The Ghost of Graylock (A Hauntings Novel)

I chose Poblocki's Ghost of Graylock for my seniors to read on their summer reading list this for the past two years. My students say they enjoy the story and the characters. It is not a challenging read, so it is a great "on the go" summer book. Despite its ease of reading, Poblocki manages to create full, rich characters (especially in the protagonist, a twelve year old boy named Neil, whose mother is experiencing depression and perhaps a mental breakdown due to Neil's father leaving their family to rather flakily pursue acting in Hollywood). I was most intrigued by Neil's self-doubts of losing his own mind mirrored in the Gothic imagery and tropes. As frightening as Nurse Janet, the figure who haunts the Graylock mental hospital, may be at times (and there are some super creepy moments due to descriptive details by the author) the most frightening aspect is the thought of completely losing control of one's mind and one's life, which is precisely what is occurring in Neil's family in real life. Neil's sister and two aunts, along with two boys from the neighborhood, provide plenty of entertaining background support. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed in the ending; I felt like it was rather rushed (just not the ending that I would have chosen…but not a really bad ending…just a bit anticlimactic and needing to be "flushed out" a bit more). Overall, Ghost of Graylock delivers a good old-fashioned ghost story in 21st century (relatable) characters. A wonderful YA book!

While I am not usually a fan of thrillers (I used to be, but they got to me to much), this one sounded so good that I had to give it a try. And I was not disappointed. The story starts off with a bang as Neil and his friend Wesley, as well as his sister and Wesley's brother go out to the island where the supposedly haunted former asylum is located. After some rather freaky things happen and Neil gets injured the kids are left wondering what is really happening. When Neil and his sister start having the same nightmares about drowning in the lake, they decide to investigate further and end up getting themselves into a rather scary situation. I liked the way the suspense grew and grew up until the climax. It was interesting to have the mystery pieced together as Neil and his sister slowly discovered some rather surprising information. And the twist at the end with the villain kept me turning the pages as fast as I could. A thoroughly enjoyable read for those readers who are tough enough to handle a rather frightening story with plenty of twists and turns. I thought the writing was really good too.

Easy read, but the story has a grip. Maybe it's because I related with bree and her viola since I'm a violinist or Neil and ghostly investigators since I love ghost adventures. Or, maybe this story drew me in because I live in Maine and could truly picture the so well described and created setting. Either way, this book had me turning pages and pulling my feet up under the blankets in the dark. Spooky read, unique characters, and just the perfect book if you're looking for a terrifying and thrilling creepy, haunted story with an asylum and a mystery needing solving. Some books end too quickly, but this one drew out each part just enough and didnt drag on the less important parts. Made it an overall enjoyable read for any teen or ya and paranormal fans.

This book caught my eye because I love scary, supernatural stories and the front cover appealed to me. It lived up to my expectations! The story begins with a brother and sister having to spend the summer with their aunts in the country and alludes to there being trouble at home. The author slowly lets you in on the background story through the main character's eyes, Neil Cady. Their father has left the family in pursuit of his own dreams and their mother has had a nervous breakdown.This leads Neil and his older sister, Bree, on a ghost hunting adventure with two new found friends at a local abandon insane asylum. Although the location hits a little close to home for Neil because of his mother's current problems, his love of ghost hunting and the need to find out what is really going on takes them on a spine-tingling adventure that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I think kids will love this book because it is creepy enough to keep them reading but it also has enough real-life issues that a lot of kids will be able to identify with what the main character is coping with and his need to escape his own life for a little while.

This book has one of the best plots I have ever encountered in my reading. This book deserves this review because of the great amount of detail and just how the overall story was planned and set up. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good murder mystery/horror book. I like how the author made the fantasy elements seem real although it was just a fictional story. There is some gore but nothing that is too scary. Again, such an amazing book and would definitely read it again in the future.

This is the first time I read a book by this author, and I must say, I really enjoyed reading this book. I really liked his writing style and I found myself frequently smiling at the humor inside this story.As for the scary parts, they definitely did the trick! I found my heart beating faster, and I even resorted to only reading this book during daylight. It might not seem scary to some people, but to me it definitely did.I will be sure to purchase other books by this author in the future.

I thought that I was purchasing just a ghost story but it was more than that. Had elements that I did not expect but we're refreshing.

Got this for my oldest grandson, which did a book report on it. He really enjoyed the book. Especially if it had anything to do with ghosts. He is quite interested in the paranormal. But Graylock was a good book, that he enjoyed reading. Got a A on his book report. Then everyone else asked him where he got it. He said his grandma, got it at Amazon. He said they have many other books, plus this one to choose from. Hope you go to Amazon, and pick one for yourself. They have really good prices on their books, and fast delivery time.

Great book