Neil Cady and his sister Bree are staying at their aunts’ house in the rundown town of Hedston. Their father has taken off to California to pursue his acting dreams. Their mother is back in New Jersey trying to come to grips with what has happened.

Neil is big on ghost hunter shows, and has been told by his new friend, Wesley, about the legend of Nurse Jane and Graylock Hall. It was once and insane asylum where a number of inmates children, had killed themselves in the swamp, surrounding the place. Neil is certain he’ll find something and solve the mystery surrounding this legend.

Neil gets his wish when strange things start to happen and he finds a young girl making appearances trying to get his help. She is always wet, as if she just came out of the swamp, and dressed in a white nightgown-like dress.

It is well written, giving you the spookiness and ethereal feelings through the descriptions of Graylock, the area and the actions involving the ghostly girl.

As the kids work to find out what it is and who it is that keeps appearing, you do get a little creeped out feeling.

A good read for kids and adults! ( )

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Considering it's a scholastic book and I found it in the thrift store it was really good. Glad I took a risk! Surprisingly it is kind of scary ( )

It's hard to find a good ghost story for the middle school crowd after they have read all of Mary Downing Hahn. This book fits the bill. The backstory is a little dysfunctional, but nothing that overtakes the story. After Neil's parents split, he and his sister go stay with their aunts in a small town in upstate New York. He very quickly meets a new friend and together they decide to see for themselves if the stories surrounding the old, abandoned mental asylum are true. After his frightening experience at the asylum is over, Neil is ready to put his curiosity to rest, but it seems as though a ghost has latched on to him and he has no idea how to get rid of it. ( )

Neil and his sister Bree are new in town. Since their father left, their mother has been slowly falling apart. She decided she "needed some time" so she sent the kids to stay with her sisters. Neil is looking for something to think about besides his mother maybe being crazy. So, when he hears the stories about Graylock Hall, a psychiatric hospital that has been closed down for years, he decides to check it out.
After going to Graylock Hall, Neil and Bree start experiencing strange dreams and weird things start happening to them. They are scared and Neil is afraid he might be going crazy. Neil decides the only way to stop the ghost haunting them is to find out the truth of what happened at Graylock Hall.
My Opinion
Good, creepy story. I'm a big fan of scary stories and this one doesn't disappoint. Keep in mind, the audience for this book is around ages 12-15, so it isn't quite as scary as it could be. But there were plenty of times I was on the edge of my seat and worried for the characters. And it isn't easy to figure out who the villain is until it's almost too late.
Recommended for
Anyone who likes ghost stories. ( )