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The Ghost Road

Charis Cotter (Goodreads Author)

4.06 · Rating details · 234 ratings · 69 reviews

Ghosts, a family curse, buried secrets -- and two girls who have to figure it all out. A new book from an acclaimed author, for fans of Coraline, Doll Bones and The Night Gardener.

For the first time, Ruth is heading to Newfoundland to stay with family she's never met instead of spending the summer traveling with her dad. When she arrives, she finds Newfoundland is very dif ...more

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Hardcover, 368 pages

Published September 4th 2018 by Tundra Books

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· 234 ratings · 69 reviews

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Mar 05, 2019 Hilary rated it liked it

Shelves: family-stories, female-author-or-illustrator, friendship, losing-a-loved-one, natural-world, adoption, houses-and-homes, the-sea, orphan-stories, summer

3.5 stars. Ruth goes to stay with her Aunt for the summer. After her mother died Ruth would spend the summer with her father whose job as a botanist would take them to other countries. This year her dad is taking his new wife. Ruth's summer begins by making new friends, exploring the countryside and learning about family secrets. When the girls uncover evidence of what appears to be a family curse on twin girls dying young, they seek to find answers.

The 3/4 of the book were very enjoyable, we en ...more

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Nov 05, 2018 Manybooks rated it really liked it

Shelves: families, abuse, childrens-literature, book-reviews, ghost-stories

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. When Ruth spends her summer in Newfoundland visiting her deceased mother's family (as her father has recently remarried and is on his honeymoon with his new wife), this represents not only the first time Ruth has had the opportunity to meet her mother's side of the family, no, she also encounters her cousin Ruby (who is both exactly the same age and the total physical mirror image of Ruth, except that while Ruby strongly believes in the existence of ghosts, fairies and the like, Ruth has been ra When Ruth spends her summer in Newfoundland visiting her deceased mother's family (as her father has recently remarried and is on his honeymoon with his new wife), this represents not only the first time Ruth has had the opportunity to meet her mother's side of the family, no, she also encounters her cousin Ruby (who is both exactly the same age and the total physical mirror image of Ruth, except that while Ruby strongly believes in the existence of ghosts, fairies and the like, Ruth has been raised by her father to only consider and credit science and hard core facts).

However, soon after Ruth's arrival in Newfoundland, her science and technology based worldview is challenged, put to the test and even rather ruptured when it is she who starts having ghostly visions of her mother and eerie premonitions regarding both her family's past (and possible future). And after discovering they are actually not cousins but sisters (identical twins), Ruby and Ruth begin to actively investigate their family history and unearth the sad truth of an all encompassing curse that has stalked their kin for seven generations, from when their ancestors still lived in Ireland until now (namely that in every generation, twin girls are born who always die young, that Ruby and Ruth's mother and twin sister were the latest victims of said curse and that unless the latter can be broken, unless the curse can be stopped, Ruby and Ruth will be next in line).

Although the plot of Charis Cotter's The Ghost Road is at times perhaps a bit predictable, I have indeed massively enjoyed this tale of family and family (as well as societal) dysfunction, of how long held and cherished hatreds and secrets can fester and destroy, how domestic violence is often, is generally a raging and roaring curse that can easily straddle generations, that can continue to decimate over and over again unless one is willing and able to confront hatred and animosity with love and even forgiveness. But while The Ghost Road is suspenseful and uncanny enough (with its emphasis on curses, ghosts and so-called second sight) to mildly frighten, actually I for one was much more horrified at and by the violence and viciousness displayed by the instigator of the family curse, by Robert Barrett, and how subsequent generations of Barretts and Finns had then kept that hatred alive and kicking (how the original family curse was in many ways taking nourishment from and being sustained by the decedents, by them buying into the original animosity, and thus in a vicious circle of anger, shame and horror keeping Robert Barrett's angry death curse productive and pulsating more than one hundred years after his demise). And indeed, what I have most appreciated regarding The Ghost Road is that the breaking, that the dissolution of the Finn family curse is achieved not really by Ruth (and Ruby) performing any type of magic spells and the like, but yes, mostly by simply breaking the cycle of violence and anger that had defined both the Barrett and the Finn family since the early 19th century (by uniting both families in and with love and affection and thus giving Robert Barrett's beyond the grave rage and hatred no longer such a fertile soil to take root and fester). Four stars for The Ghost Road, for a both engaging and at times also heartbreakingly thought provoking family story that with main protagonists Ruby and Ruth also presents two delightfully portrayed and above all well rounded characters, with both positive and negative traits, with both lovable and annoying, frustrating characteristics, as like most children, Ruby and Ruth are neither angels nor are they devils (but actually and indeed, ALL of the characters both primary and secondary who appear int The Ghost Road are absolutely three-dimensional as fortunately and appreciatively, Charis Cotter never falls into the trap of portraying the non main protagonists as in any manner one-sided, as flat and/or cardboard like, except perhaps Robert Barrett). And yes, the only reason I am not considering five stars for The Ghost Road is that I personally just cannot all that readily believe that Ruth and Ruby would and should be so accepting and nonchalant about the fact that they were twins separated at birth, that they were not a bit annoyed and angry at their birth mothers regarding the fact they were not told they were siblings, they were twins and not cousins. ...more

