| Title | : | Wait Till Helen Comes |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0380704420 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780380704422 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 184 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1986 |
| Awards | : | Texas Bluebonnet Award (1989), Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (1988), Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award (1989), Iowa Children's Choice Award (1990), Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (1990) |
Heather is such a whiny little brat. Always getting Michael and me into trouble. But since our mother married her father, we're stuck with her ... our "poor stepsister" who lost her real mother in a mysterious fire.
But now something terrible has happened. Heather has found a new friend, out in the graveyard behind our home—a girl named Helen who died with her family in a mysterious fire over a hundred years ago. Now her ghost returns to lure children into the pond ... to drown! I don't want to believe in ghosts, but I've followed Heather into the graveyard and watch her talk to Helen. And I'm terrified. Not for myself, but for Heather...
Wait Till Helen Comes Reviews
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JANUARY
as part of my personal reading challenges for 2017, once a month i will be revisiting a favorite book from when i was a little bitty karen and seeing if it holds up to my fond memories and determining if i can still enjoy it as an old and crotchety karen.
fingers crossed.
so: first things first. in answer to the question 'does this book hold up?' it does. i mean, i read this book countless times in my childhood, so the plot is still emblazoned on my brain and the tension of "what will happen next???" was obviously not a factor, but the risk of revisiting childhood favorites is that instead of giving feelings of sweet nostalgic warmth to the adult reader, the book will instead cause some harsh self-scrutiny along the lines of 'how did i ever like such garbage?'
baby-karen's review:
this is a good story. it is spooky and mysterious and it has a mean ghost. i hated the part and i think heather should have been punished more because she was such a brat the whole time.
the adult-review of this is more critical, and more focused on one particular element: terrible parenting. there will probably also be spoilers.
reading this as a kid, the adult characters were inessential. they had no purpose other than as representations of the unfairness of the world: they don't believe that the ghost is real, or that heather is a manipulative little monster, and the children suffer because of their unwillingness to listen/believe.
but adult-me is horrified with how irresponsible these people are!
if you recall, molly (12) and michael (10) are siblings whose mother jean has just remarried a man named dave who has a seven-year-old daughter named heather. heather's mother died in a fire when she was three and she (they?) had been living with her grandmother until this union brought everyone under one roof in baltimore. suddenly, jean announces that in three months, the whole brood will be moving to the country, into a renovated church with space for jean to paint and dave to have a pottery workshop.
so, in the throes of newlywed bliss and arts n' crafts mania, they pick up stakes and move to the middle of nowhere, despite both children having made wholesome, academic plans for their summer - molly taking an enrichment program in creative writing and michael signed up for the science club. and what do they get to do in the middle of nowhere instead of broadening their minds?? babysit. babysit a little brat who hates the children, their mother, suddenly having to share a room, and everything about her life except the creepy little ghost who totally gets her.
but surely jean will notice when things start going wrong, right? nope!
She has a maddening habit of drifting away into her private dream world just when you need her most.
not a good quality in a mommy.
so these hippies get to do as they please - he in the carriage house, she in the choir loft, isolating themselves from the goings-on of their children and unconcerned with what they could be getting into: exploring their own backyard graveyard where old caretaker-man tells them tales of dead children, running around the burned-out shell of an abandoned house where there is evidence of beer bottles and other teenage mischief and no place for little kids, riding their bikes miles away to "town," which may not be balmer but in a time before cellphones and bike helmets, they should probably be supervised their first time out, right?
not here, in this summer of neglect and free childcare! the children immediately take a backseat to the artistic pursuits of the people who should be acclimating everyone into their new living arrangements:
That evening, after Dave's friends left, we had our first dinner in the church. Mom and Dave did most of the talking; they didn't make much of an effort to involve us in the plans they were making for their art projects.
molly is particularly entrusted with the care and maintenance of heather, despite heather's vehemently expressed hatred of her.
"I've got a lot to do, Molly. As soon as you finish eating, please go out and keep an eye on Heather. I don't want her wandering off."
"Can't I stay in and help you?"
She patted my shoulder. "The nicest thing you can do for me is to look after Heather."
and
"You know, though, Molly, that Dave and I count on you and Michael to take care of Heather. It's up to you to make sure she doesn't run wild in the woods all day."
and, most selfishly:
"We moved here so Dave and I would have time to work without worrying about you all…Go on, now, and find something to do. I've got to get back to my painting."
priorities very clear, there.
and all this time, heather is a malignant little creature trying to start fights and get her stepsiblings into trouble, quite successfully. the adults frequently refer to her as "unhappy," and "disturbed," and "sensitive," but no one seems to want to do anything about this. despite her screaming nightmares, constant lies and threats, and outbursts where she says she hates everybody and wants her own dead mother back, no one's working towards making this kid any better.
"You know perfectly well what Dave thinks of shrinks, Michael. I heard him tell Mom that all they do is mess up your head."
instead, the solution is to leave heather in the care of children she hates. and dave's kind of a dick. he's condescending to molly's fears of the graveyard on their property:
You've been fretting about that graveyard ever since we moved in here. It doesn't bother anybody else, so forget it, okay?"
he calls them "little monsters," and yells at them both, frequently, for things heather has lied about them doing, and even grabs michael by the neck of his t-shirt, while screaming at him. and yet… at one point, molly and michael ride their bikes to the library, leaving heather with her father in his studio. when they return - drama:
"You were supposed to be here watching Heather."
and
"We couldn't find any of you! We called and called. Finally I found Heather way down on the other side of the creek near that ruin you told your mother about."
which just means that he was too caught up in his pot(s) to notice when his young daughter left his side and wandered off into danger. bad daddy!
and yet a few days after this, it's as though all fears of unattended children are forgotten. while molly and michael are outside, the adults both go off shopping in baltimore, leaving heather alone in the house watching t.v., and via note, instructing them to watch her, naturally, and also stating that heather promised to stay indoors until they got back. which she doesn't. naturally. and she has wandered off into some serious trouble.
it's just a pattern of bad decisions and carelessness and expecting pre-teens to become guardians to a little girl who hates them. and i know it's silly to judge a children's book so harshly for its absentee parenthood, since the whole point is that the children are on their own against supernatural forces and the lesson is about manning up and standing on your own and being a hero when the world has left you to fight your own battles, but it's just something that struck me in my adult reading that never even occurred to me as a babe, so i guess i just ran with it. oops.
but come on! after helen destroys all of jean's paintings:Mom fell against Dave, too upset to speak. He put his arms around her and stroked her hair as if she were a child, letting her tears soak his shirt.
Heather hovered near her father, obviously displeased by the attention he was giving Mom.
"Don't cry, Jean, don't cry," Dave whispered. "If I can't fix the easel, I'll get you another one."
"But we can't afford it," Mom sobbed. "We were counting on the sale of my paintings to get through the winter. Now they're ruined. How will we pay the mortgage? How will we heat the house?"
if you are one easel away from bankruptcy, you have no business packing up your kids to the middle of nowhere in order to become artists, for goodness' sake. stay in baltimore where there are proper jobs, do right by your children and don't risk them starving or freezing to death because you think you're gonna live off of paintings of barns and lopsided bowls.
better adulting, please!
***********************************************
also, i don't know if i mentioned that i would be reading my actual childhood copies of these books, found and snatched from my dad's place when he was moving a couple years back.
look how cheap books were!
and look how cute i was with my bookplate-having self (also noteworthy to those of you whose hobby is forging other people's childhood signatures)
and lo - this is how the ancients kept track of the books they read. these hieroglyphs tell us that at one point i had not read the jellyfish season, and then, later... i did. it's important to keep records up to date.
FEBRUARY:
the little gymnast
MARCH:
zucchini
APRIL:
something queer at the library
MAY:
good-bye pink pig
JUNE:
the girl with the silver eyes
JULY:
the phantom tollbooth
come to my blog! -
When I was eleven, one of my teachers read this book to the class. I don't know what it was about WAIT TILL HELEN COMES, or if it was something the teacher said, but this was the book that somehow informed me that books don't magically appear on library shelves, as I'd previously believed. Books must be written. By people. Like, it's their job to make up stories. And if I worked hard enough, it could be my job, too.
It was also one of the first books I remember reading on my own where the magic was real -- where ghosts weren't explained away by wind or pale (but living) creatures. When I knew I liked this book, I was able to tell my librarians and get more books that set my imagination free.
I will always love this book. -
Sigh...the good ghost stories that somehow passed me by as a kid...well, better late than never! This is a bone-chilling goodie, too. Everything I love in a ghost story: creepy little girls, hidden graves, faces in windows, crumbling ruins in the woods, even a dark and murky pond. Brrrrr!! A bit dated, but none-the-less, a gem of a read right before Halloween.
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This book wasn't the most terrifying ghost story. But the book did keep me interested and entertained throughout. It was about a 3 star book for me until thr last quarter of the book when everything started wrapping up. The ending was a 4 star for me... The message in Wait Till Helen Comes is both heart wrenchingly beautiful as well as heart WARMING. A stunning little book that's perfect for young children. (Especially if they like ghost stories.) It has its spooky moments but it isn't anything terrifying, gruesome or that would keep anyone up at night. Very sweet book! I'm conflicted on the rating for this though. I think for me personally it's a 3.5/ high 3 star book :)
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I was really enjoying this young adult ghost story until we got to the ending. I wish Hahn had gone a different route, or at least made it that things were not wrapped up so smoothly. Then again maybe I'm a blood thirsty reader who wanted some murder and mayhem to occur.
Told in the first person, we follow 12 year old Molly as she and the rest of her blended family move from Baltimore to some random place in the country.
Right away Hahn causes all my sympathies to lie towards Molly and her 10 year old brother Michael. Molly and Michael's mother Jean has remarried a man named Dave. Dave has a 7 year old daughter named Heather. Heather sucks. I don't care about how Hahn tries to absolve that kid of some of the things that goes on, but nope. She's awful. Her father is too.
Picture it, you're randomly just told that you and your brother and the rest of your blended family are moving out to the country. There goes your summer of hanging out with your friends, the ability for you to participate at a lot of events. Instead of you're getting moved to some old church so your mother and your stepfather can concentrate on their artistic endeavors. Frankly I kind of hope the parents would meet a bad end in this book. Because those two were probably two of the most selfish human beings ever. They sucked as parents and even partners. I just couldn't get over how Molly and Michael's mom just expected them to sit there and watch their terrible stepsister while she did things. Also I'm kind of baffled that they would move this family out somewhere randomly in the country that doesn't seem to have a school system set up to what the kids were used to.
Once the family settles into the old church, things start to happen. They find out that they have a graveyard on their property, and a dilapidated home nearby as well. Things take a turn for the worse when it appears that Heather seems to be talking to someone named Helen and Heather keeps threatening Michael and Molly that when Helen comes she's going to make them pay. We have a lot of tension being built in the story as Molly starts to realize what's going on and nobody believes her. But also there's tension because a family of five plopped down in the middle of nowhere is going to have a lot of issues especially when half of the family doesn't appear to like each other much.
Molly is cast in the role of a modern-day Cassandra that will not be believed no matter what is being shown to everybody around her. Her brother Michael is a budding scientist and skeptic, and doesn't believe in ghosts. He just believes that Heather's doing what she can to get a rise out of Molly. The two parents are just oblivious and jerks and blame both Molly and Michael anytime Heather's upset about anything. Frankly it would have done everybody a lot of good of Heather had just been turned over somebody's knee and spanked, but there you go. And Heather is at turns dishonest, shows jealousy and just general jerkitude about everything that's going on.
