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Agatha Anxious & the Deer Island Ghost
THE DEAD DON’T TALK…OR DO THEY?
On her 13th birthday, Agatha Anxious is assigned her first ghost.
Now, her Aunt Hattie has vanished. A pirate coin, strange messages drawn by a skeleton hand, and a chance book report provide clues to unraveling the mystery, one which requires a midnight trip to a funeral home and a secret mission to a haunted Mardi Gras mask shop.
An evil from the past has surfaced in Biloxi. Can Agatha use her newfound gifts to save her Aunt, or will she be the next victim of an old ghost with a grudge?
On her 13th birthday, Agatha Anxious is assigned her first ghost.
Now, her Aunt Hattie has vanished. A pirate coin, strange messages drawn by a skeleton hand, and a chance book report provide clues to unraveling the mystery, one which requires a midnight trip to a funeral home and a secret mission to a haunted Mardi Gras mask shop.
An evil from the past has surfaced in Biloxi. Can Agatha use her newfound gifts to save her Aunt, or will she be the next victim of an old ghost with a grudge?
- GenresMiddle Grade
Kindle Edition
Published September 20, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 14, 2022
THE DEAD DON’T TALK…OR DO THEY?
On her 13th birthday, Agatha Anxious is assigned her first ghost.
Now, her Aunt Hattie has vanished. A pirate coin, strange messages drawn by a skeleton hand, and a chance book report provide clues to unraveling the mystery, one which requires a midnight trip to a funeral home and a secret mission to a haunted Mardi Gras mask shop.
An evil from the past has surfaced in Biloxi. Can Agatha use her newfound gifts to save her Aunt, or will she be the next victim of an old ghost with a grudge?
I’m her latest middle grade novel McDowell manages to capture the essence of the iconic ghost story, telling the tale of the ghosts, and secrets that haunt the town of Biloxi, Mississippi and the nearby Deer Island.
Lathered in atmospheric locations that only the South can conjure, quirky and courageous characters and spooky and terrifying villains, you are taken on an exciting and oftentimes perilous adventure with Agatha Anxious as she tries to uncover the hidden truths of her town and past to locate her disappeared grandmother.
Full of twists and turns, spooks and screams this is a fun filled story that I couldn’t put down and you wouldn’t want to miss out on.
I’m her latest middle grade novel McDowell manages to capture the essence of the iconic ghost story, telling the tale of the ghosts, and secrets that haunt the town of Biloxi, Mississippi and the nearby Deer Island.
Lathered in atmospheric locations that only the South can conjure, quirky and courageous characters and spooky and terrifying villains, you are taken on an exciting and oftentimes perilous adventure with Agatha Anxious as she tries to uncover the hidden truths of her town and past to locate her disappeared grandmother.
Full of twists and turns, spooks and screams this is a fun filled story that I couldn’t put down and you wouldn’t want to miss out on.
January 5, 2023
It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on the self-mutilation of a minor, absent parental figure, financial insecurity, a minor’s inappropriate encounter with an adult, & others.
Agatha Anxious is introduced to the reader on the eve of her 13th birthday; a nervous girl who expresses herself in a gloomy fashion, preferring to spend time amongst the cold tombstones of the local cemetery rather than with other children her age. Yet, on the eve of her teenage birthday, Agatha is gifted her first ghost. As a Perceiver, she is introduced to the mysteriously intertwined realities of the living & the dead. The adventure that takes Agatha far from home in the middle of the night will require her to form a bond with Leopold Panic as they manoeuvre through the grasps of unpleasant apparitions whose sole intent is to hold them back from freeing the souls of the unheard entities that wander the earth.
This is a book that is for children & that is why I will be highlighting why I included some of the content warnings that were listed at the beginning of this review. Firstly, Agatha is someone who exhibits high levels of anxiety which reveal themselves through her ripping her own skin from her fingers to the point in which she bleeds. McDowell saw fit to include this facet of Agatha’s character in the book as an indicator that she is a Perceiver, as all Perceivers have nervous habits—Leopold folds his hair, Dorian Doom sways on his feet—-which is not necessarily, in & of itself, a negative aspect. It is often beneficial for children to see themselves reflected within plots so as to gather strength alongside the characters.
Many children exhibit behavioural tendencies that see them performing actions that result in negative consequences on their own bodies. Picking at the skin on one's fingers is a very common practice amongst anxiety-ridden children. Yet, to continuously describe the peeling of flesh & bleeding of body members in such a casual way moves this book into a category that is not necessarily for younger audiences.
I believe that the inclusion of such behaviour could be brought forward in a way that does not necessarily hold the gore of the entire novel in a few sentences. Reading about Agatha peeling skin from her hands during bouts of heightened anxiety makes me feel very sad for her given that no one around her seems to know how to approach this behaviour appropriately. Her Aunt Hattie tells her she will never move past mutilating herself because that is part of being a Perceiver. In this same breath, we read about the character of Lucius Nikolai who is described as being over 200 years old & cuts Agatha’s fingers with his nails & then places her fingers in his mouth, sucking the blood from her hand.
I appreciate that this character was meant to represent a vampiric entity of sorts but the descriptors of such a character were done with great subtlety & without verbal indicators to differentiate him from any of the others. Therefore, reading about young Agatha sitting alone in his home whilst he sucks on her fingers made me greatly uncomfortable. I can imagine that a young reader might be led to wonder at what Lucious Nikolai was—how can a person live for 200 years? Had McDowell crafted this character in a more distinguished fashion we might see him represented as the ghoulish fiend of the monster world rather than represented as an elderly man who performs gross actions as ‘payment’ for information.
The plot of this book holds much intrigue & having been a young person who devoured books of all kinds, once upon a time, I can appreciate that there is a multitude of readers making their way into the literary world. However, this book fails at identifying a reader. This is not to say that books should necessarily be restricted to us based on our ages but, there are subject matters that will be explored more tenderly for younger readers so as to introduce them kindly; opening the door to discussions & information. Much of the dialogue utilized in this book felt overly mature for someone who would be around Agatha’s age (13) yet, we often saw this character acting in a variety of polarizing ways which led me to question who this book was for.
Agatha is written as being a very meek & mild young girl. She knows what she enjoys but she is going through life without much parental guidance given that both her parents work long hours to provide the basics of life care to Agatha & when they are home they are all but distracted, often keeping behind the closed door to their bedroom. Having grown up in the 90s I recognize that much literature of the time saw fit to have the parents neglect their children or behave in ways which saw them express exasperation with their presence. What year does this story take place? It would make sense for young Agatha to be wandering around at all hours of the night & day if this story took place during a period in time when her parents didn’t feel the need to worry about the other adults in the town, or those rolling through.
