A Good Day for Haunting by Louise Arnold
| A Good Day for Haunting by Louise Arnold | |
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| Category: Confident Readers | |
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Reviewer: John Lloyd
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| Summary: In a world where every human being has an Invisible Friend of a companion ghost, only Tom can see his, but must use his own gumption to save the state of the world as we know it in a very enjoyable adventure for the 9-13s. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 368 | Date: October 2007 |
| Publisher: Hodder Children's Books | |
| ISBN: 978-0340932247 | |
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The first thing to note about this book is that Louise Arnold writes about school very well - with a witty warmth, and nothing like the clunky, cloying unrealistic style so many use. The second thing to note is that she also writes about ghosts in the very same way.
For some reason (and I'm guessing to find out we have to read the two prior books in this series, but it isn't of great importance in this self-contained story) every human has an Invisible Friend. A ghost, of whatever past persuasion, is gifted to the company of every boy and girl, but only one such boy can see his - Tom, and his pale, oddly-shaped partner Grey Arthur.
However some of those ghosts cannot resist using their past skills, and an ex-poltergeist makes a teacher want to call in the experts to Thorbleton School. Well, to say experts is a bit much - the people who arrive are the cast and crew of the tacky TV show Exceedingly Haunted Homes. Nothing to worry about - the school's resident ghoulies can use it as an excuse to lark about on TV without anyone being none the wiser, and nothing will change.
If it weren't for the fact the last psychic on the show has been usurped by the very different aspect of Claudia, who like Tom can see ghosts. Or can she? Or am I bluffing? Or is all this just an entertaining prelude to a great, rollicking adventure where Tom and a few of his favourite Invisible Friends (and some even he can't like that much) have to save the balance of the human and the Ghost World from collapsing into horror?
There is a slight drop off in the witty details from the initial few chapters, but the adventure takes over, while still keeping great humour (such as the scene where the TV show is recorded at the school). Neither does the school setting continue for too long, as the very inventive travel arrangements ghosts use are portrayed, again to fine, detailed, comic effect.
If there is another flaw in the book is that perhaps it is slightly too long in the slow-burn; there was a pause in my reading where I was eager to get back to the book, if only to see if the potential of the first few chapters was achieved or not, as it was definitely poised at a point where it could have collapsed into mediocrity.
Happily, it never did, and the saga is a very enjoyable book that everyone in the target audience - at a guess, 9 to 13, but possibly for those slightly younger than that - would easily fall in love with. The plotting is very tight, and full of disarming reveals, and the realistic characters fit into all that happens with great aplomb. Grey Arthur is excellent, a quiet, meek spirit, willing to do his protective job with gusto but all the same a bit on the nervous side. Other spirits are great fun, from the elderly Mrs Scruffles with her endless supply of tea to the slightly old-fashioned but heroic-despite-herself Mildred.
I was a tiny bit put-off by the post-script, which exists only to flag up volume four in this series, but that should not really be a quibble - this book was enough to sell me on the series, and earns a strong recommendation from the Bookbag.
We must therefore thank the publishers for giving us a copy to sample.
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You can read more book reviews or buy A Good Day for Haunting by Louise Arnold at Amazon.com.
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