I did like the writing and thought that Hahn did a very good job of setting the mood so to speak. The illustration was pretty cool to look at at the beginning of the book that showed the layout of the church, the graveyard, Harper House, and the pond that is nearby.
The flow was okay, though after the first couple of incidents you just kind of want the story to get on already. But this is a really short book and you can easily complete it in about an hour.
This is definitely a good book to read on a rainy day or at night right before you go to bed. I have already said though I did find the ending to be just blah. I think Hahn could have gone for maximum horror effect if she had just decided to change the ending up and this would have easily been a five-star book in my mind. -
This is a book I've literally had on my shelf for over 10 years. My aunt gave it to me years ago, as it was her favorite children's book. I, being a terrible niece, never read it. Until now.
Wait Till Helen Comes is an interesting book. I think it might have scared me, as a child. It deals heavily with death, some twisted forms of manipulation from a ghost, and multiple people dying in fires. Surprisingly dark for a middle grade book.
As an adult, I was extremely bothered by how terrible and worthless every character except for Molly and Heather were. The parents were exceptionally terrible (we pulled you out of your wonderfully educational summer programs to move to the country to work on our art, find something else to do. also, take care of your deeply troubled stepsister, and anything she does will be your fault because it's now your responsibility. parents OUT!)
No! You can't just put all the responsibilities of taking care of your OWN KID on YOUR OTHER KID. Bad parenting. Stop making clay pots and sort your shit out.
Michael, too, was a joke. He spent most of the book running off to collect bugs and leaving Molly to deal with Heather on her own when she's clearly EXTREMELY UPSET and totally needs his help.
The overall plot of the Helen stuff was pretty interesting, for a middle grade, but I think the selfish/horrible family members really ruined the book for me. I truly wish I'd read this as a kid when my aunt first gave it to me, but I'm glad I've at least finally checked it off my list. -
Being a grandparent has enriched my life in so many ways, including the books I read. Being on the lookout for children’s books to share with my grandsons, who have also become quite avid readers, I have discovered that children’s books can be very enjoyable for adults as well.
A children’s book (a novel) that I recently spotted is Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn. Since my grandsons are old enough to handle a thriller, and with Halloween coming soon, I gave this book a read.
It is a creepy story. The main characters are children, so that adds vulnerability for these kids doing things that adults would probably avoid. This book is a good read for adults too, and I rate this book 4 stars!
Find this book and other titles within
our catalog. -
Ahoy there mateys! I had forgotten all about this book and was reminded of it today. I freakin' loved this book when I was a wee lass. I know the ending was wrapped up tidily but I read it over and over again. So five stars for nostalgia alone. Arrrr!
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I recently read One for Sorrow by Mary Downing Hahn and thought it was a decent ghost story for middle grade readers, but it made me nostalgic for Hahn's older work. I read Wait Till Helen Comes way back in sixth grade. I remembered loving it and always categorized it as a favorite, so I figured it was the perfect book to revisit, especially in February during women of horror month. Happily, this was just as good as I remembered it being. So much nostalgia! It's creepy, dark (for a children's book), masterfully paced, cozy, and gothic, but it's also a great summer read. The descriptions of warm nights and green fields glowing with fireflies made my heart long for those bright, sunny months even more.
Yep, this one is still a favorite! 5 stars. -
I was shocked to dislike “Wait Till Helen Comes”. I know four Mary Downing Hahn novels and revere “Time For Andrew” as one of the best novels I have ever read. It is so unforgettable, the protagonists’ age didn’t matter. The adventure was in the forefront. I had heard of Mary’s earlier 1986 novel, made into a film. I thought: if I love her mysteries so far, “Wait Till Helen Comes” must be spectacular. At last, a thrift store yielded a copy.
Many of my reviews discuss dismay with authors who squander great content by prioritizing the wrong focal points. If you want to write about children who struggle with a stepsibling and stepparent, which is what dominated this purported youth horror novel, be clear that the paranormal is secondary; solely permeating the last couple of chapters. If you propose a ghost story, MAKE IT a ghost story front and centre. Liking characters can at least, brighten the literary trespasses but that flopped, too.
