Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh

 

Over the weekend, I read Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh. This novel was a fast-paced ghost story about a twelve-year-old girl, Harper Raine, who moves from New York City into an eerie old house in Washington, D.C with her family and can't remember what happened to her when there was a fire at her old school the previous fall. After two days of living in the house, Harper is not only bothered by the heat and weird cold spots, she is also creeped out by her younger brother Michael's new imaginary friend, Billy. The next day, Harper decides to explore the neighborhood and makes a new friend, Dayo. As she learns more about the previous owners of the house and remembers the events of the fall, she begins to wonder if her house could really be haunted and if she needs to save Michael from a restless spirit.

I was so excited to read another ghost story after reading Small Spaces earlier this school year. This time, the story was about a haunted house. Right from the very first chapter I was so concerned about Michael having a new best friend just days after moving into a new house. It made my skin crawl, and I had hoped that Harper could figure out what exactly was going on with him. When Dayo shared the stories about Professor Grady, the first owner of Harper's new home, and the residents who lived there afterwards, I knew there was something seriously wrong with the house. I was also drawn into the story by the mystery of Harper's visions and why she was sent to Briarly, a mental health institute in New York. I felt really bad for Harper having a big blank in her memory and was relieved when she finally remembered what led to the fire at her old school. The end of the book was filled with action after Harper learned that she had the power to save her brother, and I loved eventually meeting her oldest friend Rose and her grandmother, whom her mother hadn't let her see in years because they had a falling out. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys creepy stories about haunted houses and possession.