Creepers

by Joanne Dahme

From moving to a new house to making new friends and preparing for high school, life for the new girl in town can be unsettling. But thirteen year-old Courtney is unprepared for how creepy life in Murmur, Massachusetts turns out to be. Her ivy-covered house overlooking the antiquated cemetery next door is one thing, but Courtney finds herself thrust into a full-fledged haunted adventure after meeting Christian and Margaret Geyer, a strange father and daughter with unfinished family business. The body of their ancestor, Prudence, has gone missing from beneath her ivy-carved tombstone and must be returned to its final resting place in order to break the spell that looms over Courtney's house. To add to the suspense and help solve the mystery, authentic documents and photographs are set at the beginning of each chapter pertaining to Murmur, Courtney's house, and the infamous cemetery. Will Courtney uncover the secret lurking within the dark, dank underbelly of her ivy-covered basement?

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Horror, Fantasy, Fiction, Supernatural, Ghost Stories

232 pages, Hardcover

First published August 25, 2008

About the author

Joanne Dahme has first-hand knowledge about the rivers and streams in the Philadelphia area as she works for the Philadelphia Water Department as its Watersheds Programs Manager. Her mission is to restore and revitalize Philadelphia’s rivers and streams.

During her years with the department, Joanne obtained a Master’s of Journalism and Master’s in Creative Writing from Temple University. Joanne has completed a number of short stories and three young adult novels. She lives with her husband and son in Philadelphia.

Reviews

[Corinne Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing that caught my eye about this book was its fantastic shade of green and the shiny ivy leaves crawling along the spine. Quite appropriate, since the ivy "twisting up the trunks of the trees and dribbling across the lawn" was the first thing that Courtney noticed when she arrived at her new home - a Puritan era house next door to a centuries old cemetery. The ivy seems to have a mind of its own as the days go by and Courtney can practically watch it grow. The cemetery also catches Courtney's interest, especially when she notices a father and daughter who repeatedly visit the same grave.

Creepers is a Gothic mystery, a tale introducing early teens to history and activism, spirituality and life beyond the grave. The author does a fantastic job of making things just scary enough, planting doubts that what we see is all there is. The plot is accessible for younger teens but still engaging enough for adults who like the genre - and Dahme doesn't just spit out the answers at us, things are left unsaid to let our imaginations take a turn. Courtney is a believable teenager who finds herself suddenly very interested in the past and how it intertwines with the present. I love how the author uses different media to make the past come alive - letters, journals and newspaper articles. Even the pages have a green tint and the occasional picture that make the book's Gothic feel even more apparent.

I think this is a great pick for mother-daughter book groups or for teen reading. I know I'll be holding on to my copy until my own daughter is ready to read it with me.

[Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was enticed to read this story by the intriguing book cover, interesting ivy illustrations throughout the book, and the summary on the book jacket. While the illustrations and book cover are good, the book jacket summary was somewhat misleading as to its description of the story. Even if the story had been exactly as described, it still suffered from several major problems. Firstly, the author is too exact when she describes distances. That wouldn't necessarily be a problem, except that the author doesn't seem to grasp the enormity of the distances she's using. On several occasions, the author has the main character see things going on 500 yards away. Really? That's a huge distance. Try standing 5 football fields away from something and tell me if you can describe it in detail. Pretty tough, unless you're using binoculars. Secondly, the plot largely revolves around the proposed development of cemetery plots, which would involve some exhumation of burials. While I have not done any research on Massachusetts law in particular (where the story takes place), most states, counties, and/or municipalities have statutes or ordinances that protect cemeteries, particularly the exhumation of burials and cemeteries with historic interest (as this one has - it's a Puritan cemetery). I cannot imagine a developer wanting to buy cemetery plots when other land exists that would take fewer permits and exceptions to develop, such as the cornfield across the street in the story. Thirdly, digging up a burial by the main characters? That most certainly would be illegal or at least require lots of paperwork and permits, though the main characters ignore this fact, and the author dismisses this problem by having one of the characters summarily say, "Of course it's legal." Fourthly, when they dig up one of the dead people, who has supposedly been dead for hundreds of years, the person is actually still there! And there's even paper in the coffin for them to read! This is amazing stuff, considering that the coffin and body should under normal circumstances be reduced to a carbon stain in the ground by then. The author doesn't even address this anomaly. Finally, all of the supernatural stuff is supposed to be so the long-deceased father can be "reunited" with his dead daughter. It isn't entirely clear, but it seems like the father's actions (such as not telling the witch where the girl was buried) worked against him getting exactly what he wanted, reunited with his daughter. This story had great potential, but the author didn't seem to know how to handle the plot very convincingly. Her editor should have demanded rewrites and fact-checked basic (and important) plot points. Hopefully the next book will be better, though I won't trust what the book jacket says about the story as being entirely accurate.

