The Haunting of Gabriel Ashe

June 15, 2013
Gabe Ashe deals with friendship drama while a supernatural mystery closes in on him. After a fire destroys his home, Gabe and his family move into his grandmother's mansion in a small Massachusetts town. Gabe quickly befriends his neighbor, Seth Hopper, and the two play a dark fantasy game in the woods between their houses. Wraithen (Seth's character) and Meatpie (Gabe) are Robber Princes of allied kingdoms, endlessly pursuing a baby-eating, "mutated humanoid-beast" called the Hunter in lush fantasy interludes. When not playing Prince Meatpie, Gabe desperately avoids his social label from his old school--dorkface. As the other kids extend invitations to Gabe under the condition that Seth not be included, he fears Seth's obsession with the game has designated Seth the school dork. Gabe's resulting internal conflict about friendship, realistically executed, is ably characterized through action and decisions. Seth, possessive of Gabe's friendship, is openly hostile toward the other boys verbally and with immature pranks. But some of those pranks might not be Seth's responsibility--a mysterious figure terrorizes Gabe's house and follows kids from school. The strange happenings fit the modus operandi of Seth's monster-foe, the Hunter. Gabe must solve the increasingly intensifying mystery before someone gets hurt--or worse. While he occasionally gives too much away, Poblocki (The Ghost of Graylock, 2012, etc.) creates danger by not pulling punches. An atmospheric, creepy ghost story best read at night. (Horror. 10-15)

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October 1, 2013

Gr 6-9-This unsettling tale starts out as a realistic friendship story but merges into fantasy/horror. With a dad who makes puppets for a living, Gabe is used to being teased by his classmates. After a devastating fire causes his family to move, however, he starts to experience a surge in reputation, though this popularity comes with a price. Gabe must choose between his new friends and Seth, a strange neighbor who introduces him to a fantasy role-playing game in the wooded area behind their houses. When the game turns out to be not entirely imaginary, and kids in the community start to get hurt, Gabe must figure out how to set things right. The short chapters create a fast pace that rushes to the ultimate confrontation in this supernatural thriller. The creepy mood Poblocki creates for this ghost story is its strongest asset. Although it's tame enough for middle schoolers, the ending may be intense for some readers.-Carrie Shaurette, Dwight-Englewood School, Englewood, NJ

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2013
Grades 7-10 A fantasy game played in the woods by two eighth-graders becomes dangerously real in Poblocki's latest spookfest. Gabe and his family move into his grandmother's ancestral manor after their home burns down, and while exploring the nearby woods, Gabe meets skinny, intense Seth, a neighbor, and strikes up a friendship built on mutual loneliness. They pretend to be Robber Princes, tasked to fight monsters; currently, they are tracking a baby-eating beast named The Hunter. Gabe enjoys the escape from reality, but soon discovers that Seth is the school freak, a position Gabe is determined to avoid. When he pulls back from Seth and the game, frightening events occur. A dark figure watches him from the forest, and mean pranks plague him. At first he blames Seth, but soon it's apparent that The Hunter is realand Gabe's baby sister is in danger. The social dramas mesh well with the supernatural elements, as do the family histories. Poblocki creates a real sense of suspense, and a well-executed character death gives the denouement gravity. An excellent Halloween read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)