The Haunting of Apartment 101

Gr 6-10–Jane Wright has been gearing up for paranormal activity ever since she entered high school. It was then that she dropped the name Jane for “Jinx,” dyed her hair pink, and started watching the television show Ghost Hunters. Fellow sophomore and best friend Jackson, has had an interest in ghost hunting ever since his father died years earlier. When their popular classmate Emily asks the duo for help with a haunting taking place in her new apartment, Jackson can’t resist the possibility of finding a real ghost. After all, if ghosts are real, maybe he can make contact with his father. Jinx is skeptical of Emily’s reports but is eager to test her new detecting equipment. They take the case and quickly discover that catching a ghost is harder than it looks on television. This first book in a new series offers much for readers who enjoy fast-paced, easy-to-read stories. Themes of fitting in and friendship are explored through Jinx and her relationship with Jackson, whose grief over his father’s death makes him sympathetic to Emily’s suffering. Character development trumps plot detail here, and some readers may question some of the contrivances that lead to the friends staying over Emily’s apartment unsupervised. Nevertheless, most readers will be hankering for more, especially with the cliff-hanger ending.–Alison O’Reilly, Cutchogue New Suffolk Free Library, NY