Molly’s & Micheal’s Mom, Jean, married Heather’s Dad, Dave. We feel sorry for Heather at the eleventh hour but she was a pill. Dave believed no one but his lying daughter and Jean’s passivity rankled. Michael was as selfish as the adults; off on personal projects, saddling Molly with a stepsister who disrespected her. He failed as a brother and as a realistic kid, by refusing to believe in the ghost, Helen, to the end. The promise made, when the pair was forced to move to “Holwell”, is that they could avail themselves of its library. The one time they visited it and researched the ghost, one of only two enjoyable scenes; they were bawled-out. The electrifying action and atmosphere of the final chapters should have driven the book. They raised the grade to two stars. -
Just as creepy as when I was a kid. The kind of book that reminds me of what I like about ghost stories. Nothing over the top, just perfectly atmospheric and haunting. In some ways it reminds me of my favorite Disney movie from childhood.
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Read in one sitting. Really great middle-grade ghost story. I'd give this one a 3.5 star rating.
Full review to come. -
Yo, this book holds up.
https://www.frowl.org/worstbestseller... -
We were discussing MG ghost stories on GR a while back, and this is one of the recommendations I got.
We have a blended family — Molly and Michael’s mom marries Heather’s dad — that moves into a converted church in a rural community. Of course it has a graveyard. It’s pretty clear that there really is a ghost, but only Molly and Heather see it or believe in it.
These are terrible parents. They tell 12-year-old Molly she has to babysit Heather 24/7 and get mad at her if she messes up. They jump to conclusions and take sides in disputes. (They’re too busy focusing on their art careers.) Heather is such a brat, you don’t really care if she’s in danger from a ghost. Terrible parents!
The story of the ghost’s background was interesting; I wish there was more of it. The ending felt a tad rushed. Still, it’s a decent MG story from the 1980s.
Language: None
Sexual Content: None
Violence: Mild
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers): -
I loved this book! It was really creepy! I think all of you should read it! ......
Michaeal & Molly have to move to an old church (now a house) with their mom and new stepfather. They are not happy at ALL & will miss all of their friends! Unfourtunatly Molly has to share a room with her new step sister, Heather! She is really rude & creepy. One day Heather wanders off to the graveyard behind the house. She soon creepily comes attached to this one grave in particular. Then one day Heather pushes Molly down a well......JK! Lol, but you do need to read this book to find out the rest.....& NO! No one falls or gets pushed down a well!
~♥PEACE♥~
♥~MeReDiTh~♥ -
This book is a bit childish and the only reason why it holds my interest for an hour or two is because Heather annoys me. I want pinch her cheeks.
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Read this one aloud to my students again.
Nothing gets the blood chilling like ghost children. Shiver... -
I haven't read this book since I was a little girl, but I'm giving it five stars simply because I slept with my light on for a week after reading it!
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I remember reading this as a kid, but could not for the life of me remember what this book was called or who wrote it. It's haunted me (pardon the pun) for years trying to remember it until I randomly came across it in my feed tonight! This is why I love Goodreads so much!
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I can not tell you when I read this book last, it was a childhood favorite, I was around 8 when I first met Helen. I know that that is probably the book that I would have to accredit for my love of the spooky literature. I was already drawn to the darker side, having the Labyrinth to thank for that.
Reading it as an adult not only am I experiencing the story again, and some what fresh to me as like I said it's been awhile but I'm looking at little me through older eyes. And as much as Heather annoyed the heck out of me as an adult, I can imagine little me clicked with her in ways, I wasn't a hateful monster of a kid but I, like both her and Helen, was also a lonely child.
When ever you revisit a favorite from childhood be it books, tv shows or movies you run the risk of spoiling the memory. But with that being said, it's safe to say this didn't happen in this case. In fact I think it helped me as a person to go back to it. Sometimes revisiting the past can help in the present. -
A solidly executed middle grade horror novel. There's some really morbid stuff here that can be legitimately scary (I was scared of/fascinated with it as a kid) for young readers. And it's all built around a classic family dynamics story (step-siblings who don't like each other) that keeps it grounded. A fun one to come back to as an adult, but I would only give it to a kid who's ready for scares.
