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A Properly Unhaunted Place #1
A Properly Unhaunted Place
From National Book Award–winning author William Alexander comes a wryly humorous story about two kids who try to save their town by bringing back its ghosts.
Rosa Ramona Díaz has just moved to the small, un-haunted town of Ingot—the only ghost-free town in the world. She doesn’t want to be there. She doesn’t understand how her mother—a librarian who specializes in ghost-appeasement—could possibly want to live in a place with no ghosts. Frankly, she doesn’t understand why anyone would.
Jasper Chevalier has always lived in Ingot. His father plays a knight at the local Renaissance Festival, and his mother plays the queen. Jasper has never seen a ghost, and can’t imagine his un-haunted town any other way. Then an apparition thunders into the festival grounds and turns the quiet town upside down.
Something otherworldly is about to be unleashed, and Rosa will need all her ghost appeasement tools—and a little help from Jasper—to rein in the angry spirits and restore peace to Ingot before it’s too late.
Rosa Ramona Díaz has just moved to the small, un-haunted town of Ingot—the only ghost-free town in the world. She doesn’t want to be there. She doesn’t understand how her mother—a librarian who specializes in ghost-appeasement—could possibly want to live in a place with no ghosts. Frankly, she doesn’t understand why anyone would.
Jasper Chevalier has always lived in Ingot. His father plays a knight at the local Renaissance Festival, and his mother plays the queen. Jasper has never seen a ghost, and can’t imagine his un-haunted town any other way. Then an apparition thunders into the festival grounds and turns the quiet town upside down.
Something otherworldly is about to be unleashed, and Rosa will need all her ghost appeasement tools—and a little help from Jasper—to rein in the angry spirits and restore peace to Ingot before it’s too late.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published August 22, 2017
25 people are currently reading
741 people want to read
About the author
William Alexander
14 books124 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.
William Alexander won the National Book Award in 2012 for his first book, Goblin Secrets, and the Earphones Award for his narration of the audiobook. He has since written three more novels for Middle Grade audiences: Ghoulish Song, Ambassador, and Nomad.
Will is Cuban-American. He studied theater and folklore at Oberlin College, English at the University of Vermont, and creative writing at the Clarion Workshop. He currently teaches at the Vermont College of Fine Arts program in Writing for Children and Young Adults.
Source: William Alexander's website
William Alexander won the National Book Award in 2012 for his first book, Goblin Secrets, and the Earphones Award for his narration of the audiobook. He has since written three more novels for Middle Grade audiences: Ghoulish Song, Ambassador, and Nomad.
Will is Cuban-American. He studied theater and folklore at Oberlin College, English at the University of Vermont, and creative writing at the Clarion Workshop. He currently teaches at the Vermont College of Fine Arts program in Writing for Children and Young Adults.
Source: William Alexander's website
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
July 2, 2017
Guys, I got an ARC of A Properly Unhaunted Place by William Alexander at ALA and I just read the whole thing in a day. It’s perfect. It comes out August 22, and you should probably preorder it now.
Rosa Diaz and her mother are first appeasement specialists but they’ve just moved to the only unhaunted place in America. She meets Jasper who introduces her to the Renaissance festival just as it gets its first ghost ever.
God, I can’t get over how great everything is in this book. Like, both main characters are POC, and their diversity isn’t an issue but it matters, if that makes sense? Like, Jasper’s dad is a knight at the Ren Faire and I’m going to quote an uncorrected proof here so I hope Simon and Schuster forgives me, but when we meet him he’s wandering the Faire pausing “over and over again to answer skeptical questions, and to insist - again, over and over again - that knights of North Africa did indeed ride through European legends of chivalry. I am Sir Morien, he said with every armored step. I have a place in this history. And he made that place as large as he could manage.”
It says on the cover that William Alexander won the national book award, and I can see why. This man can WRITE. I need to go back and read everything he’s written. The world building in this book is glorious, for a world that seems basically ours + ghosts? I want to read more in this intricate world of respect and geometry and ghosts.
It gets pretty scary, so I’d give this to a brave fourth grader up through middle school.
