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Jade Green
Secrets
Orphaned fifteen-year-old Judith Sparrow brings two secrets to her uncle's house in South one, that her grief-stricken mother died in a madhouse, the other that she has disobeyed the only condition to living in her uncle's home -- nothing green is allowed in the house.
Judith can't bear to part with the photograph of her mother in its lovely green silk frame. Surely this one small defiance will not jeopardize the happiness she finds in South Carolina -- with a family at last, and new friends, especially Zeke Carey, the miller's son.
But Uncle Geoffrey's house holds a secret of its own. And Judith's small picture frame, hidden away at the bottom of her trunk, unleashes a powerful force that seems determined to bring that secret into the open. Or is Judith simply following her mother down the path toward madness?
Orphaned fifteen-year-old Judith Sparrow brings two secrets to her uncle's house in South one, that her grief-stricken mother died in a madhouse, the other that she has disobeyed the only condition to living in her uncle's home -- nothing green is allowed in the house.
Judith can't bear to part with the photograph of her mother in its lovely green silk frame. Surely this one small defiance will not jeopardize the happiness she finds in South Carolina -- with a family at last, and new friends, especially Zeke Carey, the miller's son.
But Uncle Geoffrey's house holds a secret of its own. And Judith's small picture frame, hidden away at the bottom of her trunk, unleashes a powerful force that seems determined to bring that secret into the open. Or is Judith simply following her mother down the path toward madness?
176 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
62 people are currently reading
1426 people want to read
About the author
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
247 books1,035 followersPhyllis Reynolds Naylor was born in Anderson, Indiana, US on January 4, 1933.
Her family were strongly religious with conservative, midwestern values and most of her childhood was spent moving a lot due to her father's occupation as a salesman.
Though she grew up during the Depression and her family did not have a lot of money, Naylor stated that she never felt poor because her family owned good books. Her parents enjoyed reading stories to the children--her father would imitate the characters in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer--and her mother read to them every evening, "almost until we were old enough to go out on dates, though we never would have admitted this to anyone."
By the time Phyllis reached fifth grade, writing books was her favorite hobby and she would rush home from school each day to write down whatever plot had been forming in her head - at sixteen her first story was published in a local church magazine.
Phyllis has written over 80 books for children and young people. One of these books, "Shiloh," was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1992, was named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and was also Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.
Naylor gets her ideas from things that happen to her or from things she has read. "Shiloh" was inspired by a little abused dog she and her husband found. The little dog haunted her so much that she had to write a story about him to get it out of her mind.
Her family were strongly religious with conservative, midwestern values and most of her childhood was spent moving a lot due to her father's occupation as a salesman.
Though she grew up during the Depression and her family did not have a lot of money, Naylor stated that she never felt poor because her family owned good books. Her parents enjoyed reading stories to the children--her father would imitate the characters in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer--and her mother read to them every evening, "almost until we were old enough to go out on dates, though we never would have admitted this to anyone."
By the time Phyllis reached fifth grade, writing books was her favorite hobby and she would rush home from school each day to write down whatever plot had been forming in her head - at sixteen her first story was published in a local church magazine.
Phyllis has written over 80 books for children and young people. One of these books, "Shiloh," was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1992, was named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and was also Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.
Naylor gets her ideas from things that happen to her or from things she has read. "Shiloh" was inspired by a little abused dog she and her husband found. The little dog haunted her so much that she had to write a story about him to get it out of her mind.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 364 reviews
September 8, 2010
Okay, I’m sorry, but I just wasn’t in love with this one. To begin with, it’s got that stick-up-the-butt pseudo-Victorian narrator voice that great children’s authors of the 1980s always seem to adopt when they’re writing about the 1800s (think Cynthia Voigt in The Callender Papers). I hate that voice. Also, the whole thing just seemed…muddled to me. Age-wise, I mean, not plot-wise. See, the story’s about Judith, this orphan who comes to live with her uncle after her mom dies in an INSANE ASYLUM (wooooo!), and the only stipulation that her uncle has is that she CAN’T BRING THE COLOR GREEN INTO THE HOUSE. But of course she does, because GIRLS IN THESE BOOKS NEVER LISTEN, and the house immediately becomes haunted. Because it turns out that a girl named Jade Green (seriously, whut?) lived there before her, and Jade Green totes offed herself. By cutting off her hand and letting herself bleed out all over the attic stairs.
Yeah, TOTALLY NOT A MURDER, Y’ALL. Seriously, Naylor, who are you kidding? NO ONE KILLS THEMSELVES WITH A MEAT CLEAVER.
Anyway, on the one hand (har), this is obviously meant for younger children, because the murderer is telegraphed from essentially the first time he runs his hands over Judith’s maidenly bosom buttons. On the other hand (again, har), Judith is always talking about how the neighborhood boy is giving her the tinglies in her drawers and how she would very much like to roll around with him naked, and I’m thinking that’s just not going to appeal to an audience of eight-year-olds. Naylor should have either cut out all the underpants-tinglies or pitched this older, because what we’re left with is a book that is a little too adult in content for readers who might appreciate its plot, and waaaaaaaaaaaay too simplistic in its plot for readers who can related to their underpants tingling.
Recommended for: Eh, eight-year-olds. The sex stuff will be over their heads, anyway. I hope.
Yeah, TOTALLY NOT A MURDER, Y’ALL. Seriously, Naylor, who are you kidding? NO ONE KILLS THEMSELVES WITH A MEAT CLEAVER.
