Ghost Queen

by Mahtab Narsimhan

Hey, Ghosties, this is the Ghost Queen tuning in from the most haunted place in India!


Teen vlogger Malika’s ghost hunter channel is almost popular enough to start earning money to support her family. All she needs is one viral video—and she knows exactly where she’s going to get it. Bhangarh Fort is the most haunted place in India, rumoured to be home to the cursed princess Ratnavati and her wicked captor. Malika convinces her boyfriend to sneak into the fort with her after dark and record the experience for her avid fans and followers. That's when things go terribly wrong. Can the “Ghost Queen” escape, or is she doomed to spend eternity trapped with a mad magician and the princess who rejected him?


This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for teen readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Genres: Horror

80 pages, Paperback

Published February 11, 2025

Reviews

[Clover · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5
Quick but cliche.

This sounded incredibly good on the back, however the blurb was missing an important part. This book is for new readers, it's very easy to read and uses simple vocabulary. This is technically the story I was expecting but very watered down.

Malika and her boyfriend run a ghost-hunting channel and are only one viral video away from monetization. Malika decides that Bhangarh Fort will be their crowning achievement seeing as the Fort is the most haunted place in India. Malika needs the content and she's ready to camp out overnight despite the rumors that no one's made it out alive. Anything for views, right?

----

Malika is driven by greed, essentially. They only need 2000 more followers and they're risking their lives for it. Her family's situation is cliche and never expanded upon other than they're broke. Malika dreams of helping her family pay the bills and studying abroad, to learn what, we never know. Malika ends up being a cardboard character and lacks any depth, this could be attributed to the brevity of the story, but it's still disappointing.

The ending was also disappointing and one of the biggest cliches in ghost stories. I really wanted this book to be about a strong Desi woman who is fierce and unafraid. I wanted to hear the rich stories from India as I know absolutely zero ghosts stories from there. I was excited for the modern era clashing with the ruins of the palace and ghost story. As soon as I saw this book on my hold shelf, I knew I wasn't going to be getting a story with depth.

Overall, it's probably fine for the market it's aiming for. However, at my library it's going to sit right along with every other Young Adult and be completely lost. It's tragic that we aren't cataloging books like these into their own section. It's not the fault of the author or publisher, but a fault with library collections and the myriad of gaps within.

I'm happy the library is carrying books like this, I just wish they were better catalogued like the Adult Literacy Collection. All books deserve readers, this is no exception. Check your local library for this book and see how your library catalogues it!

[cyd⭐️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book has good writing and a good enough plot (well, when i say good enough i mean it was entertaining enough that i didn’t DNF it). Although i seriously did not like Malika (our main character). She’s so obsessed with views and the amount of money she will make from videos that i didn’t get the vibe that she wanted to do it.. she only had to do it to make money.
Which is fine! im all for it, you need money? You can work a super peculiar job and i wouldn’t judge, you have to do what you have to do to pay the bills.

also another thing, Veer repeatedly asked (practically begged) for Malika (or M as he calls her) To “please let’s leave, i don’t like it here” And she wouldn’t leave! my goodness, i would be so mad if i were Veer.

"maybe we should take the hint and leave" said veer
"No! we've come to far to stop now"

“A mangy, flea-bitten dog” and then a little later “but these mutts gave her the creeps” i hate when people call dogs mutts. Especially in books.
"Veer grabbed a rock. He hurled it at the nearest dog"
And to think I was feeling bad for Veer.

2 star book, overall not very good but entertaining enough that i got through it.

(2/5)⭐️📹

[Cynthia Rodrigues · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read my other reviews: https://cynthology.blogspot.com/searc...

Malika and her boyfriend, Veer, have a popular vlogging channel called Ghost Queen where they travel to supposedly haunted places and reveal the truth about them to their fans. They haven’t encountered any ghostly presence yet. But maybe that’s about to change.

