Took: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn
Reviewed by: Elizabeth Anderson, Communications Specialist
Genre: Horror
Suggested Age: Tweens, Teens
What is the book about?: Daniel and his family relocate to a ramshackle house in a new town after his father loses his job in the economic recession. Life is miserable for the entire family. The inhabitants of the small town see them as outsiders and Dan’s parents are working unhappily at their new jobs. Dan watches them slip into depression and bad habits, and his sister, Erica, begins to behave the most strangely of all. When she disappears, Dan realizes that the townspeople’s talk about the legendary “Old Auntie” taking a girl and keeping her as a slave for 50 years isn’t a farfetched legend after all. Determined to rescue his sister, he summons all of his courage to face the witch and her monstrous minion – before it’s too late.
My Review: One of the things that I appreciated the most about this book was that it implemented elements of a folktale into a modern story with seamless ease. Took presents the disturbing manifestation of a legend in a real world setting. The story features both the realistic elements of a missing child, with police searches and interrogations, as well as the supernatural chills of someone being kidnapped by an otherworldly entity. Hahn delivers a fast paced story with no shortage of immersive sensory details and light touches of tactful humor in her characters’ observations and personalities.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Folktales, Family, Witchcraft
Give This a Try if You Like… Ghost stories by Dan Poblocki, such as The Ghost of Graylock, “The Books of Elsewhere” series by Jacqueline West, or Coraline, by Neil Gaiman.
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!