Anyway, on the one hand (har), this is obviously meant for younger children, because the murderer is telegraphed from essentially the first time he runs his hands over Judith’s maidenly bosom buttons. On the other hand (again, har), Judith is always talking about how the neighborhood boy is giving her the tinglies in her drawers and how she would very much like to roll around with him naked, and I’m thinking that’s just not going to appeal to an audience of eight-year-olds. Naylor should have either cut out all the underpants-tinglies or pitched this older, because what we’re left with is a book that is a little too adult in content for readers who might appreciate its plot, and waaaaaaaaaaaay too simplistic in its plot for readers who can related to their underpants tingling.
Recommended for: Eh, eight-year-olds. The sex stuff will be over their heads, anyway. I hope.
April 22, 2012
Jade Green was an amazing, frightening, fantastic ghost story about Judith Sparrow, a fifteen year old girl who has just become an orphan and is sent to live with her uncle in South Carolina. Her uncle has only one rule: you may not bring anything green into the house. Judith's mother had given her a picture of her in a green silk frame as a gift, and Judith cannot bear to part with it, so she secretly brings it in the house. What Judith doesn't know is that three years prior, a girl named Jade Green had taken her own life in that very house, and the color green is the one thing that awakens the ghost of her.
I gave this novel at ten out of ten because I loved it a lot. I was hesitant at first because I don't go to sleep very well after reading scary novels, but I enjoyed this one a lot and I think it was worth losing sleep over. I would recommend this to anybody. Literally. I would go walking down a busy street telling everybody I saw to read this book. No joke.
"A man, sir, in my opinion, is moderate in his drink, selective in his women, and does not risk his money over a gaming table." ~Jade Green, page 134
I gave this novel at ten out of ten because I loved it a lot. I was hesitant at first because I don't go to sleep very well after reading scary novels, but I enjoyed this one a lot and I think it was worth losing sleep over. I would recommend this to anybody. Literally. I would go walking down a busy street telling everybody I saw to read this book. No joke.
"A man, sir, in my opinion, is moderate in his drink, selective in his women, and does not risk his money over a gaming table." ~Jade Green, page 134
September 27, 2019
This has been in my classroom library shelves forever. I finally got around to reading it. Now I can hardly wait to introduce it to my students!
What an excellent introduction to gothic horror! It has all the elements: an orphan, a storm, a ghostly presence. It's a bit bawdy for 6th graders but it's not so graphic that I have to worry too much about parental disapproval.
I love it!
What an excellent introduction to gothic horror! It has all the elements: an orphan, a storm, a ghostly presence. It's a bit bawdy for 6th graders but it's not so graphic that I have to worry too much about parental disapproval.
I love it!
July 5, 2012
Orphaned Judith Sparrow had been given everything by her uncle when she arrived penniless, and even still she has disobeyed him. In the exciting horror novel Jade Green by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Judith never thought she would be so lucky. Her uncle had taken her to live in his house in Whispers, South Carolina. All seemed well, but that is about to change.
There is only one big rule her uncle has that she must keep. Nothing green is allowed in the house. Judith thinks nothing of it; every family has something odd about them. She promises her uncle she will leave anything green behind, but she doesn’t keep her word for long. She has only one possession of her dead mother, a picture fitted in a lovely green silk frame. She cannot bear to leave it, so she barriers it at the bottom of her suitcase and takes it along. When she arrives at her uncle’s house she has a roof over her head, people who care about her, and friends. The only thing that bugs her is her cousin, Charles, who comes only to the house for meals and leaves afterwards. Time goes on and forgetting about the picture frame, she is startled when she starts hearing things in her closet and seeing s ghostly hand crawling across the floor. The gossip in the town is that a young girl died at that house three years ago, taking her own life by cutting off her hand with a knife. Her name was Jade, a sweet and happy child who loved the color green.
Has Judith brought the ghost of Jade Green back to the house? Will her uncle find out she has disobeyed him? Read the book to find out! The characters in this book are very interesting. I liked how for example, Jade Green was named after her favorite color. The characters in this book are easy to imagine with the detail the author used to describe them.
This book is for you if you like horror novels about ghosts. I recommend it for both boys and girls in 6th to 8th grade. I hope you will all try to read Jade Green by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.
There is only one big rule her uncle has that she must keep. Nothing green is allowed in the house. Judith thinks nothing of it; every family has something odd about them. She promises her uncle she will leave anything green behind, but she doesn’t keep her word for long. She has only one possession of her dead mother, a picture fitted in a lovely green silk frame. She cannot bear to leave it, so she barriers it at the bottom of her suitcase and takes it along. When she arrives at her uncle’s house she has a roof over her head, people who care about her, and friends. The only thing that bugs her is her cousin, Charles, who comes only to the house for meals and leaves afterwards. Time goes on and forgetting about the picture frame, she is startled when she starts hearing things in her closet and seeing s ghostly hand crawling across the floor. The gossip in the town is that a young girl died at that house three years ago, taking her own life by cutting off her hand with a knife. Her name was Jade, a sweet and happy child who loved the color green.
Has Judith brought the ghost of Jade Green back to the house? Will her uncle find out she has disobeyed him? Read the book to find out! The characters in this book are very interesting. I liked how for example, Jade Green was named after her favorite color. The characters in this book are easy to imagine with the detail the author used to describe them.
This book is for you if you like horror novels about ghosts. I recommend it for both boys and girls in 6th to 8th grade. I hope you will all try to read Jade Green by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.
June 5, 2014
Judith Sparrow is now an orphan. Both her parents are passed and she is going to live with her Uncle. There is only one condition to her living there; she cannot bring anything green into the house.
But Judith has brought a green picture frame with her that was given to her by her Mother. Judith knows she shouldn't have brought it, but she couldn't leave the only thing behind that was from her Mother.