Rosa Diaz and her mother are first appeasement specialists but they’ve just moved to the only unhaunted place in America. She meets Jasper who introduces her to the Renaissance festival just as it gets its first ghost ever.
God, I can’t get over how great everything is in this book. Like, both main characters are POC, and their diversity isn’t an issue but it matters, if that makes sense? Like, Jasper’s dad is a knight at the Ren Faire and I’m going to quote an uncorrected proof here so I hope Simon and Schuster forgives me, but when we meet him he’s wandering the Faire pausing “over and over again to answer skeptical questions, and to insist - again, over and over again - that knights of North Africa did indeed ride through European legends of chivalry. I am Sir Morien, he said with every armored step. I have a place in this history. And he made that place as large as he could manage.”
It says on the cover that William Alexander won the national book award, and I can see why. This man can WRITE. I need to go back and read everything he’s written. The world building in this book is glorious, for a world that seems basically ours + ghosts? I want to read more in this intricate world of respect and geometry and ghosts.
It gets pretty scary, so I’d give this to a brave fourth grader up through middle school.
October 30, 2017
So many fantasy novels these days are thick and detailed. This is great for avid readers, but makes it challenging for fantasy-loving reluctant readers. So, I am delighted to be able to highly recommend this less than 200 page fantasy. Rosa and Jasper make for delightful main characters who are faced with a rather large problem. At first it appears that Ingot doesn't have any ghosts, which troubles Rosa considering appeasing ghosts is what her mother does best, and something she has gotten involved with as well. But after her father's embarrassing death, maybe that's what her mother wants. But Rosa misses the business of the big city, including the hauntings.
Jasper, on the other hand, has lived his whole life in Ingot, a town without hauntings of any kind. But as he is showing Rosa around the town's famous Renaissance Faire, a haunted, upside-down tree comes stampeding through the fair. Rosa does her best to stop it, but without her tool belt, she isn't properly prepared for it. What is clear is that something is going on, and the Ingot may not be as unhaunted as everyone thinks. And it may be up to Rosa and Jasper, to appease some very angry ghosts before absolute disaster strikes.
This well-written book is entertaining with lots of interesting twists and turns, as well as a fantasy trope, turned on its head. In most ghost stories, the main characters are seeking to get rid of ghosts, but not in Rosa's world. In Rosa's world, hauntings are the norm, and a town without them is the anomaly. The story moves quickly with the kind of plot that works perfectly for young readers. A great addition for most libraries.
Jasper, on the other hand, has lived his whole life in Ingot, a town without hauntings of any kind. But as he is showing Rosa around the town's famous Renaissance Faire, a haunted, upside-down tree comes stampeding through the fair. Rosa does her best to stop it, but without her tool belt, she isn't properly prepared for it. What is clear is that something is going on, and the Ingot may not be as unhaunted as everyone thinks. And it may be up to Rosa and Jasper, to appease some very angry ghosts before absolute disaster strikes.
This well-written book is entertaining with lots of interesting twists and turns, as well as a fantasy trope, turned on its head. In most ghost stories, the main characters are seeking to get rid of ghosts, but not in Rosa's world. In Rosa's world, hauntings are the norm, and a town without them is the anomaly. The story moves quickly with the kind of plot that works perfectly for young readers. A great addition for most libraries.
December 27, 2020
קראתי בעברית, נקרא "אין פה רוחות רפאים". קצת מתחשק לי לקרוא לו "אין שם רוח רפאים" על משקל "אין שם אריה" של נורית זרחי. קצת יותר מידי קצר. לא היה מזיק לרפד קצת את העלילה מצד אחד, ומצד שני זה די קצר ולעניין. אין תיאורים יותר מידי קשים, מרגיש כמו ספר טוב לילדים שרוצים לקרוא אימה, אבל נמאס להם מצמרמורת
September 11, 2017
Alexander does a brilliant job of taking an idea that you know so well (haunted library--been there, done that, and yawn) and then spinning it sideways (Latina librarian hired to deal specially with the ghosts and training her daughter how to do this too in an everyday world FULL of ghosts), and then adding new concepts (plus a Renaissance Festival! plus a mystery! plus so much more!) and making you look at it in a whole new way; thank you! Would love to read more of Rosa's world.
