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94th out of 114 books
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90 voters
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Creepers
by
Joanne Dahme
From moving to a new house to making new friends and preparing for high school, life for the new girl in town can be unsettling. But thirteen year-old Courtney is unprepared for how creepy life in Murmur, Massachusetts turns out to be. Her ivy-covered house overlooking the antiquated cemetery next door is one thing, but Courtney finds herself thrust into a full-fledged hau...more
Hardcover, 232 pages
Published
September 9th 2008
by Running Press
(first published August 25th 2008)
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Becca
rated it
Recommends it for:
people who are looking for a quick, light read to pass a rainy day. Nothing scary!
This book was okay, but definitely not a must-read. Honestly, the plot, for me at least, was somewhat dull, if not boring. The mystery was predictable, and I didn't find it suspenseful or "creepy" at all. I wasn't too surprised at the unraveling of the story either, and the climax was disappointing. While I did enjoy the way that this book was written, and some of the detail was very nice, I felt like a lot of it was completely unnecessary. Like, why did Courtney notice what Margaret a...more
Courtney O'Brien has just moved with her parents into the small New England town of Murmer where they've bought an old home next to a cemetery. The first thing she notices is the ivy, which covers everything from the house to the gravestones and seems to have a life of its own. Then she meets Margaret and her dad, who conducts historical tours of the cemetery. From them Courtney learns about a centuries-old mystery involving Margaret's ancestors, the cemetery and Courtney's house. Together they ...more
I was enticed to read this story by the intriguing book cover, interesting ivy illustrations throughout the book, and the summary on the book jacket. While the illustrations and book cover are good, the book jacket summary was somewhat misleading as to its description of the story. Even if the story had been exactly as described, it still suffered from several major problems. Firstly, the author is too exact when she describes distances. That wouldn't necessarily be a problem, except that th...more
I really really wanted to like this book. It has a lovely cover and beautiful artistic images and "additions" (pages that read like newspaper clippings, old journal pages, letters...) throughout the book. It was a really clever story idea. I did make it all the way through the book and there were a few aspects of the story that had me guessing 'til the end but sadly it reads like a rough draft that no one bothered asking the author to make sense of or tighten, and the sloppy writing...more
I regularly read a blog, The Comics Curmudgeon, wherein a sarcastic guy makes snarky comments about the funny pages. One of his running jokes is that Archie comics are really written by a computer that has been programmed with all sorts of facts about teenage life but doesn't really understand organic life forms, so the jokes are always a bit off. That's sort of how I felt about this book. Supposedly narrated by a tween, it was so stilted and inexplicably formal and odd . . . I wondered if th...more
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The first thing that caught my eye about this book was its fantastic shade of green and the shiny ivy leaves crawling along the spine. Quite appropriate, since the ivy "twisting up the trunks of the trees and dribbling across the lawn" was the first thing that Courtney noticed when she arrived at her new home - a Puritan era house next door to a centuries old cemetery. The ivy seems to have a mind of its own as the days go by and Courtney can practically watch it grow. The cemetery als...more
The first thing about this book that got my attention was the striking cover. In several shades of green, it's covered in embossed ivy leaves and the statue of young woman. The inside of the book is just as attractive with the pages edged in soft green and each chapter beginning with an interesting article or letter from the past.
Courtney is the narrator and she and her parents move to a new home one summer in Murmur, Massachusetts. The first thing they noticed when they saw their la...more
Courtney is the narrator and she and her parents move to a new home one summer in Murmur, Massachusetts. The first thing they noticed when they saw their la...more
Ti
rated it
Recommends it for:
10-12 year old
Recommended to Ti by:
Booking Mama and Running Press
Shelves:
books-sent-to-me
This ghost story has all the right elements. A spooky house with a lot of history, a cemetery right next door, odd neighbors and the creeping ivy that has a mind of its own. I have been super busy this week so my time with this novel has been limited to late nights on the couch, all by myself. Let me tell you, I was spooked quite a few times and kept seeing things out of the corner of my eye.
As far as the story goes, I enjoyed the main character. Courtney is a girl I could get to kn...more
As far as the story goes, I enjoyed the main character. Courtney is a girl I could get to kn...more
13 year old Courtney has just moved to town with her parents, the first thing she notices about her new house is the abundance of ivy covering it, (no matter how much ivy her father removes it just comes right back) also the cemetery next door. In the cemetery Courtney meets Margaret Geyer and her father Christian, they give tours of the cemetery. Soon they share a secret with Courtney, they have relative, Prudence, that is supposed to be resting in the cemetery but they know her body is not the...more
Unfortunately, Creepers, by Joanne Dahme is probably a skipper.
