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Long Lost: An Atmospheric Middle Grade Ghost Story for Kids (Ages 8-12) About Two Sisters and Restless Spirits
Eleven-year-old Fiona has just read a book that doesn’t exist.
When Fiona’s family moves to be closer to her older sister’s figure skating club—and far from Fiona’s close-knit group of friends—nobody seems to notice Fiona’s unhappiness. Alone and out of place, Fiona ventures to the town’s library, a rambling mansion donated to the town by the long-dead heiress. And there she finds a gripping mystery novel about a small town, family secrets, and a tragic disappearance.
Soon Fiona begins to notice strange similarities that blur the lines between the novel and her new town. And when she looks for the book again, it’s gone. Almost like it never existed. With stubbornness and a little help from a few odd Lost Lake locals, Fiona uncovers the book’s strange history. It’s not a novel, but the true story of an unsolved century-old crime filled with clues to the mystery. Lost Lake is a town of restless spirits, and Fiona will learn that both help and danger come from unexpected places—maybe even the sister she thinks doesn’t care about her anymore.
When Fiona’s family moves to be closer to her older sister’s figure skating club—and far from Fiona’s close-knit group of friends—nobody seems to notice Fiona’s unhappiness. Alone and out of place, Fiona ventures to the town’s library, a rambling mansion donated to the town by the long-dead heiress. And there she finds a gripping mystery novel about a small town, family secrets, and a tragic disappearance.
Soon Fiona begins to notice strange similarities that blur the lines between the novel and her new town. And when she looks for the book again, it’s gone. Almost like it never existed. With stubbornness and a little help from a few odd Lost Lake locals, Fiona uncovers the book’s strange history. It’s not a novel, but the true story of an unsolved century-old crime filled with clues to the mystery. Lost Lake is a town of restless spirits, and Fiona will learn that both help and danger come from unexpected places—maybe even the sister she thinks doesn’t care about her anymore.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published May 11, 2021
107 people are currently reading
8897 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline West
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Jacqueline's blog: http://jacquelinewest.com/blog/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 725 reviews
November 19, 2020
That cover, first of all. And the insides are just as good. LONG LOST contains a creepy small town, a cozy-yet-very-mysterious library, dark things in the woods, and sibling bonds in all their messy, envious, realistic glory. It's also a story *about* stories, about the way they can shape reality and echo out of the past. I will be ordering a hardcopy, so I can admire it from time to time, but also to hand out to any nieces and nephews in search of a great read.
June 24, 2021
Let’s talk about aesthetics for a moment: This middle grade novel, with its gorgeous, eerie cover, deckled page edges, and fun border designs around the first page of each new chapter, definitely deserves some sort of award for an appearance that lures you in! Sure, we can’t judge the contents by what’s on the outside, but an enticing exterior often leads us to want to know what’s on the inside. Even if I had hated this book, I’d still want it on my shelf for its beauty.
Fortunately, I really enjoyed Long Lost, so I need not compromise my values by displaying something for its superficial qualities!
This is a book within a book. Having now enjoyed two stories like this within the last two months, I suppose I can no longer claim to not be a fan of such things. It looks like there’s a 50/50 chance that I will enjoy this type of story.
In Long Lost, we meet sisters Arden and Fiona. Arden is a figure skater with the Olympics in her sights. The girls’ parents have decided to move closer to Arden’s ice skating club. Fiona already resents her ambitious sister, but this move makes everything worse. The one thing that proves to be a bright spot in this whole ordeal is the library in Fiona’s new town and an intriguing book on the library’s shelf: The Lost One.
As Fiona begins reading this exciting find, she gets to know sisters Hazel and Pearl. They do everything together, but one night after a recent quarrel, Hazel goes missing and Pearl returns home, in shock, claiming the town’s legendary boogeyman, The Searcher, has taken her sister.
The problem is, at some point, The Lost One just stops. No one ever finished writing the book.
