The Second-Best Haunted Hotel on Mercer Street

July 1, 2020
Two 12-year-olds, one overwhelmed and alive and the other underestimated and 5-years-deceased, come together to save a beloved haunted hotel. Willow Ivan is determined to not fail the 400-year-old Hotel Ivan and its ghostly staff. After the death of her mother--and her subsequent return as a ghost--Willow and her father, who struggles with depression, have been hanging on by a thread. Even with the help of her eccentric staff, Willow is struggling to manage the hotel, making the lauded Hauntery chain's opening of a new location nearby a devastating blow. Evie MacNeil and her family have moved between several branches of the unfeeling chain's locations. Evie, along with her annoying cousin, has been playing the role of Spooky Little Girl but longs instead to be a Terrifying Phantasm, although no one believes that she'll be scary enough. Willow and Evie cross paths at the local public library, where they bond over a popular mystery series. Unaware that she works at the Hauntery, Willow offers Evie a position at Hotel Ivan in her dream role, and they plot to save the family business. The author gives the familiar storyline of small businesses fighting to compete with corrupt corporations a fun, spooky twist. This straightforward, heartfelt narrative with engaging, well-developed characters will have readers rooting for the underdog. Willow and Evie are white. A story with more heart than spook. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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July 24, 2020

Gr 4-6-After her mom dies suddenly and her dad slips into a depression, 12-year-old Willow finds herself running the Hotel Ivan. Hotel Ivan has been in Willow's family for 400 years, a Victorian mansion that employs ghosts from all eras to help run the hotel and engage with guests. The Hauntery is the recently built chain hotel in direct competition with phony claims and new, cheap structures made to look old. Ghosts employed by hotel chain are rotated through the locations and bossed by the living with a heavy hand. One day Evie, an eternally 12-year-old ghost, runs from the chain hotel in frustration and meets Willow at the local public library, where they bond over their shared favorite book series, the "Deena Morales Mysteries." Hotel Ivan is up for an inspection from the Zagged guide and it needs a five-star, number one review to draw new guests and keep its doors open. To make an impression on the inspector, Willow and Evie hatch a plan to recreate a murder mystery from the Deena Morales books. All of the ghostly staff conspire to help, but things go awry. Sparse greyscale illustrations in this novel add a touch of charm. VERDICT For any young reader who enjoys a bit of mystery, tales of unlikely friendships, and amiable ghosts, this spooky-sweet title is a first-rate choice.-Lindsay Persohn, Univ. of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee

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