Last week, I finished reading Extra Normal by Kate Alice Marshall. This horror novel is about Charlie Greer, a twelve-year-old girl who is the only one of her siblings who isn't supernatural. Her eleven-year-old brother, Mateo, is a werewolf and Deaf, her eight-year-old brother, Gideon, has telekinetic powers from being the product of experimentation, and her younger sister, Opal, is a ghost. Not to mention, her parents work for the Division of Extranormal Research, dealing with strange and inexplicable things. Just before her parents go on a vacation to take a break from their jobs, a new family, Mr. and Mrs. Weaver and their son Peter, moves in across the street. The Weavers seem like a nice, normal family, but when they don't let Charlie come inside, she grows suspicious of them and decides to investigate with the help of her siblings. As they uncover the Weavers' plans, they must find a way to stop them.
This book was so deliciously creepy and I enjoyed reading it a great deal. I loved how Charlie and her siblings worked together as a team to solve the mystery of the Weavers and prevent them from carrying out their plans. It's definitely one of the more interesting middle grade horror novels I've read because the villains weren't anything I've really read about in fiction before. There was just one plot twist I didn't really like, but I probably should have seen it coming because it's a trope I've definitely read in one too many books at this point. Anyways, the suspense was fantastic and the action during the climax was awesome. I really liked how brave Charlie, Matty, Gideon, and especially Opal were. What they went through brought them closer together and I really appreciate that. On that note, I'd definitely recommend Extra Normal to any kid who likes a family story that incorporates horror.