That’s a much longer summary than I usually like to provide, but books within books seem to require a bit more explanation!
It did take a little time for me to feel fully invested in this, but it proved to be a fun, mysterious, and sometimes creepy story! I will confess that although I had no trouble telling Arden and Fiona apart, Hazel and Pearl never felt distinctly different in their characterizations and I kept mixing them up! That’s a minor nuisance, as this children’s book was truly quite enjoyable.
I thought the theme here, surrounding sisterly love, loyalty, and an ability to make amends, was a good one. It may not be true to life for all siblings, but it is a positive and inspiring message.
If you or your middle graders enjoy spooky dramas with some fantastical elements, along with visuals that really enhance the story, Long Lost is definitely one to add to the list!
Fortunately, I really enjoyed Long Lost, so I need not compromise my values by displaying something for its superficial qualities!
This is a book within a book. Having now enjoyed two stories like this within the last two months, I suppose I can no longer claim to not be a fan of such things. It looks like there’s a 50/50 chance that I will enjoy this type of story.
In Long Lost, we meet sisters Arden and Fiona. Arden is a figure skater with the Olympics in her sights. The girls’ parents have decided to move closer to Arden’s ice skating club. Fiona already resents her ambitious sister, but this move makes everything worse. The one thing that proves to be a bright spot in this whole ordeal is the library in Fiona’s new town and an intriguing book on the library’s shelf: The Lost One.
As Fiona begins reading this exciting find, she gets to know sisters Hazel and Pearl. They do everything together, but one night after a recent quarrel, Hazel goes missing and Pearl returns home, in shock, claiming the town’s legendary boogeyman, The Searcher, has taken her sister.
The problem is, at some point, The Lost One just stops. No one ever finished writing the book.
That’s a much longer summary than I usually like to provide, but books within books seem to require a bit more explanation!
It did take a little time for me to feel fully invested in this, but it proved to be a fun, mysterious, and sometimes creepy story! I will confess that although I had no trouble telling Arden and Fiona apart, Hazel and Pearl never felt distinctly different in their characterizations and I kept mixing them up! That’s a minor nuisance, as this children’s book was truly quite enjoyable.
I thought the theme here, surrounding sisterly love, loyalty, and an ability to make amends, was a good one. It may not be true to life for all siblings, but it is a positive and inspiring message.
If you or your middle graders enjoy spooky dramas with some fantastical elements, along with visuals that really enhance the story, Long Lost is definitely one to add to the list!
August 13, 2021
A spooky story about two sisters, and two other sisters. I was more involved in the present-day storyline, because I could see from the first page how Fiona really was being pushed aside so that they could all support Arden, and I still feel like their parents need to take a really good look at themselves. The story within the story was creepy and interesting as well, and I am so jealous of the library!
January 25, 2023
Nie będę owijał w bawełnę: to opowieść, która z pewnością trafi do moich tegorocznych faworytów (tak, wiem, jest styczeń).
Świat widziany oczyma Fiony - już nie dziecka, jeszcze nie nastolatki - wygląda inaczej, niż dorosłych. A jej świat załamał się, kiedy dla dobra starszej siostry, rodzice postanawiają o przeprowadzce do tajemniczego Lost Lake. W tamtejszej bibliotece Fiona znajduje książkę, która stanie się początkiem niebezpiecznej i mrożącej krew w żyłach przygody.
Uwielbiam igranie na granicy rzeczywistości i młodzieńczej fantazji. Uwielbiam atmosferę małych, wyobcowanych miasteczek. Uwielbiam stare budynki i tajemnice, które w sobie skrywają. Jeśli czujecie podobnie, to kiedy już zaczniecie czytać, nie będziecie mogli się oderwać.
