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I’m a former ballet dancer writing with musicality and rhythm as I turn to scaring the daylights out of children with my horror-in-verse books. My children’s work has appeared in Chicken Soup for the Child’s Soul, Highlights for Children, and Words and Other Wild Things, a poetry anthology distributed to children’s hospitals in Indiana.
Reviewed by Carol Thompson for Readers' Favorite
Ghost Writers: The Haunting of Lake Lucy by Sandy Deutscher Green is a unique and eerie novel-in-verse that captivates readers from the very first page. The story follows 13-year-old Jayce, who, during a lakeside summer vacation, becomes convinced that the ghost haunting his nightmares lives in the mysterious house next door. When Jayce and his twin sister decide to reach out to the spectral neighbor, they are stunned to receive a reply, setting them on a chilling journey to uncover the dark secret of a cursed lake.
First, I must say that the cover designed by Blas Madera is pleasantly reminiscent of Nancy Drew. I love novel-in-verse, and Green’s use of verse is masterful, creating a rhythm that enhances the suspense and terror of the story. The lyrical language adds layers of unease, drawing readers deeper into Jayce's experience. The correspondence between Jayce, his sister, and the ghost is a particularly clever element, blending the supernatural with the mundane in an eerie and engaging way. The setting of Lake Lucy is vividly imagined, with Green’s descriptive verse painting a haunting picture of the lake and the mythos surrounding it. Jayce's relationship with his twin sister captures the nuances of sibling bonds as they navigate their shared and separate interests. This relationship and the overarching theme of uncovering buried secrets make the book resonate personally while maintaining its spooky atmosphere. Ghost Writers is a fast-paced, thrilling read that blends horror with verse freshly and engagingly. Those who have never read novel-in-verse are in for a treat, and those familiar with the writing style will savor every verse.
