IT'S WATCHING

When looking for ghosts, be prepared for what you might find.

Josie and her best friends, Alison and Jackson, write “The Magnifiying Glass,” an investigative column for their school newspaper. It’s fine but not flashy enough to get them coveted editorial positions when they reach eighth grade next year. That’s how they find themselves on Halloween night with a plan to visit the local cemetery to find out whether the “super-famous ghost” known as the Lady in White is actually real—a topic that, if well executed, will make their column unforgettable. The three carefully plan a weekend unfettered by parental supervision in order to conduct their research. Their paranormal encounter begins with all three receiving unsettling, ominous text messages: “I’m watching” and “You have 2 days.” The haunting begins in earnest when the kids get home, intensifying from small, explainable things—dirt on the floor, a glitching computer—to clear signs that if the spirits aren’t put to rest, the consequences will be dire. Adults remain on the sidelines, raising the stakes and keeping the focus firmly on the relationship among the friends, which feels authentic. The scares feel real, and the central mystery becomes even more interesting from the elements that are rooted in reality and described in the author’s note, which includes photos. The three friends are coded white.

A shivery, ghostly mystery.