[Lexie Williams · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was terrible. The characters are as complex as cardboard. We have our main character, Courtney, she has just moved into a house with her parents next to a cemetery. This was trying to be a horror book, my first horror book, it was boring, stupid and forgettable. Courtney meets a girl her age named Margret and her dad Christian. An ancestor of theirs lived in the house Courtney had just moved into, the daughter of the man who lived there had died and he made a deal with a witch to bring her back, the witch planted ivy around the cemetery trying to find her body, but her body isn't where it should be. This has cursed the entire family, so until the ivy finds the body, the entire family is cursed, what is the curse? Well it wasn't explained, something about people not being able to see them, but they never go in depth into it, this could have helped the story, but nope, it is glanced over. The whole reason they are looking for the body is GLANCED OVER! The plot is terrible, there was so much potential with this plot, but there was no suspense nor fear. I don't even understand the title, but thats beside the point. I won't reveal the ending, but believe me it is not worth it. The pacing is terrible, the book makes me feel stupid, they have to go in depth to little things, as if i cant understand subtlety, but it barley touches the mayor plot points. The book made me feel dumb, the plot was dumb, and when it ended nothing felt resolved. Sure the conflict was resolved, but what was the point? Overall this book was a waste of my time, i beg everyone to not TOUCH this book.

[tess · Rating 2 out of 5]

gorgeous cover/jacket. less gorgeous plot. why is the book named what it is ? glanced over parts that were important to the plot, went in depth on tiny details that were not necessary. overall terribly paced.

[Jessica (thebluestocking) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book for free from the publisher. All content and opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, Creepers, by Joanne Dahme is probably a skipper.

Courtney and her parents just moved to Murmur, Massachusetts, into a three-hundred-year-old house covered in possessed ivy. Soon after arrival, Courtney meets Mr. Geyer and his daughter, Margaret. The Geyers inform Courtney that the house was once inhabited by Christian Geyer and his daughter, Prudence. Tragically, Prudence died young. In his grief, Christian was bewitched by a witch who convinced him to bind himself to his dead daughter via ivy. The Geyers must find the graves of Christian and Prudence to free themselves of their family’s curse. Margaret and her family help the odd pair in their quest.

This book was a bit of a mess. The writing was really stilted. The tone was all over the place. And, now that I mention it, so was the plot. The plot didn’t seem to have a clear direction and the tension, in a supposed mystery, just wasn’t there. The chracters were very flat and played along with whatever the plot required. This was a disappointing debut.

[Ti · Rating 2 out of 5]

This ghost story has all the right elements. A spooky house with a lot of history, a cemetery right next door, odd neighbors and the creeping ivy that has a mind of its own. I have been super busy this week so my time with this novel has been limited to late nights on the couch, all by myself. Let me tell you, I was spooked quite a few times and kept seeing things out of the corner of my eye.

As far as the story goes, I enjoyed the main character. Courtney is a girl I could get to know. That said, some of the other characters could have been a bit more developed. Their mysteriousness added to the story, but I wanted just a little bit more in the way of character development. Additionally, the story really centered around just a few people. While reading I felt completely isolated. Perhaps a bit more information about the town itself would have helped draw me into their world.

This is a Young Adult novel and I think kids between the ages of 10-12 find this book to be a real page turner.

Thanks to Booking Mama and Running Press for sending it to me.

For my full review, visit my book blog:

http://bookchatterandotherstuff.blogs...

[Trupti Dorge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I skimmed through the pages of this book and let me tell you it’s such a beautiful book. Every page is pretty, the font is beautiful and the drawings inside the book are fantastic. But I was disappointed with the book.

The story of Creepers is based in Murmur, Massachusetts. Courtney, along with her family comes to live in a very old house close to a cemetery. The first thing Courtney notices is the abundance of the Ivy creepers on the house and the surroundings, including the cemetery. She meets their neighbors, Margaret and her father Mr. Geyer who do the cemetry tours. As Courtney becomes friendly with Margaret, a teenager her age, Margaret tells her that they are searching for the remains of her ancestor. The story revolves around the clues that will lead them to the grave and all that. I am not revealing the plot here.

