Book Review: Took: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn
Took: A Ghost Story
Author: Mary Downing Hahn
Published: September 15, 2015
272 Pages
Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
“Folks say Old Auntie takes a girl and keeps her fifty years—then lets her go and takes another one.”
Thirteen-year-old Daniel Anderson doesn’t believe Brody Mason’s crazy stories about the ghost witch who lives up on Brewster’s Hill with Bloody Bones, her man-eating razorback hog. He figures Brody’s probably just trying to scare him since he’s the new kid . . . a “stuck-up snot” from Connecticut. But Daniel’s seven-year-old sister Erica has become more and more withdrawn, talking to her lookalike doll. When she disappears into the woods one day, he knows something is terribly wrong.
Did the witch strike? Has Erica been “took”?
Kim’s Review:
Another excellent horror story from Hahn! This one was a little more complicated than her others and thankfully didn’t have an obnoxious child that makes you want to just give them up to whatever evil being is around! Creepy dolls, a witch, a man-boar and some twists and turns and you have Took. It’s a simple enough story, but with complicated themes and feelings and that’s what I liked about it. And as usual, I was creeped out through the whole thing. This is another great one for kids who prefer the scarier reads!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Book Review: The Girl in the Locked Room by Mary Downing Hahn
The Girl in the Locked Room: A Ghost Story
Author: Mary Downing Hahn
Published:
200 Pages
Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Rating: 3 stars
Book Description:
A family moves into an old, abandoned house. Jules’s parents love the house, but Jules is frightened and feels a sense of foreboding. When she sees a pale face in an upstairs window, though, she can’t stop wondering about the eerie presence on the top floor—in a room with a locked door. Could it be someone who lived in the house a century earlier?
Her fear replaced by fascination, Jules is determined to make contact with the mysterious figure and help unlock the door. Past and present intersect as she and her ghostly friend discover—and change—the fate of the family who lived in the house all those many years ago.
Kim’s Review:
Not my favorite of her books. Normally she goes all out with the scary, even though she’s writing for kids. This one was just … weird. Ok, it has a ghost but then Hahn throws in some science fiction stuff about alternate realities and there’s kinda sorta time travel but not really. As a kids story, it was ok. As a ghost story, eh; I prefer my ghosts to be scary. As a horror story, it was no good. I wasn’t scared. I doubt anyone who reads it would be scared. The characters are ok, nothing really stands out about them. Oak Hill is fabulous but other than a few descriptions, it doesn’t even play a big part in the story. This book was just alright. Sure, I’d give it to a kid to read, but I wouldn’t expect an adult to get much out of it.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Book Review: One for Sorrow by Mary Downing Hahn
One for Sorrow
Author: Mary Downing Hahn
Published: July 18, 2017
304 Pages
Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
Against the ominous backdrop of the influenza epidemic of 1918, Annie, a new girl at school, is claimed as best friend by Elsie, a classmate who is a tattletale, a liar, and a thief. Soon Annie makes other friends and finds herself joining them in teasing and tormenting Elsie. Elsie dies from influenza, but then she returns to reclaim Annie’s friendship and punish all the girls who bullied her. Young readers who revel in spooky stories will relish this chilling tale of a girl haunted by a vengeful ghost.
Kim’s Review:
Another chilling tale from Hahn! My gosh she is the queen of kids’ horror! This one seemed appropriate for the times since it takes place during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918. Seems a bit more romantic than covid, but I guess we’ll take what we can get.
I really liked this book. The atmosphere of Baltimore in winter and the cemetery in the snow and the mental hospital were vivid and interesting. The story was unique and satisfying and it gave me goosebumps in several places. And considering how annoying I find kids, I actually really liked Annie. She seemed sincere and relatable. My one issue is my complete and utter discomfort caused by Elsie! Hahn does this thing where she puts the nastiest kids down on paper and I spend half my time wishing they never existed! I know the point is to make them unlikable and downright unbearable … but dang, sometimes it’s just too much! But her horribleness added to the story so I was mostly ok. I would definitely recommend this to horror fans and even to kids who like the scarier stories.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
