The following unabridged reviews are made available under license from their respective rights holders and publishers. Reviews may be used for educational purposes consistent with the fair use doctrine in your jurisdiction, and may not be reproduced or repurposed without permission from the rights holders.

Note: This section may include reviews for related titles (e.g., same author, series, or related edition).

From School Library Journal

October 28, 2022

Gr 4-6-A classic children's thriller receives an eerie graphic novel retelling that hits all the right notes. Siblings Molly and Michael have tried bridging the divide between them and their young stepsister, Heather, whose trauma at losing her mother in a fire that almost took her own life shows itself in hostile behavior. The family moves into a rural country church with a backyard graveyard, where Heather claims to befriend a ghost named Helen, who died in a fire in 1880. Heather tells Michael and Molly that Helen will make them pay for mistreating Heather "when she comes," and Molly discovers that Helen is all too real and has sinister motivations that will put Heather's life at risk unless someone intervenes. VERDICT Laxton and Peterson create a chilling and faithful adaptation of Hahn's original novel, with creepy imagery, an eerie blue and purple palette, and solid pacing between dialogue and omniscient narration. Characters are realistically human and present as white. -Rosemary Kiladitis

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Kirkus

September 1, 2022
Hahn's famous ghost story sees new life in graphic-novel format. When a blended family uproots their lives from their home in Baltimore to live in a converted church out in the country, the tension between the family members is strained to the breaking point. Seven-year-old Heather, who is frequently rude to her older stepsiblings, Molly and Michael, and their mother, Jean, becomes obsessed with a tombstone in the old church's graveyard. The tombstone has no name, only initials (the same as Heather's), and when Heather refers to the grave's inhabitant as Helen, the family slowly learns that this is more than just an imaginary friend. Helen's power over Heather grows as she makes plans to spend the rest of her afterlife with this new friend. Making effective use of color to move between everyday domestic scenes and far more chilling moments, this version modernizes the story. The illustrations give both Heather and her father, Dave, a menacing quality that will have readers guessing where exactly the horror lies. The denouement wraps up organically, proving that even the scariest of stories can have a happy ending. Readers familiar with the original tale will be pleased with this faithful adaptation, and new fans will be eager to read more from Hahn. Molly, Michael, and Jean are light-skinned, while Dave and Heather are tan-skinned; some supporting characters present as Black. An adaptation that feels as fresh as a newly dug grave. ((Graphic novel. 8-12))

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From School Library Journal

October 1, 1986
Gr 4-7 -Ghost story fans have a spooky treat in store with Hahn's eerie new novel. Molly, the 12-year-old narrator, and her brother Michael dislike their bratty 5-year-old stepsister Heather and resent the family move to an isolated converted church in the country. The adjourning graveyard frightens Molly, but Heather seems drawn to it. Molly discovers that the ghost of a child (Helen) who died in a fire a century ago wants to lure Heather to her doom. Molly determines to save her stepsister. In so doing, she learns that Heather's strange behavior stems from her feelings of guilt at having accidentally caused her mother's death by playing near a stove and starting a fire. Eventually, Molly wrests Heather from Helen's arms as the ghost attempts to drown them. The girls discover the skeletons of Helen's parents, and their burial finally puts to rest Helen's spirit. This is a powerful, convincing, and frightening tale. The details of everyday life quickly give way to terror. The pace never slackens. Characterization is strong, and descriptive passages set a mood of suspense. There should be a heavy demand from readers who are not "faint at heart." Judy Greenfield, Rye Free Reading Room, N.Y.

From AudioFile Magazine

Molly and Michael have a difficult time adjusting to their spoiled new stepsister, Heather. Ellen Grafton perfectly captures the selfish, manipulative Heather and the disgusted responses of her stepsiblings. Their parents, hopeful that the family will come together with a move to the country, find a home next to a graveyard--a graveyard with a ghost who leads young girls into a watery grave. As Heather fights to pull the family apart and makes an alliance with the ghost, Grafton's reading hints at her inner struggle. The strength of Grafton's narration is the power she gives to the many strained family interactions. These create a listening tension that mounts to a taut conclusion as Molly fights to save the tormented Heather from the ghost. S.W. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine