Official Review: Secrets of a Ghosts Diary

Kristy Khem · Post by **Kristy Khem** » 10 Oct 2018, 11:29

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Secrets of a Ghosts Diary" by Dawn Marie Clifton.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Would you spend the summer solving an ancient mystery? In the children’s mystery story, Secrets of a Ghost’s Diary by Dawn Marie Clifton, three friends are determined to uncover the secrets of a ghost that haunts the lighthouse on St. Simons Island. They sneak into the lighthouse one night and find the ghost’s diary. Carson, Emma, and Levi begin studying the written entries. When the last page of the diary is stolen, the trio learns why the ghost of Minnie Mae Murphy is haunting the lighthouse. Dangerous times lie ahead as the children realize that they are not the only ones who want to uncover the ghost’s secrets. The ghost herself also has a secret surprise for them, one which will reveal their true destiny and life mission.

The premise of this book was both fun and captivating. There were a lot of surprises, twists, and turns throughout the story. There was never a dull moment in the lives of Carson, Levi, and Emma. Some chapters ended on a cliffhanger such as when Carson and Emma were locked outside on the lighthouse balcony during bad weather. The last sentence of this chapter was, “The lighthouse balcony that Carson loved so much had become an edge of death.” This made the book extremely riveting and I found myself being sucked into the story, wanting to know what would happen next.

Another thing which I liked about this book was the characters. Each character in the story had a distinct appearance and a unique personality trait. For example, Levi was described as a very intelligent person due to his photographic memory. In addition to this, he wore his hair in a particular style. Emma was described as geeky and she wore glasses. She also had a habit of tying her hair in a ponytail when she was serious about something. There was also a character who dressed like a cowboy, and another one who spoke Nigerian. One character spoke in a sickeningly sweet voice and had “eyes that matched the blueberries on the kitchen table.” These characteristics made it easy for me to remember each character and decide whether I liked or disliked them. This also gave me a mental picture of each of them. Good characterization is an important feature in any children’s book because it stimulates the imagination.

The best thing about this mystery story was that it was unpredictable. I could not guess who the villain was until the end. Furthermore, there was a huge surprise at the end, which I did not anticipate. The surprise also added a sci-fi edge to the story. Because of its unpredictability, I think that this book will become a favorite for any child who reads it.

There was nothing that I disliked about this book. I only found one error where an article was missing in a sentence. I am pleased to rate this delightful book 4 out of 4 stars for its riveting and unpredictable storyline as well as its fascinating characters. This book is perfect for children aged 9-12. Older mystery fans will also enjoy it.

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Secrets of a Ghosts Diary
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Noraine Alissa Poria · Post by **Noraine Alissa Poria** » 11 Oct 2018, 04:41

This sounds like an interesting children's book, I would like to read this one to my younger brother. Great review btw!

Emi_Review · Post by **Emi_Review** » 11 Oct 2018, 05:16

Forget children, this plot sounds like something I'd enjoy!

But in all honesty, it does sound like a great book for kids, the way the characters are described would make it easier to imagine them. Thanks for the great review!

Mindy Conahye · Post by **Mindy Conahye** » 11 Oct 2018, 12:38

I think this book sounds enjoyable and would be a good read for my son. I think I would enjoy that there is twists in it. The characters sound well developed and easy likable.

Caylie_Cat · Post by **Caylie_Cat** » 11 Oct 2018, 18:26

This book reminds me of the Famous five and Secret Seven books by Enid Blyton. I loved these as a child and read them many times, then passed the books on to my kids. Stories in this genre are great in encouraging a reluctant child to read for themselves as they get 'hooked' and have to persevere to the end to find out what happens. A climactic ending also makes the book memorable. Great review and thank you!

Kristy Khem · Post by **Kristy Khem** » 12 Oct 2018, 11:53

Caylie_Cat wrote: ↑11 Oct 2018, 18:26 This book reminds me of the Famous five and Secret Seven books by Enid Blyton. I loved these as a child and read them many times, then passed the books on to my kids. Stories in this genre are great in encouraging a reluctant child to read for themselves as they get 'hooked' and have to persevere to the end to find out what happens. A climactic ending also makes the book memorable. Great review and thank you!

Hey, thanks for commenting

I read both the Famous Five and Secret 7 series as a child! I love Enid Blyton. You are absolutely correct that these type of stories encourage children to read. I hope the author writes more kids' mystery books because she is really good at it.

Missimi · Post by **Missimi** » 12 Oct 2018, 12:33

This book is not just for kids, The characters are little bit immense.
Nice review.

kfwilson6 · Post by **kfwilson6** » 12 Oct 2018, 14:48

I love stories about ghosts and the fact that you couldn't predict the identity of the villain and there is another surprise at the end makes this book particularly intriguing. I think I would definitely like to read this one.

Post by **bookowlie** » 12 Oct 2018, 16:00

Nice review! I like the unique premise of the ghost keeping a diary. While I get creeped out by ghosts in book, this story doesn't seem too scary. Off to read the sample!

Kristy Khem · Post by **Kristy Khem** » 12 Oct 2018, 21:52

bookowlie wrote: ↑12 Oct 2018, 16:00 Nice review! I like the unique premise of the ghost keeping a diary. While I get creeped out by ghosts in book, this story doesn't seem too scary. Off to read the sample!

Thanks! The ghost was not scary at all

Debjani Ghosh · Post by **Debjani Ghosh** » 13 Oct 2018, 12:22

I am intrigued to find out the secret surprise that the ghost had for the children. Thanks for the review!

Vscholz · Post by **Vscholz** » 28 Oct 2018, 02:26

Thank you for your great review! I study children's/adolescent/young adult literature and I am always looking for lesser-known books to incorporate into my research and classes. I'm definitely adding this one to my TBR list!