The HauntingJoan Lowry NixonAre you a young reader who loves mysteries about ghosts and haunted houses. Then you should read The Haunting, written by Joan Lowry Nixon. If you have ever read any books by Nixon, then you know she has been called the grande dame of young adult mysteries. With more than a hundred books, some being Murdered, my sweet and Don’t Scream. The story follows fifteen-year-old Lia Starling. She talks about how all of her female ancesters are very brave and then there was her. Her great-grandmother mistakes Lia for her mother, Anne Starling and says her old plantation house, Graymoss will go to her. Lia definatley does not want to move in, but hearing the stories of ghosts and hauntings from the towns people and reading about from a diary, makes her not want to go even more. In the beginning Lia gets a charm to ward off evil spirits and is deciding wether she should get rid of the evil and move in with a bunch of noisy kids or have her parents spend a night in the house just to have them see all the horror they’ve heard about and hopefully (for Lia’s sake) get rid of Graymoss for good. What does she decide?Personaly, I thought the book was good. However, it didn’t have as many exciting parts as I had originally hoped for. Also, the climax was not untll the very last chapter. What I do like about the book is that it had a fifteen year old girl and it talked about what normal teenage girls do and think. I aslo liked that it had stories from Edgar Allen Poe and told of what happened during the Civil War age. I felt a connection with Lia when she met Jonathan and felt all wierd when she was around him because we all find someone who we like alot. I would give the book a star rating of 3, manly because it didn’t have as many exciting parts as I wanted. So, if you’re a young reader who loves mystery and ghosts, than you should read The Haunting, written by Joan Lowry Nixon.
When Lia's great-grandmother dies she leaves her a cryptic message: She must save the plantation that has been in their family since before the Civil War.Lia's grandmother wants the old Graymoss Plantation to be demolished and her parents want to modernize it and fill it with lots of adopted children; but Lia fears the "evil" said to haunt the halls every night. Equipped with her great-great-great-grandmother Charlotte's journal, a tattered copy of 'Favorite Tales of Edgar Allan Poe', and the help of her best friend Jolie; Lia sets out to find out the truth about the mysterious plantation. 'The Haunting' is a quick read but it will hold your attention and keep you guessing until the end. I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a mystery rich with ghosts, creepy plantations that go bump in the night, and carefully cultivated small town Southern legends.
What do You think about The Haunting (2000)?
"The Haunting" is a fictional book about a girl, Lia, whose parents want to move to a house called Graymoss, which was willed to Lia's mother by her great-grandmother when she died. Lia finds out some interesting things about Graymoss that start to worry her. Once she visits the new house, she experiences events that warn her of something haunting the house. "The Haunting" is another book that I have completed from the Joan Lowery Nixon book series. In my opinion, "The Haunting" was not as enjoyable as the previous book I read from the series, "Whispers from the Dead". Even though I didn't think the book was as great, it was still a nice book and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading of ghosts and scary stories.
—Danielle Bucholtz
This is a book my 11 year old was interested in reading. She had two chapters left and so I picked it up to see what it was about. The story started out promising, but I figured out the ending well before the main character, which is always a little disappointing. There were phrases that were repeated over and over in the text which droned on and on and on, and the ending didn't come soon enough. The big showdown at the end was rather anti-climatic, but as far as "not-so-spooky, spooky stories" goes, this is a good one for a pre-teen reader.
—Debbie
I enjoyed the book The Haunting very much. I would give this book 4/5 stars. I would definitely recommend it to you. Three reasons why I would recommend this book to you is because of the fear factor, personal narrative and the way the book ended.The fear factor was definitely very enjoyable for me. There were many ghosts whispering into Lia’s (the main characters) ears. Lia would always see dead bodies out of the corner of her eye and then look and they wouldn’t be there. Lia also lives in a house called the Graymoss. It has been haunted there since the Civil War. The fear factor throughout the book was excellent.Another great feature about the book was it is a personal narrative. The book is written through the main characters voice. Lia was the main character. This allowed the reader to hear what Lia was thinking. She tells you about how she hears the ghosts whisper into her ear. You call also feel how frustrated she gets when her parents will not to listen to her. She also gives many great details when she describes what the ghosts look like. This made the ghosts seem so real.My final reason I would recommend the book is for the ending. The ending is so scary and keeps you in suspense until the final page. I am not going to give the ending away, but it is a great way to end the book.I think The Haunting was a really good book with a really good plot. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone!
—Sean D
