“Justice? Or revenge."

Just your average day old eleven year old that sees ghosts, talks with them, and discoveries the truth about them, named Allie Nichols had met yet another murdered ghost. This ghost wants to be able to set things straight with the women who killed him, known as Mrs. Hobbs- Allie’s school cafeteria lady. Her best friend starts to turn against her, and now Allie thinks that Mrs. Hobbs had all these crazy superpowers. For Elder’s Day, the school has to interview one adult and ask them about their life and their past. Allie, trying to be brave and courage proudly boats that she will interview Mrs. Hobbs, also known as the Snapping Turtle. However, after the Snapping Turtle lights the cafeteria on fire ‘with her powers’, made the projector in the library melt, and hurt the fire Chief, she is convinced she is evil. Since Allie is now banned from seeing Mrs. Hobbs, by her father‘s decree, she now wants to learn even more about her. However, just because Allie can’t visit her, Mrs. Hobbs visits her, terrorizes her brother, and leaves basically a death threat.

Now Allie is becoming more frustrated, because she sees her enemy with her best friend, this ghost won’t help her solve the mystery, and important people in her life are being hurt. Even though Allie doesn’t know what she is walking into or knows the real truth about this ghost, she is determined to find out the truth, even if it means risking embarrassment and fear. With a lot on her mind with her brother, the fire chief, school, Mr. Hobbs, the ghost, fires, her best friend, and pet sitting her teacher’s dog who is acting weird, she is becoming more and more angry, and ready to rip her hair out with stress. Because of all these thoughts rushing trough Allie’s mind, she knows she can’t just sit back and watch this happen, and she knows that you can’t fight fire with fire without getting burnt- and she is willing to take that chance.

The Ghost and Mrs. Hobbs by Cynthia Defelice is a magnificent piece of writing. Even though it is not the longest book, there sure is enough detail packed in those 180 pages. This may be a quick read, but it is also very intense and has a lot of emotion built up inside. The book has its ups and downs, just like any other book, but surely there is nothing bad with it. Of course it wasn’t perfect, but it makes a great impact.

She used a broad range of vocabulary when writing this book. The setting and characterization seem so realistic that it is like a movie. It’s as if I was watching a play in front of me, action bursting out and the character’s drama coming to life. I feel as if I could have connected with them and shared some common realities.

Despite the fact that there was room for improvement in this book, it was a fun, short little read. If you are into sci-fi or mystery, this book is good for you! Unlike some books/series, you do not need to read these in an particular order- they all tell their own stories. Overall, I would have to rate this book a three and a half out of five stars. ( )

Hindered by a fight with her friend Dub and a series of mysterious fires, eleven-year-old Allie investigates the fire seventeen years earlier which claimed the lives of the husband and infant son of a school cafeteria worker, as well as the handsome young man whose ghost asks Allie for help. ( )