The Book Addicted Girl: The Haunting of Tabitha Grey by Vanessa Curtis

Publisher: Egmont

Format: ARC

Published: 2^nd April 2012

Number of Pages: 240

Book: For Review*

Genre: Paranormal, Ghost-Story, Mystery, Contemporary, Realistic-Fiction, Suspense, Horror, Action-Adventure, YA, YA-Child Crossover

Recommended Age: 10+

Contains: Alcohol and Drug References

Author's Blog: Vanessa Curtis

“I look up at the dark, unblinking eyes of the house and I get the weirdest feeling… It’s the feeling of being pulled into something and being unable to stop it happening…”

Tabitha is used to changing schools and moving house. But when her family move into Weston Manor, something is different. It’s as if the house has been waiting for her.

There are lavender smells which come from nowhere and the old servants’ bell ring in the night. She can hear crying in empty rooms. Tabitha’s always been imaginative. Even her best friend Gemma knows that. But this time, could she actually be telling the truth?

Review:

Tabitha Grey and her family are moving into Weston Manor house, where her dad is to be Keeper. Tabs should be thrilled - after all, the house is gorgeous and a real piece of history. Only she has this feeling, like something's wrong with the house. Like something's waiting for her.

Tabitha's creative, but she isn't imagining the chills, the people no one else can see, the sounds only she can hear.

But no one will believe her. Even though she's sure she's right this time. Can she convince her family before it’s too late, before they fall apart?

I do love ghost stories and The Haunting of Tabitha Grey was a great one! Full of suspense, ghosts and mystery, I was just sucked in and couldn't stop reading! It was spooky, I just felt chills as I read, felt terrified for Tabitha. Although it wasn't that fast to begin with, that really just cranked the suspense up. I loved this - I couldn't stop reading. It was so chilling, so vivid, so real and so utterly creepy. Oh yes: This book was spooktastic!

The characters were all really believable and real. Tabitha was so very teenagery – snarky, stubborn confident and brilliantly odd. With her need to know everything, all the time, she kinda reminded me of me – I’m the embodiment of ‘curiosity killed the cat!’ But back to Tabs, she was the strongest person ever and I felt seriously furious when no one believed her, left her to be terrified on her own. Ben, Tabitha’s little brother, was really shy and sweet and innocent… Her mum was a little head-in-the-clouds – she was depressed in the past and we didn’t find out why for aaggeess… Tabs’ dad was shockingly unobservant and very logical. Now her Gran I really loved, even though she wasn’t really in the story! And all the family relationships wee rather dysfunctional, though you could see they all loved each other very much. Every single member seemed to have one issue or another, be it depression, over-active imagination or whatever. All the members were also so real, all their own people, like real live family members.

And I adored Curtis’ writing – it was beautiful and so utterly teen. I could see everything in my head (and loved the creepy, beautiful and mysterious setting), but the writing wasn’t overwhelming and didn’t slow the pace in the slightest. And the plot, in one word, was creepy! I was drawn right in from the first page and just was never let go! I loved all the spooky, ghostly going ons and all the family issues too. And while I had suspicions about how everything would end, I really and seriously did not see that last twist coming! It left me reeling!

One haunted manor house, a family on the brink of collapse, a girl seeing ghosts with no one who believes her... The Haunting of Tabitha Grey was amazing, shocking, twisty and just plain spooky! I was addicted from start to finish. I can't wait to read something else by Curtis! I love her writing and imagination!

Star Rating:

4¼ Out of 5