Review Detail

Lily isn’t thrilled about her family’s move from Colorado to Florida. In Colorado, she had her drama club and her friends. In Florida, she has a house full of garbage and boxes and a room full of things another girl owned. Lily tries to be on her best behavior and stop her natural dramatic tendencies that her parents keep punishing her for, but as more and more strange things start happening around their new home, the more frightened she becomes. It seems the ghost of the girl whose room she now has doesn’t want to give it up yet…

MINE is a middle grade horror novel from Delilah S. Dawson that features an absolutely terrifying ghost, Britney. There were several scenes that had me literally shuddering (especially the ones involving spiders). What takes Britney’s character to the next level is the sense of sadness behind her story. We don’t get answers until close to the end, but the clues along the way give the impression that, while nothing excuses the terror Britney is inflicting on Lily, she isn’t pure evil.

Change is a major theme in MINE. Moving, especially to a completely new state far from home, is a challenging experience, especially for a 12-year-old. Lily is navigating a completely changed environment while also trying to change her own behavior. She feels shame and guilt over what she did that led to the move, but she also struggles with fighting against her own dramatic personality. She has to learn the balance of being herself and forgiving herself when accidents happen, all while trying to figure out what Britney wants.

Overall, MINE is a fast-paced story of ghosts, change, healing, and moving on. MINE is a great readalike for those who enjoy Mary Downing Hahn and Lindsey Duga.