The Girl in the Locked Room Review

Title: The Girl in the Locked Room
Author: Mary Downing Hahn
Series: Not Applicable
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Date: 04 September 2018
Source: HMH Books for Young Readers
Format: eBook (ARC)
Pages: 200
Rating:  4 Stars
Reading Timeline: 14 August 2018

Goodreads Synopsis:

Ghost story master Mary Downing Hahn unrolls the suspenseful, spine-chilling yarn of a girl imprisoned for more than a century, the terrifying events that put her there, and a friendship that crosses the boundary between past and present.

A family moves into an old, abandoned house. Jules's parents love the house, but Jules is frightened and feels a sense of foreboding. When she sees a pale face in an upstairs window, though, she can't stop wondering about the eerie presence on the top floor—in a room with a locked door. Could it be someone who lived in the house a century earlier?

Her fear replaced by fascination, Jules is determined to make contact with the mysterious figure and help unlock the door. Past and present intersect as she and her ghostly friend discover—and change—the fate of the family who lived in the house all those many years ago.

Book Review:

Pre-reading Thoughts:

The synopsis of this book really intrigued me when I read it. I just had this huge urge to pick it up. This book definitely has a couple of reviews raving about it.

Thank you so much to HMH Books for Young Readers for providing me with a copy of this book, Just a small disclaimer for those reading this review. I have received this book for free. Please note that this does not affect my opinion in any way. All thoughts are my own.

Writing Thoughts:

When I had originally requested this book, I didn't realise how young the protagonist was. The writing in this book embodied the age of the main character quite well. This made the writing very easy to get into. The pacing was also nice and allowed the reader to move through the book quite quickly. The writing was had quite a lot of detail that helped in creating the image.

Plot Thoughts:

I really enjoyed the plot. It is written in dual perspective which really allows the plot to move quite well. I also think that the added perspective creates more dimension in the story. The start of the book really pulls you in because we are presented with the story of the ghost which allows the reader to create a bond. The plot has a steady pace to it and I think that the amount of time the main character has to discover what happened to the original family is perfect. The book is the perfect length for both young readers and older readers. 

Character Thoughts:

Whilst the plot had an extra dimension to it, I felt as if the characters were underdeveloped. They lacked memorable personalities and the most intriguing thing about them was their relationship with one another. However, I also thought that the characters worked well with the story.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think that it is perfect for a quick read or for a little jump start to a scary-ish October tar for young readers. The writing did a good job at creating the atmosphere in the novel. The plot was well done and made for a relaxing read with a mystery behind. I think that a lot of people will enjoy this story because of the interesting twist on the classic haunted house story. The characters were a little underdeveloped for me but I think that their personalities worked well with the story. Thank you so much to HMH Books for Young Readers for providing me with a copy of this book!

Yours in Reading,

Melleny