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forestidylls's review against another edition
5.0
okay, so the five stars may be because I'm biased. Truthfully, the writing style can use some work, but what older books couldn't use some work? Loved reliving reading this. Appreciated that the main character has some faults, and acknowledged she needs to work on them.
rebroxannape's review against another edition
5.0
"Judy, You weren't talking to the mill girls?" "Why not? They are our neighbors, you know."... "That's all the more reason why you should be careful of your associates. Suppose you were classed as one the mill girls? You wouldn't have a single friend in High School."... Please Judy, for my sake, keep away from the mill girls. they're not our kind."
Picking up right where [b:The Vanishing Shadow|1568972|The Vanishing Shadow (Judy Bolton Mysteries, #1)|Margaret Sutton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328756782l/1568972._SY75_.jpg|2368719] left off, this 2nd in the Judy Bolton series has plenty of mysteries and drama to occupy her as she settles into her new home in Farringdon. In addition, Margaret Sutton also explores class snobbery and the cruelty that popular cliques can inflict on outsiders.
After moving into the big rented house on Grove Street which is said to be haunted by the ghost of Vine Thompson, a sort of Ma Barker character, Judy starts to experience strange sightings and mysterious attic noises herself. The whole community thinks the house is haunted and this is affecting Dr. Bolton’s formerly thriving Roulsville practice as no one wants to come to his home office. Judy, who does not believe in ghosts, vows to solve the mystery in time for the big Halloween party she intends to throw. Along the way, Judy and her brother Horace discover hidden stolen jewelry on the property, and big trunk full of fancy vintage clothing and poignant love letters, not to mention a half-starved white kitten Horace adopts and names “Ghost.”
Meanwhile, Judy is having trouble fitting in at school despite her friendship with socially prominent and popular Lois Farrington-Pett. Lois gives her a friendship ring identical to the one she gave Lorraine a long time ago but wants Judy to keep it secret. Judy's confidence and optimism take a blow when she is not immediately accepted by the popular kids. She is not rich, is a stranger, makes more than one faux pas, and has become friendly with the wrong crowd who go to the high school on the poor blue-collar side of town. To make matters worse, Lorraine’s ring has been stolen by burglars and when she sees what she thinks is her ring on Judy’s finger the accusations start flying. As in The Vanishing Shadow, Judy's refusal to break a promise results in all sorts of mayhem, and unfortunately, Lois is quarantined at home with Scarlet Fever and can’t come to Judy’s defense and straighten things out. Things get a lot worse before they get better which makes for a very exciting and dramatic book.
And that’s not even the end of it! In addition to ghosts of dead criminals, the discovery of stolen loot, and teen drama, we have the mystery of Judy's friend and supporter, Peter’s, parentage which has been kept secret from him by the Dobbses, whom Peter calls his grandparents. All finally gather at Judy's Halloween Party (which is a story in itself!) where all of the mysteries are solved, ghosts uncovered, and criminals caught. It is truly a party for the ages, the likes of which surely had never been seen before in sophisticated and staid Farringdon. We even have social progress made with somewhat of a truce between social factions and Judy accepted by both the popular kids and the factory girls. The third book in the series will continue to build on the secrets of Peter's past and the criminal Vine gang in very unexpected and shocking ways.
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings.com/books/
bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
3.0
The second in the Judy Bolton series. After the flood in the first book wiped out their home (as well as many others in the town of Roulsville), Judy and her family move into a new home in Farringdon. The house was previously owned by a family with thieves among their members and the mother (and leader of the gang) was killed in the house. It's said that she haunts the place and many strange lights, weird noises, and even a ghostly specter have been seen and heard. Judy and her brother Horace aren't afraid of the rumors--and plan to root out the truth behind the "ghost."
Some of the items stolen belonged to Lorraine Lee's family. Lorraine is a wealthy, popular girl at the new high school that Judy will attend and is someone she hopes to be friends with. She will face some difficulties with that--Lorraine is jealous of Judy's friendship with Lois Farringdon-Pett (Lorraine's best friend) and suspicious of her friendliness with girls who attend the mill school. But Judy hopes that an investigation into the ghost will also help her track down Lorraine's family heirlooms and that her wish to be friends will be granted.
Judy and her brother Horace begin finding clues in the apparently haunted attic that explain the noises, lights, and even the white "ghost" that has appeared at the window. But it is Judy who discovers the secret hiding place of all the stolen items and arranges for the Chief of Police to be on hand at her Halloween party--just in time to catch the "ghosts" who are responsible for the haunting. There is also a sub-plot involving Peter Dobbs, Judy's childhood friend who has never known the truth of his parentage. Judy manages to sort that out as well.
