Author: Lindsay Currie

Publisher: Sourcebooks Kids

ISBN: 9781728236544

A trio of skeptical middle schoolers encounters a series of strange events in their spooky town, which leave them wondering if ghosts are real. As the friends start investigating the incidents, they realize they may be up against something even more challenging: the unwavering belief of adults that kids don’t know anything. Author Lindsay Currie gives readers a delightfully spooky novel with protagonists that, at times, feel older than their stated ages in her newest release The Girl in White.

Mallory Denton still can’t get over the fact that she and her parents have moved to Eastport, Massachusetts. The seaside town is small compared to her home of Chicago, although Eastport has something Chicago does not: the reputation for being the most haunted town in America. Long-time residents do what they can to attract ghost-hunting tourists, including a monthly Halloween parade and promoting the story of local ghost Sweet Molly, also known as the Girl in White.

It's bad enough that everyone else buys into the cursed-town shtick, but Mallory’s parents are right there with them. They left their busy corporate jobs in Chicago to run a restaurant in Eastport where Mallory’s dad is constantly inventing new dishes with Halloween-themed names and her mom plays hostess by telling ghost stories. It’s all a little silly and over the top, and even after a year Mallory wants to go back to the Windy City.

Having good friends in her new school helps. Mallory doesn’t know what she’d do without Bri and Emmie, even if Bri’s acting skills make her more melodramatic than necessary and Emmie gets into trouble a lot. It’s only because Emmie is bound and determined to disprove all of the ridiculous legends around Eastport. Even though she got into major trouble with her parents the last time she did it, Emmie isn’t going to quit.

Maybe, if Mallory could get a good night’s sleep, things would seem better. Lately she’s been having nightmares about an old lady, and she’s also started sleepwalking. That really scares her, until she meets next-door neighbor and classmate Joshua who says he’s been experiencing the same things. Mallory is still weirded out, but she feels better knowing she’s not alone.

With Emmie and Joshua by her side, Mallory decides she needs to figure out just why she’s having these nightmares. Soon enough, it becomes clear that the nightmares are related to Sweet Molly and the upcoming anniversary of her brother’s death. It’s October, and Eastport is planning an especially big deal for the monthly parade and the anniversary. Mallory and her friends don’t think that’s such a good idea, especially because it seems like Molly’s goal is to stop all of these Halloween-based shenanigans or else.

Author Lindsay Currie settles with ease into the plot and the friendships between Mallory, Emmie, and Joshua. The relationship between Mallory and Emmie feels natural and organic; readers will have no trouble seeing how they’ve been friends for so long, which provides a wonderful contrast to the new friendship with Joshua. A subplot about how to treat friendships with care is also thoughtfully executed.

Currie dials up the mystery and paranormal elements at a steady pace, and target readers will be eager to find out what happens to Mallory and her friends. The climax builds in a way that feels earned, although the final scenes of the book during the resolution do feel rushed. Readers might find themselves scratching their heads at how smoothly everything comes together once Mallory and company solve the mystery.

Also, despite repeated assertions that the kids are 12 years, they look, talk, and act at least 14. The naivete that comes with kids in the earlier portion of middle school is missing. As the book progresses and the kids in the novel start to figure out the elements behind Sweet Molly’s haunting, this sense that they’re older than 12 becomes more solidified.

For the most part, the book delivers on the premise it offers: a spooky tale about a spooky town and the kids who try to solve a mystery, even if it means retracting their own skepticism. Those who enjoy Halloween-themed stories will definitely enjoy this one. I recommend readers Bookmark The Girl in White by Lindsay Currie.