TITLE: The Haunting of Aveline Jones
AUTHOR: Phil Hickes
PUBLISHER: Usborne
ISBN: 978-1474972147
PODCAST EPISODE: None
REVIEWER: Greg Potter
Phil Hickes is well on the way to establishing himself as a writer of young adult creepy tales. The Haunting of Aveline Jones was his first novel. With precise and wonderfully descriptive language, vocabulary within reach of the intended audience, and a very relatable opening, it’s easy to see why his works have attained popularity.
Aveline Jones is a 12 yo girl who, at the start of her half-term school break, is on the way from her home in Bristol to stay with her straitlaced aunt while her mum spends time with Aveline’s ill grandma. No mobile phone reception! Only half an hour of internet a day on her aunt’s computer! It’s a good thing that Aveline is an avid reader of ghost tales, and that there’s a dusty and inviting secondhand bookstore in the town.
The plot involves a relocation of the Latin American myth of La Llorona, the weeping woman, to the grim and blustery Cornish seaside. The novel is set in the fictional town of Malmouth, which bears more than a passing resemblance to the real-world fishing village of Falmouth. Aveline discovers a book of local folk tales, with chapters covering such well-known topics as the Beast of Bodmin and Cornish Piskies. She discovers that the last story has been laboriously crossed out with a heavy pen, line by line. Her interest piqued, Aveline discovers that the previous owner of the book, a girl her age, went missing over thirty years ago. Once she enlists the assistance of Harold, the book-keeper’s son, things begin to get frightening – and dangerous.
While Hickes grew up near Manchester, England, he clearly has some familiarity with the folklore of Cornwall. The details of the superstition-fueled rituals of the villagers are gripping, and the path that Aveline and her friends take toward a full understanding of what’s happening is enthralling and chilling. The slow acceptance of the situation by the adults enhances the suspense significantly. Keith Robinson’s illustrations play a vital part, greatly enhancing the supernatural atmosphere. I’ll be reading the rest of the series. One note – I wouldn’t recommend this book for young readers who find Goosebumps tales scary enough to keep them awake, as there are some genuinely hair-raising moments within.
AUTHOR: Phil Hickes
PUBLISHER: Usborne
ISBN: 978-1474972147
PODCAST EPISODE: None
REVIEWER: Greg Potter
Phil Hickes is well on the way to establishing himself as a writer of young adult creepy tales. The Haunting of Aveline Jones was his first novel. With precise and wonderfully descriptive language, vocabulary within reach of the intended audience, and a very relatable opening, it’s easy to see why his works have attained popularity.
Aveline Jones is a 12 yo girl who, at the start of her half-term school break, is on the way from her home in Bristol to stay with her straitlaced aunt while her mum spends time with Aveline’s ill grandma. No mobile phone reception! Only half an hour of internet a day on her aunt’s computer! It’s a good thing that Aveline is an avid reader of ghost tales, and that there’s a dusty and inviting secondhand bookstore in the town.
The plot involves a relocation of the Latin American myth of La Llorona, the weeping woman, to the grim and blustery Cornish seaside. The novel is set in the fictional town of Malmouth, which bears more than a passing resemblance to the real-world fishing village of Falmouth. Aveline discovers a book of local folk tales, with chapters covering such well-known topics as the Beast of Bodmin and Cornish Piskies. She discovers that the last story has been laboriously crossed out with a heavy pen, line by line. Her interest piqued, Aveline discovers that the previous owner of the book, a girl her age, went missing over thirty years ago. Once she enlists the assistance of Harold, the book-keeper’s son, things begin to get frightening – and dangerous.
While Hickes grew up near Manchester, England, he clearly has some familiarity with the folklore of Cornwall. The details of the superstition-fueled rituals of the villagers are gripping, and the path that Aveline and her friends take toward a full understanding of what’s happening is enthralling and chilling. The slow acceptance of the situation by the adults enhances the suspense significantly. Keith Robinson’s illustrations play a vital part, greatly enhancing the supernatural atmosphere. I’ll be reading the rest of the series. One note – I wouldn’t recommend this book for young readers who find Goosebumps tales scary enough to keep them awake, as there are some genuinely hair-raising moments within.