May 13, 2020
A creative idea for a book. 4 stars because some of the characters personalities were inconsistent throughout the book. Good enough book that I didn't have to ever force myself through it, but not good enough for me to be looking for a sequel if there is one.
February 9, 2018
A fun, quick read about kids who have to save their town from a malevolent ghost. This is one of those MG books where the adults can't do what needs to be done and the kids rise to the occasion. It takes place in a world where hauntings or normal except in this one town. The mystery revolves around figuring out why and why that seems to be suddenly changing. The characters are easy to identify with and the world is built enough to understand without going into too much detail. I would've liked to see more resolution on a couple of points on the plot and character development though.
December 23, 2022
I picked this book up purely because the MCs name is Rosa Diaz.
June 24, 2021
Rosa is the daughter of the world's greatest appeasement specialist for libraries (appeasement=ghost placation), plucked from big city life and brought to a small town in the middle of nowhere that is also thoroughly un-haunted. Why would they send for her and her mom?
Jasper is the son of the towns' Ren-Fest knight and would rather remain in the shadows than be a hero like his dad.
When an evil spirit shaped like an upside down tree nearly destroys the Renaissance Festival, steals Rosa's mom's voice and tries to take over the town, what can angry Rosa and seemingly cowardly Jasper do?
Alexander has a diverse set of leads in Rosa and Jasper, a showcase for history, a love of libraries and Ren-Fests (a man after my own heart there) and a fast-paced adventure that is more adrenaline and less spooky. It's a great book for science, history and paranormal geeks.
Enjoy!
Jasper is the son of the towns' Ren-Fest knight and would rather remain in the shadows than be a hero like his dad.
When an evil spirit shaped like an upside down tree nearly destroys the Renaissance Festival, steals Rosa's mom's voice and tries to take over the town, what can angry Rosa and seemingly cowardly Jasper do?
Alexander has a diverse set of leads in Rosa and Jasper, a showcase for history, a love of libraries and Ren-Fests (a man after my own heart there) and a fast-paced adventure that is more adrenaline and less spooky. It's a great book for science, history and paranormal geeks.
Enjoy!
October 7, 2018
Like libraries. Whenever you open an old book you read it along with everyone else who's ever read that same book. You're supposed to. Hauntings don't end. Ghosts don't ever just go away.
Squeeeeee this was a delightful read, just the right amounts of serious and spooky to take it to the next level for me. The town of Ingot is the only unhaunted place in the world, but somebody just hired the world's best ghost appeasement specialist/librarian to work at their circulation desk... hmm... But the librarian's daughter, Rosa, has learned from Catalina de Erauso (her patron librarian): "Be wary of absence. The empty circle. The silence that bespeaks a missing voice. So she investigates.
I loved the world of this story--both the large-scale idea of an earth where humans co-exist with ghosts and the small-scale portrait of this little Renaissance fair-obsessed town where people go to get away from their hauntings. The idea that libraries are the epicenter of ghost activity is also just perfect (per the quote at the start of this review!). Alexander never stops to give a detailed explanation of the setting, he simply works small hints into the story as he goes, which made the pacing of the mystery all the more brilliant. This gave me the same kind of feelings as The Girl Who Drank the Moon.
One more quote (so I can recall it later):
The town might not know what it had lost, or why it was gone, but Ingot pressed against that absence like a tongue where a lost tooth used to be. Starved of history, they patched together new echoes from mismatched fragments. Unhaunted, they learned how to haunt themselves."
Squeeeeee this was a delightful read, just the right amounts of serious and spooky to take it to the next level for me. The town of Ingot is the only unhaunted place in the world, but somebody just hired the world's best ghost appeasement specialist/librarian to work at their circulation desk... hmm... But the librarian's daughter, Rosa, has learned from Catalina de Erauso (her patron librarian): "Be wary of absence. The empty circle. The silence that bespeaks a missing voice. So she investigates.