Świat widziany oczyma Fiony - już nie dziecka, jeszcze nie nastolatki - wygląda inaczej, niż dorosłych. A jej świat załamał się, kiedy dla dobra starszej siostry, rodzice postanawiają o przeprowadzce do tajemniczego Lost Lake. W tamtejszej bibliotece Fiona znajduje książkę, która stanie się początkiem niebezpiecznej i mrożącej krew w żyłach przygody.
Uwielbiam igranie na granicy rzeczywistości i młodzieńczej fantazji. Uwielbiam atmosferę małych, wyobcowanych miasteczek. Uwielbiam stare budynki i tajemnice, które w sobie skrywają. Jeśli czujecie podobnie, to kiedy już zaczniecie czytać, nie będziecie mogli się oderwać.
September 24, 2022
Lovely writing and a heartfelt tale of sisters. I loved the lead in this one--she was intelligent, a good kid, and so relatable in the way that her emotions were portrayed though actions that were not necessarily "good," yet very human in their reality. The story is atmospheric, a little eerie, and has an intriguing twist near the end.
December 20, 2021
Wow! I’ve been reading some epic books, & I’m loving it! I’ve read a duology by this author, & I love how she can write 2 completely different styles of books-while the duology was a fantasy, time travel, adventure..this was a darker fantasy, suspense, creepy, paranormal, book within a book story. The story AND the story we read within the story BOTH had me so hooked, & both had me on the edge of my seat. This also just screams atmospheric. From this creepy town, to the old creepy house Fiona & her family move into, to the huge old cozy library that use to be a huge house & was donated to the town to become a library, the woods, to this book that shouldn’t exist-all soooooooo good! Such a great idea for a story, & executed so well. Phenomenal writing, & story building was superb. Then you have the sister relationship between Fiona & her sister, that eerily almost mirrors another from years ago. I think this depicts some real life sister relationships issues in all their bitterness/messiness/glory very well lol. All the characters are just done so great. Like I said, Fiona & her sister are so well written, as are her parents who are caught in the friction between them, to the mysterious boy in the library, & the amazingly written librarian who is just the best! I so wish this library & this librarian were real lol. Great messages & focus on family, forgiveness, communication(IMO), how stories can shape our lives & their importance..just to name a few. This definitely took suspense to the next level. It was eerie, dark, atmospheric, & hauntingly beautiful at times. I feel like I’m not even barley expressing how epic this was..ugh SO GOOD READ IT! Lol HIGHLY RECOMMEND! STUNNING cover by Anna & Elena Balbusso(The Balbusso Twins)as well! So in love with it!💜
October 28, 2021
This is a case of a great concept that could use some more development and then it would be great.
At least for me, that is.
This is a story about sisterly bonds and inapt/absent parents; and the consequences of it.
The writing is practical and to the point. But when the story enters the magical realism/ ghost scenario, that writing style just felt lacking and incongruent with what was being told.
Once again I am forced to repeat, that this felt criminally undeveloped. I've read middle grade books that would leave so called adult books crying in the corner, and this one could've been one of those if "only" the characters/relationships/atmosphere had a little more soul!
Oh, well.
It's a calm and mostly sedate story with a few creepy paragraphs, and then it ends in that calmly manner.
Moral of the story: Don't take secrets with you to the grave or "you" may end up roaming about, with those same secrets haunting your eternity.
That or don't be stubborn! ;)
At least for me, that is.
This is a story about sisterly bonds and inapt/absent parents; and the consequences of it.
The writing is practical and to the point. But when the story enters the magical realism/ ghost scenario, that writing style just felt lacking and incongruent with what was being told.
Once again I am forced to repeat, that this felt criminally undeveloped. I've read middle grade books that would leave so called adult books crying in the corner, and this one could've been one of those if "only" the characters/relationships/atmosphere had a little more soul!
Oh, well.
It's a calm and mostly sedate story with a few creepy paragraphs, and then it ends in that calmly manner.
Moral of the story: Don't take secrets with you to the grave or "you" may end up roaming about, with those same secrets haunting your eternity.