Courtney and her parents just moved to Murmur, Massachusetts, into a three-hundred-year-old house covered in possessed ivy. Soon after arrival, Courtney meets Mr. Geyer and his daughter, Margaret. The Geyers inform Courtney that the house was once inhabited by Christian Geyer and his daughter, Prudence. Tragically, Prudence died young. In his grief, Christian was bewitched by a witch who convinced him to bind himself...more
Courtney and her parents just moved to Murmur, Massachusetts, into a three-hundred-year-old house covered in possessed ivy. Soon after arrival, Courtney meets Mr. Geyer and his daughter, Margaret. The Geyers inform Courtney that the house was once inhabited by Christian Geyer and his daughter, Prudence. Tragically, Prudence died young. In his grief, Christian was bewitched by a witch who convinced him to bind himself...more
Creepers by Joanne Dahme opens with 13 year old Courtney O’Brien moving with her parents into an 18th century house next door to a Puritan cemetery. The house and yard have been inundated by persistent ivy, that grows and creeps everywhere. Even though her father constantly removes it, the ivy seems to have a purpose and intent of its own. Billed as a young adult novel, the book features not only the creepy and creeping ivy, it also has the required mysterious neighbors, scary noises in the base...more
I think what this book boiled down to is that I like this author, but not the book. It is pretty clearly a first novel, and I'm not sure if it should have been accepted for publication this round of revisions. The plot is sloppy and parts don't make sense. Characters are flat and only appear when needed for something specific. The story, which is a horror/suspense/mystery still left me going "huh?" at the end.
Why am I saying the author has promise? She writes suspense VERY ...more
Why am I saying the author has promise? She writes suspense VERY ...more
begin: the book itself intrigues me: a textured dust jacket, a map inside the covers, ivy-decorated pages, some black and white pictures, and even a fade in coloring on the edges of each page. can't wait to get to the story!
end: story was not what i had hoped. it was not very sophisticated, although it would probably work well for someone in late elementary to early middle school. the story premise was a good one, just not carried out as smoothly as i had anticipated. the look of the...more
end: story was not what i had hoped. it was not very sophisticated, although it would probably work well for someone in late elementary to early middle school. the story premise was a good one, just not carried out as smoothly as i had anticipated. the look of the...more
I skimmed through the pages of this book and let me tell you it’s such a beautiful book. Every page is pretty, the font is beautiful and the drawings inside the book are fantastic. But I was disappointed with the book.
The story of Creepers is based in Murmur, Massachusetts. Courtney, along with her family comes to live in a very old house close to a cemetery. The first thing Courtney notices is the abundance of the Ivy creepers on the house and the surroundings, including the cemeter...more
The story of Creepers is based in Murmur, Massachusetts. Courtney, along with her family comes to live in a very old house close to a cemetery. The first thing Courtney notices is the abundance of the Ivy creepers on the house and the surroundings, including the cemeter...more
Creepers was not a very creepy story. I was expecting a sort of thriller with some scary aspects, but it fell short for me. In fact, some parts of the book were kind of boring. The story definitely had some interesting parts, but they never really caught my attention enough to where I was absorbed in the story.
One of the things I did not like was that the main character, Courtney, did not really act like a thirteen year old girl. The way she acted and spoke made her seem far older at...more
One of the things I did not like was that the main character, Courtney, did not really act like a thirteen year old girl. The way she acted and spoke made her seem far older at...more
An old stone house next to a cemetery... Ivy everywhere... a mysterious history.... strange carvings popping up all over the place... It sounds like a great book, right? No... not really.
While the idea for Creepers was fantastic, the book itself with poorly written; dry with very few descriptions, a very slow plot, unreal characters, and it was just not scary at all! I mean, what kind of scary book isn't scary? Its just not right.
While the idea for Creepers was fantastic, the book itself with poorly written; dry with very few descriptions, a very slow plot, unreal characters, and it was just not scary at all! I mean, what kind of scary book isn't scary? Its just not right.
I received this book as an advanced reader's copy and was asked to write a review of it. I then promptly lost the book and just found it when cleaning out a closet. Oops.
