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132nd out of 316 books
—
348 voters
The Ghost of Graylock
by
Dan Poblocki (Goodreads Author)
Does an abandoned asylum hold the key to a frightful haunting?
Everyone's heard the stories about Graylock Hall.
It was meant to be a place of healing - a hospital where children and teenagers with mental disorders would be cared for and perhaps even cured. But something went wrong. Several young patients died under mysterious circumstances. Eventually, the hospital was shut...more
Everyone's heard the stories about Graylock Hall.
It was meant to be a place of healing - a hospital where children and teenagers with mental disorders would be cared for and perhaps even cured. But something went wrong. Several young patients died under mysterious circumstances. Eventually, the hospital was shut...more
Hardcover, 258 pages
Published
August 1st 2012
by Scholastic Press
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Neil and Bree are living in a small town with their aunts while their father is off finding himself as an actor and their mother is in a hospital recuperating from depression. Things are not much fun until Neil meets Wesley and finds out about the abandoned asylum near town, Graylock Hall. There are all sorts of horrible local tales about it; three children died horrible deaths by drowning in a pond near the facility. Local children all have hear tales about Nurse Janet, who is implicated in the...more
I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Mental Hospital. Crazy House. Looney Bin. Nut House. Insane Asylum. Graylock Hall. Where blood stains streak the floors, gashes scar the padded cells, and staring, lonely dolls sit silently and wait for someone to play with, but the dolls aren't the only things waiting, and watching in the dark and dusty mental institution, If people thought the place was strange when it was open, they would be more than stunned to see it now. Something strange caused all of the...more
Mental Hospital. Crazy House. Looney Bin. Nut House. Insane Asylum. Graylock Hall. Where blood stains streak the floors, gashes scar the padded cells, and staring, lonely dolls sit silently and wait for someone to play with, but the dolls aren't the only things waiting, and watching in the dark and dusty mental institution, If people thought the place was strange when it was open, they would be more than stunned to see it now. Something strange caused all of the...more
Great horror book for young adults!
12 yr old Neil is new to the town of Hedston. His father decided he would rather be an actor in California then be with his family in New Jersey. When his father left his mother had a mental breakdown and couldn't handle having the kids around. So Neil and his older sister have been sent to live with the aunts in Hedston. Small country towns don't really have a lot to offer as far as Neil is concerned. That is until he hears the local ghost story. Neil loves gh...more
12 yr old Neil is new to the town of Hedston. His father decided he would rather be an actor in California then be with his family in New Jersey. When his father left his mother had a mental breakdown and couldn't handle having the kids around. So Neil and his older sister have been sent to live with the aunts in Hedston. Small country towns don't really have a lot to offer as far as Neil is concerned. That is until he hears the local ghost story. Neil loves gh...more
Ghost of Graylock is one of the most exciting and frightening books, I have ever read, it's full of mystery between life and death.
Neil Cady, main character of the novel, is a ghost buster fan, who has come to Hedston from New Jersey. When his dad left his mom, she had been acting like a dead ghost, so he decided to come to live with his aunts, along with his sister: The Graylock Hospital was meant for healing, a hospital where children with mental disabilities are cared and perhaps cured. As ye...more
Neil Cady, main character of the novel, is a ghost buster fan, who has come to Hedston from New Jersey. When his dad left his mom, she had been acting like a dead ghost, so he decided to come to live with his aunts, along with his sister: The Graylock Hospital was meant for healing, a hospital where children with mental disabilities are cared and perhaps cured. As ye...more
I thought that this was a really good book. It had detail in it, but not so much it bored you. I would recommend this book to anyone!
