The Girl in the Locked Room - Review

Author: Mary Downing Hahn

Genre: Middle Grade / Horror

Format: Paperback

Pages: 208

This is the second Mary Downing Hahn book to fall into my lap, One for Sorrow has been on my shelves for years. But this one came to me via my Aunt which was a lovely surprise when I saw her last weekend. I'm always down for anything spooky no matter the reading level, especially a haunted house story. Which is kind of what The Girl in the Locked Room is at its bare bones. So a huge thank you to her for this because I did enjoy this read, and will have to make it a point to read the other Mary Downing Hawn book on my shelf sooner, rather than later!

The Girl in the Locked Room is set up like any other haunted house book so from the start, you feel like you know exactly where this book is going to go. For a middle-grade book, I don't mind this, keeping in mind the reader leave this book is written for. Personally have some heavier reads I don't mind a predictable storyline. It's what makes these books quick to read and great books for plane rides or long road trips. Easy to pick up and put down. 

While I don't feel like this book is super scary, or really has even jump scares, it definitely has a spooky vibe. Jules and Lily make great narrators because they are living through the same things, but their fear is completely different from the others. Because on some level Lily knows why those horses are in the yard and why those men are yelling, but Jules has no idea what's happening at night when the noises start. So I could see younger readers being a little freaked out. 

There are a few "ghost" sightings as well in the book. Which are always fun no matter the novel when spectators just pop and only one person in the group kind see them. Sort of when timelines meld together. I thought those scenes were cool and worked well into the overall storyline.

As I researched this book when I first got it I saw a lot of people weren't really fond of the story itself or the ending. But, for a book set for younger readers, I have to say I liked the little twist there at the end. Happy endings in horror have their place I think, and mostly in middle-grade and young-adult novels. When the readers are younger and still really want them. Also, again, having a happy ending is a nice change from how most of the 'adult' horror ends. Usually upsetting and with lots of pain. So getting to tie this up with a bow so both Lily and Jules got their happy endings. I'm cool with it. 

I also really liked this wasn't a typical haunted house story, there was a small bit of science fiction thrown in. 

The main characters in this book were also well done. They were both young girls about junior high, or freshman, aged kids from two different points in time. It was easy to tell them apart because of this, but also because their voices were written so differently from one another that you always knew which was which. The chapters are labeled as well, but at this point, I hardly notice if chapters have titles these days. I'm usually too busy reading the book to notice. 

So yeah, a fun, quick, and kind of spooky read that was well-written and great for younger readers that are getting into the spooky stuff. Also great for older readers who still love breaking out their Goosebumps collections!

HAPPY READING!!