I think a beautiful setting and a plot which had good potential was wasted here. The writing is not that great either.

[Ali Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gut Instinct Rating: 3.5
Characters: 3
Believability: 4
Uniqueness: 5
Writing Style: 5
Excitement Factor: 3.5
Story Line: 4
Title Relevance: 3
Artwork Relevance: 5
Overall: 4.00🏳️‍🌈
•
Review In Short: This is one that I received from my random Friends of the Library haul. And while I definitely would not have picked it myself, it wasn't a waste of time, either. If you're into the supernatural and enjoy haunted cemeteries, this is totally going to be the right story for you. Read the full review on my blog.

[Anna Seddon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. The problem for me was that there was a cliche, superficial aspect. I found I could easily predict what was going to happen. I also would prefer nonfiction over this fictional ghost story, but that’s just my personal opinion.
I did enjoy this book in the way that I was able to relate to the main character. I found that as a teenager, I could relate to some of the common teenage problems such as not fitting in or feeling different. It was a good read.

[Lucy · Rating 2 out of 5]

just couldn't...
dnf 1/3 in
it had this lime green cover though that represents ivy i imagine and the pages also had green on the edges and ivy at the end of a chapter, which i appreciated little designing details like that

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is listed as a teen book, but I found it to be meant for an 8-10 range ... maybe. It's very simplistic, without depth of really anything. Yes, I'm an adult. But this just lacked so much.

[Danahamm2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A middle grades book. Interesting and sometimes creepy. A little undeveloped at times. I never really figured out if Margaret and Mr Geyer are ghosts.

[Erin Newton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a little sad and little interesting. The flashbacks about the witch were bittersweet.

[Leandra Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Time Favorite. Hier hängen so viele Erinnerungen mit dran. Love U Anni

[Julianna Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this book.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very slow burn. Took about 3/4 of the book to get suspenseful for me.

[Sarah Kallus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Courtney zieht mit ihren Eltern in ein altes Haus am Rande der Kleinstadt Murmur in Massachusetts. Das Haus am zweihundert Jahre alten Memento-Mori Friedhofs hat so seine Eigenarten. Zum Beispiel ist es überwuchert von hartnäckigem Efeu, den der Vater von Courtney immer wieder vergeblich versucht zu entfernen. Nicht lange nach der Ankunft im neuen Zuhause, begegnet sie den etwas seltsamen aber freundlichen Zeitgenossen Mr.Geyer und Tochter Margaret. Die beiden erzählen ihr bei einer Führung über den Friedhof, welche sie zu den unheimlich verzierten Gräbern führt, von Prudence. Prudence war eine Vorfahrin von den beiden und verstarb vor etwa zweihundert Jahren im Kindesalter. Sie lebte mit ihrem Vater auf dem Grundstück, auf dem nun auch Courtney lebt. Margaret und ihr Vater weihen sie Stück für Stück in ihre Familiengeheimnisse ein. Courtney ist fasziniert von diesen mythischen Geschichten und bietet ihre Hilfe an, einen Jahrhundert währenden Fluch zu brechen. Doch dieser hat nicht nur das Haus und Friedhof mit Efeu befallen. Etwas geschieht auch IM Haus...


Nicht nur das Äußere dieses Buches ist einfach klasse, sondern das Innenleben haut wirklich vom Hocker. Viele Seiten sind mit Efeuranken bestückt, die Seitenränder in leichtem Grün. Vor jedem neuen Kapitel kommen beispielsweise Zeitungsausschnitte, die ebenfalls ganz in Grün gehalten sind, da die Farbe und der dazugehörige Efeu eben ein ganz großer Teil des Buches sind. Wenn man den Aufbau also betrachtet, ist das Buch perfekt. Mich würde es freuen, wenn alle Bücher so mühevoll aufgearbeitet werden würden.

