Ghostlight($9.99Value)

Description

One teen's summer job scaring tourists with ghost stories takes a terrifying turn when he accidentally summons the spirit of a dead girl—and she has demands. . . . The award-winning author of Airborn delivers a roller-coaster ride of a story about the wakeful and wicked dead. Rebecca Strand was just sixteen when she and her father fell to their deaths from the top of the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse in 1839. Just how they fell—or were they pushed?—remains a mystery. And their ghosts haunt the lighthouse to this day. . . . Gabe tells this story every day when he gives the ghost tour on Toronto Island. He tries to make it scary enough to satisfy the tourists, but he doesn’t actually believe in ghosts—until he finds himself face to face with Rebecca Strand. The true story of her death is far more terrifying than any ghost tale Gabe has told. Rebecca reveals that her father was a member of the Order, a secret society devoted to protecting the world from “the wakeful and wicked dead”—malevolent spirits like Viker, the ghost responsible for their deaths. But the Order has disappeared, and Viker’s ghost is growing ever stronger. Now Gabe and his friends must find a way to stop Viker before they all become lost souls. . . . Gr 4–7—Gabe's summer job leading ghost tours at a Toronto amusement park takes an unexpected turn: he summons an actual ghost, Rebecca, who died in 1839. She and her father were murdered by Nicholas Viker, a villainous ghost who consumes his enemies. Rebecca wants Gabe to help save what's left of her father's spirit, and Gabe learns of Viker's plan to destroy modern-day Toronto and all its residents. On Viker's side? A dark universe with an army of the "wicked and wakeful dead." Team Gabe? Ghostly Rebecca, Gabe's uber-mechanic friend Yuri, and daring ghost blogger Callie. The four 16-year-olds (Rebecca's a teen spirit) take readers along on a thrill ride of a plot packed with harrowing escapes, puzzling mysteries, and Viker in hot pursuit at every turn. Along with the action, master storyteller Oppel adds depth through memorable characters. Yuri's family emigrated from Russia and faces challenges assimilating in a new country. Gabe struggles with anger toward his deceased father who left the family for another woman. Callie, who is of Indian descent, brings contagious enthusiasm for the wealth of historical facts Oppel seamlessly weaves into the narrative. Callie observes, "Ghost stories are kind of like history class, only better." The novel's satisfying conclusion leaves the door open to more ghostly adventures. VERDICT Oppel's latest begs to be made into a movie: visually cinematic with witty humor, nonstop action, a dash of romance, and plenty of heart. A first purchase for all middle grade collections.—Marybeth Kozikowski "High-stakes, harrowing, and chilling as midnight ocean spray. [A] genuinely ghoulish treat." —The New York Times "Ghostbusters meets Stranger Things in Oppel’s perceptive supernatural thriller." — Publishers Weekly ★ "Oppel’s latest begs to be made into a movie: visually cinematic with witty humor, nonstop action, a dash of romance, and plenty of heart. A thrill ride packed with harrowing escapes, puzzling mysteries, and memorable characters ." — School Library Journal , starred review "Friendship with ghosts can be chilling. A spooktacular story that’s surprisingly insightful." — Kirkus Reviews " Action and horror elements propel the fast-paced narrative." —Booklist "This hair-raising paranormal adventure skews more funny than frightening, and the true bits of history will delight curious minds ." —The New York Times Book Review "Viker is a monstrously novel villain ." —The Bulletin " A complete winner ." — Locus KENNETH OPPEL is one of the most highly regarded authors of middle-grade fiction writing today. Some of his best-known titles are Inkling, The Nest, Airborn, a 2005 Printz Honor Book, and Silverwing . 1 Rebecca Strand was sixteen the first time she saw her father kill a ghost. She was woken by a hand on her shoulder, and opened her eyes to Papa’s face, flickering in the glow of his lantern. He held out her shawl and said, “Get up. I need your help.” Her first thought was: At last! Immediately she leapt from the warmth of her bed and listened for the weather. No rain lashed against her window. No wind howled. She fastened the woolen shawl around her nightdress. “Is a ship in trouble?” she asked. “We need to hurry.” She followed him downstairs and outside. In the calm sky glowed a full moon and stars sharp as gemstones. Not even a hint of mist hovered over the lake. It was hard to imagine a ship foundering on such a night. Still, boats ran aground on the island’s sandy shoals all the time. Jutting from its beaches were the broken ribs of old, wrecked hulls. Many times over the years, her parents had helped drag survivors ashore and into the shelter of their home. But her mother had died of fever two years ag