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Gary Anderson What’s Not Wrong blog

Sandy Deutscher Green’s The Haunting of Lake Lucy (Monarch Educational Services, 2024) is a middle grade horror novel in verse. The main characters are thirteen-year old twins Jayce and Evie. Their family’s summer stay at Virginia’s Lake Lucy begins as a beach vacation but soon turns into an adventure featuring a haunted house, a ghost story from the not too distant past, unexplainable lights and other eerie happenings, and a mysterious older boy who doesn’t interact with the other vacationing kids. While reading The Haunting of Lake Lucy I thought I had figured out what was behind all the strange phenomena. I was definitely wrong, but I won’t say here whether the ending leaves the ghost story intact.

Green’s poetry is accessible enough to understand easily but varied enough to enhance various moods and narrative purposes. Her primary poetic form is unpunctuated phrases that read like quick-moving, partially-formed ideas–sort of like what might float through the minds of adolescents in summer mode. The horror in The Haunting of Lake Lucy is gore-free, but the supernatural elements will keep readers turning the pages.

I’ve seen a lot of requests lately for middle grade verse novel suggestions from parents, teachers, and librarians. Middle grade horror novels in verse are rare, and this one can fill many of those recommendations. The Haunting of Lake Lucy is a perfect summer read for those who like spooky stories, mysteries, or verse novels.

Blas Madera’s cover art is especially striking and appealing. The cover also suggests that The Haunting of Lake Lucy may be part of something called Ghost Writers. If this title is any indication of the quality of a series, it’s worth following.

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“The Haunting of Lake Lucy is a ghostly novel of mystery set against the backdrop of a seemingly quiet, lake resort–a peaceful vista suitable for a creepy tale in the style of many classic horror stories… The narrative itself is solid, presenting the mystery of the lake interspersed with interactions between the main characters and their family members and peers at the lake, with a bit of danger sprinkled in to keep the excitement going. Even minor characters have traits that make them memorable, and everyone in the narrative feels like they belong and enhance the story.”—Calinda, Compass Book Ratings

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I loved it and I know my students will too! I’m excited it’s a novel in verse. Since they love spooky, I think it’s a great way to get them into the world of novels in verse too! – Candice

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I loved the way the author played w/words & poetic form, as well as letter writing. A mysteriously spooky setting & circumstance kept me turning the pages till the end! – Christie

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If you like kids’ horror and novels-in-verse, I suspect you'll enjoy this book quite a bit! – Christiana D.

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I enjoyed the characters, the family relationships, the friendships, and the lake setting. The mystery kept me guessing and even gasping out loud...  The scary level is perfect for middle grade readers with lots of action, suspense, and tense survival moments. – Danielle H.

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This middle grade novel-in-verse was a delight to read from start to finish! Beautifully written and lyrical…with its exceptionally gorgeous cover, it will make a beautiful addition to any home, school, or library. – Stacey B.

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Wait a minute…a horror-mg-novel in verse?! Yes please!! This will be popular among kids who love scary stories but it will also help crack the door open for those kids that don’t really like to read.– Cindy S.

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I’ll bet my students would scoop this one right up! – Destiny L.

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The story's descriptive detail, thoughtful verse, and the relationship between the siblings and the lake setting all contribute to its charm and mystery… It reminded me of the ghost stories we would share around campfires and the tales we would tell to one-up our friends. – Cheryl

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Sandy Green’s verse runs the gamut: free verse, rhyming couplets, some shape poetry, creative use of bolded letters as well as shaded portions of text. There is even an example of line palindrome. Her characters are clearly developed and the mystery grows with every chapter. Along with the ghostly storyline are subplots of making friends and getting along with siblings. Text is free of profanity, sexual content and violence. Ideal for grades 4-8. - Melanie

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Oh, and I love how the author did the verse. Some books just keep the verse one way, but this author added thoughts, little explanations in special verse, bold and cursive were added, there were words or letters to be found that formed a sentence or a word. It was a lot of fun! As I said, I had to get into it for a bit, but after a while I just loved it.

All in all, if you want a fun spooky summer read told in verse be sure to check out this book. It is perfect for this upcoming summer months. And I will be looking forward to what is next for this author! - Mehsi, fromTwirling Book Princess blog

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I was absolutely captivated by this spine-chilling horror fiction in verse. I was hooked on the first page and couldn't put it down. The author's masterful use of poetic language to convey the suspense and terror of the story was impressive. The use of verse added to the overall sense of unease, and I loved how it gave a sense of rhythm to the story. - Paiges and Lalypops
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This was my first horror middle-grade, thriller, a ghost story... and it was awesome. Reads fast because it's in verse, but also because of the thrill of the theme... It has a great ending, the author addresses all questions, with a display of humanity bravery, and friendship. The supernatural elements are good too and creepy. I love the extras: the correspondence between the twins and the Ghost, the dreams, and the footnotes are poems too. Has a link at the end of the book for the reading guide and contact for important resources. - The Violet West
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Green's well-written, descriptive verse propels the story forward and dropped me directly into Jayce's thoughts and feelings, a level of personal intensity lent by the format which truly brought the story alive. It took me a few poems to orient myself to the characters and setting, but once I'd gotten to know them, I was able to truly absorb myself in the story. The setting felt particularly well-imagined to me—the mythos surrounding Lucy and the descriptions of the lake were notably vivid—and helped immerse me in the story. - Rapunzel Reads

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This is truly an awesome book! The verse is perfect and it is spooky without being too scary for kids. Loved the playful language and imagery. Highly recommend! - Stephanie Lupo Henson, author of Share Faire Famous