Haunted Hospital

by Marty Chan

Is this place actually haunted by ghosts? Or something even more terrifying? Xander thinks the George Wickerman Hospital would be the perfect setting for Spirits and Specters, a role-playing game where players go on “missions” to find evidence of paranormal activities. According to local legend, tuberculosis patients were used as test subjects in medical experiments that ended tragically, and their disfigured ghosts walk the hallways of this now-abandoned building. What better location to go ghost hunting? Even though they didn’t really believe the rumors, Xander and his friends soon begin to suspect that they are not alone.

Genres: Young Adult, Horror, Paranormal, Childrens, Thriller, Suspense, Ghosts

144 pages, Paperback

Published September 22, 2020

About the author

Raised in Morinville--a small town north of Edmonton, Alberta--Marty Chan is a playwright, radio writer, television story editor, and young adult author.

Reviews

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know a thing or two about the hospital that helped inspire Marty Chan's new book, Haunted Hospital. I live just a couple blocks away from it and I've written about it a lot so I was super excited to read this book. And it didn't disappoint. The rich hospital setting is as lovingly detailed and three dimensional a character as the people. This is a story that adults will be able to enjoy alongside their kids and will have both Googling, 'How do you play Spirits and Spectres?'

[Trio · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was fun.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s definitely a YA book. Not as creepy as the description on the cover/ads. If you like ghost stories —whether there really are ghosts or not — you’ll like this. And it’s a quick read.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn’t bad, loved the Asian rep as well I think rep like that is really important and how they talked about homelessness. It would a bit basic at times though but I love the like games at a derelict place trope or whatever you’d call it like ‘It’s behind you’

[Mehsi · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book that started off pretty good, got better, and then just went downhill for me.

I just LOVE books about haunted hospitals/asylums. Especially when they have creepy stories to go with it. I was curious to see what kind of things haunted this place and if the kids would come out safely. However… as I read the book started as a 4 star read, went to 5 star, and then down to 1 star.

The hospital was so good and I just loved how they had this game and decided to use the haunted hospital. There were creepy things happening, not just a cat that popped up at the most inconvenient times, but also creepy voices, shadows flitting by, items being moved. I had a laugh that the other kids thought Xander just went overboard with everything, while he had no clue why it was all happening. Those moments were just so scary and I just wanted to crawl deeper into my bed.

I loved the Spirits and Specters game and I would so love to play with the kids. It sounds so much fun and I like the locations they picked, the things they had to do, and much more.

But…. then we find out that the ghosts are squatters. Very old-fashioned squatters, however given that they had footprints, given that they seemed to be able to do things that ghosts didn’t, I thought these were truly squatters. I am not from the US/UK/other English country so I wouldn’t know if the way they talked is truly old-fashioned or not. I just thought the kids were being judgemental, as kids often are. Later on something comes out and we find that the squatters were ghosts? I guess? I am still not sure about that part, which probably has to do with that my interest in the whole story just went south after we find out it was squatters. I was just hoping to finish the story. I didn’t even care anymore.

Then even Priya got in the mix. I already wasn’t too big of a fan of the character with how she constantly thought she was the only one to be leading these creepy things. And there were some other things as well. But then later we find something out about her that I just found too overdramatically done. And I speak from experience, believe me. That is all I will say because I know how touchy people on the internet get.

And then the whole story about the creepy history of the hospital is completely broken down and that just made me dislike things even further. *sighs* Couldn’t we at least have kept that? Some spooky story? Please?

So yeah, a story that could have been scary… but sadly went all downhill. sighs

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Pam Withers · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like scary, but not too scary, Marty Chan sure knows how to work it. This is a fun horror story, which is not to say it’s humorous. It simply walks a perfect line between spooky and nightmare territory. It’s well written, as in gripping beginning to end. The teens are diverse and authentic, and their dialogue is snappy and entertaining. The group they meet inside the haunted hospital is a little overdone on the Sixties get-up and expressions, but that’s a pretty small quibble. Best of all, it’s a quick, easy read, and as believable as a tale with paranormal can get. Dare you to read it.
This review also appears at www.YAdudebooks.ca

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Marty Chan has done a great job with this book. It's written to appeal to reluctant readers, so it's a quick read, but Marty has packed a lot into it.

There are some scary/creepy parts, but the second half of the book is much tamer. I think this will appeal to lots of kids who like scary stories, but I think kids that don't usually read scary stories will also be able to enjoy it.

This is a book that I would like to read to my class. It's great to read books that take place in Edmonton, it makes it so much easier for me (and my students) to imagine the setting.