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Apr 08, 2019 Mel (Epic Reading) rated it liked it

Shelves: library-print, arc-netgalley

Canadian writer Charis Cotter starts out The Ghost Road with a strong description of the Maritimes in Canada. She describes a lovely setting that includes the natural area, cute lighthouses, cottage-type housing and the coastal shore. One of the best lines in the book is:
"You’re walking on a fairy path, my love, and just because you don’t believe in them, doesn’t mean they won’t come after you."
We start to get a sense of the magic that might lie just beyond or within the coastal area. Unfortuna Canadian writer Charis Cotter starts out The Ghost Road with a strong description of the Maritimes in Canada. She describes a lovely setting that includes the natural area, cute lighthouses, cottage-type housing and the coastal shore. One of the best lines in the book is:
"You’re walking on a fairy path, my love, and just because you don’t believe in them, doesn’t mean they won’t come after you."
We start to get a sense of the magic that might lie just beyond or within the coastal area. Unfortunately the first few chapters are easily the best part of this one.

Boring Mystery
I hate to say it but this was just a boring book. I know it's written for middle aged kids and all; but that doesn't mean that things have to happen so slow or be obvious. I pegged the outcome very early on and was about 85% correct in the end. There's just no fun in a book that sets up a mystery but doesn't really churn the intrigue throughout. I want to feel the mystery, have theories, experience the characters theories, etc. Instead in The Ghost Road I just knew how it would eventually end up and was barely along for the ride.

Childish Writing
Again I come back to the idea that middle aged kids do not need to have their books written as though they are lesser readers. I like middle aged books that are moderate to read with some larger words thrown in that the kids can learn. I was a voracious reader as a child (and as an adult, lol), at 12 was into Lord of the Rings and The Eye of the World; yet I still think the average 12-year-old reader can be given more credit than Cotter hands out. My 15-year-old nephew complained to me for years about how boring the books were in the middle-grade genre. He's a good reader but not more advanced per say than the average kid. I know he would have asked me when something exciting was going to happen for 90% of The Ghost Road.
Additionally I had a moment while reading Cotter's Canadian story that made me feel like I had written pieces of this book when I was a pre-teen. At 13 I had an idea about a hill that held magic and secrets. Mine wasn't in the Maritimes but in my home area that includes foothills, prairies and the Rocky Mountains. The general premise was very similar to that of The Ghost Road. This is telling to me. If this book isn't smarter than 13-year-old me then it could definitely be improved!

Overall
While our lead girl characters are fairly well developed, and there are some interesting moments in The Ghost Road, overall it's just too dull. A bit more magic is needed to really bring the story alive and off the page. The biggest improvements that need to be made are to make the mystery more complex; and to really add some juicy information into the book. Were Cotter to make the historical mystery more interesting and add some complexity to the writing and characters; then I think she could really have something here. As it is I'm probably being generous at 3 stars. However I did finish reading The Ghost Road and didn't hate it; I just found it very lack luster by the end.

To read this and more of my reviews visit my blog at Epic Reading

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review. ...more

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Aug 26, 2018 Lisa (Remarkablylisa) rated it really liked it

Shelves: august-2018

MY REVIEW: 4/5 STARS

I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review from Penguin Random House Canada!

Do not judge a book by it's cover nor should you ever judge a book by it's direct audience age. I must admit when I first received the copy of The Ghost Road, I was very skeptical. I wondered if I would actually enjoy it because young readers or middle school age novels weren't really my thing. I find the writing to be too simplistic at times but Charis Cotter has a way with words that made i MY REVIEW: 4/5 STARS

I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review from Penguin Random House Canada!