I loved the world of this story--both the large-scale idea of an earth where humans co-exist with ghosts and the small-scale portrait of this little Renaissance fair-obsessed town where people go to get away from their hauntings. The idea that libraries are the epicenter of ghost activity is also just perfect (per the quote at the start of this review!). Alexander never stops to give a detailed explanation of the setting, he simply works small hints into the story as he goes, which made the pacing of the mystery all the more brilliant. This gave me the same kind of feelings as The Girl Who Drank the Moon.
One more quote (so I can recall it later):
The town might not know what it had lost, or why it was gone, but Ingot pressed against that absence like a tongue where a lost tooth used to be. Starved of history, they patched together new echoes from mismatched fragments. Unhaunted, they learned how to haunt themselves."
October 28, 2021
I really loved the characters in this story. Rosa and her new friend, Jasper, take center stage and use their courage and intelligence to figure out what is going on in the town. In many middle grade books, the parents just disappear, leaving the kids to save the day, but in this story there are well executed reasons as to why the parents can’t help the children.
The world building in this book was very interesting. We got to hear from Rosa how ghost appeasement works and how her mother accomplished that in the other locations where they lived. Then we get to learn the background of Ingot and how it became a ghost-free town. It was overall a very fun read to see how Rosa and Jasper dealt with the ghost and spirits.
The world building in this book was very interesting. We got to hear from Rosa how ghost appeasement works and how her mother accomplished that in the other locations where they lived. Then we get to learn the background of Ingot and how it became a ghost-free town. It was overall a very fun read to see how Rosa and Jasper dealt with the ghost and spirits.
October 30, 2017
All you need to know is that this book has librarians that communicate with ghosts. Done.
I did not care for the illustrations, which were on the cartoon-y side, and thus not a perfect match for the descriptive, lyrical text. Like this: “He pushed his goofball approximation of old chivalry right through silliness and out the other side, to a place that wasn’t serious but carried the same weight.”
I did not care for the illustrations, which were on the cartoon-y side, and thus not a perfect match for the descriptive, lyrical text. Like this: “He pushed his goofball approximation of old chivalry right through silliness and out the other side, to a place that wasn’t serious but carried the same weight.”
August 25, 2017
*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher at ALA Annual 2017. This is an honest review.*
A Properly Unhaunted Place is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. It’s a cute middle grade book where ghosts roam freely with people, and the living observe rituals to keep them happy and content. Rosa’s mother is an appeasement specialist — the best in the field — she can appease any ghost to keep them from causing chaos. However, after a family tragedy, she takes a job in Ingot, a town that is unhaunted. When Rosa explores the town on her own, she finds out that there is some serious otherworldly activity building outside Ingot, and there may be a sinister reason for why ghosts stay away.
This book is just downright enjoyable; it has everything I look for in a story. First, the characters are absolutely wonderful. Rosa is an independent girl who is well-read, practically an appeasement specialist herself, and who knows her own mind. Her foil is the other main character, Jasper, her first friend in Ingot. He tends to be shy and unsure of himself. It’s fun to see them both bring out different sides of each other; Rosa’s confidence helps Jasper overcome his natural hesitance, while Jasper’s cautious nature helps Rosa to think things through and not throw herself into a crazy situation.
Second, the story is perfect. The pacing is so well done, I just breezed through it and felt that the world was perfectly explained while also having the action move right along. I also love how the kids have to figure stuff out for themselves because the adults are so deep under the spell that has been placed on Ingot to keep hauntings away. There’s a lot of adventure, mixed with mystery, and fun paranormal stuff about how to appease ghosts and keep them happy. Along with that, the author takes the time to develop Jasper and Rosa by giving them internal conflicts to struggle with, which really fleshes out the story as a whole.
As a side note, both Rosa and Jasper are POC, which I really appreciated. The story itself doesn’t make a huge deal about it, but it’s great to be able to give my half-Mexican younger cousin a book that has a main character who has her last name and looks like her. Jasper is also half-black, and again, I love that it’s not the main point of the story, but it’s there and helps with being able to give a kid a book they can see themselves in.
