The Ghost of Graylock is a YA ghost story by Dan Poblocki.
Neil Cady and his older sister Bree are new to town – staying with aunts for the time being for reasons they really don’t want to think about.
Looking for a way to distract his brain from thinking about what’s going on at home, Neil is all for exploring the supposedly haunted abandoned hospital.
Mental hospital, that is.
Graylock Hall was a place to treat children and teens for mental disorders – until several young patients died under mysterious circumstances. Legends and rumors swirl about the place – one of which being that the place is very, very haunted.
Taking along his new friend, Neil is excited to check it out. He’s got a flashlight with fresh batteries, a camera to catch any legitimate ghost activity, and a mind to explore.
But what Neil doesn’t realize is that even after you leave Graylock… it may not leave you…
I think we can all agree that abandoned insane asylums are always super creepy – and this one is no different, almost by default. It’s an ideal place for a ghost story.
Now, though we get a little glimpse of the circumstances causing Neil and Bree to stay with their aunts, overall I felt that The Ghost of Graylock kind of threw us into the moment Neil decides to set off for Graylock without much background. That caused a bit of a disconnect for me.
There’s a definite unnerving air to the novel – strong vibes of an atmospheric horror movie – but without having that investment in the characters my interest was limited. Everyone is different – my bibliophile tastes tend to need a reason to care about the people in the story for me to get really into it.
The Ghost of Graylock has a nice little mystery edge to it as they try to find out more about the ghost, the stories behind Graylock. And I will admit that the book kinda spooked me – which surprised me.
More and more was revealed about Neil and Bree, so by the end of the book I did care a bit – and it ended up being a frightening, good ghost story.
The Ghost of Graylock is perfect for horror/ghost lovers that like their stories to be more eerie than grisly. Have fun!
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