Narrated by Gary Tiedemann. James and Ava's family move to Oregon from Texas. Their parents are excited about the move; the kids less so. Then mysterious letters show up for James. The kids also learn from the neighborhood kids that nothing bad ever happens in the town they live in. It turns out to be true, but the tranquility comes at a deadly cost...and James may be the next sacrifice. For me, the story didn't really pick up until James and Ava find themselves trapped by a neighbor. ( )

***Contains Light Spoilers***

Very slow to get started. The mystery doesn’t get introduced until 30%, and it was never clear exactly what the Keeper wanted James to do. The first letter just told James to explore his new house. Like, ok? And? Things are introduced and then never mentioned again (the secret room under their living room). The dialogue was weird because no one used contractions. The plot reminded me of Thirteens by Kate Alice Marshall, but messy and mediocre. ( )

The Keeper by Guadalupe Garcia McCall is an intermediate level mystery/horror book that deals with Mexican Folklore. It's loosely based on the Westfield Watcher story from New Jersey. This book is about James and his sister who move away from Texas to Oregon after their grandmother's death. The move into a “perfect” Victorian house in a “perfect” neighborhood. But things soon get weird. James receives a creepy letter from someone called the Keeper who is watching them. This book is based loosely on the true story of the Westfield Watcher from New Jersey.

There were so many things to like about this book, but it was a very slow build. I had trouble getting into it, but once I got a little bit past the half way point I couldn't put it down.

Things I liked:
--The relationship between James and Ava. The siblings play pranks on each other, bicker, fight over their dog's attention, but ultimately love each other and protect each other.
--The references to Mexican-American culture and folklore. These references were seamlessly woven into the plot and the use of Spanish in the dialog was authentic
--James' feelings about moving. The way he felt about leaving his home in Texas and his concerns about his friends back home and his fears about building new relationships was handled very realistically.

Things I didn't like:
--The pacing. The premise of the book is spooky, but it takes a long time to get to the "horror" part of the book.
--Some of the scenes felt disconnected and disjointed and despite the beginning of the book being slow, the ending felt rushed. It tried to tie things up much too quickly.
--I like the supernatural and environmental twist, but it came from nowhere. ( )

This was an interesting horror story for young readers. I am always looking for new books to recommend in this genre to young readers and this has just been added to the list.

Moving is hard, especially after the passing of your beloved grandmother. I loved how much the children cherished their "Ita's" stories and knowledge after her passing. I also loved how, after much bickering, James and Ava worked together to solve the mysterious problem. ( )