There are no set features within the book to highlight when this story is taking place which leads to many of Agatha’s actions feeling a bit disjointed. Her family refers to ‘the War’ in which Uncle Tim was killed & within the cemetery we see the young protagonists clearly reading plates from 1914. Aunt Hattie has an old TV but we don’t know if Agatha is watching movies on a VHS or a DVD. We don’t know which War Uncle Tim was killed in & we don’t have any set ages for any of the adults in the book to gauge when the story is taking place. All we know for sure is that Lucius Nikolai started his job as an Undertaker in 1899 & he is presently over 200 years old.
When I say that this facet of the story leaves the dialogue & character actions feeling disjointed it is because much of what happens relies on a timeline. The spirit of Blanche Caillavet has been waiting for Aunt Hattie for 40 years yet we know she was alive & well in 1938. How long ago did this character die? How long has she been roaming the earth? If the characters who were alive in the past (Blanche & Lucius) are still roaming around now, their dialogue should be altered to create a set distinction between them & the characters who are born in the current Century. Given this book is directly targeting a younger audience, it would be beneficial for the story to include vernacular which saw the characters date themselves, so to speak. For example, the dialogue between Aunt Hattie & Agatha takes on a Southern twang when they are speaking intimately. This is a good way for the reader to understand that Aunt Hattie has lived in the South for a while & is leading Agatha through ‘proper’ Southern talk—even if it’s not necessarily the case, the change in tone adds dimension to the story.
Some reworking in the book will help ease the flow of the story so that Agatha’s character comes across as fully developed. There were often times when I was a bit confused about her behaviour. She is very quick to sacrifice her friends to fulfill her desires—ripping the library book apart without communicating with Leopold, whom she keeps in the dark at all times. A person can be contradictory in their behaviours, inner dialogue & desires, I understand this to be true. However, Agatha reads as very sensitive & introverted & then will do a full 180 & be rude & cruel to other people for no reason at all. Is she meant to come across as confident or threatened by other people? She speaks about how she feels pride in being the ‘bravest’ person in her friend group, totally disregarding the fact that Leopold bends over backward to accompany her everywhere & ensures she gets out of places safe & unharmed.
In this same breath, a bit of editing will sew shut the little holes that popped up along the way of this book. For example:
- Aunt Hattie tells Agatha that her father has the money to buy a new house but we are told that they are very poor.
- We are told that Macbeth sleeps beside Agatha’s bed & then see her tell the reader that his sleeping spot is on the sofa.
- Agatha is shocked that Leopold can see Lucious, assuming he is a ghost, but the man has been sustaining an Undertaker’s role in the town for years on end so everyone would assumedly be able to see him.
- Agatha has a birthday cake with Aunt Hattie at her house on the eve of her 13th birthday but she doesn’t have any celebration at her house with either of her parents. This event is skipped over completely, save for it being mentioned by her teacher.
I can appreciate that it does seem I have many structural critiques for a book whose target audience I am not, however, a good book is, a good book. Everyone deserves the chance to read a story that is well-crafted. The author of this book recognizes that their audience is very smart & willing to go the extra mile to solve a supernatural mystery, entwining history & lore, as evidenced in their writing style & the plot.
Every reader should feel cherished & producing edits to an otherwise enthusiastic read will reinforce the sentiment to those of all ages. When all is said & done I feel confident that this book could be remembered amongst the greats.
Thank you to NetGalley, Crumblebee Books & RJ McDowell for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Agatha Anxious is introduced to the reader on the eve of her 13th birthday; a nervous girl who expresses herself in a gloomy fashion, preferring to spend time amongst the cold tombstones of the local cemetery rather than with other children her age. Yet, on the eve of her teenage birthday, Agatha is gifted her first ghost. As a Perceiver, she is introduced to the mysteriously intertwined realities of the living & the dead. The adventure that takes Agatha far from home in the middle of the night will require her to form a bond with Leopold Panic as they manoeuvre through the grasps of unpleasant apparitions whose sole intent is to hold them back from freeing the souls of the unheard entities that wander the earth.
This is a book that is for children & that is why I will be highlighting why I included some of the content warnings that were listed at the beginning of this review. Firstly, Agatha is someone who exhibits high levels of anxiety which reveal themselves through her ripping her own skin from her fingers to the point in which she bleeds. McDowell saw fit to include this facet of Agatha’s character in the book as an indicator that she is a Perceiver, as all Perceivers have nervous habits—Leopold folds his hair, Dorian Doom sways on his feet—-which is not necessarily, in & of itself, a negative aspect. It is often beneficial for children to see themselves reflected within plots so as to gather strength alongside the characters.
Many children exhibit behavioural tendencies that see them performing actions that result in negative consequences on their own bodies. Picking at the skin on one's fingers is a very common practice amongst anxiety-ridden children. Yet, to continuously describe the peeling of flesh & bleeding of body members in such a casual way moves this book into a category that is not necessarily for younger audiences.
I believe that the inclusion of such behaviour could be brought forward in a way that does not necessarily hold the gore of the entire novel in a few sentences. Reading about Agatha peeling skin from her hands during bouts of heightened anxiety makes me feel very sad for her given that no one around her seems to know how to approach this behaviour appropriately. Her Aunt Hattie tells her she will never move past mutilating herself because that is part of being a Perceiver. In this same breath, we read about the character of Lucius Nikolai who is described as being over 200 years old & cuts Agatha’s fingers with his nails & then places her fingers in his mouth, sucking the blood from her hand.
I appreciate that this character was meant to represent a vampiric entity of sorts but the descriptors of such a character were done with great subtlety & without verbal indicators to differentiate him from any of the others. Therefore, reading about young Agatha sitting alone in his home whilst he sucks on her fingers made me greatly uncomfortable. I can imagine that a young reader might be led to wonder at what Lucious Nikolai was—how can a person live for 200 years? Had McDowell crafted this character in a more distinguished fashion we might see him represented as the ghoulish fiend of the monster world rather than represented as an elderly man who performs gross actions as ‘payment’ for information.
The plot of this book holds much intrigue & having been a young person who devoured books of all kinds, once upon a time, I can appreciate that there is a multitude of readers making their way into the literary world. However, this book fails at identifying a reader. This is not to say that books should necessarily be restricted to us based on our ages but, there are subject matters that will be explored more tenderly for younger readers so as to introduce them kindly; opening the door to discussions & information. Much of the dialogue utilized in this book felt overly mature for someone who would be around Agatha’s age (13) yet, we often saw this character acting in a variety of polarizing ways which led me to question who this book was for.
Agatha is written as being a very meek & mild young girl. She knows what she enjoys but she is going through life without much parental guidance given that both her parents work long hours to provide the basics of life care to Agatha & when they are home they are all but distracted, often keeping behind the closed door to their bedroom. Having grown up in the 90s I recognize that much literature of the time saw fit to have the parents neglect their children or behave in ways which saw them express exasperation with their presence. What year does this story take place? It would make sense for young Agatha to be wandering around at all hours of the night & day if this story took place during a period in time when her parents didn’t feel the need to worry about the other adults in the town, or those rolling through.
