Review Detail

Twelve-year-old Harmony Roundtree loves going on haunted tours while traveling with her father on his music gigs. She also loves photography. While on a ghost tour in Savannah, Georgia, she witnessed something she believed to be a ghost inside a haunted building. She's determined to find out more. Add to that, a boy is missing. Could they be connected? With the help of two new friends, they investigate. One thing is sure. Maybe the truth is more dangerous than ghosts.

What worked: Spooky paranormal mystery set in Savannah with a wannabe ghost hunter who investigates a connection to a local mystery.

I love Tiffany D. Jackson's novels, and this MG ghost sleuth is a perfect summer read. Harmony finds herself in the Southern city with her father. Instead of staying at the usual hotel, Harmony discovers her father has a friend who lets them use a guesthouse next to theirs. This lady friend also has a son, Robby, who is into robots. Robby is skeptical of ghosts but insists on tagging along to help. As Jordan waits for the photo of the ghostly orb she spotted in the haunted house to be developed, she encounters Myah, a local tween with her own hidden secrets. But one thing is sure. She also believes in ghosts.

There's not only a mystery, but also a mention of the enslaved past in Savannah. The descriptions of what happened to enslaved people when they die shouldn't be forgotten. There's also a mention of the grief of losing loved ones. Harmony's pain of losing her beloved grandmother is very authentic, and one readers can relate to. Also, family secrets and struggles are mentioned.

Harmony's story is one that I'm sure young readers will enjoy. Her ghost hunting adventures are intriguing.

Riveting, fast-paced story of a young ghost hunter and her adventure in the southern city of Savannah, Georgia.