Now they are headed to Bhangarh, known as the most haunted place in India. Malika is certain that Bhangarh will catapult their vlogging channel to fame, bringing in subscribers and much needed ad revenue. Her family’s financial situation is precarious, and she hopes her gig will enable her to improve their financial situation.

Will Bhangarh change their fortunes? Or will it undo everything?



Ghost Queen takes the trope of the haunted site and gives it a modern spin with its reference to today’s culture of content creation. Both the main characters run a vlogging channel in the hope of creating content and making a living.

Incidentally, Bhangarh fort in India’s Rajasthan state does indeed have a reputation of being the most haunted place in the country.

The book is meant for kids who don’t enjoy reading, and so the writing is simple enough to hold their attention.

Kids will enjoy Malika and Veer. I found her slightly cliched, particularly with the father who had lost his job and the mother juggling two jobs to put food on the table. Malika didn’t mention why her father didn’t try to find another job. Or if she had any siblings etc. This sketchy information made it hard for me to invest in her.

She hopes to study abroad. But again, she doesn’t tell us why she can’t study here, or even how old she is.

The description of Malika, as seen in the reflection in the glass windowpane, is another imagery that has been done to death.

There were some grammatical errors that should be weeded out. But overall, the writing was easy and the descriptions were good. I hope kids enjoy this one.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the last year, teens Malika and Veer have slowly been growing their VidVibe channel called Ghost Queen. Reaching 50,000 followers means dramatic income for the pair–money that Malika can use to support her family and fund her dreams of attending university abroad. Spending the night at the most haunted place in India—Bhangarh Fort—could be just the boost their channel needs, but Malika and Veer will have to be secretive since nobody is allowed to stay overnight. What they find at the fort is more than they expect, and only time will tell if they will be able to leave with their lives. This accessible young adult novel has the necessary appeal for the target age group and is written in a way that will reach a wide range of reading abilities. Brief sentences and chapters, ample white space, and a focus on dialogue and action keep the story engaging for readers without being overly dense. Though succinct in its delivery, the novel weaves a compelling tale while incorporating mature concepts and frightening moments that are best suited to older readers. Because elements of recognizable horror tropes are combined with the setting and cultural specifics of India, this book features a unique setting while feeling comfortingly familiar from a variety of angles. Complete with angry spirits, light romance, and contemporary teen struggles, this book is particularly well suited to young adult readers who prefer straightforward storytelling in a concise and spine-tingling package.

[kglibrarian (Karin Greenberg) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read, this short ghost story is entertaining even though it's not overly developed.

Malika and her boyfriend, Veer, run a social media channel called Ghost Queen. Malika convinces Veer to leave Delhi and travel to a supposedly haunted fort. Once there, they ignore the ticket man and a policeman who tell them to leave before the gates close for the night. Instead, they get stuck inside the fort, where they encounter rabid dogs and two terrifying ghosts.

A short, fun adventure that is perfect for young teens looking for a scary story that's not too gory.

[Ruth E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining little book, though there was a lot that could have been fleshed out a bit more, like Malika's background. However, if it is intended as a book to get young people who aren't crazy about reading to read, then it's fine. Malika also seemed to be very motivated by money, to the point she ignored her boyfriend's warnings. I did like the end; it was a bit of a twist.

[Valerie Sherrard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This thrillingly creepy story will delight young readers - it is wonderfully full of tension and thoroughly chilling! Reluctant readers will have no problem following the plot and language, and yet it's rich enough in imagery and action to appeal to others as well. I loved this book!

[Iz Cerciello · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting. Cool concept. Hated the writing style

[Birgirta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chilling short story!

If you're looking for a short horror story, this is a good one to go with(:

[Kristin Hermanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the story, sad for the ending

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 2 out of 5]

cover says everyone loves a good ghost story.

I can tell you for a fact that I don't

[DaniPhantom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this would the perfect book to give to a preteen that’s getting into horror. Its short, simple and still provides a good spooky punch.