Melody Jackson and the House on Lafayette Street in Authors Looking directly for Readers

Aug 31, 2017 jv poore rated it really liked it

Shelves: own-it, fantasy, friendship, humor, legends-myths-fables, ghost-story, young-adult, student_appropriate, mystery, paranormal

Melody and her peculiar parental units are the perfect people to handle the angry aliens and belligerent Bigfoot-buddies in this mashed-up mystery.

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Oct 03, 2014 Ashley rated it it was amazing

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is quite quirky and crazy, in an awesome way. I was expecting a simple tale about Melody Jackson and how her life was going, and instead, I got a pleasant surprise.

This title is full of different types of surprises and monsters, which I fully enjoyed. The subject matter was very much outside my normal reading material, and it was so entertaining, that I couldn't help but like it.

The characters all have the ...more

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Sep 27, 2014 Jules Goud rated it liked it

Shelves: first-reads, the-spirit-world, out-of-this-world

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I would like to thank B.M.B Johnson for giving me the opportunity to read this novel!**

A very interesting novel, for sure.

I wasn't a huge fan of Melody at the beginning of the novel. It seemed like she thought she was better then everyone else, especially Flutter. But, I suppose that could be described as the awesome stage. The stage where one thinks that they are the greatest thing on plant Earth and how dare anyone else tell t ...more

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Oct 26, 2014 Patricia rated it it was amazing

This is a brilliant read for everyone who likes fantasy/sci-fi/mild horror.

The characters are humorously irritating and the interaction between all the characters often causes mayhem. I spent a fair while giggling my way through the book as some of the situations are quite funny. As the characters develop it is interesting to see role reversal come into play as the children sometimes became the ones to persuade the parents to deal with what needs doing. I loved how the characters grew as the st ...more

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Sep 16, 2014 Laura rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya, sci-fi, paranormal

Johnson's Melody Jackson novel is YA Sci Fi gold. Snappy dialog and a solid storyline make this book a winner.
Melody and her unlikely friend/accomplice in this adventure are thrust together by meddling mothers. Most, if not all teens and tweens can relate to meddling parents who mean well but totally miss the mark. Flutter's mother and Melody's mom were connected via a community college class, and when Flutter's parents had to go out of town for the weekend Melody's mom saw a perfect (in her ey Johnson's Melody Jackson novel is YA Sci Fi gold. Snappy dialog and a solid storyline make this book a winner.
Melody and her unlikely friend/accomplice in this adventure are thrust together by meddling mothers. Most, if not all teens and tweens can relate to meddling parents who mean well but totally miss the mark. Flutter's mother and Melody's mom were connected via a community college class, and when Flutter's parents had to go out of town for the weekend Melody's mom saw a perfect (in her eyes) opportunity for Melody to spend less time alone and maybe have a friend.
Strange things began to happen on the way home from the art class the girls shared. Given the task of fundraising, Flutter was all in. Melody could care less about the whole thing until Flutter approaches the house next to the Jackson's where the creepy old man lives. This begins a chain of events that cannot be contained.
The Jackson family is odd. Melody's mom puts on a happy face, hiding secrets and her dad is paranoid and at times a bit disconnected from reality. All of this hinges on something in their past that Melody doesn't know about, but soon will.
Strangers begin to mill about the neighborhood, cats are missing and most disturbing, Melody's dad becomes zombie-like and begins on a mission known only to him. Out of fear and curiosity combined with the strong pull of love and family loyalty, Melody, her mom and Flutter are in for the duration with him.
The girls were vastly different, but the tension between them drove the story well. With all of the supernatural happenings and fear of the unknown the girls learn to work together and yet still don't like each other very much. I don't see them willingly hanging out at the mall together after this ordeal is over. This is much more likely than these two girls becoming best friends.
In addition to the meddling mothers, there are everyday events that occur during the craziness of the unknown that are relevant and allow the reader to relate to the characters, bringing them to life. Personally, I loved the off brand toys that line Melody's pristine room.
This was a fun read. I'm looking forward to more of Johnson's books

Copyright © 2014 Laura Hartman
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.
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Nov 03, 2014 Bonnye Reed rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: keepers

XXX Melody Jackson is the sort of girl you enjoy having around - mischievous and helpful and spice-of-life cute. Her Dad is a little bit nerdy and her Mom is pretty much a perfect mom. Add in the unwilling classmate sleepover and a weird neighbor of the generational family home and you have a stir-up that will keep you guessing.

the characters in this novel are well rounded, empathetic and just eccentric enough to be lovable. The super-natural is just whoo-whoo enough to grab your attention with ...more

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Apr 07, 2016 E.P. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

This is a very fun story in a genre that I enjoyed a lot when I was about Melody's age, but this particular book is geared at least as much towards adults as it is towards tweens. Melody is a somewhat nerdy and eccentric homeschooled preteen (and as a homeschooled person myself I was very excited to finally find a homeschooled character who was not depicted as a religious nutcase), who stumbles into a zany adventure involving ghosts and cat-kidnapping aliens. Things look dark for our protagonist ...more

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Oct 16, 2014 Stephanie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviews-reviewing

AMAZING! I truly loved this book! Flutter was surprisingly my favorite character (because she was just like me!)
Very well written! Great adventure, a thriller! I liked the fact that B.M.B Johnson gave Melody so much personality! I was generally amused while reading this book!

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Nov 08, 2014 Trixter rated it liked it

This book was okay, however I found it difficult to get into reading. I initially didn't like the main character and almost put down the book a couple times however that being said I did enjoy the ending and once you actually read it it's an okay book ...more

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