Basically, this book is amazing. It’s a wonderful paranormal story where ghosts are a part of every day life — it almost has a magical realism feel with how well Alexander makes the world feel just like ours, but hauntings are a thing people deal with regularly. Definitely get it for the ghost story fanatic in your life, and try it out yourself. I can’t wait to get a copy for the children in my life — it’s fun, a little scary, and full of action and adventure.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
A Properly Unhaunted Place is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. It’s a cute middle grade book where ghosts roam freely with people, and the living observe rituals to keep them happy and content. Rosa’s mother is an appeasement specialist — the best in the field — she can appease any ghost to keep them from causing chaos. However, after a family tragedy, she takes a job in Ingot, a town that is unhaunted. When Rosa explores the town on her own, she finds out that there is some serious otherworldly activity building outside Ingot, and there may be a sinister reason for why ghosts stay away.
This book is just downright enjoyable; it has everything I look for in a story. First, the characters are absolutely wonderful. Rosa is an independent girl who is well-read, practically an appeasement specialist herself, and who knows her own mind. Her foil is the other main character, Jasper, her first friend in Ingot. He tends to be shy and unsure of himself. It’s fun to see them both bring out different sides of each other; Rosa’s confidence helps Jasper overcome his natural hesitance, while Jasper’s cautious nature helps Rosa to think things through and not throw herself into a crazy situation.
Second, the story is perfect. The pacing is so well done, I just breezed through it and felt that the world was perfectly explained while also having the action move right along. I also love how the kids have to figure stuff out for themselves because the adults are so deep under the spell that has been placed on Ingot to keep hauntings away. There’s a lot of adventure, mixed with mystery, and fun paranormal stuff about how to appease ghosts and keep them happy. Along with that, the author takes the time to develop Jasper and Rosa by giving them internal conflicts to struggle with, which really fleshes out the story as a whole.
As a side note, both Rosa and Jasper are POC, which I really appreciated. The story itself doesn’t make a huge deal about it, but it’s great to be able to give my half-Mexican younger cousin a book that has a main character who has her last name and looks like her. Jasper is also half-black, and again, I love that it’s not the main point of the story, but it’s there and helps with being able to give a kid a book they can see themselves in.
Basically, this book is amazing. It’s a wonderful paranormal story where ghosts are a part of every day life — it almost has a magical realism feel with how well Alexander makes the world feel just like ours, but hauntings are a thing people deal with regularly. Definitely get it for the ghost story fanatic in your life, and try it out yourself. I can’t wait to get a copy for the children in my life — it’s fun, a little scary, and full of action and adventure.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
October 19, 2017
Preeminent “ghost appeasement” specialists Athena Diaz and her 11 year old daughter Rosa have moved to the small town of Ingot to start their new life watching for ghosts in the local library. Their job isn’t to banish ghosts (this is a horribly cruel thing to do and is always unsuccessful) but to speak to them and make them feel welcome. Problem is, Ingot doesn’t seem to have any ghosts. This is terribly boring for Rosa and perplexing as well as she’s never lived in a town without them. But if the town has no ghosts, why were her and mom called here?
Turns out that Ingot not only has ghosts, but some long buried secrets that threaten to rip the town apart. Can Rosa and her friend Jasper save the town or is it too late?
Besides the wonderfully quirky story filled with bizarre monsters (a mountain lion with a deer’s head and an upside tree with the head of a mountain lion in particular) this story has some truly great and diverse characters. There is the young, Hispanic and brave female hero, her black friend Jasper, as well as the story itself has some beautiful allusions to inclusiveness and not erecting barriers to keep others away.
It’s a lot of fun with some positive lessons readers of any age can learn from.
Turns out that Ingot not only has ghosts, but some long buried secrets that threaten to rip the town apart. Can Rosa and her friend Jasper save the town or is it too late?
Besides the wonderfully quirky story filled with bizarre monsters (a mountain lion with a deer’s head and an upside tree with the head of a mountain lion in particular) this story has some truly great and diverse characters. There is the young, Hispanic and brave female hero, her black friend Jasper, as well as the story itself has some beautiful allusions to inclusiveness and not erecting barriers to keep others away.