Durch die Ich-Perspektive bekommt man natürlich eine sehr dichte Bindung zu Courtney, obwohl mir bei ihr doch die Charakterzüge fehlten. Sie blieb für mich sehr blass und am Ende wusste ich nicht mal mehr, wie sie denn überhaupt aussah. Margaret und Mr.Geyer waren etwas seltsame Gestalten, die um einiges dichter beschrieben wurden. Man spürte, dass sie anders waren und das ist für mich schon mal ein sehr positives Punkt, dass das geschah, ohne viel Beschreibungen, und dass man immer wieder darauf hingewiesen wird. Auch die Eltern von Courtney waren sehr angenehme Personen.

Der Stil der Autorin ist einfach und flüssig zu lesen. Schwer zu erklären ist für mich der Spannungspunkt. Es ist nicht so, dass es wirklich richtig spannend war. Die Atmosphäre war eher ganz ruhig und idyllisch. Und doch irgendwie knisternd. Man spürte immer, es ist irgendwas. Und aus diesem Grunde las man weiter, ohne viel nachzudenken. Aber so richtig spannend war es halt nie. Doch der Punkt ist ja, dass ich trotzdem immer weiterlas und mich in dem Buch wirklich wohl fühlte. Deswegen war es für meinen Geschmack eigentlich ganz gut. Allerdings fühlte ich mich richtig herbstlich beim Lesen, obwohl das Buch im Hochsommer spielt.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Creepers by Joanne Dahme opens with 13 year old Courtney O’Brien moving with her parents into an 18th century house next door to a Puritan cemetery. The house and yard have been inundated by persistent ivy, that grows and creeps everywhere. Even though her father constantly removes it, the ivy seems to have a purpose and intent of its own. Billed as a young adult novel, the book features not only the creepy and creeping ivy, it also has the required mysterious neighbors, scary noises in the basement and ghostly visitors who carve ivy into the basement walls. Learning of the history of the cemetery and the secrets contained within her new home, Courtney attempts to break the centuries old spell cast upon her new enigmatic neighbors.

I’m not much of a reader of young adult novels, but I received this Advanced Reader copy from the publisher and thought I’d give it a quick read. The heroine is likable, with the required fortitude to occasionally skirt parental rules that all characters in teen fiction must have. The story itself contains just enough of a creepiness factor to keep the story moving along, but not so much that it would freak out a younger reader. The setting of the story is so appealing, that I wished more than once that I could find a house like that, cemetery and all. That said though, I’m not sure it’s a book for the young adult audience its trying to reach. The characters were a bit too simplified; their dialogue and emotions a bit too bland even for younger teens. The plot was also pretty elementary and not all that suspense filled.

I would recommend this book for kids 10 to 12 years old, especially the kids who like the idea of a ghost story, but would get bad dreams if they read a really scary one. You know the ones I’m talking about, the kids that see a scary ad for a horror movie on TV and wake you up at 2AM because they had a bad dream based on the ad!

[Cory · Rating 1 out of 5]

I regularly read a blog, The Comics Curmudgeon, wherein a sarcastic guy makes snarky comments about the funny pages. One of his running jokes is that Archie comics are really written by a computer that has been programmed with all sorts of facts about teenage life but doesn't really understand organic life forms, so the jokes are always a bit off. That's sort of how I felt about this book. Supposedly narrated by a tween, it was so stilted and inexplicably formal and odd . . . I wondered if the author had ever been a teen or had talked to teens. And, to make it worse, the narration drew attention to the oddities. The entire book was written in this odd, almost Victorian, super-adult style, and then the narrator says of another young character "She talks like an adult". This coming from a character who mentions the "perspiration" on someone's forehead! And at one point the narrator responds to her mother by "trying to sound annoyed" Why? It's like the author heard that teenagers are often sullen and annoyed and felt like that should be part of the story.

Maybe my big complaint with this book, though, is that it treats the reader as though they aren't smart--not smart enough to follow the plot and not smart enough to demand good writing. The story is called "Creepers" and ivy plays an important role . . . this does NOT mean that the author needs to use the word "ivy" 23 times in the first six pages. Teens are younger than us . . . not mental! They will get that the ivy is important. I think this is the bad thing about Twilight that nobody ever talks about . . . that publishers and authors think that because one overblown, badly-edited, melodramatic book was embraced by teens, they can get sloppy. They can use crappy similies and boring stories and poor writing and it's okay . . . teens like that. They don't know any better. Arrrrgggghhh!

[Wrighty · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first thing about this book that got my attention was the striking cover. In several shades of green, it's covered in embossed ivy leaves and the statue of young woman. The inside of the book is just as attractive with the pages edged in soft green and each chapter beginning with an interesting article or letter from the past.