That or don't be stubborn! ;)
January 8, 2023
Co za fenomenalny klimat! Potwierdza moją teorię, że horrory dla młodszych są straszniejsze niż te dla dorosłych, choć przecież są znacznie subtelniejsze. A poza tym — to po prostu dobra historia. Momentami napisana zbyt prosto, ale nadrabia w innych obszarach.
September 5, 2023
Wspaniale mi się czytało tę książkę!
November 22, 2022
3.75⭐️
A young girl, Fiona, has a tumultuous relationship with her older sister as the family moves to a new town.
Fiona finds a mysterious book that also tells the tale of two sisters who butt-heads. This book is no ordinary book, however…it keeps disappearing and showing up randomly and seems to have someone who is after it.
The parallels from the book to Fiona’s life seem more real than she expects….
I liked this book quite a bit, however there was a big chunk around the 3/4 mark where I got bored and my mind wandered in and out
A young girl, Fiona, has a tumultuous relationship with her older sister as the family moves to a new town.
Fiona finds a mysterious book that also tells the tale of two sisters who butt-heads. This book is no ordinary book, however…it keeps disappearing and showing up randomly and seems to have someone who is after it.
The parallels from the book to Fiona’s life seem more real than she expects….
I liked this book quite a bit, however there was a big chunk around the 3/4 mark where I got bored and my mind wandered in and out
April 9, 2022
Aww, I loved how this turned out. The end kind of took me by surprise.
June 10, 2022
What an eerie delight this book is! From the very beginning I wondered if sisters Fiona and Arden would find a way to co-exist in a healthier way and then the story within a story about 2 very different sisters made its appearance and I was hooked. Jacqueline West’s descriptions of the town of Lost Lake and its ancient and spooky library left no doubt that this book was headed down the horror highway in the best of ways! Along with a book that appears and disappears seemingly with ill intent, there is a presence that the locals call the Searcher that lurks on the fringes of the woods and rumors tell of missing children at his hand. Readers will have a tough time putting this one down or figuring out exactly how all the threads will come together. Highly, highly recommended for grades 5-8 and without any profanity, sexual content, or blood/gore could also be enjoyed by strong 4th grade readers. Thanks for the print ARC, Jacqueline West! #BookAllies have loved sharing this one.
A 2022-2023 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee
A 2022-2023 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee
August 4, 2023
7/27/23 How meta, a book within a book. Two stories in one.
8/27/22 Fiona discovers The Lost Ones, a book about sisters; Pearl and Hazel at the public library in the small town that she, her older Arden and their parents move to. As she continues reading the book, it takes on a life of its own; disappearing, reappearing and containing unwritten pages. What's the real story behind The Lost Ones? It may take the help of a local, Charlie Hobbes to solve this mystery.
7/27/23There's also the mystery of real life and now deceased sisters, Margaret and Evelyn Chisholm. What was the real cause of Evelyn's death as a teen? Could her sister Margaret have been the one to cause it? How far will Fiona go to solve a mystery that may not want to be solved?
Give this one to tweens and young teens who enjoy mysteries or ghost stories.
8/27/22 Fiona discovers The Lost Ones, a book about sisters; Pearl and Hazel at the public library in the small town that she, her older Arden and their parents move to. As she continues reading the book, it takes on a life of its own; disappearing, reappearing and containing unwritten pages. What's the real story behind The Lost Ones? It may take the help of a local, Charlie Hobbes to solve this mystery.
7/27/23There's also the mystery of real life and now deceased sisters, Margaret and Evelyn Chisholm. What was the real cause of Evelyn's death as a teen? Could her sister Margaret have been the one to cause it? How far will Fiona go to solve a mystery that may not want to be solved?
Give this one to tweens and young teens who enjoy mysteries or ghost stories.
October 18, 2022
Lovely cover and lovely albeit creepy story about messy sisterly relationships, absent minded parents, small communities, old libraries, ghosts and the importance of stories told and untold.