There are no set features within the book to highlight when this story is taking place which leads to many of Agatha’s actions feeling a bit disjointed. Her family refers to ‘the War’ in which Uncle Tim was killed & within the cemetery we see the young protagonists clearly reading plates from 1914. Aunt Hattie has an old TV but we don’t know if Agatha is watching movies on a VHS or a DVD. We don’t know which War Uncle Tim was killed in & we don’t have any set ages for any of the adults in the book to gauge when the story is taking place. All we know for sure is that Lucius Nikolai started his job as an Undertaker in 1899 & he is presently over 200 years old.
When I say that this facet of the story leaves the dialogue & character actions feeling disjointed it is because much of what happens relies on a timeline. The spirit of Blanche Caillavet has been waiting for Aunt Hattie for 40 years yet we know she was alive & well in 1938. How long ago did this character die? How long has she been roaming the earth? If the characters who were alive in the past (Blanche & Lucius) are still roaming around now, their dialogue should be altered to create a set distinction between them & the characters who are born in the current Century. Given this book is directly targeting a younger audience, it would be beneficial for the story to include vernacular which saw the characters date themselves, so to speak. For example, the dialogue between Aunt Hattie & Agatha takes on a Southern twang when they are speaking intimately. This is a good way for the reader to understand that Aunt Hattie has lived in the South for a while & is leading Agatha through ‘proper’ Southern talk—even if it’s not necessarily the case, the change in tone adds dimension to the story.
Some reworking in the book will help ease the flow of the story so that Agatha’s character comes across as fully developed. There were often times when I was a bit confused about her behaviour. She is very quick to sacrifice her friends to fulfill her desires—ripping the library book apart without communicating with Leopold, whom she keeps in the dark at all times. A person can be contradictory in their behaviours, inner dialogue & desires, I understand this to be true. However, Agatha reads as very sensitive & introverted & then will do a full 180 & be rude & cruel to other people for no reason at all. Is she meant to come across as confident or threatened by other people? She speaks about how she feels pride in being the ‘bravest’ person in her friend group, totally disregarding the fact that Leopold bends over backward to accompany her everywhere & ensures she gets out of places safe & unharmed.
In this same breath, a bit of editing will sew shut the little holes that popped up along the way of this book. For example:
- Aunt Hattie tells Agatha that her father has the money to buy a new house but we are told that they are very poor.
- We are told that Macbeth sleeps beside Agatha’s bed & then see her tell the reader that his sleeping spot is on the sofa.
- Agatha is shocked that Leopold can see Lucious, assuming he is a ghost, but the man has been sustaining an Undertaker’s role in the town for years on end so everyone would assumedly be able to see him.
- Agatha has a birthday cake with Aunt Hattie at her house on the eve of her 13th birthday but she doesn’t have any celebration at her house with either of her parents. This event is skipped over completely, save for it being mentioned by her teacher.
I can appreciate that it does seem I have many structural critiques for a book whose target audience I am not, however, a good book is, a good book. Everyone deserves the chance to read a story that is well-crafted. The author of this book recognizes that their audience is very smart & willing to go the extra mile to solve a supernatural mystery, entwining history & lore, as evidenced in their writing style & the plot.
Every reader should feel cherished & producing edits to an otherwise enthusiastic read will reinforce the sentiment to those of all ages. When all is said & done I feel confident that this book could be remembered amongst the greats.
Thank you to NetGalley, Crumblebee Books & RJ McDowell for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2022
⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Adore the cover on this one!
I really enjoy middle grade books. Especially if they a spooky paranormal angle! Agatha Anxious & the Deer Island Ghost was an entertaining read. Well written. Well paced. Atmospheric. The plot was engaging. The characters were well developed and aptly named (😂). I look forward to seeing what they get up to in the next book in the series. 👍🏻👍🏻
**ARC Via NetGalley**
I really enjoy middle grade books. Especially if they a spooky paranormal angle! Agatha Anxious & the Deer Island Ghost was an entertaining read. Well written. Well paced. Atmospheric. The plot was engaging. The characters were well developed and aptly named (😂). I look forward to seeing what they get up to in the next book in the series. 👍🏻👍🏻
**ARC Via NetGalley**
September 18, 2022
What a spooky good time! Loved this! This was such a great MG horror/spooky read. Everything is described so well, I felt like I was almost there as well. From the mask shop, Agatha’s house, her clothes, her aunts house, the cemetery, the town itself, & especially Aunt Hattie’s shop-I wish I could go there! It sounds like such a great place with unusual & weird, yet amazing things. There are quite a few deliciously creepy parts in here, but for me by far the most creepy was our time with a certain “someone” at the “parlor”. I was creeped out, & a little scared for Agatha lol Loved it. Another book with amazing names in it as well. My favorites though are the last names of Agatha & 2 of her classmates. So: Anxious, Panic, Doom. Lol Brilliant. I think they’re connected, so to me the names connect them too. Agatha is a great MC, who has a lot of traits that will be relatable to many kids. I absolutely loved sweet Leopold, & the friendship that grows between he & Agatha. They both really needed a friend, & for it to be each other. Aunt Hattie was a hoot, & I wish she was my aunt. Loved her. I loved the whole backstory of what she, & now Agatha can do, & just the whole idea in general of every we learn having to do with that. I was also so intrigued by the ghosts we learn about in this one, & their backstory. So good. My heart belongs to Macbeth though. I was in love with Agatha & this book already when I saw she had a beloved German Shepherd. Also, Agatha likes odd numbers for everything. I felt so seen lol, because I like EVEN number for everything. This comes out this Tuesday September 20th, & I highly recommend it. A creepy MG horror with ghosts that will actually make the tiny hairs on your arms stand up. Such an epic ending, but I really can’t wait for that sequel! Can’t wait to see what happens next. BEAUTIFUL cover by Diana Whitney Design too.💜
May 22, 2022
This is an absolute must read for any young adult, or even adult! McDowell’s description of the characters and setting bring this spooky story to life. The twists and turns will have you not wanting to put this down and the ending is chilling in the best possible way. I highly recommend this and look forward to more from McDowell!
May 13, 2022
This book was a ghoulish adventure from beginning to end. The detail of the characters, setting, and storyline drew me into the mysterious tale, and every piece in the story felt like it was sewn together to solve a mystery— and give more clues into the supernatural abilities of Agatha and her acquaintances. The discovery of the main character as she learns more about her special life reminds me so much of Harry Potter and other epic characters of the supernatural. And like every great series, there is also a villain— and this one is hauntingly intriguing. If you like the paranormal, macabre, and a suspenseful adventure, you will love reading about Agatha Anxious and her mystical happenings. I can’t wait to read another. Not only did I love the story, I know my kids will as well.
May 9, 2022
A great read!! I am a lifelong Agatha Christie fan and RJ McDowell’s Agatha and the Deer Island Ghost rates right up there! Cannot wait for the next book of the Deadfellow Five series!!