Courtney is the narrator and she and her parents move to a new home one summer in Murmur, Massachusetts. The first thing they noticed when they saw their large stone house built in the 1700's was the English ivy that clung to it. A bit unusual since it was also next to a very old Puritan cemetery. Courtney soon meets a man and his daughter who give historical tours in the cemetery. They supply many details about the surrounding area and the history behind the traditions and the carvings of the tombstones. The duo is also able to tell her about her house and how it was built on the foundation of the original which burned during a tragic fire. Now the house is suppose to be haunted with a family that needs to be reunited. Although she finds the story hard to believe she is constantly finding more indications that there may be some truth to it all. What should she believe and what should she do? Why does the ivy seem to be watching her every move?

Although this is written for young adults it is an interesting story for any age. The mysteries involved are not as detailed or as resolved as many adults may like though. It does have a simple flavor as more tradition ghost stories sometimes do.




Hardcover - autographed
232 pages
Running Press Book Publishers
$15.95

[119 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, so there were three reasons why i chose to buy this book:

1.It had an AMAZING cover
2.It had a good review from R.L Stine
3.It was sold at 5 dollars

But now, i wish i didn't spend my 5 bucks to buy Creepers. It's definitely not a keeper.
On to the review. The reason i gave two stars was because to me, the writing wasn't too bad and i appreciated the newspaper and letter bits. I thought that was a very nice touch. It also had a few moments of suspense which were good, but unfotunately, those only left me feeling frustrated with the outcomes.
But the story itself is so terribly BORING. It had a sloppy plot, characters that don't really do much and a ghost which doesn't scare. I kept on reading this book hoping that the BOO SCARED YA part was coming but it never did. Is Creepers supposed to be a ghost story in the first place? I mean, yea sure there's a ghost but it doesn't seem to do anything much except float around. The book wasn't even a LITTLE scary. I couldn't find any parts that frightened me at all! And after reading the book, it just left me with questions like; Huh?, Thats's it?, Really?, Really!?, Or did i just miss the whole idea? So, you get the picture. It's kinda sad though, because this book had a potential to become a really interesting book if it was better planned and plotted.
Would i recommend Creepers? No. This book only made me dissapointed. Maybe next time i shold remind myself not to judge a book by it's cover.

[Cindy Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Courtney O'Brien has just moved with her parents into the small New England town of Murmer where they've bought an old home next to a cemetery. The first thing she notices is the ivy, which covers everything from the house to the gravestones and seems to have a life of its own. Then she meets Margaret and her dad, who conducts historical tours of the cemetery. From them Courtney learns about a centuries-old mystery involving Margaret's ancestors, the cemetery and Courtney's house. Together they work to unlock the secrets hidden behind the ivy.

I had a hard time putting this book down once I got started. It's easy to transport yourself to a small New England town of old where messages were carved into headstones and witches were burned at the stake. I also started noticing English Ivy everywhere: clawing its way up tree trunks, crawling across lawns, clinging to the sides of buildings. Creepers is fast-paced, and each chapter starts with a diary entry, newspaper story, community announcement or definition that keeps the book moving along and adds something to the mystery. Creepers is my kind of suspense novel: it's wonderfully creepy and it gave me goosebumps without being gory or making me afraid to go to sleep at night. I think it makes a great mother-daughter book club read.

[Becca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay, but definitely not a must-read. Honestly, the plot, for me at least, was somewhat dull, if not boring. The mystery was predictable, and I didn't find it suspenseful or "creepy" at all. I wasn't too surprised at the unraveling of the story either, and the climax was disappointing. While I did enjoy the way that this book was written, and some of the detail was very nice, I felt like a lot of it was completely unnecessary. Like, why did Courtney notice what Margaret and Mr.Geyer wore every day that she was with them? And while the ivy was important to the story, I could have figured this out just from the cover and the way that Courtney reacted to it in the beginning; it didn't need to be mentioned about 30 times in the first chapter.
I would also like to mention that I am 14, and I thought this book was basically a short story stretched out too long and too simple, so i wouldn't even classify this as a YA novel, unless other teens minds are much more simple than I would like to believe. I feel like my sister would have enjoyed this more, and even she might have been bored. She's 9.
Overall, I would not recommend reading this book...