Atmospheric read about a girl who can't fit into new place easily and the difficulties arrising from parents focus being placed mainly on one child.
I would have liked it better if the story was further developed in terms of the eerie setting,ž and the child-parent tensions. Also, Fiona's and Arden's reconciliation was too quick taking into consideration their pretty frayed relationship and long lasting issues between them.
Atmospheric read about a girl who can't fit into new place easily and the difficulties arrising from parents focus being placed mainly on one child.
I would have liked it better if the story was further developed in terms of the eerie setting,ž and the child-parent tensions. Also, Fiona's and Arden's reconciliation was too quick taking into consideration their pretty frayed relationship and long lasting issues between them.
August 24, 2025
I needed a sweet book to reset my mind, and Long Lost come through! I’m looking forward to more novels by Jacqueline West.
July 14, 2021
Moving to a new town so her older sister Arden can attend her many skating practices, Fiona is upset, missing her old bedroom, her friends, and well, everything else. Her parents are trying to get accustomed to a new town, new jobs, keep on top of the practices, and Fiona is getting a little lost in the shuffle.
When she stumbles upon an old town mystery about two sisters in a strange book that seems to wander the town's library shelves, Fiona is entranced, and starts researching the town and the two sisters, one of whom had disappeared many years before with no trace.
Meanwhile, Fiona and Arden argue as neither is happy with the other and the distance growing between them.
Fiona, with the help of a local boy who is equally entranced by the library and the mystery, gets closer to the answers.
This was good! The tension, both between the present-day sisters and the pair in the past is believable. Fiona’s anger and hurt feelings about all the changes in her life are well drawn. I liked the slight creepiness of the story and clearly enjoyed this book, as I finished it in one day.
When she stumbles upon an old town mystery about two sisters in a strange book that seems to wander the town's library shelves, Fiona is entranced, and starts researching the town and the two sisters, one of whom had disappeared many years before with no trace.
Meanwhile, Fiona and Arden argue as neither is happy with the other and the distance growing between them.
Fiona, with the help of a local boy who is equally entranced by the library and the mystery, gets closer to the answers.
This was good! The tension, both between the present-day sisters and the pair in the past is believable. Fiona’s anger and hurt feelings about all the changes in her life are well drawn. I liked the slight creepiness of the story and clearly enjoyed this book, as I finished it in one day.
August 3, 2021
With prose as magical, spooky, engrossing, and beautifully crafted as its stunning cover, LONG LOST is a fantastic book not to be missed. West's ability to meld the two sisterly storylines across time is gripping, and the pacing in the book is perfect. It's also cozy, and atmospheric, and genuinely creepy. A very great achievement. I loved it now, and I would have CHERISHED it as a kid. Deserves all 5 stars and more!
March 24, 2023
Jestem mocno rozdarta.
Książka jest naprawdę fantastyczna. Klimat małego, starego miasteczka kryjącego pewną tajemnice. Wartka, wciągająca akcja. Motyw książki w książce- sztos!
Zakończenie mnie jednak dość mocno rozczarowało. Mimo wszystko polecam.
Książka jest naprawdę fantastyczna. Klimat małego, starego miasteczka kryjącego pewną tajemnice. Wartka, wciągająca akcja. Motyw książki w książce- sztos!
Zakończenie mnie jednak dość mocno rozczarowało. Mimo wszystko polecam.
June 17, 2021
Omg. Is all I can say.
June 28, 2021
4.5 stars
This was so good! Part of the set-up reminded me a little of Small Spaces by Katherine Arden (in a good way) but Long Lost definitely stands on its own.
Fiona is a great main character and I was instantly invested in her story and feeling her loneliness in her family. I just wanted to yell at her parents "LOVE YOUR CHILDREN EQUALLY THE WAY YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO!"
