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imaqtjv's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
tashtash93's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
aprilthelibrarian's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
5.0
Beware! This truly creepy middle grade tome will terrify its readers–and they will be delighted!
I have to start by saying this book is not for the faint of heart. It gets downright gory in one part, so not every kid will be happy to read this. However, the most frightening and terrible part of the book is actually a story within a story (a tale that one of the characters makes up and tells), so it doesn't actually happen to any of the characters, which allows for a little sense of distance from the horror. The story is also based on a somewhat funny and ironic circumstance, so that helps as well. In fact, what the story within a story does best is fuel the kids' imaginations for the final half of the book, keeping them always on alert and ready to freak out whenever a new creepy circumstance brings the tale to mind.
The book follows five middle grade girls who live in a town that’s said to be haunted by the spirit of a madman. The girls are fond of ghost stories and they spend the week of the anniversary of his death both hoping to come face to face with his spirit and terrified of the idea! But the true horrors lie in their day-to-day lives as each girl struggles with the complexities of their relationships. Whisper is miserable about her dad’s live-in girlfriend and his family, Frannie is dealing with a best friend turned mean girl, Sophie struggles with perfectionism, Gemma wants to prove to her mom that she can be trusted and help save her mom’s business, and Zuzu doesn’t want her popular best friends to know that she’s really into horror. These problems shape the story as the girls pursue their goal of truly scaring themselves!
Kids who love R.L. Stine will be thrilled with this terrifying tale!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Rockstar Book Tours so I could provide an honest review. No compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
I have to start by saying this book is not for the faint of heart. It gets downright gory in one part, so not every kid will be happy to read this. However, the most frightening and terrible part of the book is actually a story within a story (a tale that one of the characters makes up and tells), so it doesn't actually happen to any of the characters, which allows for a little sense of distance from the horror. The story is also based on a somewhat funny and ironic circumstance, so that helps as well. In fact, what the story within a story does best is fuel the kids' imaginations for the final half of the book, keeping them always on alert and ready to freak out whenever a new creepy circumstance brings the tale to mind.
The book follows five middle grade girls who live in a town that’s said to be haunted by the spirit of a madman. The girls are fond of ghost stories and they spend the week of the anniversary of his death both hoping to come face to face with his spirit and terrified of the idea! But the true horrors lie in their day-to-day lives as each girl struggles with the complexities of their relationships. Whisper is miserable about her dad’s live-in girlfriend and his family, Frannie is dealing with a best friend turned mean girl, Sophie struggles with perfectionism, Gemma wants to prove to her mom that she can be trusted and help save her mom’s business, and Zuzu doesn’t want her popular best friends to know that she’s really into horror. These problems shape the story as the girls pursue their goal of truly scaring themselves!
Kids who love R.L. Stine will be thrilled with this terrifying tale!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Rockstar Book Tours so I could provide an honest review. No compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
samilly's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
iamhand's review against another edition
3.0
It was okay. I like that all of these young ladies are hanging out, kinda obsessed with horror, but it’s more about the drama of middle school. I wasn’t into the drama then, and I’m not really into it now.
chummelcolla's review against another edition
4.0
I got an advanced listener copy of the audiobook through libro.fm and found it a charming middle grade horror novel. The story follows a group of friends, self-dubbed the Grim Sleepers, who meet up for sleepovers where they tell stories to scare themselves and each other silly. Mysterious text messages lead the friends to the cemetery where they meet a surprise storyteller, whose tales add to the eerie, spooky atmosphere. I enjoyed the way the storyteller's tales were woven into the larger narrative. Inspired by their graveyard encounter, the girls decide to step up their game and become the Graveyard Girls. A short story told by Whisper in the cemetery provides the novel its name, and was also my favorite part; for those who enjoy horror, I would recommend it for that short story alone. It gets a bit gory, as others have noted, and is a solid bit of body horror, but also includes a good dose of ironic humor. After reading it, I found myself thinking of Gogol's The Nose and Kafka's Metamorphosis.
I would recommend this novel for middle grade horror fans and readers of children's lit. A good pick for those who enjoy Scooby Doo, Goosebumps, and Coraline.
I would recommend this novel for middle grade horror fans and readers of children's lit. A good pick for those who enjoy Scooby Doo, Goosebumps, and Coraline.
mezzythedragon's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
A lot gorier than I expected, especially when you get to the thumb war part. Will read the next book, considering how it ended.
Fyi: I wasn’t too keen on the disability-as-horror trope, and the whole, “if so-and-so was shown some compassion, they probably wouldn’t have done all the horrible things.”
Fyi: I wasn’t too keen on the disability-as-horror trope, and the whole, “if so-and-so was shown some compassion, they probably wouldn’t have done all the horrible things.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Body horror, Body shaming, and Ableism