Soon enough Judith is at home living with her Uncle and the cook Mrs. Hastenings. She is treated well and loves it there. But she begins to hear noises. Could it do with the fact she brought green into the house? She'll soon find out.
It's not a real long book, but for me, it was a page-turner. I thought it was a pretty original ghost story. I won't reveal why because I don't want to spoil the story.
I will say though that I wasn't too far into the book and figured out what happened. When nearing the end of the book, what I figured happened actually did. Even though I figured it out, I don't feel that the story was ruined. I just wanted the truth to come out in the open and it did.
I thought it was a good book. An original ghost story that I wished as a bit longer.
But Judith has brought a green picture frame with her that was given to her by her Mother. Judith knows she shouldn't have brought it, but she couldn't leave the only thing behind that was from her Mother.
Soon enough Judith is at home living with her Uncle and the cook Mrs. Hastenings. She is treated well and loves it there. But she begins to hear noises. Could it do with the fact she brought green into the house? She'll soon find out.
It's not a real long book, but for me, it was a page-turner. I thought it was a pretty original ghost story. I won't reveal why because I don't want to spoil the story.
I will say though that I wasn't too far into the book and figured out what happened. When nearing the end of the book, what I figured happened actually did. Even though I figured it out, I don't feel that the story was ruined. I just wanted the truth to come out in the open and it did.
I thought it was a good book. An original ghost story that I wished as a bit longer.
January 17, 2009
A mix or romance, rumors, horror, and a murderous stalker, this book has a bit of everything. What I liked about this book though, was that it was predictable but not in a way that the author tried to hide it. You knew who killed Jade from the beginning but it was still thrilling and suspenseful! A very difficult thing to accomplish.
October 26, 2024
This is a young adult book. It's a ghost story, but I didn't find it very scary. I suspected the ending quite early in the story. However, I did find it entertaining and a fast read.
May 9, 2013
The book jade green is about a young girl who is an orphan and is adopted as a young child. As the she grows up her mother passes away, and she moves in with her uncle. When she moves in with her uncle she learns that the color green is forbidden in the house. Along with some other things related to jade green. As she lives in the house she hears rumors around town saying that her cousin is a drunk most of the time people see him coming in and out of the saloon drunk.Eventually she findes love but her cousin wont alow that. One day her cousin asaults her threatnng her. She refuses and runs off the all breaks loose. On a stormy day there is supposed to be a hurrican so every one in town is supposed to evacuate by noon. When she tries to leave with the boy she loves she forgets somthing and runs back to the house and finds her cousin. Who the tries to rape her. Thats when the ghost of jade green comes and helps her. then all the peaces come together years ago her cousin did the same thing but to jade green and succseded with it and murdured her. I think the book jade green is very luring and suspencful makeing you want to read more and more of the book. I litteraly read the book within one day. I absolutly think if your into ghost stories then you should read this book its very very aluring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2018
Read this book for my reading challenge: a book with your favorite color in the title.
As I read this, I realized that I've read it before, a long time ago, because snippets of it were familiar and I knew what was going to happen just before it did (though not the overall plot). Oh, the pre-Goodreads days....
This is a short, well written Victorian ghost story. Younger readers (teens) might find this adequately spooky, but as usual as soon as we're *shown* the spooky thing, it's not scary to me any more. Still, I'd recommend this to fans of the genre.
As I read this, I realized that I've read it before, a long time ago, because snippets of it were familiar and I knew what was going to happen just before it did (though not the overall plot). Oh, the pre-Goodreads days....
This is a short, well written Victorian ghost story. Younger readers (teens) might find this adequately spooky, but as usual as soon as we're *shown* the spooky thing, it's not scary to me any more. Still, I'd recommend this to fans of the genre.
Read
October 4, 2017The ending was such a twist. Judith's cousin Charles was acting weird all along. He set the house on fire but they got out When they were evacuating for the hurricane and Judith stayed behind to help board the house, she went upstairs to pack her bag and Charles came up and tried to rape her. The ghostly hand that had been running around kill Charles. It turns out that he tried to do the same thing with Jade Green but she didn't make it. Charles killed her.
December 8, 2015
Its a little scary but its really good
August 26, 2025
I thought the green element was really weird before I even started reading. It didn't improve when I learned that Jade Green is the name of an orphan girl who came to live with the family. I didn't care for the hat shop job that Judith got. Also the girl there named Violet was a little much, having all these color names for girls. She told Judith the girl had killed herself and I didn't like the story at all.
I didn't like their first meeting. Zeke said "We are very glad to have you" and Judith blushed. It was weird how she thought Mrs. Hastings put him up to it. Then when he was out in his carriage and invited her to ride he told her she needed to get outside more because her skin is white as flour, and her fingers will wither doing work like that. What is wrong with these guys?
He should've been a good choice compared to her 40 year old cousin Charles, but he wasn't. Charles ran his eyes up and down her dress, looked at her figure, and ran his finger over the buttons of her dress. He asked if her dad had left her penniless like he was after money or something.
Zeke told her she needed to watch out for her cousin and she asked why and he didn't answer. Hello, if you're trying to help her, tell her what she's to be on the lookout for. He said she could go fishing with him sometime and bait his hook. Bait your own hook, you sexist jerk. You don't invite a girl with you to do things for you like she should be honored to put a work on your hook.
Mrs. Hastings and Uncle Geoffrey were worried since she'd come so late and Zeke said he should've stopped by and told them where they were going. Mrs. Hastings said he should have and Zeke asked if he could tell her now that he may be driving Judith home soon. Judith thought he was being bold as brass, but she also thought Why not? about the fishing invitation. She deserves better treatment than this.