The Ghost of Graylock was about Bree, Neil, Eric, and Wesley. Bree and Neil are brother and sister and had come up to their aunts house to live with them a little while. While they were there they met to brothers named Eric an Wesley. Bree and Neil's aunts live near a place called Graylock. It was a hospital for the people that needed help. The city that they were...more
The Ghost of Graylock was about Bree, Neil, Eric, and Wesley. Bree and Neil are brother and sister and had come up to their aunts house to live with them a little while. While they were there they met to brothers named Eric an Wesley. Bree and Neil's aunts live near a place called Graylock. It was a hospital for the people that needed help. The city that they were...more
WARNING: THIS BOOK IS MARKED FOR ADVANCED READERS
I am in the middle of this book, but it is AMAZING. This is under the advanced readers section, I am an advanced reader, but for the reader who picks this up, there might be some big words you don't understand, or you might not understand some concepts. This is a beautifully written story, and I will be sure to rewrite this review once I have finished the entire book, and my feelings are straight about it. I personally love this author, for he wri...more
I am in the middle of this book, but it is AMAZING. This is under the advanced readers section, I am an advanced reader, but for the reader who picks this up, there might be some big words you don't understand, or you might not understand some concepts. This is a beautifully written story, and I will be sure to rewrite this review once I have finished the entire book, and my feelings are straight about it. I personally love this author, for he wri...more
A story which haunts the area is reminiscent of scary campfire tales. The legend of Nurse Janet and the haunting of the hospital, Graylock Hall, are known by all the local kids. Neil and his sister Bree are living with their aunts for the summer and newcomers to the area. Neil considers himself a haunting expert, but he hasn’t grown up on the stories and lacks the right amount of respect and fear. Enough time has passed and curiosity gets the best of even locals as the two newcomers pair up with...more
Ermmm... so this wasn't really geared towards my age group. That screws everything up because I usually have a standard expectation of quality, which I compare against a book when writing a review. This includes character development, plot progression, prose, and other such things that may detract/add to a book when done a certain way.
Of course, Middle Grade novels can also be written with a level of depth in them, so target age doesn't automatically excuse a book from failing short in these asp...more
Of course, Middle Grade novels can also be written with a level of depth in them, so target age doesn't automatically excuse a book from failing short in these asp...more
The Ghost of Graylock is a ghost story for children ten and up.What initially drew me to this book was the mazing cover...Sad but true!!!
Neil and Bee,twelve and sixteen year old respectively have unwillingly been sent to spent their summer with their aunts.Their mother has fallen into depression and all Neil can think about is their mother's recovery.
In the small town of Hedston lurks,indeed,a ghost.Once upon a time,there was an asylum for children,the Graylock Hall,located in the woods.It was s...more
Neil and Bee,twelve and sixteen year old respectively have unwillingly been sent to spent their summer with their aunts.Their mother has fallen into depression and all Neil can think about is their mother's recovery.
In the small town of Hedston lurks,indeed,a ghost.Once upon a time,there was an asylum for children,the Graylock Hall,located in the woods.It was s...more
Neil Cady is an expert on all things ghosts. He watches Ghostly Investigations,
knows how to capture spirits on film, and can create a Ouija board out of poster
board and a sharpie. While spending the summer in Hedston, Neil hears of Graylock
Hall and cannot wait to explore this abandoned asylum. Graylock Hall has been closed
for years since the mysterious drownings of three patients. Neil doesn't expect much
out of the experience until a ghost follows him home.
The Ghost of Graylock is a very eerie...more
knows how to capture spirits on film, and can create a Ouija board out of poster
board and a sharpie. While spending the summer in Hedston, Neil hears of Graylock
Hall and cannot wait to explore this abandoned asylum. Graylock Hall has been closed
for years since the mysterious drownings of three patients. Neil doesn't expect much
out of the experience until a ghost follows him home.
