house and everything on the land was cursed. Even though Mrs. Chambers is dead, doesn't mean she is not at peace. She goes around haunted those who took the stuff warning them to take it back or else. This scary book is a great horror book. I am very into scary books and this was a good scary book with twists and turns. There were a lot of problems that they faced in the book. I would really recommend this book for how scary it is, and how much good stuff it has in it.

[Liesl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty good, actually. It was intriguing and most of the characters were relatively well-developed. Good for middle grade readers, though I don't think I'd recommend it to anyone below 4th grade. Spoiler alert: a lot of people (and a dog) die in this book, plus there are a few disturbing sequences regarding inanimate objects coming to life. It deals a bit with the occult, which is fine, but I know some parents may not like that. All in all, it was a pretty good reading experience. Definitely 10 years old and up, though.

[Jonah Sawallish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Choice book #2 quarter 1
The book of bad Things by Dan Poblocki
The story follows Cassidy Bean who lives in new York city has been coming to Whitechapel a suburban town for the past 2 summers.But it is not the same as she remembers her host brother is acting odd and the old hermit Ursula chambers has died and is not happy with the people who took her stuff.Cassidy must save the town before it's to late.This was an okay but content wise it's not the best "Thriller" if your looking for one.

[Gianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's definitely more like a 3 and a half, that just wasn't an option! I really liked it, but it was a little under the level of reading I usually do. It wasn't as scary as some of his other books. I am used to getting chills with his old books, and I missed that with this one. Overall it was pretty good, and if you are younger and want to read something horror/suspenseful then this is a great option!

[Freya Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is the 7th Dan Poblocki book I've read. I adore his work - something about his writing is just so nostalgic. It's always fun and fast paced and, despite being aimed at a primarily younger audience, his books always hit for me. They're creepy, gripping and honestly just so much fun.
Do yourself a favour and read some of his books - (my personal favourite is The Ghost of Graylock. And the Shadow House trilogy is definitely worth a read. It's so creepy, I was quite scared reading it.)

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cassidy has a notebook that she writes about everything that scares her. It helps with her anxiety. When she visits friends in a quiet suburb; Cassidy and her friends find out that the dead are restless and the entire town is in danger. Part zombie thriller and part vortex thriller, the story has interesting twists and turns.

[Jen Bojkov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Stephen-King-lite for upper-elementary readers or maybe even younger MS readers. Short chapters interspersed with journal entries about supernatural phenomena make for a fast-paced and engaging read for reluctant readers- as long as they are looking for a spooky book.

[Matt Luppo · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG finally just got done reading this book awesome read from cover to cover I just can't believe it took me so long to read this short book but very good if you're into spooky scary creepy stuff this book's for you hope you read and enjoy it just as much as I did

[Haniyh Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

شاید توی همون ۱۳_۱۴ سالگی موقع خوندنش کرک و پرم می‌ریخت ولی الان صرفا کشش داستان باعث شد تمومش کنم.
داستان پر از از لوپ و کششه و به نظرم برای نوجوان واقعا میتونه جداب باشه!
نکته جذاب ترش این بود که خب :) ذوق کردم که یه رفرنس به کتاب قبلیش یعنی اسرار بچه‌های سنگی داشت:)

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So long ago I don't think I can give a fair, in-depth review. I love Poblocki as a suspense writer for younger readers, and I would recommend it to them.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written... a great read for Halloween!

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great mystery and horror story. Love his books!

[Manasvi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book which brings out the aspects of friendship and teaches us a way to fight our own demons.

[Sarah Likes Robots · Rating 3 out of 5]

This seemed a lot more juvenile than his other books

[Yuiko · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorta getting bored of it after 60 pages and nothing really happening not to thrilled with it. I should be interesting after page 1 not half to wait this long.

[Richard Willsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

creepy! But better than lovecraft.

[Thaddeus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't finish and I like the beginning but the end was not good in my opinion.

[Silver Raven · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Wesley K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wes Kane
3rd and 4th period
Mrs. Toney
SUMMARY: The book starts out with Cassidy Bean on the bus explaining her book of bad things. She says it’s her safe keeping. She writes down what she is afraid of in it. Then she says that she is going to the Tremonts house. She says it’s for a summer camp type thing. She says that this is her last year because next year she’ll be too old. She says they live in a housing edition.
When she gets there she notices that something is wrong with her best friend at the Tremonts house, Joey. Later in the book you get to know why. His dog died last summer. He is like gothic. This old lady died down the street too. She was a hoarder. When they start cleaning out the house people start taking out stuff and keeping it. They start dying and the reader knows why because they read it happening. The old lady that died (Ursula Chambers) and she kills them. Cassidy gets a vision in her sleep and she sees they need to go to the house. On their way there they meet a girl named Ping. When they get there they realize what’s going on. The house is on a giant ley line. It’s like a vortex in there whatever the people take the house wants back. There is a monster that controls all of it. So it warns them and if they don’t take it back it takes their life instead. They go explore the rest of the house. They go into the basement. There they see the people who have died crawl out of a big crack in the wall like zombies. They out run them. On the way of outrunning them the meet another guy named Hal. They go with pings mom to the university by lying to her. They find out what they need to do. They need to sacrifice something valuable. They go buy a pendent. They go into that crack and find the monster that’s controlling all of it. They sacrifice it. It doesn’t work. By then the zombies had found them. Cassidy realizes that it’s not money worth its sentimental worth. She ends up sacrificing her biggest thing to her. The book of bad things. It stops the monster and the zombies. Then they celebrated.
MAIN CHARACTERS AND DESCRIPTIONS: Cassidy Bean is brown hair brown eyes. She is funny and kind. But she is kind of a scaredy cat. Joey is really pale and wears black clothes.
Ping is funny kind and very smart. She is also courageous. She has black hair. She wears weird clothes though. Hal he is very bruised and has a concussion. This is because he was just in a car crash. He has black hair and brown eyes.
SETTING: The setting of the book is in Whitechapel. This is in New Jersey. It is also at the university and Junk land, (a store in Whitechapel) the Tremonts house, and Ursula Chambers house. All of this is in modern time.
CONFLICT: The conflict of this book is awesome I think. People are dying from a ghost of an old hoarder. The kids know this but they can’t tell anyone because if they do they will either be laughed at or sent to a doctor. But, if they don’t tell anyone they could die.
RESOLUTION: The resolution is almost as good as the conflict. They have to fight the dead people that died by the hands of the hoarder lady. While the guys do that Cassidy and Ping are trying to read from her book of bad things to kill the monster. This is because it’s precious to Cassidy. They do kill the monster by throwing the book at the monster. It’s the biggest sacrifice ever to Cassidy. It was her most loved thing.
OPINION: My opinion of the book is that it was AMAZING. Best book I’ve ever read. I love it. If I was a high school teacher I would read this to the class. I love that it had so many mind blowing parts. I had my mind blown like ten times. I also love that it had actually scary parts. It was like watching a scary movie in my head. But it also had humor. Like I said BEST BOOK EVER. You can’t find another book like this one.
RECOMMENDATION: I would recommend this book to 6th and up. I think even an adult would find this entertaining. But only if you like scary stuff and you’ve got to be ready to have your mind blown or you won’t even think about how awesome it is because it is so mind blowing. This would also go best to kids who are good readers because there are a lot of big words and a lot of words on each page.

[Harley Cotton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting read. The characters and plot are interesting. I love the way fears are worked into the writing and plot. Definitely an interesting way to look at fears and how to deal with them.