Amber House by Kelly Moore - ADVISABLE

Moore, Kelly Amber House, with Tucker Reed and Larkin Reed, 368 p. Arthur A. Levine (Scholastic), 2012.  $18.  Language: PG-13 (32 swears, 0 ‘f’).  

Sarah’s mother has returned to her childhood home after her mother’s death to sell it all and leave town as fast as possible.  But Sarah and her little brother are fascinated by a house they have never seen and a family they never got to know.  And Sarah has started to have visions – of scary things from the mansion’s past.  While Jackson, the grandson of her grandmother’s housekeeper, dares Sarah to figure out Amber House’s secrets, she is also dazzled by Richard, who shows how rich life can be with lots of money.  Sarah needs to choose a path and find out if she has the strength to unravel the ages old secrets that set her family on a path of destruction.  

Moore and her daughters have crafted a modern-day gothic novel.  Fans of danger and mystery will certainly enjoy this.  They will have to read carefully to pick up the important threads.  

MS, HS – ADVISABLE.  Cindy, Library Teacher