She had gone up the attic steps and seen the bloodstain where Jade had supposedly killed herself. She had all kinds of nighttime experiences with scratching coming from the closet and shadows going under her dresser. Then she found a white glove and cleave marks on the attic stairs. One night she felt a hand touch her forehead and thought it was Charles messing with her. She'd caught him looking under her dresser and guess he was trying to find her money to steal. I did like that she was prepared to put up a fight the next time and she got a knife to sleep with.
She felt someone touch her lips but no one was there. Then she saw a cut off hand crawling over her floor, and in place of her mom in the picture, she saw Jade. I don't believe in hauntings like that; they're too crazy and unrealistic. I didn't like that she started thinking she was losing her mind like her mom and she'd be thrown out of the house.
Zeke picked her up at work and she asked a favor of him, to meet her at the garden so she could give him a gift for driving her home. It was absolutely terrible that she gifted him the green silk picture frame and a picture of herself when she was 10. You don't give someone a picture of yourself as thanks! That's like tooting your own horn and thinking mighty highly of yourself.
She went out to meet Zeke and ran into Charles and he accused her of meeting a lover and asked for a kiss, tried to drag her down, but Zeke interrupted. He asked what happened and Judith said it was just Charles being Charles. Um, no. You do not cover up for that molester. The whole gift thing was as awkward as Judith felt about it. Zeke said he hoped she didn't feel she has to give him something because he'd driven her home, and it was such a bad gift, all because she wanted to get the green frame out of the house so Jade would stop haunting. Such a mess.
But it was nice that Zeke said he would always keep it. But then Judith said he didn't have to, only until after, and she didn't even finish her sentence but ran away. Charles said she was a gadabout meeting young men here and there.
It bothered me how she thought of how she'd angered Charles by refusing his kiss. As if she should let her old COUSIN kiss her!
That night she heard piano music, that stupid "too roo de nay, too roo de noo" beat. She saw the ghostly hand playing the piano and then it turned to face her. Ew. Aside from the stupid words, I was irritated that they thought she was sleepwalking and playing the piano. And she couldn't say anything because she would have to say she brought green into the house and awakened Jade's ghost.
Zeke took her to the beach and he commented on her good mood. She said she was happier today than she's ever been and he was pleased and said he must be the one who caused it. He said her face lights up when she sees him coming and she's disappointed when he doesn't pick her up. Their shoulders touched as they walked and he picked her up and dropped her in the water.
It was ruined as she saw Charles watching them. She confided in Zeke that Charles scares her and doesn't look at her like a cousin should, and Zeke's grand advice was to tell Charles straight out and not be shy about it. Shy about dealing with a possible molester/rapist? Shy is not the right word. Charles is dangerous and telling him anything straight out is not a good idea.
Zeke then switched to talking about the food Mrs. Hastings packed. Later Judith asked why he warned her of Charles when he didn't even know Charles and Zeke said it was his reputation, and then wouldn't answer what kind of reputation that was. What the hell?! How are you helping her out of a dangerous situation if you're not even telling her what the danger is?
Their hands touched as they were folding up the blanket and then they kissed and there was no detail or anything to it. It was so lacking. He asked why a picture of her when she was 10 and she said it was the only picture that fit the frame and someday she'd give him a better one. He said he'd rather have the picture than the frame.
Violet told her Charles sees ladies of the night. Creepy Charles at dinner asked if she'd been to the beach with her panting beau and if she ran with naked foot up and down his leg and started to mention her lying in the waves so her clothes, but Uncle Geoffrey interrupted.
The ghostly encounters were ridiculous, gruesome, and morbid. She was alone in the house and all of a sudden the severed hand started chopping at the cutting board. What is happening?! All of a sudden she decided she needed to bury the hand and I'm thinking where did she get that idea? There was no lead to her realizing the hand was on its own away from the body in between her suddenly hatching the plan to reunite it. To do so she set rat traps all over the house but didn't catch it and deemed it to be a clever hand...omg, it was all so painful and sick.
It was funny that she wished Charles would be run over by a carriage of break his neck. He was trying to declare his dad incompetent so that his will would be rejected. He didn't want Mrs. Hastings or Judith receiving any of his money.
The morbidity continued with Judith discovering the hand banging away at the keys of the piano with that dumb melody, and it kept turning to watch Judith's movements. Judith picked up a brick and threw it at the hand and it flattened and then finger by finger started inching its way up. But the pinkie was almost severed and dangled almost completely off. The hand crawled into the shadows and I was repulsed.
Charles went outside with her when she had tea and was upset at the gossip Violet and her employer told her about him. He said he enjoys women and what he does is his business. Judith struck a deal to mind their own affairs and stupidly offered to shake his hand. Of course he took advantage and tried to put his hand up her sleeve. Apparently she's so naive she can't learn anything.
Violet and her beau had gone skinny dipping at night and Judith imagined her and Zeke doing the same. On her ride home she brought up Jade's death and he said she needed more fun to which she asked if she should go swimming buck naked. You would not ever mention being naked to a guy.
Zeke was riding a unicycle with his friends and Mrs. Hastings made a comment about the circus having him, and he said he would take Judith away and he blew her a kiss. Violet said Mrs. Hastings better watch that he doesn't run off and marry Judith and she's seen the fond way he looks at her.
Uncle Geoffrey said Mrs. Hastings would receive the house and 10% of his wealth and the other 90% would be split equally between Charles and Judith. Charles got mad and left. Mrs. Hastings and Judith were home alone and the hand appeared at the top of the stairs in the root cellar. It locked them in and that's when Charles came and stole their money and set the house on fire. They were saved but she realized the hand had saved them in locking them away from Charles.