I thought the exploration of sister relationships was really compelling and I liked the way that combined with the creepy book plotline.
The atmosphere was great and I really enjoyed Jacqueline West's writing style (though for me personally the book-within-a-book parts weren't as engagingly written as the main story). Definitely recommend this for fans of spooky middle grade, especially if you like when authors use those spooky elements to highlight themes, like I do.
Oh, and I loved the focus on books and libraries!!
CW: Grief, emotional neglect, drowning
This was so good! Part of the set-up reminded me a little of Small Spaces by Katherine Arden (in a good way) but Long Lost definitely stands on its own.
Fiona is a great main character and I was instantly invested in her story and feeling her loneliness in her family. I just wanted to yell at her parents "LOVE YOUR CHILDREN EQUALLY THE WAY YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO!"
I thought the exploration of sister relationships was really compelling and I liked the way that combined with the creepy book plotline.
The atmosphere was great and I really enjoyed Jacqueline West's writing style (though for me personally the book-within-a-book parts weren't as engagingly written as the main story). Definitely recommend this for fans of spooky middle grade, especially if you like when authors use those spooky elements to highlight themes, like I do.
Oh, and I loved the focus on books and libraries!!
CW: Grief, emotional neglect, drowning
March 4, 2023
3,75⭐️/5
Historia, która wciągnęła mnie od początku i nie mogłam oderwać się aż do końca. Główna bohaterka była świetnie wykreowana, a puenta był jasna. Próbowałam wiele razy rozwiązać zagadkę, ponieważ bardzo mnie intrygowała. Ostatecznie przewidziałam zakończenie, lecz pomimo to ta historia chodziła mi pare dni po głowie. Klimat powieści był niezwykle wyrazisty, a język prosty. Ta książka przeniosła mnie na pare godzin do innego świata, świata zagadki i niewiadomych.
Historia, która wciągnęła mnie od początku i nie mogłam oderwać się aż do końca. Główna bohaterka była świetnie wykreowana, a puenta był jasna. Próbowałam wiele razy rozwiązać zagadkę, ponieważ bardzo mnie intrygowała. Ostatecznie przewidziałam zakończenie, lecz pomimo to ta historia chodziła mi pare dni po głowie. Klimat powieści był niezwykle wyrazisty, a język prosty. Ta książka przeniosła mnie na pare godzin do innego świata, świata zagadki i niewiadomych.
May 27, 2021
Not sure what age this is meant for cause it genuinely creeped me out lol. This was a great little book about 2 sisters moving to a town with secrets and stories - totally my type of thing! Sweet and a lil spooky :)
July 15, 2022
Okay what a beautiful story 😭😭 the message was so good and emotional
I loved the vibes of old town old houses and old ghosts
I feel like an untied knot was left with the librarian, i thought she had more to do with the story itself.
I loved the vibes of old town old houses and old ghosts
I feel like an untied knot was left with the librarian, i thought she had more to do with the story itself.
March 31, 2023
4,5
Niesamowicie klimatyczna książka!
Nie była idealna, miała swoje słabe momenty, ale zaangażowała mnie jak mało która historia.
Polecam przede wszystkim wielbicielom książek o książkach, małomiasteczkowych tajemnic, relacji na linii siostrzanej czy zjawisk nieco paranormalnych.
Niesamowicie klimatyczna książka!
Nie była idealna, miała swoje słabe momenty, ale zaangażowała mnie jak mało która historia.
Polecam przede wszystkim wielbicielom książek o książkach, małomiasteczkowych tajemnic, relacji na linii siostrzanej czy zjawisk nieco paranormalnych.
March 12, 2022
Mouais, une histoire déjà lue et relue, je pense que les enfants peuvent apprécier s'ils aiment se faire "un peu" peur.
J'ai aimé la mise en abime et le parallèle entre les deux sœurs. Sinon, hyper oubliable et très long pour par grand chose. (On voit venir la fin de très loin).