Do not judge a book by it's cover nor should you ever judge a book by it's direct audience age. I must admit when I first received the copy of The Ghost Road, I was very skeptical. I wondered if I would actually enjoy it because young readers or middle school age novels weren't really my thing. I find the writing to be too simplistic at times but Charis Cotter has a way with words that made it a perfect blend of middle grade and young adult level of writing. The cover may not be the most attractive thing you've seen but it's really the inside that counts! I'm serious.

The Ghost Road follows the tale of Ruth. Her mother has passed away since she was very young so she has little to no memory of her. Ruth lives in Toronto but during the summer, when her father decides to travel overseas to study flowers with his new wife, she's sent to Newfoundland and Labrador to meet an aunt and cousin she knows nothing about. There's mystery surrounding Ruth's mother. Although Ruth's mother grew up in NFL, she hardly mentions it to Ruth. Ruth knew nothing about the province on the east coast of Canada. She didn't know any of the folklore, her identical looking cousin, Ruby, knows so much about and she doesn't know anything about the family history. Apparently, Ruby's mother was a twin sister of Ruth's sister. What was strange was that they both happened to die at the same time and same day. Meanwhile, Ruth and Ruby look exactly alike and I forget, but I think their birthday was significant as well.

This all built up to the idea that in the family line, one twin will be gifted the sight. The Sight allows them to see the infamous Ghost Road. Meanwhile others can't see it for the life of them. It was definitely some spooky and scary stuff that left me turning the pages and wondering what in the world was actually going on!!

I found this book to be so entertaining. The chapters were short so it kept me intrigued and wanting to sit through and binge ten chapters at a time. And Charis did an amazing job at leaving each chapter on a hook that made you want to read more. As more chapters went on, more secrets and clues were revealed that allowed readers to piece together an idea of what was going on. Of course, I didn't! And I couldn't pin down the exact answer to things.

MY RECOMMENDATION

Definitely pick this one up for Halloween. It's spooky!!! ...more

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Sep 28, 2018 Kristen rated it liked it

Shelves: middlegrade

I was kindly provided with a review copy from the publisher thanks to LibraryThing.

Review can also be found on my blog.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it was well written and fairly interesting. On the other hand, I didn't love it.

Right away I was sucked into the story and immediately intrigued by the mystery surrounding Ruth and all the twins in her family. I was getting Parent Trap vibes at first, if The Parent Trap was having some kind of Halloween special or something ...more

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Aug 07, 2020 Cheryl rated it it was amazing

Shelves: to-enjoy-again

Oh goodness. Second but far from last book by Cotter. I don't even really like ghost stories, either. Now you my followers know that I reserve five star ratings for books I recommend to just about everybody, those books that are of the most universal appeal. This may not be quite that perfect & special... but... young me would have read it over and over and over again. So I'm letting her tack on a full star right there, onto current me's strong four stars.

The thing is, though, I'm having trouble ...more

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Jul 28, 2018 Vikki VanSickle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: canadian, family-stories, ghost-story, good-for-girls, middle-grade, fairies

Another fantastic, atmospheric ghost story from Charis Cotter. Satisfies that family curse, twins are creepy, Irish ghost stories are the best ghost stories kind of itch. Also doubles as a love letter to Newfoundland, complete with partridgeberry desserts!

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Jul 09, 2018 Literary Redhead rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed, netgalley-review, children-s

THE GHOST ROAD tells the tale with engaging text and beautiful illustrations of two girls desperately trying to uncover a secret that has haunted their family for generations. Atmospheric and highly suspenseful. 5/5

Thank you to the author, Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#TheGhostRoad #NetGalley

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Jun 29, 2018 Laura rated it liked it

Shelves: ghosts, netgalley, canada, middle-grade, newfoundland, twins, irish

Why do ghosts haunt? Because they have unfinished business. Because there is something that keeps them on earth until they have completed their mission.

Ruth has gone to Newfoundland for the Summer to visit her cousin Ruby, who she discovers looks very much like her. It is almost as though they are twins. But that is not the weirdest thing. Because although Ruth doesn't believe in ghosts and visions and having the Sight, she starts experiencing the moment she gets to her Aunt Dolly's house, star ...more

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Oct 24, 2018 Ana rated it really liked it

I got a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review from Penguin Random House.

