ISBN: 0745185320 Order from: Amazon.co.uk
A charming, very short novel with predictable but appealing characters, targeted at younger children but having appeal for adults.
Reviewed by David on November 16, 2002
Genre: Fantasy (Juvenile)
Synopsis: This is an unabridged recording of The Haunting.
Young Barney is normaly a happy child. Once he saw imaginary friends in the garden, but he grew out of that. So, he is not too surprised to see a ghost. But this ghost has ominous messages for Barney. What's more, his grand-parents think there is more to this ghost than child's imagination.
Full Review: Mahy is a very good children's writer. Her stories combine cozy, pleasant life (even if the seasons seems strange to most Northern readers) with magic and the supernatural. Her families are particularly appealing, and this book is no exception. Although the plot is very simple to appeal to young children, the style and characters are sufficiently appealing to make reading this a pleasure for adults as well.
Readers who like this book should look for Mahy's The Changeover, an even better one, albeit targeted at a somewhat older audience. Mahy's The Tricksters is also popular.
Overall: 6; Plot: 4.5; Characters: 5.5; Style: 6.5; World-building: 5; Originality: 5;
Copyright date 1982, Chivers Audio Books (Children's Audio Books), October 1986, Audio cassette, 3 cassettes
ISBN: 0745185320 Order from: Amazon.co.uk