J'ai aimé la mise en abime et le parallèle entre les deux sœurs. Sinon, hyper oubliable et très long pour par grand chose. (On voit venir la fin de très loin).
not-for-me
January 12, 2022I DNF'd this book with reluctance. It's well-written, and there were parts of it I really enjoyed. But there were aspects that distinctly gave me the creeps; when I looked ahead, I could tell it was going in a direction that was not something I wanted to dwell on, given the anxiety levels I was already experiencing due to the pandemic. (I hasten to add that the book is not related to the pandemic in any way; my anxiety simply makes it difficult at times to handle certain subjects, one of which occurs in this book.)
I would advise caution when giving this book to a sensitive child or tween. Most children will take it in their stride, particularly if they enjoy creepy stories that nonetheless end well. However, some particularly sensitive readers may find it too much for them.
I would advise caution when giving this book to a sensitive child or tween. Most children will take it in their stride, particularly if they enjoy creepy stories that nonetheless end well. However, some particularly sensitive readers may find it too much for them.
November 8, 2021
*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley*
I am catching up on NetGalley reviews and so glad I started with this one. I'm not usually big on ghost stories but I was a bit sucked in by the cover of this one and the story does not disappoint. Deliciously spooky but largely a story about family and loyalty and the complicated relationships between siblings. I read it in just over 24 hours (something I don't do often and haven't done recently). I hope I can add it to my library collection because I have a lot of kids clamoring for scary books.
I am catching up on NetGalley reviews and so glad I started with this one. I'm not usually big on ghost stories but I was a bit sucked in by the cover of this one and the story does not disappoint. Deliciously spooky but largely a story about family and loyalty and the complicated relationships between siblings. I read it in just over 24 hours (something I don't do often and haven't done recently). I hope I can add it to my library collection because I have a lot of kids clamoring for scary books.
October 18, 2023
THIS WAS SO GOOD!
Rarely have I encountered a book, written for any age group, that so perfectly aligns with my interests. This was an incredibly well-written middle-grade ghost story; perfectly atmospheric, genuinely spooky, and full of fun twists I really didn't see coming. Add in the fact that it's basically a love letter to libraries and librarians - from the dedication to the acknowledgments - I'm obsessed.
Judge this book by its absolutely fantastic cover - READ IT & RECOMMEND IT!
Rarely have I encountered a book, written for any age group, that so perfectly aligns with my interests. This was an incredibly well-written middle-grade ghost story; perfectly atmospheric, genuinely spooky, and full of fun twists I really didn't see coming. Add in the fact that it's basically a love letter to libraries and librarians - from the dedication to the acknowledgments - I'm obsessed.
Judge this book by its absolutely fantastic cover - READ IT & RECOMMEND IT!
January 9, 2024
Loved it! All the stars! It was spooky, had great pacing, and I loved Fiona. There are certain characters that I would've loved to read as a kid, and Fiona is one of them. Her family dynamics felt so real to me. And the sneaking and bike riding and tenaciousness. Loved it. Plus, there's an awesome library and librarians that were actually true to life! Jacqueline West has either spent a lot of time in libraries or knows a lot of librarians, or both.
Audiobook was great but I think reading it would've been even better.
Audiobook was great but I think reading it would've been even better.
September 27, 2022
This is a very sweet and slightly spooky story that I will not soon forget. The message was a timely one for me and was an important reminder in my own life -- it can be far too easy to undervalue and underappreciate our family (especially our siblings).
It is a story of libraries and books and secrets, a story of missing children and folk monsters and sisters.
It is an absolutely lovely book, and it made for a great cozy autumn read.
(Also, is that cover not absolutely gorgeous??)
It is a story of libraries and books and secrets, a story of missing children and folk monsters and sisters.
It is an absolutely lovely book, and it made for a great cozy autumn read.
(Also, is that cover not absolutely gorgeous??)
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