Spellbinder
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3.5 • 2 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Belladonna Johnson can see ghosts. It's a trait she's inherited from her mother's side of the family, like blue eyes or straight hair. And it's a trait she could do without, because what twelve-year-old wants to be caught talking to someone invisible?
It is convenient, though, after Belladonna's parents are killed in a car accident. They can live with her the same as always, watching the same old TV shows in their same old house. Nothing has changed . . . until everything changes.
One night, with no warning, they vanish into thin air—along with every other ghost in the world. It's what some people think ghosts are supposed to do, but Belladonna knows it's all wrong. They may not be living, but they're not supposed to be gone.
With the help of her classmate Steve, a master of sneaking and spying, Belladonna is left to uncover what's become of the spirits and to navigate a whole world her parents have kept well-hidden. If she can't find her way, she'll lose them again—this time for good.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Stringer debuts with an adventurous, darkly humorous ghost story. Twelve-year-old Belladonna Johnson lives an ordinary life, except for the fact that she can see ghosts, including those of her parents, who were killed in a car accident. Other than that, they're still her same old parents ("Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were great believers in the family dinner and just because they were no longer corporeal, they saw no reason to let things slide"). That is, until they disappear, along with all the other ghosts Belladonna has gotten to know. After enlisting her classmate Steve as a sidekick, Belladonna journeys to the Land of the Dead in order to bring back the ghosts; she eventually comes to realize that the fate of the universe is at stake and it's up to her to restore the natural equilibrium of the world. Though Belladonna at times seems like just another generic heroine, Stringer's ability to build a strong sense of mystery, entwined with Western mythology, will pull readers through to the end. Those who like unusual ghost stories without the usual horror will enjoy this book. Ages 8 12.