She told Zeke and he didn't believe her but he loves her and they kissed, and the wording was so lame and robotic, not romantic in the slightest.
"He took me in his arms and I lay against his chest, his ribs against my ribs, his chest against my bosom, our lips exchanging the sweetest taste, the lightest touch, the most ardent protestations of love, so that my entire body tingled and warmed to the thought of lying abed with him."
A hurricane was coming and there wasn't room for Judith in the carriage so she said she'd ride with Zeke. She was packing her things and dreamed of being alone for a night with Zeke, wrapped in his arms. She heard footsteps and was going to show Zeke her nightgown so he would imagine her in it. Girl, you're in a hurricane and you're going to take time to imagine sex with a guy you barely know? Get your crap together.
It was Charles and he looked lustful and unbuttoned his waistcoat, and when she grabbed the knife it only seemed to excite him. He had asked the same of Jade, just a kiss, but Judith wouldn't give it to him and now he'd take it and more. And then there was a rape attempt in case we hadn't been assaulted enough so far.
He forced her onto the bed and pinned her arms down, and said he'd stab her like he did Jade and make it look like she did it. She wondered if she would be ravished and lose her honor. That's such an antiquated idea that women lose honor when they're raped. He pinned her with one knee and started to undo his trousers. Damn, this should have come with a warning.
The hand made an appearance and started choking him and Judith ran away and stupid Zeke asked why she'd locked the door. Idiot, why would she lock the door? They went back in to see that Charles had been choked to death. They left and Judith saw the hand going across the roof and it disappeared in the rising water.
What in the actual f did I read?
Backwards way of speaking.
"So fast was I falling asleep."
"Well, thought I."
"So shocked I was at his words."
I can't believe this is the same person who wrote the Boy/Girl Battle series. It's night and day different.
I didn't like their first meeting. Zeke said "We are very glad to have you" and Judith blushed. It was weird how she thought Mrs. Hastings put him up to it. Then when he was out in his carriage and invited her to ride he told her she needed to get outside more because her skin is white as flour, and her fingers will wither doing work like that. What is wrong with these guys?
He should've been a good choice compared to her 40 year old cousin Charles, but he wasn't. Charles ran his eyes up and down her dress, looked at her figure, and ran his finger over the buttons of her dress. He asked if her dad had left her penniless like he was after money or something.
Zeke told her she needed to watch out for her cousin and she asked why and he didn't answer. Hello, if you're trying to help her, tell her what she's to be on the lookout for. He said she could go fishing with him sometime and bait his hook. Bait your own hook, you sexist jerk. You don't invite a girl with you to do things for you like she should be honored to put a work on your hook.
Mrs. Hastings and Uncle Geoffrey were worried since she'd come so late and Zeke said he should've stopped by and told them where they were going. Mrs. Hastings said he should have and Zeke asked if he could tell her now that he may be driving Judith home soon. Judith thought he was being bold as brass, but she also thought Why not? about the fishing invitation. She deserves better treatment than this.
She had gone up the attic steps and seen the bloodstain where Jade had supposedly killed herself. She had all kinds of nighttime experiences with scratching coming from the closet and shadows going under her dresser. Then she found a white glove and cleave marks on the attic stairs. One night she felt a hand touch her forehead and thought it was Charles messing with her. She'd caught him looking under her dresser and guess he was trying to find her money to steal. I did like that she was prepared to put up a fight the next time and she got a knife to sleep with.
She felt someone touch her lips but no one was there. Then she saw a cut off hand crawling over her floor, and in place of her mom in the picture, she saw Jade. I don't believe in hauntings like that; they're too crazy and unrealistic. I didn't like that she started thinking she was losing her mind like her mom and she'd be thrown out of the house.
Zeke picked her up at work and she asked a favor of him, to meet her at the garden so she could give him a gift for driving her home. It was absolutely terrible that she gifted him the green silk picture frame and a picture of herself when she was 10. You don't give someone a picture of yourself as thanks! That's like tooting your own horn and thinking mighty highly of yourself.
She went out to meet Zeke and ran into Charles and he accused her of meeting a lover and asked for a kiss, tried to drag her down, but Zeke interrupted. He asked what happened and Judith said it was just Charles being Charles. Um, no. You do not cover up for that molester. The whole gift thing was as awkward as Judith felt about it. Zeke said he hoped she didn't feel she has to give him something because he'd driven her home, and it was such a bad gift, all because she wanted to get the green frame out of the house so Jade would stop haunting. Such a mess.
But it was nice that Zeke said he would always keep it. But then Judith said he didn't have to, only until after, and she didn't even finish her sentence but ran away. Charles said she was a gadabout meeting young men here and there.
It bothered me how she thought of how she'd angered Charles by refusing his kiss. As if she should let her old COUSIN kiss her!
That night she heard piano music, that stupid "too roo de nay, too roo de noo" beat. She saw the ghostly hand playing the piano and then it turned to face her. Ew. Aside from the stupid words, I was irritated that they thought she was sleepwalking and playing the piano. And she couldn't say anything because she would have to say she brought green into the house and awakened Jade's ghost.
Zeke took her to the beach and he commented on her good mood. She said she was happier today than she's ever been and he was pleased and said he must be the one who caused it. He said her face lights up when she sees him coming and she's disappointed when he doesn't pick her up. Their shoulders touched as they walked and he picked her up and dropped her in the water.
It was ruined as she saw Charles watching them. She confided in Zeke that Charles scares her and doesn't look at her like a cousin should, and Zeke's grand advice was to tell Charles straight out and not be shy about it. Shy about dealing with a possible molester/rapist? Shy is not the right word. Charles is dangerous and telling him anything straight out is not a good idea.