It’s a lot of fun with some positive lessons readers of any age can learn from.
April 4, 2019
Athena Diaz is a librarian and an appeasement specialist (sooth ghosts). Her and her daughter, Rosa (who also helps in the appeasement), have just moved to the town of Ingot. The only town that lives without any ghosts. Rosa is very upset with the move, she loved the city she lived in before. They have moved into the public library's basement, no windows, dark and musty which has made the move even worse for Rosa. Ingot is known for its Renaissance Festival and here is where she meets her partner in crime, Jasper. Jasper's parents love history and know all about the history of the town but no one seems to know how the town was created as it is difficult to get to. Strange things begin to happen to the town, Rosa does all she can to find out what is going on and Jasper is there to help along the way. Troubles have surfaced, ghosts are appearing in the town and they soon run into a banishment specialist. This book is full of mystery and adventure in how Rosa and Jasper get through their obstacles and save the town of Ingot.
In the classroom, this book can be used grades 5th-8th and an activity they could do with it is read to a certain page or chapter then predict what will happen next and continue to do this several times throughout the book.
In the classroom, this book can be used grades 5th-8th and an activity they could do with it is read to a certain page or chapter then predict what will happen next and continue to do this several times throughout the book.
January 19, 2022
This book was such a fun and easy read! I loved the brave main character Rosa and her new friend Jasper. This book is about Rosa and her family being librarians and ghost appeasements. She moves to a small town that has been known for not having any hauntings at all. She is confused as to why her mother brought them there and already knows she will not like it. She goes to the town festival and that is where she meets Jasper. He has lived in the town all his life and enjoys it although it is small. During this time she encounters a haunting but does not have any of her tools to go against it. She realizes that Jasper soon forgets about the haunting and so does the rest of the town this makes her realize that it is haunted but no one remembers the incidents. She makes a bracelet so that Jasper will remember and he ends up helping her with the hauntings. Her mother loses her voice to a monster so she cannot be of much help. It is up to Rosa and Jasper to fight and save the town. This is such a cool adventure and shows their determination. I would recommend this to a student that enjoys books with fantasy elements. This would be great for students 9-13 as the characters are about the same age too. I do not give it 5 stars because it seemed a tad rushed and I did not get as much from the characters as I would like. I loved the concept and think the author did a good job of portraying the town and townspeople.
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March 20, 2018I quite liked this quick read and the twist of Ingot being the only place where ghosts aren't found, how in other cities ghosts are plentiful. How it's wrong for Ingot not to have any ghost, while everywhere else ghosts and the living have found a way to coexist. Rosa and Jasper are the only ones who can unravel what has been keeping the ghosts away. I also enjoyed the emphasis on librarians and the patron saint Catalina de Erauso with the idea of remembering the dead through the books that you read. It's not a particularly scary story but would be an interesting read if you enjoy paranormal stories, or are just starting out to explore ghost stories.
Favorite lines: "Whenever you open an old book you read it along with everyone else who's ever read that same book. You're supposed to. Hauntings don't end. Ghosts don't ever just go away."
Favorite lines: "Whenever you open an old book you read it along with everyone else who's ever read that same book. You're supposed to. Hauntings don't end. Ghosts don't ever just go away."
January 14, 2020
Rosa and Jasper are simple characters that challenge each other as they attempt to navigate the mystery of the unhaunted town of Ingot together. Rosa gives her new home a cold shoulder due to its lack of ghosts, as she and her mother thrive on ghost appeasement. Jasper is an eleven year old boy who lives in the shadows of his upbeat father, who has a large hand in hosting the local renaissance festival. Rosa leads Jasper on a mission to uncover Ingot's past, pushing him to unveil his inner confidence while she battles with her bitterness towards her family's recent move. This short fantasy is action-packed and leaves explanations and background details for the reader to infer. While it is somewhat confusing at first, readers can gather information through context clues regarding the haunted world and relationships with spirits. Alexander uses his LatinX background, colorful metaphors, and imagery to outline the importance of connections with the past, all while developing the characters of Rosa and Jasper through their attempts to rekindle with the haunted world. This book could be used in a classroom (4th-6th grade) during Dia de los Muertos or while discussing ancestry and the significance of personal and societal history.