June 10, 2022
Whispers of darkness, darkened cemeteries and creepy haunts, with even darker mysteries that defy sight and beckon the curious to see into the nightshade. Agatha Anxious took me down a delightful eerie pilgrimage through twisting unknowns, anxious imagination, and fulfillment of her discovery quest.
In this introduction to The Deadfellow Five, McDowell unravels and brings to light the ever-present mysteries of old woven darkly into the underlying fabric of our stories and reality.
Fresh young adult readers who share Agatha’s youthful angst and curiosity will shiver with wonder and chills from McDowell’s fast and well-crafted narrative. Experienced readers may be surprised at McDowell’s cultural immersion into Southern folklore, hints to historical fiction, and the mythological themes present in this modern revisiting of the deepest anxieties experienced by the living.
In this introduction to The Deadfellow Five, McDowell unravels and brings to light the ever-present mysteries of old woven darkly into the underlying fabric of our stories and reality.
Fresh young adult readers who share Agatha’s youthful angst and curiosity will shiver with wonder and chills from McDowell’s fast and well-crafted narrative. Experienced readers may be surprised at McDowell’s cultural immersion into Southern folklore, hints to historical fiction, and the mythological themes present in this modern revisiting of the deepest anxieties experienced by the living.
June 3, 2022
Welcome to Biloxi, Mississippi, where southern charm and spooky ghosts abound! R.J. McDowell does an exceptional job bringing this sleepy coastal town to life. Our heroine, Agatha Anxious, lives up to her last name quite well, but she also has an unexpected bravery and determinedness to her character. A lifelong lover of the macabre, McDowell excels at creating a feeling of dread. Particularly chilling are the scenes within Doom's Maskerades, a shop that evokes sinister similarities to Harry Potter's Knockturn Alley. This first book is a strong start to what will surely be a spine-tingling series!
October 5, 2022
I loved this book! I am so excited to see where the series leads us!!! RJ McDowell does an amazing job building the tension. If you like spooky MG you should pick this book up. Think Goosebumps meets City of Ghosts.
A little dive into the book for you…
Agatha Anxious likes things that are odd, spooky and what a lot of people might think as weird. She feels calm when she visits her uncles grave in the cemetery…it’s a place that her nervous can rest. A lot of people might see her as odd but not her Aunt Hattie. She gets it and more then Agatha might know.
One day an item is dropped off at Aunt Hattie’s shop but it’s not just any old package it is Agatha’s first ghost. Yup ghost! Agatha is a Perceiver and it’s her job to help ghosts that are unsettled. Little did Agatha know that this one ghost will lead her down a path filled with dangerous and an ancient spirit that needs to be put in its place.
I don’t want to give to much away and this is only the beginning of Agatha’s journey but I am here for the ride that’s for sure!
A little dive into the book for you…
Agatha Anxious likes things that are odd, spooky and what a lot of people might think as weird. She feels calm when she visits her uncles grave in the cemetery…it’s a place that her nervous can rest. A lot of people might see her as odd but not her Aunt Hattie. She gets it and more then Agatha might know.
One day an item is dropped off at Aunt Hattie’s shop but it’s not just any old package it is Agatha’s first ghost. Yup ghost! Agatha is a Perceiver and it’s her job to help ghosts that are unsettled. Little did Agatha know that this one ghost will lead her down a path filled with dangerous and an ancient spirit that needs to be put in its place.
I don’t want to give to much away and this is only the beginning of Agatha’s journey but I am here for the ride that’s for sure!
September 20, 2022
A spine-tingling tale with a good-natured plot, a determined heroine, and a few twists that will surely give you a chill. Middle school grade thriller/horror reminiscent of my years reading R.L Stine. The flow is driven and effortless, a real page turner. She kept me guessing and second guessing what would happen next. R.J. also left many doors for other literary opportunities to be opened. Aunt Hattie’s shop, the cemetery, and the Undertaker could be their very own skin prickling creations.
June 21, 2022
Ghost Whisperer Meets Middle Grade Horror
↓ Similar Reads ↓
1. Lora Senf’s The Clackity
2. Justina Ireland’s Ophie’s Ghosts
3. Betty Ren Wright’s The Dollhouse Murders
Thank you so much to Crumblebee Books and #Netgalley for gifting me an ARC of Agatha Anxious & the Deer Island Ghost by RJ McDowell in exchange for this honest review!
Agatha Anxious is not your average child on the cusp of teenagerdom. She has a terrible habit of biting at her nails until they bleed. She spends her free time in the cemetery by her house. And, on the eve of her thirteenth birthday, she learns that she can see ghosts. After this discovery, Agatha’s life turns upside down. Her first ghost demands for something taken to be returned, her English teacher assigns a book report on a very different ghost, and Aunt Hattie – her rock and the only person who understands what she is going through – goes missing. A book filled with ghost stories, humor, and an unlikely heroine, Agatha Anxious & the Deer Island Ghost will be on shelves this September!
The atmospheric setting of Biloxi, Mississippi, felt simultaneously perfect for summer and autumn. The thick humidity and smell of the shoreline gave me summer vibes (even as Agatha trudges to school), but Agatha’s strolls through the cemetery and the hair-raising interactions with ghosts and the like would make this a great addition to anyone’s spooky reading pile. McDowell’s use of thriller elements, like the switch in POV to Aunt Hattie, raised the tension tenfold because we as readers knew something that Agatha still needed to discover.
While I enjoyed the loving relationship between Agatha and Aunt Hattie, it seemed a bit unbelievable that the aunt would leave Agatha in the dark about so much. She also felt like the child in their dynamic at times while Agatha read as the more mature one. It also felt a tad convenient that within maybe 24 hours of learning about the undertaker/oracle and receiving a warning from Hattie, Agatha would be seeking his assistance to help her aunt. I think it would have helped to learn about him earlier during Agatha’s first discovery that she is a Perceiver. I see many parallels to another recent middle grade read, The Clackity. The difference is that I had a stronger visual of where the plot was leading in the latter.
With that said, I can 100% see many middle grade readers growing attached to Agatha and her ghost-filled world. I can also see myself recommending this book to the right reader in the future.
↓ Similar Reads ↓
1. Lora Senf’s The Clackity
2. Justina Ireland’s Ophie’s Ghosts
3. Betty Ren Wright’s The Dollhouse Murders
Thank you so much to Crumblebee Books and #Netgalley for gifting me an ARC of Agatha Anxious & the Deer Island Ghost by RJ McDowell in exchange for this honest review!
Agatha Anxious is not your average child on the cusp of teenagerdom. She has a terrible habit of biting at her nails until they bleed. She spends her free time in the cemetery by her house. And, on the eve of her thirteenth birthday, she learns that she can see ghosts. After this discovery, Agatha’s life turns upside down. Her first ghost demands for something taken to be returned, her English teacher assigns a book report on a very different ghost, and Aunt Hattie – her rock and the only person who understands what she is going through – goes missing. A book filled with ghost stories, humor, and an unlikely heroine, Agatha Anxious & the Deer Island Ghost will be on shelves this September!