The Ghost of Graylock is a very eerie...more
Although I usually stay away from scary and supernatural stuff, I gave this a read. This is a great book for the advanced but reluctant reader. There are many twists and turns in the plot, enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. I also enjoyed (and so will the reluctant reader) how the books is separated into three parts and that the chapters are very short. As a librarian, this book has it all: suspense, family issues, new kid in town issue, ghosts, girl/boy crush, mental illness, divorce/...more
Have you ever been to a place that you just knew was haunted? How would you describe it? Creeky floorboards, disembodied voices, the feeling that someone or something is watching you? This is Graylock Hall, an abandoned asylum that once cared for ‘disturbed’ children and teenagers and is said to be haunted by the murderous ghost of a former nurse. So, what would you do if you found yourself living down the street from such a place? (Question: Run far, far away OR Find a way in?) Well, Neil Cady...more
Neil and his sister, Bree are sent to stay with their aunts when their father leaves and their mother has a nervous breakdown. In the town of Hedston is Graylock, an old abandoned hospital which housed children and teenagers with mental disorders. There are stories of mysterious deaths of patients and a ghost that haunts the old hospital. Neil is a fan of ghost hunter shows and wants to see Graylock for himself. With their new friends, Wesley and Eric, they explore Graylock and experience the gh...more
This book was amazing. It wasn't really scary like I thought that it would be, but it was very suspenseful which I liked a lot. The story is about these two kids that come to live with their aunts for the summer because their mother and father were splitting up. Neil learns of the myth of graylock and has to check it out for himself, and a ghost follows him home. The ghost is giving him and his sister hints of to who killed her. Usually I try to figure out what happens in stories before it happe...more
Nov 03, 2012
Darleen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Friends
Recommended to Darleen by:
Scholastic Book Fair
This book was pretty interesting, at first, I refused to read it. Then I just decided to read it and I started to love it. It was so well written and it was one of those books that scare you just like a scary movie. I finished this book pretty quickly, but it is for advanced readers. I don't see it as a book for kids, but it's a perfect for teenagers. I must say, the author o this book had some imagination to write this! The book gets very interesting right in the middle of the book between the...more
(3.5 stars) In the aftermath of their parents’ separation, Neil and his older sister Bree go to stay with their aunts in a small town in the middle of nowhere. There’s not much to do there — not much, that is, except breaking into Graylock, the abandoned mental hospital in the woods. Along with two new friends, Neil and Bree explore the old asylum, and soon afterward find that a spectral presence has followed them home…
The Ghost of Graylock is a ghost story for middle-grade readers, and it’s als...more
The Ghost of Graylock is a ghost story for middle-grade readers, and it’s als...more
I wouldn't call this a young adult book, but a tween book.
Kids who like Mary Downing Hahn and Peg Kehret would like this book. Not so scary, but a nice mystery. I liked the fact that the aunts in the book were a same sex couple, but it was never said "my aunt is gay and lives with her gay partner", but it was presented just like a straight couple. I really loved and appreciated this! This is the way all books will be some day, so kuddos to Dan for making it a non-issue- I guess I just made it a...more
Kids who like Mary Downing Hahn and Peg Kehret would like this book. Not so scary, but a nice mystery. I liked the fact that the aunts in the book were a same sex couple, but it was never said "my aunt is gay and lives with her gay partner", but it was presented just like a straight couple. I really loved and appreciated this! This is the way all books will be some day, so kuddos to Dan for making it a non-issue- I guess I just made it a...more
The Ghost if Graylock its an mystery/hunted/ghost/murder/killer/suspense/intrigue story about a brother and a sister (Neil and Bree) that go to spend the summer with their Aunts since their mother is trying to recover from the depression the separation between her and Rick (their dad). In this town called Hedston they met Wesley and his brother Eric. Soon they all become friends and as typical curious kids try to visit/discover the old abandoned Graylock Asylum that is supposedly haunted by a Nu...more
To be honest, I was really excited to start reading this book. I have a fascination for old abandoned asylums so I was over joyed to see a book that peeked my interest. Sadly, this was a pretty big disappointment for me. I automatically realized that this book was more for younger readers so they kept it more pg. I would've really liked to know more about the asylum like what year it was built or more information about the treatments, but the way the author described it didn't really make sense....more
This is a YA novel,and I very seldom enjoy YA novels, let alone repugnant YA novels dealing with the supernatural. But I found this book to be a delightful exception. First, it did not try to delete the horror of the plot by diluting the superntural elements by making it all one big misperception.Second, it didnot try to stress the truth that you need to fear the living and not the dead. Our hero and heroines in this story needed to fear both. Kudos to Poblocki for making a YA novel that both a...more
