GHOST WRITERS

Twin siblings correspond with the ghost next door in Green’s free-verse middle-grade spookfest.

Thirteen-year-old Jayce and Evie are ready to unwind for their first summer vacation at a Virginia lake resort. Local kids quickly fill them in on the legend surrounding Lake Lucy, reputedly named after a girl who inexplicably disappeared. As if that weren’t scary enough, an old, abandoned, and probably haunted house sits right next to the rental where the twins and their parents are staying. After Jayce captures video footage of a potential ghost at said house, he seeks answers by means of writing a letter to the shade (actually, his braver sister slips it in the house’s mailbox). Even Jayce is surprised when the ghost writes back. Though the scribbled replies are initially vague, later correspondence makes an unusual demand of the twins. Jayce, whose dreams are plagued by the haunted house and phantom resident, willingly obliges. Is this ghost Lucy, or someone else, and what exactly do they want? Green’s free-verse text gives this novel ample style without diluting its substance. Suspense slowly builds as more than one person warns the twins to avoid the house and Evie spots something bizarre through a window…something that doesn’t belong. The cast shines, including the ever-playful Evie, whose most beloved possession is a plush lizard; fellow vacationer Blas, whose unwavering support boosts Jayce’s courage; and the mysterious “year-round boy” whose family runs the resort. Readers will fly through these pages as short stanzas beget concise chapters. The author’s lyrical verse makes reading a sheer delight: “My air-conditioned feet wiggle / as mist pours from the door / like steam from a witch’s cauldron.” The story takes a noticeable turn well before the end; while this blunts some of the mystery, the moody atmosphere sticks around for quite a long time.

Chic, engaging storytelling elevates this delectable horror romp.