The atmospheric setting of Biloxi, Mississippi, felt simultaneously perfect for summer and autumn. The thick humidity and smell of the shoreline gave me summer vibes (even as Agatha trudges to school), but Agatha’s strolls through the cemetery and the hair-raising interactions with ghosts and the like would make this a great addition to anyone’s spooky reading pile. McDowell’s use of thriller elements, like the switch in POV to Aunt Hattie, raised the tension tenfold because we as readers knew something that Agatha still needed to discover.
While I enjoyed the loving relationship between Agatha and Aunt Hattie, it seemed a bit unbelievable that the aunt would leave Agatha in the dark about so much. She also felt like the child in their dynamic at times while Agatha read as the more mature one. It also felt a tad convenient that within maybe 24 hours of learning about the undertaker/oracle and receiving a warning from Hattie, Agatha would be seeking his assistance to help her aunt. I think it would have helped to learn about him earlier during Agatha’s first discovery that she is a Perceiver. I see many parallels to another recent middle grade read, The Clackity. The difference is that I had a stronger visual of where the plot was leading in the latter.
With that said, I can 100% see many middle grade readers growing attached to Agatha and her ghost-filled world. I can also see myself recommending this book to the right reader in the future.
May 18, 2022
I'd like to think that I have become a bit of a connoisseur when it comes to middle grade fiction involving young ladies between the ages of 9-12 solving mysteries and dealing with spooks. I whole-heartedly love some of the series that I have been reading the past couple years, and I pounce on each new volume that comes out.
This book doesn't quite fit into that category, instead dancing on the cusp of middle grade and YA, and I'm not sure that it works for me. Agatha Anxious, personifying anxiety, turns thirteen at the beginning of this book, and as she straddles the world between being a kid and being a teen, so does this story.
There are moments that feel very little kid in nature - the movie nights with her whacky aunt, having a favorite teacher who is a little left of center, hating another teacher and finding nothing redeemable about her. Then there are other moments that feel more young adult - the signs of her anxiety that could broach a conversation about mental health, but don't in the book (in fact, they're ignored by everyone around her) and the predatory moment when she visits a vampire-like fellow who sucks blood from her fingertips while they're unchaperoned in the dark. (As a kid, I would probably just accept this and might not think more about it, but as an adult, I was like, "Oh, this is ...oof.")
Agatha and Leopold, her friend, also feel a bit flat to me. I want them to have more of a personality, to be more developed. There's plenty of space in the story to do it. In my opinion, it would have been better if Leopold and Agatha became friends sooner, so that they could take more action and interact with each other. Their friendship came really late in the game for me, and without them becoming closer, very little happened.
The pacing of this novel was really slow for the first two-thirds or so. Then, near the end, everything just happened quickly. I think a young reader would get bored with this book before making it to any of the really interesting parts.
Aside from these things that I wasn't such a fan of, there were also minor problems that could have been caught in editing, but haven't been yet. For example, Aunt Hattie grabs a white jar and has it in her hand. Agatha sees this happening, and then later it is stated that Agatha never saw her Aunt grab the jar and she was surprised she had it. Agatha is also incredibly poor, and this is stressed throughout the book. Yet, Aunt Hattie casually states that her father has enough money to buy a better home than the one they live in. If this is the case, then why are they so poor?
I think the ideas in this book are interesting, and I think with time and care, this book could easily become one that kids would love. I just think more can be done to fully flesh out the characters and to fix the inconsistencies.
I'd like to thank Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.
This book doesn't quite fit into that category, instead dancing on the cusp of middle grade and YA, and I'm not sure that it works for me. Agatha Anxious, personifying anxiety, turns thirteen at the beginning of this book, and as she straddles the world between being a kid and being a teen, so does this story.
There are moments that feel very little kid in nature - the movie nights with her whacky aunt, having a favorite teacher who is a little left of center, hating another teacher and finding nothing redeemable about her. Then there are other moments that feel more young adult - the signs of her anxiety that could broach a conversation about mental health, but don't in the book (in fact, they're ignored by everyone around her) and the predatory moment when she visits a vampire-like fellow who sucks blood from her fingertips while they're unchaperoned in the dark. (As a kid, I would probably just accept this and might not think more about it, but as an adult, I was like, "Oh, this is ...oof.")
Agatha and Leopold, her friend, also feel a bit flat to me. I want them to have more of a personality, to be more developed. There's plenty of space in the story to do it. In my opinion, it would have been better if Leopold and Agatha became friends sooner, so that they could take more action and interact with each other. Their friendship came really late in the game for me, and without them becoming closer, very little happened.
The pacing of this novel was really slow for the first two-thirds or so. Then, near the end, everything just happened quickly. I think a young reader would get bored with this book before making it to any of the really interesting parts.
Aside from these things that I wasn't such a fan of, there were also minor problems that could have been caught in editing, but haven't been yet. For example, Aunt Hattie grabs a white jar and has it in her hand. Agatha sees this happening, and then later it is stated that Agatha never saw her Aunt grab the jar and she was surprised she had it. Agatha is also incredibly poor, and this is stressed throughout the book. Yet, Aunt Hattie casually states that her father has enough money to buy a better home than the one they live in. If this is the case, then why are they so poor?
I think the ideas in this book are interesting, and I think with time and care, this book could easily become one that kids would love. I just think more can be done to fully flesh out the characters and to fix the inconsistencies.
I'd like to thank Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.
August 31, 2022
Creepy and Spooky!
The story starts off with us meeting Agatha Anxious, a 13-year-old girl with odd habits and even odder abilities. Her odds habits and abilities include biting her nails until they bleed, often visiting her uncle's grave and seeing ghosts. That’s right, she sees ghosts because she is a Perceiver just like her Aunt Hattie.
Once Agatha becomes aware of her ability to see ghosts her whole world is turned upside down. You see, if you can see a ghost then chances are they need your help. Agatha learns that she must help a ghost, and that is her duty above everything else.
I absolutely loved the characters and the character development in this book. I am also pleased to know that Agatha’s story doesn’t end here, but “Agatha Anxious and the Deer Island Ghost” is the first book in the Dead Fellow Five series by R.J. McDowell. I am so excited to follow her journey!
I highly recommend everyone pick this up, it’s an amazing fall read!
Thank You to R.J. McDowell and Crumblebee Books, for the digital ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
The story starts off with us meeting Agatha Anxious, a 13-year-old girl with odd habits and even odder abilities. Her odds habits and abilities include biting her nails until they bleed, often visiting her uncle's grave and seeing ghosts. That’s right, she sees ghosts because she is a Perceiver just like her Aunt Hattie.
Once Agatha becomes aware of her ability to see ghosts her whole world is turned upside down. You see, if you can see a ghost then chances are they need your help. Agatha learns that she must help a ghost, and that is her duty above everything else.
