Ghost Hunter's Daughter

By Dan Poblocki

New York: Scholastic 2020, Fiction. 273 p.

Claire's father is a television personality known worldwide for finding and banishing spirits. But Claire doesn't really believe in any of it until a classmate named Lucas tells her that her dad is in danger. Lucas's grandmother is a medium; spirits of the dead come to her, sometimes with unfinished business, sometimes with messages for their living loved ones, but always with a knock on the door. This power has been passed on from generation to generation. When Lucas is compelled to open the door one night he finds the ghost of Claire's deceased mother, begging for someone to help her husband. The two kids take matters into their own hands and go to the cursed town of Hush Falls Holler, the last place Claire's dad was seen. Where is Claire's dad? And if they find him, can they save him?

This is a well-paced and fully realized horror story for middle grades. There are plenty of scares in Ghost Hunter's Daughter. Hush Falls Holler holds a spooky past and a malicious spirit called Lemuel Hush. Lucas's newfound spiritual powers lead to terrifying visions. Danger and mystery lurk around every corner, and the climax holds a chilling twist. At the same time, the characters of Claire and Lucas are both given opportunity for growth and development as revealed through the perspective switches throughout the novel. Even with some real loss at the end of the story, Ghost Hunter's Daughter has a satisfying resolution. A perfect Halloween read!

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