Zeke then switched to talking about the food Mrs. Hastings packed. Later Judith asked why he warned her of Charles when he didn't even know Charles and Zeke said it was his reputation, and then wouldn't answer what kind of reputation that was. What the hell?! How are you helping her out of a dangerous situation if you're not even telling her what the danger is?
Their hands touched as they were folding up the blanket and then they kissed and there was no detail or anything to it. It was so lacking. He asked why a picture of her when she was 10 and she said it was the only picture that fit the frame and someday she'd give him a better one. He said he'd rather have the picture than the frame.
Violet told her Charles sees ladies of the night. Creepy Charles at dinner asked if she'd been to the beach with her panting beau and if she ran with naked foot up and down his leg and started to mention her lying in the waves so her clothes, but Uncle Geoffrey interrupted.
The ghostly encounters were ridiculous, gruesome, and morbid. She was alone in the house and all of a sudden the severed hand started chopping at the cutting board. What is happening?! All of a sudden she decided she needed to bury the hand and I'm thinking where did she get that idea? There was no lead to her realizing the hand was on its own away from the body in between her suddenly hatching the plan to reunite it. To do so she set rat traps all over the house but didn't catch it and deemed it to be a clever hand...omg, it was all so painful and sick.
It was funny that she wished Charles would be run over by a carriage of break his neck. He was trying to declare his dad incompetent so that his will would be rejected. He didn't want Mrs. Hastings or Judith receiving any of his money.
The morbidity continued with Judith discovering the hand banging away at the keys of the piano with that dumb melody, and it kept turning to watch Judith's movements. Judith picked up a brick and threw it at the hand and it flattened and then finger by finger started inching its way up. But the pinkie was almost severed and dangled almost completely off. The hand crawled into the shadows and I was repulsed.
Charles went outside with her when she had tea and was upset at the gossip Violet and her employer told her about him. He said he enjoys women and what he does is his business. Judith struck a deal to mind their own affairs and stupidly offered to shake his hand. Of course he took advantage and tried to put his hand up her sleeve. Apparently she's so naive she can't learn anything.
Violet and her beau had gone skinny dipping at night and Judith imagined her and Zeke doing the same. On her ride home she brought up Jade's death and he said she needed more fun to which she asked if she should go swimming buck naked. You would not ever mention being naked to a guy.
Zeke was riding a unicycle with his friends and Mrs. Hastings made a comment about the circus having him, and he said he would take Judith away and he blew her a kiss. Violet said Mrs. Hastings better watch that he doesn't run off and marry Judith and she's seen the fond way he looks at her.
Uncle Geoffrey said Mrs. Hastings would receive the house and 10% of his wealth and the other 90% would be split equally between Charles and Judith. Charles got mad and left. Mrs. Hastings and Judith were home alone and the hand appeared at the top of the stairs in the root cellar. It locked them in and that's when Charles came and stole their money and set the house on fire. They were saved but she realized the hand had saved them in locking them away from Charles.
She told Zeke and he didn't believe her but he loves her and they kissed, and the wording was so lame and robotic, not romantic in the slightest.
"He took me in his arms and I lay against his chest, his ribs against my ribs, his chest against my bosom, our lips exchanging the sweetest taste, the lightest touch, the most ardent protestations of love, so that my entire body tingled and warmed to the thought of lying abed with him."
A hurricane was coming and there wasn't room for Judith in the carriage so she said she'd ride with Zeke. She was packing her things and dreamed of being alone for a night with Zeke, wrapped in his arms. She heard footsteps and was going to show Zeke her nightgown so he would imagine her in it. Girl, you're in a hurricane and you're going to take time to imagine sex with a guy you barely know? Get your crap together.
It was Charles and he looked lustful and unbuttoned his waistcoat, and when she grabbed the knife it only seemed to excite him. He had asked the same of Jade, just a kiss, but Judith wouldn't give it to him and now he'd take it and more. And then there was a rape attempt in case we hadn't been assaulted enough so far.
He forced her onto the bed and pinned her arms down, and said he'd stab her like he did Jade and make it look like she did it. She wondered if she would be ravished and lose her honor. That's such an antiquated idea that women lose honor when they're raped. He pinned her with one knee and started to undo his trousers. Damn, this should have come with a warning.
The hand made an appearance and started choking him and Judith ran away and stupid Zeke asked why she'd locked the door. Idiot, why would she lock the door? They went back in to see that Charles had been choked to death. They left and Judith saw the hand going across the roof and it disappeared in the rising water.
What in the actual f did I read?
Backwards way of speaking.
"So fast was I falling asleep."
"Well, thought I."
"So shocked I was at his words."
I can't believe this is the same person who wrote the Boy/Girl Battle series. It's night and day different.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2022
I found this at my local library on the free cart and figured it was short enough to get my out of my reading slump. I was right. I read this book in one sitting, it was interesting enough to keep me flipping the page, and even though I had already guessed a lot of the plot by its end, I still enjoyed being validated in my suspicions.
May 12, 2021
I remember reading this one probably twenty years ago, and was delighted to discover it on the shelf! I'd misremembered it as being a Mary Downing Hahn novel, as she was the big ghost story writer back then. The ending/comeuppance is pretty satisfying-nothing to write home about, but a solid story.
January 23, 2021
I think it was good, it was the only one with a "ghostly hand" in it that I've ever read, haha!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2024
Weird. Just weird. Kinda good though. I read it 2 years ago and I still think about this book all the time
Currently reading
July 15, 2009Just picked this up from the library today. I've read some other stuff by the same author, but this is definitely totally different cause it's kind of historical fiction. Seems ok, but it's pretty short, lol.