July 28, 2020
I liked this book a great deal - the idea of an entirely haunted world! Library appeasement specialists for ghosts!- but my only issue was the length. There were too many characters and too much world building for the shortness of this story. I think an extra 50-100 pages would have turned this book from good to great.
October 8, 2020
Absolutely fantastic. A world in which everything is haunted, a girl and her ghost-managing librarian mother move to the one town that has no ghosts. A great younger read for fans of Schwab's The Archived and Stroud's Lockwood and Co. books. Ghost-appeasing is built into every facet of life, so very good world-building by the author.
October 30, 2019
This is a short and fun read.
Predictable plot, adorable characters, cute illustrations. It's a perfect read for kids.
The main issue that I get from this story is:
You can try to forget the past, but you cannot escape from it.
Predictable plot, adorable characters, cute illustrations. It's a perfect read for kids.
The main issue that I get from this story is:
You can try to forget the past, but you cannot escape from it.
September 4, 2017
It was okay. Could have been better.
February 1, 2021
This was such a cute read!
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March 26, 2022wow I actually finished that 2 years ago I just haven't been on goodreads since then lol
July 4, 2020
In a world where ghosts are a part of life, one town seems immune. But ghosts, like grief, are integral to being human. It's up to two kids to figure out what is wrong and what must be done. The two are great characters and the book is a lot of fun.
May 7, 2017
Rosa is comforted by the presence of ghosts and the creaks of old spirits moving in a new haunt; paranormal activity is actually quite normal for everyone, especially for the daughter of the world's greatest Ghost Appeasement Specialist. What, then, is she supposed to do in the only unhanuted town in the world? Ingot seems to only have an inaccurate Renaissance Festival, a mean librarian, and a boy named Jasper who is actually pretty good company. Only hours after her arrival, Rosa and Jasper confront a mysterious creature that makes them think Ingot might not be completely ghost-free...
Alexander's world of commonplace poltergeists and hauntings is fun and different but we only catch a small glimpse of this through Rosa's memories before Ingot. A universe full of ghosts and phantoms has a fantastic potential to excite and enthuse readers but this is utilized only as backstory instead of a focus to impress or thrill. This missed chance is one of many as the story speeds through the plot and world-building.
Our two protagonists are self-assured and clever in completely unique styles, making them a great team for a ghostly investigation. Jasper's struggles with his slight introversion and Rosa's battle with a hot temper give them a depth that is clearly expressed even in a shorter novel. The supporting cast of characters, while minimal, are well-defined if a little prosaic.
This quick read will appeal to reluctant readers looking for a slightly spooky mystery and will certainly find an audience with those looking for something to read after one of Eva Ibboston's ghostly reads.
Alexander's world of commonplace poltergeists and hauntings is fun and different but we only catch a small glimpse of this through Rosa's memories before Ingot. A universe full of ghosts and phantoms has a fantastic potential to excite and enthuse readers but this is utilized only as backstory instead of a focus to impress or thrill. This missed chance is one of many as the story speeds through the plot and world-building.
Our two protagonists are self-assured and clever in completely unique styles, making them a great team for a ghostly investigation. Jasper's struggles with his slight introversion and Rosa's battle with a hot temper give them a depth that is clearly expressed even in a shorter novel. The supporting cast of characters, while minimal, are well-defined if a little prosaic.
This quick read will appeal to reluctant readers looking for a slightly spooky mystery and will certainly find an audience with those looking for something to read after one of Eva Ibboston's ghostly reads.
December 27, 2017
Alexander, William A Properly Unhaunted Place, 182 Pages Margaret K. McElderry books, 2017 $17.00; Language: G (1 swear 0”F”); Mature Content: G; Violence: G.
