Review Detail

For a Middle Grade Haunted House book - I really enjoyed this.

Charlie's whole world gets flipped upside down when her Grandma passes away and her father moves them from New York City to Florida. But not just any house - a house that is notorious for being cursed. At the age of 12, being new is hard enough, but now Charlie has to be the new girl in town who lives in a haunted house.

This book is told in two parts - from Charlie's point of view and then from the ghosts point of view (mostly Ada's). I thought this was clever and added a little extra to the book. If it was told from just Charlie's point of view, the other side of this story would have been missing. It breaks it up in a great way that keeps the reader's attention.

The house is haunted because the Winklevoss' kept a diamond that was supposed to belong to the sea but they were tempted by the fortune it could bring. Charlie was also determined to find this diamond so she could present it to her dad and have them move back to New York City. But along the way, Charlie makes some friends and learns more about the ghost's past. But will it be enough to convince Charlie to stay in Florida?

Charlie's character grows exactly as I expected her too and I think the readers can appreciate it. As someone who has moved across the country at that same age, I can understand Charlie's anger and resentment to her Father and I think her reactions are very realistic. This book will give the audience a deeper look into what a move can do but also, the good it can bring as well.

Overall, The Curse of the Dead Man's Diamond by Christyne Morrell was a fun, spooky middle grade read. I definitely think the spookiness is at a minimum which is perfect for this book. Definitely not on the same level as Goosebumps so it provides a happy medium for readers that want a little bit of a darker book without it being too scary. It also provides a great insight into the life of Charlie who is dealing with loss and a move all at the same time. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone in the age group who might be interested in it.