I finished this at about four in the morning! It's not terribly scary, but sort of suspenseful.
~*`SPOILERS`*~
The disembodied hand of Jade Green was.... interesting. I never really got the feeling that it wanted to hurt Judith, but then again, I had the luxury of reading the book, and not actually having the experiences. I'd imagine, if it actually happened to me, I'd be pretty freaked, too.
I thought that Jade Green was fairly predictable, but almost in a good way. The end wasn't really a surprise at all MAJOR SPOILERS because discovering that Charles killed Jade was pretty much made obvious to the reader. Even so, it was still an awesome moment. It was almost as if the reader wasn't supposed to be surprised at the end, but feel fulfilled in that everything hadn't gone well, per say, but was finished, and Judith's ordeal was over
Although predictable, even when you knew what was going to happen, the book still provided a bit of a scare, especially when the hand first begins to appear. and well, Charles was just scary. The supporting characters Violet and Zeke also fit in very nicely.
I'm a very picky person, and there was really nothing about this book that bothered me at all! Although I now feel the burning need to go look up how Jade Green's song goes!
Although having read many many ghost stories, I had a bit of a personal freak out moment when I read Jade's gravestone (although it was very silly. the freak out, not the gravestone). The main character's name was Judith (my middle name) and Jade Green died on my birthday!!!! lol, I thought that was just funny, and it added to my reading experience : P
All in all, it had a nice feel to it, with the themes of orphanage, finding a home, and family secrets, and the romance was a very cool thing because although it could have been separate from some other aspects, it was thoroughly woven into the story. As refreshing as the romance was, the predictability was almost more so, because even though the reader knew "who done it" they really had no idea when and how the main characters would figure it out!
I finished this at about four in the morning! It's not terribly scary, but sort of suspenseful.
~*`SPOILERS`*~
The disembodied hand of Jade Green was.... interesting. I never really got the feeling that it wanted to hurt Judith, but then again, I had the luxury of reading the book, and not actually having the experiences. I'd imagine, if it actually happened to me, I'd be pretty freaked, too.
I thought that Jade Green was fairly predictable, but almost in a good way. The end wasn't really a surprise at all MAJOR SPOILERS because discovering that Charles killed Jade was pretty much made obvious to the reader. Even so, it was still an awesome moment. It was almost as if the reader wasn't supposed to be surprised at the end, but feel fulfilled in that everything hadn't gone well, per say, but was finished, and Judith's ordeal was over
Although predictable, even when you knew what was going to happen, the book still provided a bit of a scare, especially when the hand first begins to appear. and well, Charles was just scary. The supporting characters Violet and Zeke also fit in very nicely.
I'm a very picky person, and there was really nothing about this book that bothered me at all! Although I now feel the burning need to go look up how Jade Green's song goes!
Although having read many many ghost stories, I had a bit of a personal freak out moment when I read Jade's gravestone (although it was very silly. the freak out, not the gravestone). The main character's name was Judith (my middle name) and Jade Green died on my birthday!!!! lol, I thought that was just funny, and it added to my reading experience : P
All in all, it had a nice feel to it, with the themes of orphanage, finding a home, and family secrets, and the romance was a very cool thing because although it could have been separate from some other aspects, it was thoroughly woven into the story. As refreshing as the romance was, the predictability was almost more so, because even though the reader knew "who done it" they really had no idea when and how the main characters would figure it out!
April 9, 2015
Teenager Judith Sparrow is all alone in the world. Her mother had recently passed away and has only one place to stay, her uncle Geoffrey's house. Before she moved in he gave her a stranger rule which was not to bring anything green into the house. She couldn't resist bringing her only possession left of her dead mother which was a picture frame of her in a silk green frame. She doesn't know that the color green brings the ghost of a past soul that had lived in the house named Jade Green. Another presence in the house in her uncle’s son Charles. Charles is a strange drunk that has no job and spends his time with the "ladies of the night." As you read the book you will soon see the connection to women in the story and Charles.
I enjoyed reading this story because it brought you to the past. You could tell by the way the characters spoke it was in a different time period when everyone was very polite and more respectful than now. For instance when Judith is being introduced to the boss of the hat shop that she wants to work at, they talk very respectfully. “This is our Judith,” Mrs. Hastings said proudly. “How do you do?” asked Helene, and her smile was as fine as her dress. We talked briefly…I could tell that all the time I was answering her questions, she was observing my manner of speech and the posture with which I sat…” The way they speak helps the reader to know what time period this is in.
At times the book tried to seem scary but to an older audience it was to some extent silly. For example when the ghostly hand appears to Judith, “There on the chopping block was a cleaver methodically hitting the board, rhythmically chopping. And grasping the cleaver was the ghostly hand.” In my opinion a ghostly hand isn’t very scary but a bit humorous. Overall Jade Green was very simple to read and had very basic vocabulary. I would recommend this mild spooky book for middle schoolers and up.
I enjoyed reading this story because it brought you to the past. You could tell by the way the characters spoke it was in a different time period when everyone was very polite and more respectful than now. For instance when Judith is being introduced to the boss of the hat shop that she wants to work at, they talk very respectfully. “This is our Judith,” Mrs. Hastings said proudly. “How do you do?” asked Helene, and her smile was as fine as her dress. We talked briefly…I could tell that all the time I was answering her questions, she was observing my manner of speech and the posture with which I sat…” The way they speak helps the reader to know what time period this is in.