I actually enjoyed reading this book from the very beginning. I was hooked up the moment I met bought Ruby and Ruth. I was also intrigued with Eldred. The pacing and plot twist of this book was good. I was able to guess part of it but overall it was nice read. It’s definitely a good book for middle-graders

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Aug 29, 2018 Kat rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-review-book

* received ARC from publisher in exchange for an honest review *

ACTUAL: 4.75/5

Set in 1970’s Newfoundland, Ghost Road is a spooky middle grade tale by Canadian author Charis Cotter. Ruth’s first adventure to the east coast is full of dark secrets, ghost stories, and a curse threatening her family.

Despite being a middle grade novel, it had a well developed complex plot and was full of suspense. I loved the detailed family history, and the villainous curse that followed the members for generations ...more

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Aug 08, 2018 Shelly Seward rated it it was amazing

**I received an eARC from NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review.**

I just love Charis Cotter's storytelling. Whenever I read her books I am so happy that I am living here in Newfoundland and immediately want to find out where these ghost stories took place. Her stories are so atmospheric and just pull me in every time. Her descriptions of Newfoundland landscape are impeccable. Even though her books are geared to middle graders, I think any ages can read them. ...more

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Oct 07, 2018 Rebecca Upjohn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, middle-grade-fiction

Cousins, twin mothers, the Sight, a curse, wildflowers, partridgeberry muffins, the sea, gannets, a ghost road, storytellers, a witch, step mothers, fairies, visions, storms, secrets, family and Newfoundland. The twelve year old in me loved this book.

The short chapters make it a page turner and the relationship between Ruth and Ruby deepens as the story progresses. I could imagine myself in the story. The setting is vivid and the language evocative. The story is told in a gentle way that keeps ...more

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Jul 20, 2018 Amanda Work rated it really liked it

This is the perfect ghost story for youngsters who are beginning to broaden their literary experiences to include the darker side of the human condition. The ghosts in this story are presented to Ruth, the young protagonist, as benevolent and helpful apparitions who want to help Ruth overcome a family curse and lay a Dar past to rest.

The story is compelling with a smooth narrative from Ruth's point of view. The author gently reminds the reader that children are both stronger, smarter and braver ...more

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Jul 30, 2018 Wensday rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

This was an amazing ghost story. The story has so many plot twists and exciting moments, it will keep any reader engaged. The characters in the book are brought to life by Charis Cotter, even the ones gone long ago. I suggest this for anyone that enjoys a great mystery and ghost story.

I received the ebook from NetGalley for my honest review.

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May 14, 2018 Keitha rated it really liked it

Great Newfoundland ghost story full of family secrets. A little spooky, but with lots of heart.

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May 13, 2020 Emilia rated it liked it

Shelves: childrens-literature, atmosférico, best-children-and-ya-books

I bought this book thanks to the beautiful artwork for the cover. It was a risky move because I didn’t know anything about the author, and to be honest The ghost road could easily have been a disappointment but it wasn’t... until it was.

I loved the atmosphere, the descriptions of Newfoundland were enchanting. I also enjoyed the overall mood of this book. Unfortunately, the more I read of the story the more flaws I found.

The middle part of the novel was slow. There were too many generations of F ...more

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Oct 17, 2018 Kathy rated it it was amazing

This book tells the story of two young girls who are trying to uncover a secret that has existed for years and years and which could impact negatively on each one of them. For the first time in her life Ruth goes to Newfoundland one summer to stay with a relative. Once there, Ruth discovers she has a whole history she was never told about. Throughout her life, Ruth has always traveled all over with her father looking for and taking samples of plants they discover. This year, however, her father This book tells the story of two young girls who are trying to uncover a secret that has existed for years and years and which could impact negatively on each one of them. For the first time in her life Ruth goes to Newfoundland one summer to stay with a relative. Once there, Ruth discovers she has a whole history she was never told about. Throughout her life, Ruth has always traveled all over with her father looking for and taking samples of plants they discover. This year, however, her father is off to a distant land with his new wife, leaving Ruth to go to her deceased mother’s family in Newfoundland. Almost as soon as she arrives in Buckle Newfoundland, Ruth finds that things there are way different from what she has known in Toronto. There is an element of superstition and the paranormal that lies just below the surface, and which comes up to show its face regularly. Ruth also learns she has a look-alike cousin Ruby, who is the very same age as she is. That is not the only similarity. Their mothers were twins, who spent most of their early life together in Buckle. Their mothers died almost at the same time on the same day. Their mothers were both involved in figuring out some sort of secret that bound them together when they died. In fact, the whole culture and history of Buckle is intertwined in this strange, secretive tale, which few want to even discuss with the girls, and which will impact their lives and futures. However, Ruby already knows quite a bit, as she has spent several years visiting Aunt Doll during summers and spent several years living with Aunt Doll. Once they get started, the mysteries and secrets totally envelop the two young girls, as they search for answers.

