March 18, 2025 by Amulet Books
E ARC provided by Edelweis
Gabby and Trent Manning have inherited the family ability to see ghosts and release them that their grandparents had. While things didn't end well for the grandparents, the twins' mother is devoted to the idea that they will continue the family legacy, and is obsessed with posting videos of them dispatching ghosts on YouTube, worrying about the number of views they get. Gabby is sick of it; the black clothing, the dramatic flair, and the fact that everyone at school knows that she is involved in something rather odd. She'd rather devote herself to soccer, which is hard, since dealing with ghosts is very physically draining. Trent doesn't care as much, and seems to want to make his mother happy. When the anniversary of an ill-fated seance at the local Majestic theater approaches, the mother makes a deal with the owner, Dale Prescott, that the twins' will figure out a decades old mystery and send the ghosts on their way if she can film in the theater. The Majestic has been abandoned since 1965, when there was an unsolved triple murder. In 1995, the grandparents visited it, but were unable to send the spirits on their way. Upon entering the building, Gabby and Trent can tell that there is real evil afoot, but they hope that by dealing with it, their mother will put less pressure on them to ghost hunt. This is especially important to Gabby, since she is missing a crucial soccer game to humor her mother. There are rats, spiders, creepy marionettes, and a demon who possesses Gabby in the same way that her grandfather was possessed back in 1995. Her grandmother managed to save him, but wasn't able to do anything else. Will the twins' finally be able to solve the mystery and find a way to release the ghosts and return the demon?
Strengths: Middle grade readers are often obsesses with being YouTube or TikTok stars, but don't know how much work it is to create content. Gabby's weariness at having to constantly perform for her mother is a very realistic look at how a young person might feel if they had powers that a parent wanted to exploit. The family connection was interesting, and I could just about believe that a building had been abandoned since 1965. Both Gabby and Trent were well versed in the essentials of dealing with ghosts and demons, thanks to a book written by their grandparents, and were fairly cautious and more prepared than their mother. There were plenty of creepy things that will keep horror readers turning the pages.
Weaknesses: There is just a passing reference to the twins' father, and I was a bit curious as to what happened to him. Since the mother really annoyed me, maybe the answer's obvious. There was also some mention of friends at school, and it wouldn't be a surprise if this became a series. The cover is okay, but might age badly.
What I really think: Theaters seem to be especially haunted places! Add this to a playbill that includes Freeman's Noah McNichol and the Backstage Ghost, Gonzalez's Fearless, Key's Twelfth, Parris' Stage Fright, Shepherd's The Twilight Curse, and Schusterman's Olive and the Backstage Ghost.
Gabby and Trent Manning have inherited the family ability to see ghosts and release them that their grandparents had. While things didn't end well for the grandparents, the twins' mother is devoted to the idea that they will continue the family legacy, and is obsessed with posting videos of them dispatching ghosts on YouTube, worrying about the number of views they get. Gabby is sick of it; the black clothing, the dramatic flair, and the fact that everyone at school knows that she is involved in something rather odd. She'd rather devote herself to soccer, which is hard, since dealing with ghosts is very physically draining. Trent doesn't care as much, and seems to want to make his mother happy. When the anniversary of an ill-fated seance at the local Majestic theater approaches, the mother makes a deal with the owner, Dale Prescott, that the twins' will figure out a decades old mystery and send the ghosts on their way if she can film in the theater. The Majestic has been abandoned since 1965, when there was an unsolved triple murder. In 1995, the grandparents visited it, but were unable to send the spirits on their way. Upon entering the building, Gabby and Trent can tell that there is real evil afoot, but they hope that by dealing with it, their mother will put less pressure on them to ghost hunt. This is especially important to Gabby, since she is missing a crucial soccer game to humor her mother. There are rats, spiders, creepy marionettes, and a demon who possesses Gabby in the same way that her grandfather was possessed back in 1995. Her grandmother managed to save him, but wasn't able to do anything else. Will the twins' finally be able to solve the mystery and find a way to release the ghosts and return the demon?
Strengths: Middle grade readers are often obsesses with being YouTube or TikTok stars, but don't know how much work it is to create content. Gabby's weariness at having to constantly perform for her mother is a very realistic look at how a young person might feel if they had powers that a parent wanted to exploit. The family connection was interesting, and I could just about believe that a building had been abandoned since 1965. Both Gabby and Trent were well versed in the essentials of dealing with ghosts and demons, thanks to a book written by their grandparents, and were fairly cautious and more prepared than their mother. There were plenty of creepy things that will keep horror readers turning the pages.
Weaknesses: There is just a passing reference to the twins' father, and I was a bit curious as to what happened to him. Since the mother really annoyed me, maybe the answer's obvious. There was also some mention of friends at school, and it wouldn't be a surprise if this became a series. The cover is okay, but might age badly.
What I really think: Theaters seem to be especially haunted places! Add this to a playbill that includes Freeman's Noah McNichol and the Backstage Ghost, Gonzalez's Fearless, Key's Twelfth, Parris' Stage Fright, Shepherd's The Twilight Curse, and Schusterman's Olive and the Backstage Ghost.
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