At times the book tried to seem scary but to an older audience it was to some extent silly. For example when the ghostly hand appears to Judith, “There on the chopping block was a cleaver methodically hitting the board, rhythmically chopping. And grasping the cleaver was the ghostly hand.” In my opinion a ghostly hand isn’t very scary but a bit humorous. Overall Jade Green was very simple to read and had very basic vocabulary. I would recommend this mild spooky book for middle schoolers and up.
March 3, 2015
This book, Jade Green; A Ghost Story, was easy to rate. It was easy to read and understand from its vocabulary. Speculative fiction is a genre that includes some fantasy, mysteries, and fantastic fiction. Mystery novels hook the reader to want to find out what is going to happen next. The fiction in this novel attracts and entertains the reader at times. I choose to rate the book, Jade Green; A Ghost Story, four stars because the author did a good job of using both fantasy and fiction in mystery scenes in the book.
The enjoyment I found while reading this book was the scenes with horror and ghosts in them. In the story, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor did a great job with the ghost story, creating fun supernatural occurences throughout the book. Orphaned fifteen-year old Judith Sparrow brings two secrets to her uncle's house in South Carolina after both of her parents passed away. But Uncle Geoffrey's house holds a secret of its own. Judith's small picture frame, hidden in her closet, breaks free a powerful force that brings the secret into the open all around the house. While reading, my imagination let loose and I was hooked into the short novel. I suggest this book to all those who enjoy fictional horror books that end happily ever after. That is the importance of this book.
The enjoyment I found while reading this book was the scenes with horror and ghosts in them. In the story, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor did a great job with the ghost story, creating fun supernatural occurences throughout the book. Orphaned fifteen-year old Judith Sparrow brings two secrets to her uncle's house in South Carolina after both of her parents passed away. But Uncle Geoffrey's house holds a secret of its own. Judith's small picture frame, hidden in her closet, breaks free a powerful force that brings the secret into the open all around the house. While reading, my imagination let loose and I was hooked into the short novel. I suggest this book to all those who enjoy fictional horror books that end happily ever after. That is the importance of this book.
February 23, 2015
"Jade Green: a ghost story" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is an incredibly written novel that both twist the reader's brains to understand and give readers fantastic scares.I recommend this novel to readers, who are finding a scare, a bit of romance,and interesting book to gnaw on for a while.
"Jade Green: a ghost story" has incredible surprises and scares that are interesting and kept just right. The ordinary 1800 time period, characters are in, is written way much better than any "Goosebumps" series, I've ever read. The ordinary lives in the morning kept interesting and scary bedtime events in the darkest of night.
"Jade Green: a ghost story" also contains romantic events, where characters go out together. Whether, it's the graveyard, park, beach, fish cot, or even in a ordinary wagon, romance is incredibly written, as if the book radiates beautiful romances of two teenagers. The great scares at night are kept just right with a mix of life and romance.
In conclusion, to sum up, "Jade Green: a ghost story" is an amazing novel that contains a great mix of scare, romance, and ordinary life.
"Jade Green: a ghost story" has incredible surprises and scares that are interesting and kept just right. The ordinary 1800 time period, characters are in, is written way much better than any "Goosebumps" series, I've ever read. The ordinary lives in the morning kept interesting and scary bedtime events in the darkest of night.
"Jade Green: a ghost story" also contains romantic events, where characters go out together. Whether, it's the graveyard, park, beach, fish cot, or even in a ordinary wagon, romance is incredibly written, as if the book radiates beautiful romances of two teenagers. The great scares at night are kept just right with a mix of life and romance.
In conclusion, to sum up, "Jade Green: a ghost story" is an amazing novel that contains a great mix of scare, romance, and ordinary life.
February 17, 2015
This book deserves a five star rating for it was intense at points, making the book very interesting and hard to stop reading. This book was very easy for me to read because the vocabulary words were very east to understand. The book is about a girl moving to her Uncle's to help him and his maid with housework. The girl loves the place and spending time with her Uncle until she discovers that a girl had died there. The girl was Jade Green. Jade Green haunts the girl and a terrible tragedy happens, but you'll just have to read it to find out. I would absolutely recommend this book because it was intriguing throughout the whole story.
August 16, 2011
I read this one summer when I was staying with my aunt and uncle, so it was a little eery that the character Judith was also staying (rather, living) with someone other than her parents. This was a great ghost story and I remember having a bit of a difficult time falling asleep. But since it is young adult, it isn't so terrifying that it would keep one up at night. And, since I'm a hopeless romantic, I also like the fact that there is romance interspersed throughout the story. I would totally recommend this book to young adults who enjoy a good ghost story.
August 17, 2014
Jade Green haunted me for days while I read this. You're not sure until the very end what her true intentions are. Very visual storyteller. Definitely a young adult book. I found it in several children's collections, but some mature content makes this a good teen read.
March 31, 2008
WOWZERZ! Spine chillin', nail-biting, spooky nightmare good. For ppl who luv adventure and scary boox. It's 1drful!
February 10, 2016
Since we read this in class and we had large breaks it was pretty confusing. The beginning was good but the rest wasn't. That is why I gave this 2 stars. Also the very end mad absolutely no sense.
December 4, 2015
Really good. If you like reading mystery books this is the one for you.
January 4, 2016
I gave this book one star because there was not enough action in it.
July 26, 2016
Super fast brain scrub! Just slogged through a book that made your head hurt? This is perfect for just after that. Easy, no effort, entertaining ghost story.
April 30, 2017
This book is so amazing! I was reading this all day. It has horror as well as romance and mystery. If you share my taste in books, this is one for you!
September 21, 2024
4 stars
This book was really good. I loved the suspense and writing. Short and to the point.
This book was really good. I loved the suspense and writing. Short and to the point.
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