I don't think it's fair to completely pan this book. It was a simple, light read, meant for a young adult. I often delve into young adult fiction. I think there are a lot of YA books that are simply meant for all ages (think: The Giver). This isn't one of them.
My adult mind just couldn't wrap itsel...more
I don't think it's fair to completely pan this book. It was a simple, light read, meant for a young adult. I often delve into young adult fiction. I think there are a lot of YA books that are simply meant for all ages (think: The Giver). This isn't one of them.
My adult mind just couldn't wrap itsel...more
The voice of this book was very odd. Supposedly narrated by a twelve-year-old, or so, it sounded more like an adult was narrating. Or at least someone more mature than a twelve-year-old. Still, it wasn't that the language was particularly difficult. The voice was odd in a way that's hard to pin down.
This was how the whole book went, which, besides the part with the narration, was a good thing. Creepers could be categorized as a ghost story, but I see it as more of a mystery wit...more
This was how the whole book went, which, besides the part with the narration, was a good thing. Creepers could be categorized as a ghost story, but I see it as more of a mystery wit...more
Wow, this is one of my new favorite books.
My boyfriend randomly just picked this up off of the shelf for me, & I fell in love with it.
Courtney and her parents move into a new house. They meet Mr. Geyer & his daughter Margaret.
Supposedly, the cemetery in Courtney's backyard is haunted by a witch who knew one of Margaret's relatives.
I don't want to give anything else away, but this book kept me on edge. No, it's not a thriller, but it doe...more
What is going on with the strange father/daughter duo who hang out at the cemetery, next to Courtney's house? What about the ivy that smothers both places? It seems to have a life of its own. Courtney is a skeptic, but she comes face-to-face with bodies missing from the cemetery, an ancient diary, a witch, and maybe even a couple of ghosts. Creepy!
A great little ghost story that's short enough it can be read in an afternoon. Reminded me of childhood faves, 'Watcher in the Woods' (the book, not the Disney movie roughly based on it) and 'Wait Till Helen Comes'. The story is enhansed by some pretty cool artwork. Appropriate for ages 11 and up. I'd recommend it :)
Right off the bat you know there is something not quite right with Margaret and her dad, Mr. Greyers. That's how the whole book moves. Everything is a little too mysterious. So if you are looking for a very safe, not too scary, and very predictable ghost story this is it.
This book is a very original idea, unfortunately there were times when I felt my attention stray. This was a beautifully designed cover, something you rarely see anymore; even though it was a fast read, it was satisfying.
Halfway through this novel, I'm wanting to say it's a short story gone on way too long. I get absolutely no sense of who the main character really is, which is disappointing as it is a ghost story mystery told in first person. All I can say is: I'm hoping there'll be a nice twist to make reading this worthwhile and I'm hoping it'll involve character transformation for the main character or I'll be rather disappointed.
Nope. Book never got better. One minor surprise only. A feel-good g...more
Nope. Book never got better. One minor surprise only. A feel-good g...more
Good plot. The wording of the book seems light. I think future books by the author will grow in their "wordiness". I found the book believable and enjoyable. A very quick fun read.
This is a sweet ghost story - not terribly scary, but nice. Fairly green and anti-urban sprawl, so it would be an interesting book to use as an approach to activism and volunteer training.
Gentle creepiness. The climax was OK, but I didn't quite get the centuries-old "mystery" that the strange father/daughter team were trying to solve.
This wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. Her writing is a bit unprofessional in my opinion, the story was extremely predictable and a little over-done. It was okay. Youth fiction, so it's about right on for what a 12-year-old girl would enjoy reading, just doesn't cross over to adults well.
I like this book to be thicker. In every sense of the word. 2 stars, sorry it has to be. Great potential though.
Surprisingly this was actually very good and well-written. I don't know if I would even label it in the "Young adult" genre, it would probably categorize more in the just "young" one. :P Either way, you have my strong recommendation.
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Joanne Dahme has first-hand knowledge about the rivers and streams in the Philadelphia area as she works for the Philadelphia Water Department as its Watersheds Programs Manager. Her mission is to restore and revitalize Philadelphia’s rivers and streams.
During her years with the department, Joanne obtained a Master’s of Journalism and Master’s in Creative Writing from Temple Universit...more
More about Joanne Dahme...
During her years with the department, Joanne obtained a Master’s of Journalism and Master’s in Creative Writing from Temple Universit...more
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