Middle grade horror is, in my opinion, often unfairly overlooked by older readers. (Also, I completely relate to Delilah S. Dawson's ongoing trauma from reading <i>Ghost Cat</i>. Same, but for me it was <i>Wait Til Helen Comes</i>.) Because of the intended audience, middle grade horror is forced to rely less on <i>horror</i> (jump scares, gore, etc) and more on <i>terror</i> - the psychological aspect of the genre, which in this book takes the form of protagonist Lily's insecurities, which are exacerbated by her father's treatment of her as a so-called drama queen. We don't find out what caused that until the very end, but the idea of being a "bad" child is an underlying theme throughout the novel, and even when we don't know exactly what's going on, Lily's fears are clear on the page and very relatable - especially if your parents never <i>really</i> understood what the therapists they sent you to were saying. It also provides an excellent link between Lily and antagonist Britney, a ghost child in the terrifying hoarder house Lily's family buys sight-unseen and moves her into.

Like all truly good ghost stories, Dawson's book understands that with the fear there needs to be sorrow. Ghosts don't haunt just because they're bored (in this genre, at least), and the fact that Britney was a child younger than twelve-year-old Lily is inherently tragic. The revelations towards the end of the novel balance out the scares in the first three-quarters, and they also help Lily to put her own traumas in perspective - not to diminish them, but to help her contextualize them and to move on, something Britney never got to do. The Florida setting is perfect for the creep factor, but also for the tragedy. It's a good, quick read that is just scary enough, giving middle grade readers enough to get delicious thrills without scarring them, alongside a solid resolution.

And, because my youngest sister stopped reading for years after a teacher made her read <i>Stone Fox</i> in the third grade, I want to assure you that no dogs die.