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think what this book boiled down to is that I like this author, but not the book. It is pretty clearly a first novel, and I'm not sure if it should have been accepted for publication this round of revisions. The plot is sloppy and parts don't make sense. Characters are flat and only appear when needed for something specific. The story, which is a horror/suspense/mystery still left me going "huh?" at the end.

Why am I saying the author has promise? She writes suspense VERY well. Even at parts where I thought the plot was lame, I was pretty freaked out. Her writing during moments of horror is slow and deliberate, forcing your eye to read the next line when what you really want is to skip to the next page to see what happened. I also think it's a very effective type of horror for a YA title, all very psychological, very "am I the only one who saw that?".

So while I don't recommend this book, I'd say keep an eye out for Dahme, if she cleans up the plots and loose ends, she may be the next big YA horror writer.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as an advanced reader's copy and was asked to write a review of it. I then promptly lost the book and just found it when cleaning out a closet. Oops.

I don't think it's fair to completely pan this book. It was a simple, light read, meant for a young adult. I often delve into young adult fiction. I think there are a lot of YA books that are simply meant for all ages (think: The Giver). This isn't one of them.

My adult mind just couldn't wrap itself around much of this book. I kept getting caught up in the things that just seemed implausible and not the story. It was cute and predictable. I would have loved it if I was ten or eleven years old.

I hesitated to even give it a star rating and so just might remove that. I think it's a good first effort for this author and I wouldn't wish that my star rating kept anyone of the right age from this book.

[Sue Wargo · Rating 4 out of 5]

In every small town is the creepy vine covered house next to. The cemetery. This book begins when Courtney's family moves to a fictional Massachusetts town in just such a house. The ivy is so much a part of the house and the adjoining plot that it almost breathes. She meets a father daughter duo who appear to be caretakers of the folk lore and history of the cemetery. It's more a sweet story than a scary story. As a junior high student, I would have loved this book. I read many community reviews which reviewed this book poorly. I think they are wrong. Sometimes as adults reading children's or YA literature we don't view the book through their eyes. The audience is for children not an adult. With that view, I am sure my younger self and other little girls who were like me at that age would have loved this book. Cover art and artwork through out the book are gorgeous

[Cher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Halfway through this novel, I'm wanting to say it's a short story gone on way too long. I get absolutely no sense of who the main character really is, which is disappointing as it is a ghost story mystery told in first person. All I can say is: I'm hoping there'll be a nice twist to make reading this worthwhile and I'm hoping it'll involve character transformation for the main character or I'll be rather disappointed.

Nope. Book never got better. One minor surprise only. A feel-good ghost story that ran on for hundreds of pages too long. Great ideas, but it should have been a short story. Great art included as well, but it all looks like classic photography-- not sure, couldn't tell from the credits.

[Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

The voice of this book was very odd. Supposedly narrated by a twelve-year-old, or so, it sounded more like an adult was narrating. Or at least someone more mature than a twelve-year-old. Still, it wasn't that the language was particularly difficult. The voice was odd in a way that's hard to pin down.

This was how the whole book went, which, besides the part with the narration, was a good thing. Creepers could be categorized as a ghost story, but I see it as more of a mystery with supernatural elements. These were dealt with well, with an air of oddity that suited them.

Overall, I quite liked the book. It certainly had a unique atmosphere to it, though it might not be what you're looking for. Plus, I like graveyards.

[Elizabeth *Swords for Fighting* · Rating 1 out of 5]

Creepers was not a very creepy story. I was expecting a sort of thriller with some scary aspects, but it fell short for me. In fact, some parts of the book were kind of boring. The story definitely had some interesting parts, but they never really caught my attention enough to where I was absorbed in the story.

One of the things I did not like was that the main character, Courtney, did not really act like a thirteen year old girl. The way she acted and spoke made her seem far older at times. Another problem with this book was the writing. I noticed many grammar errors and overall the writing was just sloppy. Creepers had potential, but it did not reach it.

[Anna Hardesty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this is one of my new favorite books.

My boyfriend randomly just picked this up off of the shelf for me, & I fell in love with it.

Courtney and her parents move into a new house. They meet Mr. Geyer & his daughter Margaret.

Supposedly, the cemetery in Courtney's backyard is haunted by a witch who knew one of Margaret's relatives.

I don't want to give anything else away, but this book kept me on edge. No, it's not a thriller, but it does have some small scary moments. A great read though.