Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

I really ought to be reviewing The House at the End of Hope Street, which I finished more than a week ago.  I meant to on Wednesday, in fact.  I meant to again, today.  And yet…I’m still trying to work out exactly what I want to say about that one, and in the meantime, I finished reading Anya’s Ghost to see if it was suitable for my oldest.

It’s not.

It’s not a bad book, you understand.  I just looked at the description and thought “hey, interesting mystery!” instead of looking at the recommended age range and thinking “hmm, 12-17 or 7th grade and up…”  It’s a graphic novel about an unhappy girl who becomes friends with a ghost–and ultimately learns some surprising truths about herself.  I would almost classify it as horror, which is not at all my thing, but it’s really just a contemporary ghost story.  Anya was well-drawn (mostly figuratively, because I’m not really qualified to judge the literal aspect there!) and became far more likable during the course of the book, as her view of her world became a truer one.  There is some common high school bad behavior here, but nothing explicit or (sadly) shocking to today’s teens.  I wouldn’t mind my kids reading it in high school, since Anya comes to some valuable conclusions about some of that behavior; for now, however, back to the library it goes.

Bottom line?  If your latter junior high or high schooler likes graphic novels and/or ghost stories, it’s worth a look.  I would NOT give it to elementary schoolers–under any circumstances.