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The Ghosts Of Crutchfield Hall (2000)

by Mary Downing Hahn(Favorite Author)

3.97 of 5 Votes: 2

languge

English

genre

Horror

publisher

Scholastic

review 1: I originally gave this book 2 stars, but decided it was barely worthy of one, because I realized that this book bored me to death.In the end, I didn't have as big of a problem with the boring characters, the stereotypical ghost story situation, the stereotypical portrayal of ghosts, the boring narrator, the boring plot, the boring ending, how unmemorable the characters were (I didn't know the main character's name was Florence until 3/4 of the way through the book), how none of the loose ends were really tied up, how the plot didn't quite come together like it should have, and how the author ruined Irish and Scottish accents for me by makin' 'em 'alk 'ike 'is 'a 'ole 'cking 'ime. The book just wasn't scary. The author was trying to make me believe that I should fear a brat... morety 12 year old dead girl? No. Maybe if Sophia wasn't so annoying and whiny and egotistical, and if she was quirky and strange and mysterious, I might have not dared read this book past 9:00. But, truthfully, I got what I was expecting. You can't pick up a book titled The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall that has a cheesy cover with blue font and fake blood and expect to be afraid. I picked this up as a joke, and it was cheap, and I got what I was expecting--a 1 star book.
review 2: This book was passed from girl to girl when my daughter was in fourth grade, and not even for an assignment. They all loved it. It's about Florence, 12, who goes to live with her uncle and cousin James. Also at Crutchfield Hall is the ghost of her cousin Sophia who died a year before and wants revenge on James. Ghost Sophia thinks she will be restored to life if someone else dies in her place. It is set in Victorian times and feels very real and true to the era so I would classify it as historical fiction. It reminded me of The Secret Garden with a little bit of creepiness inserted.While I gave it 4 out of 5 stars, my daughter read it multiple times as did probably every girl in fourth grade that year and they all thought it was the best book to ever come along (they thought it much more original than an adult reader would). For that reason, I see a good place for this book in the classroom library or as a group read. Since it got so many girls reading on their own, it would likely be a good small group book to read as well. less

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