This is a well-done mystery. When I began the book, I thought it would turn out to be a teen story and might not interest me. However, I almost immediately was pulled right into the tale, which held my attention thereafter. There are numerous twists and turns presented, as the girls turn over clue after clue to understand and solve the secret and mystery. I had some inkling about what was going to happen almost from the start, but that never kept me from not eagerly reading page after page, chapter after chapter to see what was going to happen next. There was suspense, but it definitely did not overpower the story of Ruth and Ruby. Reading the book, I also got a good sense and appreciation of the Newfoundland area, its people, history and culture, about which I previously knew almost nothing. This is a bit different book from the many that are out there today. I think any reader who enjoys a good mystery will probably enjoy this one. I am very happy I received this from Library Thing to read and review.
...more

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Nov 18, 2018 J.L. Slipak rated it it was amazing

MY THOUGHTS:

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

I am such a HUGE Charis Cotter fan! I’ve read everything she’s written. The fact that she’s a Canadian author who centers her work around Newfoundland is a hidden bonus! My mother is from Newfoundland and I’ve been and loved it! My extended family is from there too!
If you want to see what else she’s written go here: http://www.chariscotter.ca/

She wrote: The Painting and The Swallow too

You’ll discover a mystery surrounding twins an ...more

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May 28, 2019 Gabriele Goldstone rated it liked it

Great ghost story. Great setting on the Newfoundland coast. Appropriate for a middle-grade scare.

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Oct 06, 2018 Michael Kott rated it it was amazing

Shelves: jake-zoe

I received this book from Random House Canada (Tundra Books) in exchange for an honest review, which is what they will get.
The Ghost Road synopsis reads:
For the first time, Ruth is heading to Newfoundland to stay with family she's never met instead of spending the summer traveling with her dad. When she arrives, she finds Newfoundland is very different from her life in Toronto--people there are much more friendly, but also superstitious, believing in ghosts and The Sight and family curses. Ruth' ...more

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Sep 27, 2018 Books, Cooks, & Hooks rated it really liked it

Shelves: juvenile-mystery-fiction, juvenile-ghost-story-fiction, review-requests

A ghostly presence in the night, a family curse, and a road only a select few can see, make this the type of delightfully spooky book that will keep you up at night, no matter what age you are.

Ruth has had the same nightmare for as long as she can remember. She is on a sinking ship and her late mother is shouting her name. She thinks it's just a dream until she visits her mother's hometown for the summer. She realizes there's more to the dream than she thought, and that it may not be a dream at ...more

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Sep 05, 2018 Stephanie Ward rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned, print-arc, for-review, will-trade

'The Ghost Road' is a fantastic new addition to the middle grade paranormal genre - and one that fans of the genre are going to want to pick up. I really enjoyed this book, more than I anticipated actually, and every aspect of it was done wonderfully. I loved Ruth and Ruby as main characters and getting to know both of them was fun. The story is told from Ruth's point of view (the first person) which is my favorite writing style, so that was a huge plus for me personally. I think the reader gets ...more

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Oct 07, 2019 Kaylei Turner rated it it was amazing

I loved this book !! It was a great book. It was about Ruby and Ruth, lost twins, have to fight to get rid of this curse. The curse in the Finns family goes way back. As long as the twins keep running in the Finns family every twin will die young and never see their children grow up. Not only that, but one twin has the "Sight". This means that twin can see ghosts, the past, and the future. Ruby and Ruth went through a lot. They were at their aunts and had a summer to stop this curse. Can they do ...more

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Sep 21, 2018 Christine rated it it was amazing

Perfect for middle schoolers. A perfect combination of likable characters, beautiful setting and engaging storytelling. I’m packing my bags for Newfoundland now.