[Jax H]

The book i read was called the haunted hospital and its about kids who like playing a game called spirits and specuters while the grave yard was getting boring they decided to go to a run down hospital so the first “mission” or quest and the first kid disappeared so the others go to find him/omar
I really like the suspense and plot of the book and the story apparently the people they helped where just ghosts of people that died in a fire
I recommend this book to people who like suspense,horror,plot twists and just like reading

[Garyu Ide · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunted Hospital (Paperback)
by Marty Chan

This book was a horror book written by Marty Chan, it was about teenagers who love to go to ghost spots, but one hospital they entered has changed them.
At first, this book was so fun to read because I love horror movies and books.
And it was not just about horror it had drama.
This book was really enjoyable for me. It was great that it was not just focused on horror.
I think this book is really enjoyable for those who like horror stuff and those who dont.

[Peyton Timmons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four kids find a hospital to play their game, but what they do not know is that someone (Or something) is out to get them.



Respectfully, this book went by fast. Personally, I think the book would have been better if it were longer instead of a 70-page book that crammed all the valuable information into one sentence. The ending was good after you spent 30 minutes trying to get interested in the first 20 pages.

If you like books with fast-paced information then this is the book for you, but for me, I would not want to read this book again.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marty Chan never disappoints me.
I read Haunted Hospital last night. Early in the tale I thought of putting it down and finishing it in the morning - it was starting to scare me...and I know that Marty can scare you!
The adventure of the kids in the abandoned hospital is startling and adventurous. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to passing it along.
I suggest that you read this with your children as I think that you'll both enjoy it very much.

[Ashlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four friends love to play a game called Spirits and Specters where they go to different locations looking for paranormal activity. One day, Xander decided to check out an abandoned hospital that was rumored to have done experiments on some patients.

This was a fast read. The atmosphere was a little spooky; it seemed like the right amount for a middle grade book honestly. I liked the closeness of the friends. Everything is not quite as it seems, either.

[Jeph Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

With "Haunted Hospital," Marty Chan has created a wonderfully creepy tale about kids poking their noses into a place they shouldn't.
A perfect read that has the power to engage reluctant readers due to it's non-intimidating length, but also keep big readers enticed through it's vivid imagery and suspenseful plot!
I read it to my grade 6 class after an author's visit with Mr. Chan, and they loved it!

Highly recommend.

[Ya Boi Be Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compared to the previous Hi-Lo Orca Publishing book this one was much better and I feel more confident getting a copy for my class library. It's just a fun spooky romp and the twist of the hippie ghosts were fun. Sadly it does do the Hi-Lo book deal of feeling like it puts on safety gloves. Other middle school books can have more intense horror yet while this is certainly spooky I wouldn't call it horror or as intense as more traditional middle grade horror can be.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super quick read but the author did a really good job in slowly building the suspense, only to let us discover a twist at the end.

I am impressed because the author has minimal time to build her characters, grow the suspense and give a surprised ending.

Great writing, great pacing and a good read.

[Carol Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. Excellent for reluctant readers with large text and limited vocabulary. Characters are teenagers who have a ghost hunters club and spend their free time exploring creepy locations and trying to scare each. When they encounter some homeless people in one of their explorations, they learn a lot about life.

[Peyton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun haunted adventure. A great book for anyone who likes ghost stories. It reads middle grade, but the characters are described as teens (no ages given), so it could be classified as either. A nice little twist at the end just for fun. The story we well done and the characters were diverse.

[Drake Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a fun book to read and it was a really good story. My favorite character is Xavier and my favorite advent is when they decide to not call the police and go back to the hospital. The writing style was simple I wish it had more description. the pace of the novel was a steady pace.

[Sofi Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was confusing until the cops told the kids pretty much that the "homeless people" they seen were ghosts. Except for the fact of that the cop didn't even know about the kids running into the "homeless people". I loved it and definitely recommend to anyone.

[Lisa Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this to my 12 year old who called it midly frightening. The first half certainly was. The second half less so but great ending.

[Jenna Scribbles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. It’s a high-low book for older reluctant readers. A good choice for classrooms. Lexile Measurement HL520L.

[Barbara McVeigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

YA book, but genuinely scary. Fun.

[Sheri Radford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fun tale is filled with well-drawn characters who come from a variety of backgrounds. The mystery story will keep reluctant readers turning pages to the very end.

[Alex Bowie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was really creepy and it kept me very entertained for a while.

[Trixie Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice twist at the end!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, it was just ok. I don’t like thrillers so I wasn’t expecting that but kind of a youth type book.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Both cute and spooky.

[Sarah Diehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good introduce to supernatural books for young kids! You think its one thing then right at the end, BAM! Are you sure?

[Kait Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the Asian representation. It was spooky, but not too much. There were no dead bodies, very appropriate for older kids middle grade, maybe 14+ years.