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"Whether Heather had dreamed her up or not, she had made things worse. Day by day, our lives seemed to grow unhappier, as if she had the ability somehow to reach out from the grave and touch us all with her misery."
Horror blast from the past!
It’s been a really long time since I’ve read a book by MDH. I used to read her books when I was full of energy, rode my bike until the street lights popped on, and didn’t care if I scraped my knee. Now I’m a lot older and my joints pop when I move. Ahh, good times.
Spotted this at the thrift store and I had to add it to my collection. It brought back a lot of good memories and it helped me fall deeper in love with the ghostly side of the paranormal.
Aren’t step-siblings the best? The story was a good one. It’s not scary but a hell of a lot of fun. I didn’t know that jewelry could bring out the best in everyone.
Wait Till Helen Comes was a decent read and made me think of better times. They did rerelease this title as a graphic novel but I think I prefer this version. MDH books are always good for a spooktacular time! -
This was a *re-read* of one of my favorites as a kid. (One of my own kids is writing a book report on it, so I thought I'd pick it up to refresh my memory). I have to say, as an adult, I found a lot "wrong" with this book, but as a kid, it seemed perfectly natural for parents to say, "Go play" in a strange neighborhood, and not see their kids again until dinner time.... ;)
Three stars, as an adult. -
RECENSIONE QUI:
https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/...
Quando Helen verrà a prenderti è una storia per giovani adulti dai 10 anni in su, il libro adatto ai bambini che amano storie di fantasmi ma anche per gli adulti che hanno voglia di leggere qualcosa di semplice ma perfettamente suggestivo e inquietante. Attraverso la narrazione in prima persona della protagonista Molly seguiamo le vicende della sua famiglia che da Baltimore si trasferisce in una piccola chiesa di campagna isolata e ristrutturata. Sin da subito l’atmosfera diventa misteriosa e man mano che leggiamo veniamo avvolti da un climax sempre più inquietante che cresce fino a toccare il picco più alto. La famiglia composta da Molly e suo fratello Michael, da sua madre, dal suo patrigno Dave e dalla figlia di Dave, Heather, vengono travolti da un mistero che avvolge la campagna circostante e il cimitero situato sulla loro proprietà. Gli eventi peggiorano quando Molly scopre che la sorellastra Heather parla con un fantasma di nome Helen. Con l’arrivo di Helen comincia a crearsi una tensione che comincia a crescere man mano, soprattutto quando Molly inizia a capire cosa sta succedendo e nessuno le crede e quando la famiglia comincia ad avere problemi e discussioni a causa della gelosia di Heather. La scrittura dell’autrice è scorrevole e intrigante, grazie anche all’atmosfera ricca di dettagli e tensione che ha creato. Man mano che ci addentriamo nella storia immedesimandoci nelle vesti di un bambino di 10 anni possiamo avvertire sulla pelle l’aria soffocante di una giornata estiva che si scontra con il freddo della presenza ultraterrena incarnata dal fantasma di Helen. Ogni personaggio presente nella storia è descritto vividamente, in particolare Molly che incarna l’eroina sensibile e intelligente che crede nei fantasmi e nella vita oltre la morte. Sicuramente il finale è abbastanza prevedibile ma nonostante ciò sono contenta di aver conosciuto questa storia che mi ha trasmesso inquietudine, soprattutto se letta di notte. Quando Helen verrà a prenderti è una storia che lancia al lettore molti messaggi chiave: le dinamiche di una famiglia allargata, l’accettazione di se stessi e degli altri, ma soprattutto il perdono e il superamento delle proprie paure e dei sensi di colpa, il tutto in chiave spettrale.
