Confession time. I am an adult who enjoys reading teen fiction. I don't mean Vampire Academy style, though some of that is okay. I mean Goosebumps and Betty Ren Wright.My best friend recently suggested we read The Dollhouse Murders together and so I picked up Crandalls' Castle at the same time.This isn't one of my favorites but it is an entertaining read nonetheless. The passages were descriptive and painted a vivid mental images.The ghost and mystery aspect of the story are downright eerie. My biggest complaint would be I didn't care much for the characters and that didn't change at the end of the book. In fact, the ending was rushed and took away from the rest of the story.Also, what was going on with Ray's character giving Charli's character a hard time for wanting to lay under the crab apple tree and read all summer? That sounds like a perfectly lovely way to spend time if you ask me!In today's world almost every book seems to be part of a series. I find myself almost longing for a few standout standalone reads. With these characters and Sophie's ability, I think this could of made an interesting series. Or at the very least another book to bring us back to the world of the Crandalls.3/5
