Field of Screams

Parris, Wendy. Field of Screams
August 1, 2023 by Delacorte Press

E ARC provided by Netgalley

Rebecca and her mother decide to spend the summer in Iowa while her mother works on her PhD so she can earn more money teaching high school. Rebecca's father died when she was in kindergarten, and she still misses him. While she had wanted to connect with his family in Iowa years ago, she's not happy that her mother has picked this summer to do so, since she is missing summer camp with her best friend. Her Uncle Jon lives on the family farm, where he and her dad had spent summers with their grandparents. It was in the care of an uncle, and needs some work, so he and her Aunt Sylvie are glad to have Rebecca to help with her young cousin Justin, especially since Sylvie is heavily pregnant. Rebecca thinks the summer will be dull, but is very interested in ghosts and paranormal activity, and hopes that the old farmhouse will be haunted. She meets neighbor kids Nick and Kelsie; Nick is sweet and nice, but Kelsie is whiny and unpleasant, especially when her father starts chatting up Rebecca's mother. Kelsie's parents are divorced, and she would like to go spend time with her mother in California, hoping to get them back together. She also is jealous of the time that Nick spends with Rebecca. There is something odd in the house; there's a one eyed barn cat named Jade who seems to spook at everything, odd cold areas around the house, and swings that go back and forth for no clear reason. Of course, since everyone knows Rebecca's interest in ghosts, no one believes her. She has an even more intense experience at an abandoned house nearby, Meadow Winds Farm. This is owned by Kelsie's grandfather, and Rebecca is warned away, but she investigates the house. Between what she finds and sees there, and some family documents in the attic, she realizes that her father also had some paranormal experiences, and manages to track down the background of the most likely candidate for haunting. Will she be able to figure out what the ghost wants before another tragedy occurs?
Strengths: It's clear that Parris has spent some quality time in Iowa, and the descriptions are fantastic. I also know that the rundown house at Meadow Winds farm is completely realistic; my uncle owned a similar house, and my cousin and I got to go into it before it was torn down! Rebecca's interest in ghosts is shared by many of my readers, and her family's refusal to believe her will be familiar to them. The family dynamics add a lot to the story, and Rebecca's dislike of her mother dating is quite normal for a rising 7th grader, at least if you believe middle grade literature! The history is interesting as Rebecca uncovers it, and the ghost has solid reasons for hanging around. 
Weaknesses: This has a great cover, and I loved all the family history, but it was more spooky than scary. It would be perfect for elementary readers; my students are apparently weirdly blood thirsty! There are other books with the title Field of Screams, so I wish the title had been different. 

What I really think: This is a great choice for readers who like spooky stories like Shawl's Speculation or Urban's Almost There and Almost Not.