CONTINUA SUL NOSTRO BLOG. VENITE A TROVARCI
https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/ -
I absolutely love Mary Downing Hahn's stories! They have such a creepy and unsettling vibe to them that it makes it hard to believe that they are actually middle grade novels. She adds just enough detail for you to use you're imagination to fill in the rest and I love how her books are so short and very easy to read. They're great books for anyone who's looking for a spooky story and just wants to get in a quick read. This one in particular I really enjoyed! It was a bit slow to start out with but kept the creepy vibe through out it which was a huge plus for me. I personally like going into her books not really knowing to much of what they're about because it adds mystery to the creepiness. I'm very pleased that I went into this one not knowing a thing about it.
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OMG you guys, this was metal AF for a kids read. I don't know how I skipped this author in my Formative Goth Child years, but I loved this, it reminded me of the Mostly Ghosts series and similars that I loved from the 80s and 90s.
Unexpectedly morose and existential at some parts, this was a great Halloween season choice. I see there's a new graphic novel and I'm sold on that, too. -
Sometimes, it is nice to revisit a very old favourite right before bedtime. There are some chilling paranormal moments for a children’s book.
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this book gave me nightmares as a small child and yet i reread it at least 97 times between the ages of 8 and 13. i think i still own a copy, actually...
re-read: december 3rd, 2011:
i forgot how much i hate heather in this book. yes, it's written in first-person from molly's POV, so, of course, we're supposed to hate heather, but dang! that girl is a witch!
and what's with parents marrying people that their children don't get along with? this plot point probably nagged me as a kid, but now, as a parent, i'm livid. dave is horrible. he's so self-centered (or, heather-centric, but only in so far as heather is his little girl who needs saving. from him. from the big bad world he couldn't save her from so many, many years ago). it's disgusting. and what about the mom? gah! she keeps telling molly that they moved to the old church in the country so that she could paint, dave could throw pots or whatever, and molly and michael could babysit heather. seriously? i get asking older siblings to help out, but to expect that they would raise heather while the parents do what they want is ludicrous. if heather needs to be watched constantly, they should have hired someone, not just expected a couple of pre-teens who didn't want to move in the first place and who hate her to be her caregivers. blech. looootttsss of bad parenting all around here.
to other readers, molly might come across as paranoid or whiny - but she spoke to my morose prepubescent soul. she, like me, is afraid of everything. and i respect that.
the book was probably my first encounter with paralleled situations. hahn succeeds at turning a very unlikable little girl into someone you sympathize with...even if her situation seems particularly farfetched...particularly since it is virtually identical to helen's tale of terror.
i stand by my original assessment - 5 stars for creepy summer fluff and fondly morbid memories. -
Okay what in Lucifer's reach is going on with this book?
Look, I get that this book is considered middle grade and was written in the 80s but it still sucks. Many factors have to come into play before I will give a book a 1 star rating. This one is no exception. The main things that turned me off about this book are:
1. There are literally no likeable characters in this book. Not even Molly, who cries constantly and has zero character arc. The dynamics between the characters are so cliche and unbelievable that it makes me cringe. There's no grey area, characters are either "bad" or "good" caricatures.
2. The only scary thing about this book is how shitty these parents are, especially the mother who consistently puts her children's needs last every time.
3. The dialogue is also cliche and off putting to the point where I wonder if this author has ever heard an actual conversation between people.
4. The story is nothing imaginative. I'm confused why it got a movie deal but not confused about it's IMBD rating.
5. Every cover of this book is embarrassing.
*I would've given this book 2 stars if Heather had died a painful death.
I would not recommend this to anyone. -
My sister's never been much of a reader, but she LOVED this book growing up. It was only ever okay for me, but I didn't remember much at all, so I decided to re-read it.
Sadly it remains only okay for me, but WOW does Hahn ever get the UNFAIRNESS of being a kid right! Being blamed for stuff your sibling did, your parents not believing you!!! My blood boiled reading all those scenes!!!! IT WAS KRISTA, MOM AND DAD, NOT ME!!!!!!!!