Rosa just moved into the town of Ingot. She is not happy about this because this is the only unhaunted place in the world, and she is a ghost appeasement specialist which means that she calms ghosts down when they get angry. Then she meets a kid named Jasper and they go to the town annual festival, but it is there she see’s a giant ghost trying to kill everything. When Rosa’s mother stops the monster but loses her voice during the battle. Now Rosa’s needs to retrieve her mother’s lost voice from the monster.
I am not a fan of ghost stories and this book didn’t change my mind. The book doesn't explain everything well enough. Like take Rosa - it didn't really explain how her family got into the ghost appeasing business, which bugged me. The conflict is just not believable at all.
MS, HS – NOT RECOMMENDED. CBL, Student Reviewer 7th Grade
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...
Rosa just moved into the town of Ingot. She is not happy about this because this is the only unhaunted place in the world, and she is a ghost appeasement specialist which means that she calms ghosts down when they get angry. Then she meets a kid named Jasper and they go to the town annual festival, but it is there she see’s a giant ghost trying to kill everything. When Rosa’s mother stops the monster but loses her voice during the battle. Now Rosa’s needs to retrieve her mother’s lost voice from the monster.
I am not a fan of ghost stories and this book didn’t change my mind. The book doesn't explain everything well enough. Like take Rosa - it didn't really explain how her family got into the ghost appeasing business, which bugged me. The conflict is just not believable at all.
MS, HS – NOT RECOMMENDED. CBL, Student Reviewer 7th Grade
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...
August 25, 2018
*Actual Rating 4.5/5 stars*
This was such a fun, fast-paced paranormal adventure! Libraries, diverse main characters, ghosts... this book has it all!
The whole concept of library appeasement specialists felt fresh and original. I just loved the premise and how the plot unfolded, as well as the deeper message underneath about facing your ghosts and fears. The point is to make peace, not forget and hide away.
The chapters are short and easy to read, making this easy to fly through but also highly accessible to struggling readers.
A few small complaints: while I appreciated the diversity of the main characters, it felt like almost everyone else in the town was white. Also, Rosa's reaction to learning that Jasper was biracial didn't feel authentic for someone who supposedly grew up in a big city. So she can take rampaging trees attached to lion heads in stride, but is surprised by a black and white couple? Really?
Also... ENOUGH WITH THE LITTLE OLD LADY LIBRARIAN STEREOTYPES. That is all.
This was such a fun, fast-paced paranormal adventure! Libraries, diverse main characters, ghosts... this book has it all!
The whole concept of library appeasement specialists felt fresh and original. I just loved the premise and how the plot unfolded, as well as the deeper message underneath about facing your ghosts and fears. The point is to make peace, not forget and hide away.
The chapters are short and easy to read, making this easy to fly through but also highly accessible to struggling readers.
A few small complaints: while I appreciated the diversity of the main characters, it felt like almost everyone else in the town was white. Also, Rosa's reaction to learning that Jasper was biracial didn't feel authentic for someone who supposedly grew up in a big city. So she can take rampaging trees attached to lion heads in stride, but is surprised by a black and white couple? Really?
Also... ENOUGH WITH THE LITTLE OLD LADY LIBRARIAN STEREOTYPES. That is all.
September 24, 2017
As an adult reading this book, I reveled in the warm nostalgia of my 11 year-old-self finding an exceptional read. This book is fantastic. Buy it for your kid but don't skip out on reading it yourself. It's a delightful story that keeps you highly engaged, teaches you something new, conjures empathy, and expands your world. In short, this is everything I want in a middle grade book. Children will be better people for having spent time with Alexander's (extremely) well composed prose. Thank you, William Alexander, for bringing this delightful story into the world. As with all great reads, I was sad to see it end and would love to read about more adventures with these two characters. (Hint, hint.)
April 1, 2018
Ok. Interesting premise that needed a little more attention - leave out the Renaissance Fair stuff and you'd have room to explore the cohabitation and appeasement of ghosts stuff more. I'd like to read the backstory, where her mom is an appeasement (of ghosts) specialist in a big city library and her dad is learning but failing - more than this.
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