This book is clearly written for a younger reader. But if you have a 12 year old who is finished reading this book (like I happen to have) and you are looking for a quick but entertaining read, this book is worth the 3 or 4 hours it took me to read it. My 12 year old loved this book and had to stop reading it at night because it had her a little nervous. So when she finished, I decided to read it. It wasn't as scary as I had expected. I guess it's been a long time since I've read a preteen suspe...more
Feb 20, 2013
Mel Raschke
added it
When their parents separate, Neil and Bree are sent to stay with two strangers, their distant old aunts in a small town in upstate New York. When Neil hears of the local haunted hospital, he has to see it for himself. It's just as bad as the rumors and Neil is sure it's haunted after what happens to him there. When he leaves, he has no idea a ghost would follow him home, a ghost who seems intent on harming Neil and his sister. Can this ghost be responsible for the weird murders that happened at...more
Neil Cady and his 16-year-old sister Bree are spending the summer with their maiden aunt. Neil’s new friend Wesley and his brother Eric take them to Graylock, an abandoned Asylum, said to be haunted by Nurse Janet. When Eric gets injured and starts having nightmares, the kids decide to solve the mystery once and for all. This ghost story/mystery starts off great, with the kids exploring the haunted asylum, but is slow until the end. It’s like Poblocki had a great beginning and ending but didn’t...more
Very well written and definitely scarey. Neil and his sister get sent to stay with their aunts after their father leaves them and their mother has a mental breakdown. When Neil and his sister decide to join a couple of other local kids to explore the long since closed, children's hospital, they discover more than dust and spiders. Are ghosts real? Can they physically move things and make you feel like you are drowning? Who really killed the kids (before the Hospital closed) or was it really an a...more
I'd say this book earned 4 1/2 stars. The story is intended for young readers (11-13?), so taking that into account, the characters were likable enough; their background was existent, but not too deep. The setting was creepy enough: an old asylum! (don't they make haunted houses out of those now?) There was plenty of ghostly activity to keep you guessing and intrigued. What I liked about the story is that the ghostly experiences are explained--important to a young reader who should expect more c...more
To be honest I really didn't have high hopes For this book but I was pleasantly surprised. Within the first couple chapters I was sucked into Neil's world.
The book centers around Neil and his sister Bree who find themselves in a town called Hedston when their parents go through a rough patch. They soon make friends with a couple local boys and find out the mystery surrounding an old asylum called Graylock Hall. Things start to spin out of control when they visit the hall and see something in one...more
The book centers around Neil and his sister Bree who find themselves in a town called Hedston when their parents go through a rough patch. They soon make friends with a couple local boys and find out the mystery surrounding an old asylum called Graylock Hall. Things start to spin out of control when they visit the hall and see something in one...more
Overall this book was very entertaining. Happy moments, depressing moments, romantic and suspenseful moments. This has everything you could want in a book. It has been a very interesting experience for me to read this novel, and I'm so glad I did! It taught me about life, because I was able to learn from their mistakes. It taught me about relationships- let me rephrase that. It taught me what NOT to do in relationships because of Bree's state of desperation. And it also taught me that curiosity...more
A book fair selection from my youngest - which I'll occasional skim to be in on the joke (or the terror, or the suspense, etc.). A reasonably creepy ghost story (with, thankfully, an actual ghost - no Scooby-Doo BS) with some kids-coping-with-family-drama domestic themes (sudden paternal absenteeism, maternal mental health issues, and - a nice touch, I think - a summer spent with a couple of 'aunts' whose relationship is presented with age-appropriate, matter-of-fact ambiguity.
I'm M3's Mom, and...more
I'm M3's Mom, and...more
Putting myself in the shoes of the target reader, this is a great scary read. Intertwined with the scary part is a back story involving parents who are dealing with depression, abandonment...it helps provide an explanation for both the actual situation and the emotional reactions of the main characters. The book is primarily plot driven although the two main characters and their friends are clearly drawn --the writing is very 'ordinary' but moves the reader along so would be a good choice for ki...more
Dan Poblocki’s utterly frightening book, The Ghost of Graylock, will leave its readers feeling stone cold that even thrill-seekers would abandon any thoughts of ever entering a haunted building. When Graylock Hall was in operation, it was a place where children and teenagers plagued with mental disorders can go to for help. Unfortunately, it was shut down after the mysterious deaths of several patients. Abandoned and forgotten, Graylock Hall has not seen a single soul since closing its doors. Un...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| the ghost of graylock | 13 | 18 | May 03, 2013 07:29pm | |
| The Ghost of Gray...: How did the ghost die? And who is the ghost? | 1 | 4 | Apr 19, 2013 09:30am |
Author of The Stone Child, The Nightmarys, The Ghost of Graylock, and the Mysterious Four series. His newest book,The Haunting of Gabriel Ashe, is coming in 2013.
More about Dan Poblocki...
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“We ask our brain to stop worrying, stop obsessing, stop dreaming the same scary dreams again and again. But our brain rarely takes requests.”
—
5 people liked it
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Oct 24, 2012 07:21pm