Other than changing his hair, this boy has no character development in the book. Not only is he deplorably lacking in self-esteem, but it may be justified. It’s a little scary to think that some reader out there would actually identify with the “hero” of this book. I’d recommend reading the original series again, even with its dated cars and clothing. In addition to the error, the writing is choppy, the plot is thin, and Nancy has none of the sophisticated appeal that I remember. Unfortunately, the writer(s) didn’t even get all their history correct for example, they claim that television wasn’t popular until the 1940’s. This book has only a couple of things going for it: it’s short, and it tries to bring the Great Depression to life for young readers. The Nancy Drew series has long been popular, and at one time that was reasonable they were well-written. Nancy Drew, girl detective #14: Bad times, big crimes. Enjoyable reading, with action that will take the reader to the end. The “monsters” are depicted in a human way, reminiscent of the old movie “Freaks”. The story is sensitive to the mood swings of the ill mother, and it touches carefully on the difficult family situations that seem to run through generations. He discovers the world of “freak shows” when he meets the “fairy child” that lives in the basement, held captive for paying customers. The Sign of the Raven is the tavern next door. In the basement of grandmother’s house, Tom finds a time anomaly that allows him to travel back in time to 1717 in the same house of his ancestors. This modern fantasy set in London, England, is about a young teen boy coping with his mother’s illness (breast cancer) and their move to his grandmother’s so she can sort out some old emotional baggage. NY: Ginee Seo Books (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster), 2003 (first published in Great Britain 1st US pub. The ending is less than happy, and also somewhat less than satisfying, but the book should keep teens reading. She attempts to find a mentor that can help her understand her situation, but is frustrated. The story is about a girl who is mysteriously compelled to eat a plant that’s growing out of a dead child’s body in a crypt, and it changes her so that she has a “gift” and can see ghostly figures no one else can see. Between the first person and present tense, the writing could have been a lot worse, but in fact the story is carried along well and is intriguing enough to make the reader continue. The short chapters are a bit confusing since each is written in the first person but from a different character’s point of view. This German novel, published for the first time in English, is in the gothic horror genre. NY: The Chicken House (Scholastic Books), 2002/2005.
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