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Aug 16, 2018 Cat rated it it was amazing

This was an enjoyable ghost story! I love the fairy stories I've read about in Newfoundland and thought this one might be entertaining as it too takes place there! I wasn't disappointed. It's a good solid story of a ghost trying to take care of unfinished business with the help of two young girls Ruth and Ruby. I think 5th grade up would enjoy this tale. It's really quite a good story! Even teens may enjoy it.

I received a Kindle Arc in exchange for a fair review from Netgalley. ...more

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Oct 28, 2019 Ranie Elias rated it it was amazing

I began reading books from this author after my 8 year old niece recommended them...I really enjoy her literature, however I felt there are unnecessary scary scenes for children. There were quite a few funny scenes too, although it gets a bit confusing when she tries to explain the families histories and their relatives! highly recommend....

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Jul 15, 2018 Nancy rated it really liked it

Great middle grade novel with enough twists and turns to keep any reader turning pages! Very enjoyable read!

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Sep 26, 2020 Pop Bop rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed

Done Just Right.

There isn't much that's new or novel in this book. Ghosts, a curse, family secrets, spunky girl cousins with distinct but complementary personalities. The test, of course, is what you do with those basic ingredients. Happily, as in her earlier book, "The Swallow", Cotter does a remarkable job of combining these ingredients into a very tasty and satisfying treat.

Front and center, the choice of Newfoundland as the setting for the tale is inspired. Moody, rainy and windswept, subjec Done Just Right.

There isn't much that's new or novel in this book. Ghosts, a curse, family secrets, spunky girl cousins with distinct but complementary personalities. The test, of course, is what you do with those basic ingredients. Happily, as in her earlier book, "The Swallow", Cotter does a remarkable job of combining these ingredients into a very tasty and satisfying treat.

Front and center, the choice of Newfoundland as the setting for the tale is inspired. Moody, rainy and windswept, subject to raging storms and violent ocean waves, the landscape gives any English moor, heath, or seascape a healthy run for its money as a place of magic, wonder, and dread. And Cotter just doesn't set the scene and then abandon it. Newfoundland is practically a character throughout the book.

Girl friendship is the anchor for the characters here, as it was in "The Swallow". Cotter has an amazing knack for connecting different sorts of girls into friendships and partnerships that feel deep and authentic. Here the hook is that the two girls are cousins who have never before met. They are almost physically identical, but have a city mouse/country mouse difference in personalities, attitudes, and experiences. The result is a number of buddy-comedy, buddy-adventure, buddy-detective scenes of charm and vitality. It's a bonus to end up with two feisty and appealing heroines for the price of one.

The supporting characters are all settled types - rustics, farm handyman, lovable great aunt, suspicious villagers, and so on. But most have sufficiently unique or memorable personalities that they add more than just background or the means to facilitate info dumps. Since the girls don't know much of anything about anything when the tale begins, these supporting characters have to tell them stories in order to move the plot along. So at least at the outset you get multiple different narrative styles, and almost different points of view, and that and a load of foreshadowing give the story an unbalanced, unpredictable and slightly ominous feel.

MILD SPOILER. The "thing" that powers the action in this book isn't one of the usual physical things like a key or a charm or some other macguffin. The "thing" is a family curse that goes back many generations and is powered by human emotions, especially anger, hatred, and the thirst for revenge. You can't get rid of that with a cute spell or a wand, and the way all of the characters struggle with this curse, throughout the book and right up to the end, is elegantly set out and gives the book more weight than you would have in just a magicky ghost story.

If I have one quibble it is that the multi-generational family history that provides the framework for the curse, and the unavoidable "family secrets", and ghostly doings, is more complex and convoluted than really seemed necessary. As a consequence the characters had to keep reminding each other of who was who and how they all fit together. (At one point Aunt Doll suggested to cousin Ruth that she should get a pad and pencil and outline the family history, and that was an excellent suggestion.)