I absolutely loved the characters and the character development in this book. I am also pleased to know that Agatha’s story doesn’t end here, but “Agatha Anxious and the Deer Island Ghost” is the first book in the Dead Fellow Five series by R.J. McDowell. I am so excited to follow her journey!
I highly recommend everyone pick this up, it’s an amazing fall read!
Thank You to R.J. McDowell and Crumblebee Books, for the digital ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
March 7, 2023
Oh so good!! Super creepy and mysterious. Agatha and Leopold were meant to be friends and he is the sidekick every adventurer needs. The ghosts are creepy and I can’t wait to see what the next four books have in store. A solid middle grade series.
March 1, 2023
A fun spooky middle grade read! Students love Agatha Anxious and cheered her on as she overcome her own fears to be the hero of her story.
Thank you Crumblebee and NetGalley for the ARC.
Thank you Crumblebee and NetGalley for the ARC.
September 18, 2022
I got this book from Netgalley and kinda wanted to save it for October… but I also just really wanted to read it now. So that’s what I did.
We follow Agatha Anxious who finds out she is a Perceiver; someone who can see ghosts and help them go back to sleep. Her aunt Hettie is also a Perceiver, but she goes missing. So Agatha (with the help of her friend Leopold Panic and some assistance for classmate Dominc Doom – I love the names…) has to help ghost that is haunting her and try to save her aunt as well.
And the scenes with the ghosts are actually very creepy. Middle grade horrors can be so good, and this is certainly one of those. Proper ghosts that give you the chills. So, when it comes to the horror elements the atmosphere was perfect. But… I feel I was still missing something in the atmosphere. Although the author grew up in Mississipi, I didn’t feel that at all. Apart from a few nods, I feel this book could have been set anywhere.
I liked Agatha as a character. She comes across as quiet and thoughtful but is also very much a leader who does what needs to be done. Another element of her character which I personally appreciated (although I can understand if others don’t) is that she bites/pulls the skin and cuticles on her fingers when she get nervous or anxious. Which is something I very much recognized myself in…
The writing of the book could use some work. There are quite a few inconsistencies (some of which are easy enough to fix so I don’t know if they appear in the finished copy), such as there being too many days in the week, the dog having several favourite sleeping spots, or a white cat being described as black. And several more
This is the first book in its series, and I will pick up its sequel for sure. I also couldn’t help but feel that this book would fit very well among the Audible Original Middle Grade books… it just gave me very similar feels as some of those did. So I do hope we get an audiobook version of this book.
We follow Agatha Anxious who finds out she is a Perceiver; someone who can see ghosts and help them go back to sleep. Her aunt Hettie is also a Perceiver, but she goes missing. So Agatha (with the help of her friend Leopold Panic and some assistance for classmate Dominc Doom – I love the names…) has to help ghost that is haunting her and try to save her aunt as well.
And the scenes with the ghosts are actually very creepy. Middle grade horrors can be so good, and this is certainly one of those. Proper ghosts that give you the chills. So, when it comes to the horror elements the atmosphere was perfect. But… I feel I was still missing something in the atmosphere. Although the author grew up in Mississipi, I didn’t feel that at all. Apart from a few nods, I feel this book could have been set anywhere.
I liked Agatha as a character. She comes across as quiet and thoughtful but is also very much a leader who does what needs to be done. Another element of her character which I personally appreciated (although I can understand if others don’t) is that she bites/pulls the skin and cuticles on her fingers when she get nervous or anxious. Which is something I very much recognized myself in…
The writing of the book could use some work. There are quite a few inconsistencies (some of which are easy enough to fix so I don’t know if they appear in the finished copy), such as there being too many days in the week, the dog having several favourite sleeping spots, or a white cat being described as black. And several more
This is the first book in its series, and I will pick up its sequel for sure. I also couldn’t help but feel that this book would fit very well among the Audible Original Middle Grade books… it just gave me very similar feels as some of those did. So I do hope we get an audiobook version of this book.
June 23, 2022
I enjoyed this book. It was well crafted and written. I was surprised to learn that it is considered a YA book because it can also appeal to an older audience, such as myself.
The main character, Agatha, reminded me of Wednesday Adams. They have the same taste in clothing. I generally liked Agatha, but I felt she was too judgmental, particularly towards her mother. She also has an extremely annoying habit of chewing on her fingers, which does nothing for her character.
The setting is Biloxi, Mississippi, I am not sure what year. The descriptions of Biloxi made me go to a street side map view so I could see the actual places Agatha saw. I agree with her opinion of the Golden Fisherman. He is creepy.
The plot: Agatha sees dead people. She learns that it is her duty to help the spirits, who are beautifully and chillingly portrayed, without being too gruesome.
The parts I felt were unnecessary and added nothing to the story, were the finger chewing, the too detailed descriptions of pink lips, and the vampire in the Mortuary. The vampire was completely superfluous. He was also annoying. What little she learned from him, she could just as easily learned from her aunt, her friends and the library.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. Ghost stories are my "Thing", and this one is nicely told. It just needs a bit of tweaking.
The main character, Agatha, reminded me of Wednesday Adams. They have the same taste in clothing. I generally liked Agatha, but I felt she was too judgmental, particularly towards her mother. She also has an extremely annoying habit of chewing on her fingers, which does nothing for her character.
The setting is Biloxi, Mississippi, I am not sure what year. The descriptions of Biloxi made me go to a street side map view so I could see the actual places Agatha saw. I agree with her opinion of the Golden Fisherman. He is creepy.
The plot: Agatha sees dead people. She learns that it is her duty to help the spirits, who are beautifully and chillingly portrayed, without being too gruesome.
The parts I felt were unnecessary and added nothing to the story, were the finger chewing, the too detailed descriptions of pink lips, and the vampire in the Mortuary. The vampire was completely superfluous. He was also annoying. What little she learned from him, she could just as easily learned from her aunt, her friends and the library.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. Ghost stories are my "Thing", and this one is nicely told. It just needs a bit of tweaking.
July 13, 2022
If you’re looking for something new and exciting to read, look no further as Agatha Anxious and The Deer Island Ghost is a well-crafted, captivating and spooky book to read. At every twist and turn that this book took me in, had me wanting more, to the very end. R. J. McDowell ‘s creepy, ghostly mind captured my undivided attention. Every chapter had me in suspense, waiting for the next ahhh moment. A book for all ages. She molded Agatha into to someone we can all connect with and see yourself as. The folklore, the details, big or small, that McDowell created are impeccable. I can not wait for what’s next for Agatha Anxious in the ghostly world of Biloxi Mississippi.
August 8, 2022
This was a really fun and suitably creepy story for middle graders.
It's almost Agatha's 13th birthday and all she wants is a dress with pockets. What she gets instead is a legacy. It turns out that like her Aunt she can see ghosts, and it's her job to figure out what they want and help them move on.
