Summary: 

“Never, ever go by the house in the woods…”

Josie always liked visiting her grandmother’s house. But when she’s forced to move there, she starts to feel like something is a little… off. Her grandmother has some very strange rules:

1. Never leave your windows open after dark.
2. No dolls in the house.
3. Never, ever go by the house in the woods.

A little spooked, Josie is relieved to find that her school seems pretty normal. She even manages to make friends with a popular girl named Vanessa. When Vanessa invites Josie back to her house to hang out, Josie doesn’t question it. Not even when Vanessa takes her into the woods and down an old dirt road, toward the very house her grandmother had warned her about…

The house that has been calling for her.

Favourite Character // Characterization:

My favorite character by far was Josie. She was brave, and when she figured out that something was up, she was there to save the day. Her reactions to her situation were realistic though, and she was obviously scared at first. Her grandmother’s stories seemed far-fetched to her before she saw evidence for herself, confirming her to be ‘The Skeptic’ type of character.

A nice symbol in the story was the ability to overcome one’s fear to achieve their goals. In Josie’s case, her goal was to save her sister Anna.

Storyline Development: 

The story developed nicely, starting out with just a spooky voice calling out to Josie and Anna in the first few chapters. Then the friendship with Vanessa helped to develop the story further. Contrary to the common plot bunny where the typical MC decides to be a daredevil and break the rules, Josie is influenced by her friend, Vanessa. That is something I found to be more original and refreshing than in other stories.

Anna and Josie are also made fun of for being different. Josie is called a ‘city girl’ while seven year old Anna complains that everyone was mean to her. Josie is luckily able to make friends with Vanessa since she isn’t “simple” as Vanessa so eloquently puts it.

*Something odd was that Vanessa was wearing makeup and she wore it better than the others who did. I can excuse Vanessa for wearing makeup since this is just a story, but real 11 year olds don’t wear makeup.

Sorry to disappoint, but most people don’t wear makeup until 8th grade or highschool. That’s just the way it is.

* There were no male characters at all, whatsoever. Grandpa Tom was mentioned, but other than that, there was nothing. There are male people out in the boonies, just saying.

*There is no focus on race or appearance in the story which is good or bad depending on your outlook. On one hand, it is good to not care about appearances or race. On the other hand, having more description helps to visualize the characters better. I am overall fine without the author focusing on the characters’ looks.

Worldbuilding:

The worldbuilding is pretty nice. Josie moves from Chicago all the way to her Grandmother’s house in the middle of nowhere.

Josie is not very happy about the move and thinks it’s unfair to her, typical of a preteen. She is also annoyed by the fact that there is no Wifi or internet at Grandma Jeannie’s house. 

Feedback // Critique: 

The book was a good read, had little to no complex language, and was easy to understand. I think it is great for ten to twelve-year-olds. In case you are worried about it being too scary, no need. It was written aimed towards a younger audience and with more suspense rather than horror. 

*It may be more enjoyable for a female audience since the story doesn’t feature any male characters, but anybody will probably like it.