There is a lot to like about the Judy Bolton mysteries. She is a down-to-earth girl detective and perhaps a bit more realistic than Nancy Drew. She isn't nearly as well-to-do and she ages with her books--from high school through a marriage later in the series. As with all these early young adult mystery stories there are a lot of coincidences and a lot of interweaving of the plots, but very enjoyable and fun to read. One thing that I didn't care much for in this one was Judy's preoccupation with being liked by the fashionable set at school and Lois's treatment of Judy over the Halloween party invitations. Honestly, if you've already promised a friend to attend their party, then any future invitations should be turned down--no matter who they're from. On the other hand, Judy does have an extreme reaction to Lois in return. Of course, this sort of high school dramatics is a thing, I know--though not a thing I ever understood. Fortunately, it's all smoothed out in the end. Just as the stolen items are found and the bad guys are caught and the mysteries are explained. Good clean fun and light entertainment.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. thanks.
Some of the items stolen belonged to Lorraine Lee's family. Lorraine is a wealthy, popular girl at the new high school that Judy will attend and is someone she hopes to be friends with. She will face some difficulties with that--Lorraine is jealous of Judy's friendship with Lois Farringdon-Pett (Lorraine's best friend) and suspicious of her friendliness with girls who attend the mill school. But Judy hopes that an investigation into the ghost will also help her track down Lorraine's family heirlooms and that her wish to be friends will be granted.
Judy and her brother Horace begin finding clues in the apparently haunted attic that explain the noises, lights, and even the white "ghost" that has appeared at the window. But it is Judy who discovers the secret hiding place of all the stolen items and arranges for the Chief of Police to be on hand at her Halloween party--just in time to catch the "ghosts" who are responsible for the haunting. There is also a sub-plot involving Peter Dobbs, Judy's childhood friend who has never known the truth of his parentage. Judy manages to sort that out as well.
There is a lot to like about the Judy Bolton mysteries. She is a down-to-earth girl detective and perhaps a bit more realistic than Nancy Drew. She isn't nearly as well-to-do and she ages with her books--from high school through a marriage later in the series. As with all these early young adult mystery stories there are a lot of coincidences and a lot of interweaving of the plots, but very enjoyable and fun to read. One thing that I didn't care much for in this one was Judy's preoccupation with being liked by the fashionable set at school and Lois's treatment of Judy over the Halloween party invitations. Honestly, if you've already promised a friend to attend their party, then any future invitations should be turned down--no matter who they're from. On the other hand, Judy does have an extreme reaction to Lois in return. Of course, this sort of high school dramatics is a thing, I know--though not a thing I ever understood. Fortunately, it's all smoothed out in the end. Just as the stolen items are found and the bad guys are caught and the mysteries are explained. Good clean fun and light entertainment.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. thanks.
jenneb_readingjournal's review against another edition
4.0
I first read this book as a child, as it was passed on to me by my grandmother. I've read several of the Judy Bolton books but this one has remained my favorite.
The Bolton moves to a new home in a new town, which once belonged to a family of thieves. It's also said to be haunted by a past owner, who was murdered in the house. While Judy and her brother Horace try to solve the mystery of the noises in their attic of their new home, Judy is torn between her friendship with a girl from a wealthy family and friendships with girls whose families have little money. (Some things do not change: how teenage cliques form and can turn on each other, the social strata of high schools.)
The revelation of the "ghost" at Horace's party was memorable for me, as it was not a typical source of a haunting.
One thing I liked about Judy Bolton vs. Nancy Drew was how Judy matured and went through life changes. She married Peter Dobbs and at the time the series ended, was slated to become a mother. Nancy Drew (at least in the original 56-book series) remained perpetually 18 years old, so it was refreshing to see one of the "girl sleuths" grow and change.
The Bolton moves to a new home in a new town, which once belonged to a family of thieves. It's also said to be haunted by a past owner, who was murdered in the house. While Judy and her brother Horace try to solve the mystery of the noises in their attic of their new home, Judy is torn between her friendship with a girl from a wealthy family and friendships with girls whose families have little money. (Some things do not change: how teenage cliques form and can turn on each other, the social strata of high schools.)
The revelation of the "ghost" at Horace's party was memorable for me, as it was not a typical source of a haunting.
One thing I liked about Judy Bolton vs. Nancy Drew was how Judy matured and went through life changes. She married Peter Dobbs and at the time the series ended, was slated to become a mother. Nancy Drew (at least in the original 56-book series) remained perpetually 18 years old, so it was refreshing to see one of the "girl sleuths" grow and change.
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