At first, understandably Agatha is pretty freaked out, the ghost is very creepy especially at first when he first starts manifesting, but after some sage advice from her Aunt Hettie, Agatha decides to recruit her new friend Leopold and help this poor ghost out. and we get a glimpse of an even scarier ghost that we know she will have to face later.
I really liked how Agatha conquered her fear and helped her ghost, I loved the history and backstory given to our ghosts and how everything was resolved. I will definitely be reading what I hope is a decently long series. I can't wait to see who Agatha and Leopold will be helping next!
It's almost Agatha's 13th birthday and all she wants is a dress with pockets. What she gets instead is a legacy. It turns out that like her Aunt she can see ghosts, and it's her job to figure out what they want and help them move on.
At first, understandably Agatha is pretty freaked out, the ghost is very creepy especially at first when he first starts manifesting, but after some sage advice from her Aunt Hettie, Agatha decides to recruit her new friend Leopold and help this poor ghost out. and we get a glimpse of an even scarier ghost that we know she will have to face later.
I really liked how Agatha conquered her fear and helped her ghost, I loved the history and backstory given to our ghosts and how everything was resolved. I will definitely be reading what I hope is a decently long series. I can't wait to see who Agatha and Leopold will be helping next!
August 4, 2022
*I received a free ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*
This is the perfect book for younger readers who enjoy scary stories. I thought the level of scariness was perfect for the intended audience. It will creep them out without giving them nightmares (although they may want to avoid reading it in the dark right before bed). I really liked Agatha and enjoyed watching her accept her responsibility as a Perceiver and make the difficult decisions required of her. Her ability to just go with everything rather than run from them was admirable. The story behind Agatha's ghost was a sad one, which made it so much better when she helped him. She and Leopold made a great team - I'm hoping there is more balance in that relationship in future books rather than him just following Agatha everywhere. I would also like to see if he gets a ghost to help. And of course, I'd love to see if Dorian joins their team. This is a great start to what promises to be a great series! I think it would be a great addition to any classroom and school library.
This is the perfect book for younger readers who enjoy scary stories. I thought the level of scariness was perfect for the intended audience. It will creep them out without giving them nightmares (although they may want to avoid reading it in the dark right before bed). I really liked Agatha and enjoyed watching her accept her responsibility as a Perceiver and make the difficult decisions required of her. Her ability to just go with everything rather than run from them was admirable. The story behind Agatha's ghost was a sad one, which made it so much better when she helped him. She and Leopold made a great team - I'm hoping there is more balance in that relationship in future books rather than him just following Agatha everywhere. I would also like to see if he gets a ghost to help. And of course, I'd love to see if Dorian joins their team. This is a great start to what promises to be a great series! I think it would be a great addition to any classroom and school library.
May 23, 2022
“A chill crept up her spine, like a skeleton’s fingers counting each vertebra, one by one until it reached the base of her skull, where it spread open its bony hand across her scalp” (8).
Did you ever catch yourself biting your fingernails, twisting your hair, gnawing on your lips, or fiddling with your fingers? These habits happen without thinking, often when a person feels nervous, anxious, or even scared. But they’re harmless enough, I mean, everyone has some sort of nervous tic, don’t they? R.J. McDowell, the author of "Agatha Anxious and the Deer Island Ghost" challenges this notion, suggesting that maybe, just maybe, these common nervous tics mean something more.
On her thirteenth birthday, Agatha Anxious learns about a family secret linking her with her Aunt Hattie in a way she never imagined. But it’s a secret that not even her parents can know about! Hattie and Agatha are both Perceivers, tasked with the ability to see and help ghosts. Aunt Hattie gnaws the insides of her cheeks. Agatha bites at her nails. These nervous tics identify them as Perceivers… well, the nervous tics combined with the fact that they both like black licorice. But not everyone who has such traits are Perceivers.
Shortly after Agatha Anxious learns about her gift, she encounters her first ghost who greets her using scrabble tiles to spell, “ILIKEYOURDOG.” Whew! This one is friendly! She’d been warned that not all ghosts are friendly. But what does this one need? Will she be able to help it find peace? Trying to go about her other daily tasks of doing laundry, completing homework, and writing school book reports, she knows Aunt Hattie cannot help this ghost for her. She must be brave.
Then, when Aunt Hattie goes missing, Agatha Anxious enlists the help of her friend, Leopold Panic – who frequently bites his lip and tucks his hair behind his ear – to help discover what happened to her aunt while helping her first ghost find peace. A white cat with a unique symbol on its chest. A mysterious coin lost behind a curtain in a masquerade shop. Are they linked with Aunt Hattie’s disappearance? Are any of her other friends Perceivers?
Agatha Anxious must put aside the distraction of her missing Aunt Hattie, and focus on her mission to help her ghost. Will everything fall into place as it should? Will she be able to find peace for her ghost and for herself?
R.J. McDowell creates a flawlessly eerie world in which her characters interact. She builds suspense effortlessly, with the end of each chapter insisting you read the next... and the next. But what I like most about "Agatha Anxious and the Deer Island Ghost" is how the author ties various, seemingly disconnected events together in the end; it felt like watching a puzzle being pieced together before my eyes with pieces that I didn’t realize could fit together, but it all made up an eerily beautiful picture in the end, making me want more.
Agatha Anxious and the Deer Island Ghost is the first book in the Dead Fellow Five series by R.J. McDowell, scheduled to be published September 2022 by Crumblebee Books. It is a must-read Middle Grade Horror/Ghost story.
Did you ever catch yourself biting your fingernails, twisting your hair, gnawing on your lips, or fiddling with your fingers? These habits happen without thinking, often when a person feels nervous, anxious, or even scared. But they’re harmless enough, I mean, everyone has some sort of nervous tic, don’t they? R.J. McDowell, the author of "Agatha Anxious and the Deer Island Ghost" challenges this notion, suggesting that maybe, just maybe, these common nervous tics mean something more.
On her thirteenth birthday, Agatha Anxious learns about a family secret linking her with her Aunt Hattie in a way she never imagined. But it’s a secret that not even her parents can know about! Hattie and Agatha are both Perceivers, tasked with the ability to see and help ghosts. Aunt Hattie gnaws the insides of her cheeks. Agatha bites at her nails. These nervous tics identify them as Perceivers… well, the nervous tics combined with the fact that they both like black licorice. But not everyone who has such traits are Perceivers.
Shortly after Agatha Anxious learns about her gift, she encounters her first ghost who greets her using scrabble tiles to spell, “ILIKEYOURDOG.” Whew! This one is friendly! She’d been warned that not all ghosts are friendly. But what does this one need? Will she be able to help it find peace? Trying to go about her other daily tasks of doing laundry, completing homework, and writing school book reports, she knows Aunt Hattie cannot help this ghost for her. She must be brave.
Then, when Aunt Hattie goes missing, Agatha Anxious enlists the help of her friend, Leopold Panic – who frequently bites his lip and tucks his hair behind his ear – to help discover what happened to her aunt while helping her first ghost find peace. A white cat with a unique symbol on its chest. A mysterious coin lost behind a curtain in a masquerade shop. Are they linked with Aunt Hattie’s disappearance? Are any of her other friends Perceivers?
