I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Two children are led by a ghost back to a mysterious hotel, and encounter a strange series of events in author Arthur Slade’s “Ghost Hotel”, the second book in the Canadian Chills series.
The Synopsis
Can two modern-day kids solve mystery of the ghost that haunts the old hotel–or will they be trapped in the past forever?
Walter Biggar Bronson (a.k.a. Wart) and his friend Cindy meet a ghost one night after school. The small, mournful boy leads them across the Broadway Bridge to the gracious Bessborough Hotel. After a strange incident in the elevator, they find themselves still in the hotel–but back in 1936.
Some spooky things are going on. The room numbers are all mixed up. The library on the mezzanine is filled with hundreds of copies of the same book. And out on the street, the cars are all the same–vintage Studebakers.
Back in the present, Wart and Cindy follow their motto–“Gather, identify, solve”–as they attempt to crack the case, with help from Wart’s distinctly odd parents and the loan of his mother’s time-travel-proof cell phone.
If they fail, they may be trapped in the ghostly past forever . . .
The Review
First and foremost, this was a truly entertaining and compelling children’s book. The author does a remarkable world-building in this book, building upon the core characters from the series and adding to their adventures in a natural yet fun way. The imagery and atmosphere in the book allow the reader to get lost in the rich mythos of the world the author has created and easily enjoy the fun and spooky moments in this novel.
Yet, for me, the true heart of this story came in both the setting and the subject matter of the narrative. First, the setting of Saskatoon in Canada was fantastic, as it speaks to the culture and way of life that anyone not from Canada may not realize occurs and allows readers to experience life for those who do live there. Second, the paranormal investigator backstory for the two protagonists was phenomenal. As a paranormal investigator, I saw two young characters embracing the paranormal so heartedly and embracing that sense of weirdness, adventure, and curiosity, which was fantastic to see translated on the page.
The Verdict
Wonderfully written, haunting, yet thoroughly engaging, author Arthur Slade’s “Ghost Hotel” is an excellent addition to the Canadian Chills series and a must-read children’s paranormal mystery book. The twists and turns in the narrative, the emotional story developments of certain characters, and the adventurous tone that occurs will keep readers coming back for more and more of this epic series. If you haven’t yet, be sure to preorder your copy today or grab your copy on June 11th, 2024!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author
Arthur Slade was raised on a ranch in the Cypress Hills of Saskatchewan. He is the author of twenty five novels for young readers including The Hunchback Assignments, which won the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award and Dust, winner of the Governor General’s Award for Children’s Literature. His lifetime of work has also received the prestigious Kloppenburg Award for Literary Excellence. All of these awards mean that when he drinks tea he has to raise his pinky. It’s very fancy. He lives in Saskatoon, Canada.
P.S. He does all of his writing on a treadmill desk. And he listens to heavy metal. At the same time.
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