Haunted Hospital

July 1, 2020

Gr 4-6-Friends Xander, Li, Omar, and Priya love a good scare and the role-playing game Spirits and Specters. The teens get more than they bargained for when they choose a creepy abandoned hospital as the site for their next challenge. Is the building really haunted, or have the kids scared themselves with the stories they invent for the game? Chan's narrative aims to engage readers, starting the action in the opening scene, then tossing in urban legends, tech gadgets, and snarky humor. The novel's strongest feature is the well-crafted relationships between the four friends; their banter feels natural and their affection for each other genuine. Li's analytical nature and Priya's experience with being judged for her appearance make them standout characters. The action takes place primarily inside the dilapidated hospital, described in just enough detail to set the stage without slowing the story's pace. A twist ending will have readers asking for more titles like this. VERDICT This title is designed for those with reading challenges (dyslexic-friendly font, widely spaced lines of text, larger trim size), but it's a treat for any young teen who loves action and mild frights.-Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem P.L., Holbrook, NY

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2020
A game of pretend ghost-hunting goes awry when four Canadian teens sneak into an old, shut-down hospital with a haunted past. Xander and his friends Li, Omar, and Priya always play Spirits and Specters in the cemetery. As the Crypt Keeper, Priya creates missions, enhanced by spooky special effects, for the players, who hunt for evidence of the supernatural in exchange for experience points. However, the familiar setting no longer holds the thrill it used to for the group. Eager to up the intensity, Xander designs a new adventure for his friends at the abandoned George Wickerman Hospital. Rumors say that the ghosts of tuberculosis patients who died from medical experimentation still haunt the building. The story starts in the thick of action and maintains a steady pace. Chan provides enough details about the setting to create a chilling atmosphere without halting the momentum. More than one source of suspense builds tension as the narrative progresses. Not only does the building hold mysteries and potential danger, but one of the characters also hints that she has a secret connection to the hospital too. Within this paranormal mystery, Chan explores the topics of homelessness and bias against homeless people. Although the characters receive little physical description, their names indicate cultural diversity, and dialogue reveals that Omar emigrated from Egypt. An immersive, page-turning ghost hunt. (Horror. 9-14)

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