Agatha Anxious must put aside the distraction of her missing Aunt Hattie, and focus on her mission to help her ghost. Will everything fall into place as it should? Will she be able to find peace for her ghost and for herself?
R.J. McDowell creates a flawlessly eerie world in which her characters interact. She builds suspense effortlessly, with the end of each chapter insisting you read the next... and the next. But what I like most about "Agatha Anxious and the Deer Island Ghost" is how the author ties various, seemingly disconnected events together in the end; it felt like watching a puzzle being pieced together before my eyes with pieces that I didn’t realize could fit together, but it all made up an eerily beautiful picture in the end, making me want more.
Agatha Anxious and the Deer Island Ghost is the first book in the Dead Fellow Five series by R.J. McDowell, scheduled to be published September 2022 by Crumblebee Books. It is a must-read Middle Grade Horror/Ghost story.
October 9, 2022
Agatha Anxious and the Deer Island Ghost is the first book in the Deadfellow Five series (set in Biloxi, Mississippi) and features a girl who turns thirteen over the course of the novel and has the ability to see ghosts after inheriting a supernatural gift from her aunt. Although Agatha is a nice and engaging character she comes across as much less than thirteen and I would pitch the story at kids aged eight to eleven. However, the plot is fairly slow moving and kids that young might get bored by the sluggish pace and lack of action in the initial stages. It was also disappointing to see the boy character (Leopold) given a very bland and one-dimensional support role. There is a never-ending supply of books full of girls like Agatha Anxious, but sadly boys seem to have been completely written out of the equation. Many of the characters also have really twee sounding juvenile names, such as Dorian Doom or Leopold Panic, which sound like they belong in a cartoon or in a book for even younger kids.
In the initial stages of the story Agatha realises she can see ghosts and hangs out more with her aunt than other kids at school, preferring to visit the local graveyard. Around the time her aunt Hattie disappears Agatha and Leopold embark upon solving the mystery of what happened to her aunt, whilst connecting it to another classmate finding an ancient coin which might have a connection to a local myth. Agatha realises she has to help the ghost which has been reaching out to her and this connects not only to a wider local mystery, but also a book report for school. The supernatural story was slow moving, a skeleton hand and then communication via a scrabble board, but was nicely supplemented by school classroom scenes, the relationship with her aunt and a good lead into the second book in the series. Although Agatha Anxious gives us nothing new it was a nice, non-threatening and not too scary read for lower Middle Grade readers. AGE RANGE 8-11.
In the initial stages of the story Agatha realises she can see ghosts and hangs out more with her aunt than other kids at school, preferring to visit the local graveyard. Around the time her aunt Hattie disappears Agatha and Leopold embark upon solving the mystery of what happened to her aunt, whilst connecting it to another classmate finding an ancient coin which might have a connection to a local myth. Agatha realises she has to help the ghost which has been reaching out to her and this connects not only to a wider local mystery, but also a book report for school. The supernatural story was slow moving, a skeleton hand and then communication via a scrabble board, but was nicely supplemented by school classroom scenes, the relationship with her aunt and a good lead into the second book in the series. Although Agatha Anxious gives us nothing new it was a nice, non-threatening and not too scary read for lower Middle Grade readers. AGE RANGE 8-11.
September 23, 2022
Being thirteen can have its difficulties. Being thirteen and having a ghost assigned to you makes life even more fraught. Just as her eccentric Aunt Hattie tries to guide Agatha in her new role, she goes missing. Now Agatha must not only find her beloved aunt but also complete the task her assigned ghost has given her. The ghost isn't exactly forthcoming with details either. Agatha gets help along the way from a classmate named Leopold Panic. As their friendship grows, she learns Leo has some secrets of his own.
I loved this book! It's spooky and fun. The characters are wonderfully written and quirky. Full of atmospheric locations and details, McDowell makes readers feel like they are meeting the mysterious funeral home director and visiting a Mardi Gras mask shop in the dead of night along with Agatha. It's the perfect read for early middle graders whose tastes run to the dark side. I can confirm that it is equally enjoyable for adults. I can't wait to continue following Agatha's adventures!
I loved this book! It's spooky and fun. The characters are wonderfully written and quirky. Full of atmospheric locations and details, McDowell makes readers feel like they are meeting the mysterious funeral home director and visiting a Mardi Gras mask shop in the dead of night along with Agatha. It's the perfect read for early middle graders whose tastes run to the dark side. I can confirm that it is equally enjoyable for adults. I can't wait to continue following Agatha's adventures!
May 3, 2023
On her thirteenth birthday, Agatha discovers she can see ghosts and solve their problems. But she has barely started in her creepy new role when her aunt, who is her only mentor, disappears.
If you like spooky children’s books, this one is for you. The ghosts and the situations Agatha encounters are frightening. Agatha herself is not a typical main character, either. Her family is poor, her dresses are homemade, and she bites her nails until they bleed. Still, she enjoys being different. As the story progresses, she starts to recognize and appreciate her classmates’ unusual traits, too. This novel describes Agatha’s first of five quests.
If you like spooky children’s books, this one is for you. The ghosts and the situations Agatha encounters are frightening. Agatha herself is not a typical main character, either. Her family is poor, her dresses are homemade, and she bites her nails until they bleed. Still, she enjoys being different. As the story progresses, she starts to recognize and appreciate her classmates’ unusual traits, too. This novel describes Agatha’s first of five quests.
January 4, 2023
This is a wonderful middle grades mystery/thriller/horror. And there really are some scary moments. Agatha is unique and owns it. Her Aunt Hattie is a fun character. I love Leopold and the growing friendship between him and Agatha. I don't really care for pirates or Mardi Gras and they are a focus of the mystery but not of the book. I'm so, so pleased that this is going to be a series! Special thank you to NetGalley for an ARC
June 16, 2023
If you are familiar with the Northern Gulf Coast, or are straight up from there, you will love Agatha Anxious!! The splendid references to our Southern culture, Mardi Gras, our beaches, islands, and tales of pirate lore. A magnificent read for young and old! I am ‘anxiously’ awaiting the upcoming release of RJ McDowell’s second book in this series!
December 29, 2025
Agatha Anxious is impulsive, abrupt, and prefers to be alone, but she's also brave, loves her Aunt Hattie very much, and appreciates pockets as much as I do. I enjoyed my adventure with her and her steadfast new friend, Leopold Panic.
It was fun to read another ghost story set on the Mississippi Gulf Coast!
It was fun to read another ghost story set on the Mississippi Gulf Coast!
June 10, 2024
This books reminds me of the Gravekeeper series by Darcy Coates. I'm 23 years old and I loved this book. I think my niece and younger siblings would love this book. I hope the series continues. Beautiful characters and description. I honestly could see this as show!
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