Review Detail

Denise Farber and her mother and stepfather have moved back to New Orleans. Denise lost her grandmother and father to Hurricane Katrina. Now she has returned with her family to remodel an old building in hopes to turn it into a bed and breakfast. But something isn't quite right about the old building. Denise senses a presence in the house that isn't too welcoming. When she finds an old comic book hidden in the attic, more unexplained things happen in the house. Things that point to a paranormal presence. Can she find the answers to what the old house is trying to conceal before it's too late?

What worked: I'm a huge fan of graphic novels. There's a lot to love in this hybrid/graphic novel. There's a mystery behind the old house that contains a sinister presence that seems to want to drive Denise and her family out. The added comic book section gives hints at what might be happening. This adds to the suspense and drama. Who doesn't love a good ghost story?

Denise investigates the old house with the help of Terry, a persistent wannabe Ghost hunter neighbor and Norman, a boy she meets at the local hangout. We also see the resentment from the locals fearing that Denise and her family are outsiders.

The biggest strength of this story has to be how the hidden old comic book and current day story come together. I totally loved the paranormal elements throughout. There are two persistent spirits lingering in the old house with their own stories. It's up to Denise and her new friends to figure out what the ghosts are hiding.

Suspenseful hybird/graphic novel with paranormal elements set in New Orleans where past and present collide.