REVIEWS+

The Midnight Curse

by L. M. Falcone
208p. 978-1-55453-358-9.
COPY ISBN
Gr 4-6 Fraternal twins Lacey and Charlie live with their widowed mom on very little money, so when she receives a message from an attorney in Britain inviting them to the reading of their great-great-uncle's will, they head off to spooky old Blaxston Manor. Once they arrive, though, Lacey, the sensible one, sees that things are strange indeed. Peculiar voices speak from nowhere; characters appear and vanish; and something seems to want to keep them, especially panicky and clumsy Charlie, trapped in the manor. And soon enough, he learns that the curse that kept his great-great-uncle trapped in the estateto sleep in water at night lest he shrivel up and dieis upon him as well. This story contains a good deal of threats, ghosts, and spookiness, but it's dampened by ham-handed humor, and the prose is filled with way too many exclamation points. "Midnight Curse" is unsubtle and undistinguished."Walter Minkel, Austin Public Library, TX" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.
When his great-uncle dies, a peculiar curse is passed on to Charlie: he must sleep in water every night or he'll shrivel to death. With his twin, Lacey, Charlie battles this disturbing legacy. The twins' frantic pursuit of a cure introduces kooky, creepy, and downright scary supporting characters, but the storytelling stalls with slapstick and forced thrills.

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?