ARA Review by Elina Emilija Stikute of The Ghoul in the Graveyard
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Elina Emilija Stikute
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ARA Review by Elina Emilija Stikute of The Ghoul in the Graveyard
[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, The Ghoul in the Graveyard.]
The Ghoul in the Graveyard by Travis Walters is the fourth book in his children's book series, "The Orphans of Pearl Place." The series follows the supernatural adventures of Emily, Sam, and Nate, a group of foster kids living with Mrs. Petrew.
The children have recently moved to their new foster home at Pearl Place, which seems to be a magnet for strange and supernatural occurrences, such as encounters with aliens and ghosts. Sam is the most easily frightened of the trio, so it's no surprise that he becomes concerned about zombies, vampires, and other creatures when he learns that their new home is close to a church with a graveyard. When Nate and Emily dismiss his concerns, Sam takes matters into his own hands and befriends a zombie named Vic. The book then follows their adventures as they unravel the mystery surrounding the church and other zombies that appear.
While I haven't read the previous books in the series, I appreciated that the author provided enough context from previous adventures, making it unnecessary to read the earlier books to enjoy this one. I especially loved how the author incorporated classic icons from his own childhood, such as Scooby-Doo and Michael Jackson. These references and the wonderful illustrations greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the book.
I found it an interesting tale—funny and suspenseful, with lots of plot twists that are uncommon in children's literature. Additionally, I enjoyed how the characters challenged conventional stereotypes. For instance, Emily dresses like an emo, but her personality is more in line with Velma from Scooby-Doo—smart, brave, and not overly emotional. On the other hand, Sam is tall and large like Fred, but his personality resembles Shaggy: scared, loyal, and always hungry.
However, considering the book's target audience ranges from eight to fourteen years old, I was disappointed with the sentence structure and word choice. I would say this is more of an adult cozy read, but the plot is too childish. The sentences were often overly complicated, and I believe most children would struggle with words like "juxtaposed," "masticated," "dilapidated," "nincompoop," and "rhetorically." It was almost like the author put the story through AI to edit the book, and it added a bunch of large words. For example, in one spot of the book, it said, “When they drove past the cemetery, Sam eyed it contemptuously, like football players at the coin toss before a championship game.” This seems like something AI would generate to me as an author would use anxiously, nervously, or some other word other than contempt. The story also felt drawn out in places like a two-page discussion debating using "graveyard" versus "churchyard." Oddly, Emily, who initially corrects Sam's terminology, later uses the term "graveyard" herself. Additionally, there were inconsistencies between the illustrations and the text; for example, the cover should have depicted Emily's blacklight flashlight, and Vic was missing his cowboy hat in that scene. These shortcomings and numerous errors were my least favorite aspects of the book. For these reasons, I've given the book three out of five stars.
***
View The Ghoul in the Graveyard on Bookshelves
The Ghoul in the Graveyard by Travis Walters is the fourth book in his children's book series, "The Orphans of Pearl Place." The series follows the supernatural adventures of Emily, Sam, and Nate, a group of foster kids living with Mrs. Petrew.
The children have recently moved to their new foster home at Pearl Place, which seems to be a magnet for strange and supernatural occurrences, such as encounters with aliens and ghosts. Sam is the most easily frightened of the trio, so it's no surprise that he becomes concerned about zombies, vampires, and other creatures when he learns that their new home is close to a church with a graveyard. When Nate and Emily dismiss his concerns, Sam takes matters into his own hands and befriends a zombie named Vic. The book then follows their adventures as they unravel the mystery surrounding the church and other zombies that appear.
While I haven't read the previous books in the series, I appreciated that the author provided enough context from previous adventures, making it unnecessary to read the earlier books to enjoy this one. I especially loved how the author incorporated classic icons from his own childhood, such as Scooby-Doo and Michael Jackson. These references and the wonderful illustrations greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the book.
I found it an interesting tale—funny and suspenseful, with lots of plot twists that are uncommon in children's literature. Additionally, I enjoyed how the characters challenged conventional stereotypes. For instance, Emily dresses like an emo, but her personality is more in line with Velma from Scooby-Doo—smart, brave, and not overly emotional. On the other hand, Sam is tall and large like Fred, but his personality resembles Shaggy: scared, loyal, and always hungry.
However, considering the book's target audience ranges from eight to fourteen years old, I was disappointed with the sentence structure and word choice. I would say this is more of an adult cozy read, but the plot is too childish. The sentences were often overly complicated, and I believe most children would struggle with words like "juxtaposed," "masticated," "dilapidated," "nincompoop," and "rhetorically." It was almost like the author put the story through AI to edit the book, and it added a bunch of large words. For example, in one spot of the book, it said, “When they drove past the cemetery, Sam eyed it contemptuously, like football players at the coin toss before a championship game.” This seems like something AI would generate to me as an author would use anxiously, nervously, or some other word other than contempt. The story also felt drawn out in places like a two-page discussion debating using "graveyard" versus "churchyard." Oddly, Emily, who initially corrects Sam's terminology, later uses the term "graveyard" herself. Additionally, there were inconsistencies between the illustrations and the text; for example, the cover should have depicted Emily's blacklight flashlight, and Vic was missing his cowboy hat in that scene. These shortcomings and numerous errors were my least favorite aspects of the book. For these reasons, I've given the book three out of five stars.
***
View The Ghoul in the Graveyard on Bookshelves
