Rain of the Ghosts

Gr 4–7—Thirteen-year-old Rain's family owns a small bed-and-breakfast on San Próspero, the largest of a chain of eight islands near the Bermuda Triangle known to locals as "The Ghosts." The night before his death, her grandfather 'Bastian gives her a family heirloom, an intricate gold armband of intertwined snakes. Rain begins seeing the ghosts of a World War II bomber crew, who ask for her help to send them home. With the aid of an old photograph that belonged to her grandfather, Rain discovers the crew's story and her connection to one of them. Meanwhile, she is convinced that Callahan, a mysterious guest at the Nitaino Inn, has stolen the armband, and with it, her link to her grandfather. While readers will relate to the protagonist's feelings of being trapped and her desire to accomplish something, problems with the story may limit its appeal. The first title in a proposed series is, inexplicably at this point, narrated by an omniscient dog with a connection to the mystery of the islands. Though the setup for discovering that mystery in later books is promising, plot inconsistencies may hinder less-forgiving readers from reaching that point. Still, the strength of Rain's relationship with 'Bastian and the potential hinted at in the last pages might convince some readers to seek out future titles. An additional purchase where fantasy is in high demand.—Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL