Written by Erin Entrada Kelly

Lila sees ghosts, which is strange and, at times, very dangerous. This was something new for her. She is a typical, albeit dramatic, twelve year old, who has some (typical) middle school friendship issues. That changes when her family has a car accident on their way to her estranged grandfather’s home in Ohio (after hearing that he had passed away). Lila begins to see “people” that her family can’t see. When they arrive at her grandpa’s rather creepy home, Lila meets the neighbor kid, Teddy, who explains her Grandpa Clem’s connection to the ghostly world, including a portal to that world on the fourth floor of Grandpa Clem’s home! Grandpa Clem’s ghost visits Lila and tells her he was murdered. Now, he can’t leave until she finds his killer. Things get stranger and creepier – circus ghosts, nightmares for everyone and Grandpa Clem’s business partner, Howler, who is quit a villain and in cahoots with some evil ghosts bent on revenge. Lila, Teddy and Lila’s brother, Caleb, understand that they are the only ones that can fix the portal, sending the ghosts back to the other world and ending the terrible plot of Howler and the evil sibling ghosts.

This hair-raising story begins rather benignly and draws the reader into the world of Lila, who seems like a very typical middle schooler with a very typical family and life. That all begins to change after the car accident and the tension mounts slowly as the reader is pulled into a new chapter of Lila’s life that is anything but typical. Her relationships with her brother and new friend, Teddy, become much stronger as they come together to fight the evil that has entered their lives. And, Lila grows as a person, becoming reflective and working to change some of her poor habits that did not endear her to her peers. Lila’s bravery shines through and she knows that she is the one that can fight the evil and save everyone, with some help from Teddy and Caleb. After that, it’s over, right?

There are some interesting interactive elements via a QR code at the end of the story. Hand this book to your readers that enjoy Mary Downing Hahn or Dan Poblocki books. It’s just scary enough to be fun. They will want to read it with the lights on, though. Highly recommended.