Anyway, putting that minor complaint aside, after starting with the girls, once you add the curse, the ghosts, the fairy stories, and the general air of mystic menace, this adds up to a ripping and moody adventure.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
...more

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Nov 21, 2018 Karen rated it really liked it

Ruth has never visited Newfoundland and is doing so for the first time somewhat against her will. Her father is recently remarried and Ruth calls her step-mother, Awful Gwen. Ruth has been sent to stay with family for the summer while her father and Awful Gwen conduct research in South America. From the first night of her stay in her aunt's old house, Ruth begins to experience visions and see ghosts. Her same-age cousin, Ruby, soon joins her in the guest room and their resemblance is uncanny. Th Ruth has never visited Newfoundland and is doing so for the first time somewhat against her will. Her father is recently remarried and Ruth calls her step-mother, Awful Gwen. Ruth has been sent to stay with family for the summer while her father and Awful Gwen conduct research in South America. From the first night of her stay in her aunt's old house, Ruth begins to experience visions and see ghosts. Her same-age cousin, Ruby, soon joins her in the guest room and their resemblance is uncanny. The cousin's mothers were twins and both women died at the same time on the same day. It doesn't take long for the girls to discover that they are not just cousins, but twins also, and that they are part of a family curse that is passed from one generation to the next. Each pair of twins has died young and on the same day and at the same time for 150 years. Ruth and Ruby must find a way to break the curse using Ruth's visions and Ruby's knowledge of local history and family legend. The girls expose truth after truth, revealing family secrets along the way.

The mystery of the story is great and well maintained with a nice build up. Pieces of the story are revealed carefully and with perfect timing, but the problem with a good mystery is that it needs an even better resolution--and the resolution here is a tad weak. Not that it ruins the overall story, but it leaves the reader with a desire for something slightly deeper and more paranormal in the end. Ruth, Ruby and the entire cast of characters are well developed, believable, and likable. Each character is a great addition to the story and adds a necessary piece to the puzzle that the girl's are trying to solve. The location, Newfoundland, adds a folksy rusticity and credibility to the historical and the haunted aspects of the story. There is a sound overarching message of the importance of family and the harm that family secrets can engender. This is a book with enough going on between family and history that many readers, even those without a fondness for ghosts, will enjoy reading it. ...more

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About Charis Cotter

Charis Cotter

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Charis Cotter is a writer, editor and storyteller living in Newfoundland. She grew up in Cabbagetown and Parkdale in downtown Toronto. After taking a degree in English at Glendon College, York University, she went on to study acting at The Drama Studio in London, England. After several years as an actor, she moved into publishing, where she has been working as a freelance editor and writer for mor Charis Cotter is a writer, editor and storyteller living in Newfoundland. She grew up in Cabbagetown and Parkdale in downtown Toronto. After taking a degree in English at Glendon College, York University, she went on to study acting at The Drama Studio in London, England. After several years as an actor, she moved into publishing, where she has been working as a freelance editor and writer for more than 20 years.

In 2005 Charis won the Heritage Toronto Award of Excellence for her book, Toronto Between the Wars: Life in the City 1919–1939. Since then she has written several critically acclaimed children’s books, including a series of biographies about extraordinary children and an illustrated book about international ghosts. Born to Write: The Remarkable Lives of Six Famous Authors was a finalist for the 2010 Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-fiction.

Charis first toured schools as an actor in a Young People’s Theatre production of W. O. Mitchell’s "Jake and the Kid." Her favourite part of the show was interacting with the students during the question period after the play. Today Charis is known for her lively school presentations, based on her books. She has toured Canada from coast to coast, entertaining children with her alter egos: Queen Elizabeth II (complete with gown, crown and royal attitude) and the Scottish Silky Ghost, who dusts everything in sight, including children. Her fascination with ghosts has led her to many far corners of Newfoundland, looking for ghost stories.

In 2013 Charis founded her own publishing company, Baccalieu Books, to publish The Ghosts of Baccalieu. She created this book with the students from Tricon Elementary School in Bay de Verde, with funding from ArtsSmarts.* Students contributed drawings and traditional ghost stories collected from the community. Charis has sold The Ghosts of Baccalieu to libraries, bookstores and the general public, with a portion of the revenue going back to Tricon Elementary.

Charis continues to do ghost storytelling workshops at schools, community centres and book festivals. She reviews children’s books for the National Reading Campaign, Quill and Quire and The Canadian Children’s Book News.

The Swallow: A Ghost Story, was published by Tundra Books (Random House) in September 2014. This spooky gothic novel, set in Cabbagetown, Toronto, in the 1960s, is partially based on Charis’s childhood experiences living behind a cemetery. The German translation rights have been purchased by cbjVerlag/Random House Germany, who will publish it as Das Unsichtbare Mädchen (The Invisible Girl). The school presentation for The Swallow features a theatrical performance of an excerpt from the book and a ghost-story writing workshop.

*ArtsSmarts is sponsored by the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council and the Department of Education through the Cultural Connections Strategy.

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