A Properly Unhaunted Place Offers A Creative Twist on Ghost Stories [Review]

A Properly Unhaunted Place by William Alexander

Illustrator: Kelly Murphy

Cybils 2017 finalist
★★★★½    

At the start of A Properly Unhaunted Place, Rosa and her mother, a talented appeasement librarian, have just moved to Ingot. Rosa feels frustrated with the movie because Ingot is “the only unhaunted place that Rosa had ever heard of” (5). How will she and her mother appease ghosts when there aren’t any around? Rosa soon finds herself caught up in the mystery of why Ingot is unhaunted when she and her new friend Jasper encounter the first ghost seen in Ingot in decades at the Renaissance Fair. Although ghosts star in this book, it’s more mystery than horror. (I would like to note that the cover has a lovely subtle shimmer effect, which you can’t see in the image above.)

In a twist on the typical ghost story, Alexander makes ghosts and hauntings a normal part of the world, thereby rendering Ingot an anomaly. The medieval fair injects character into Ingot and creates room for levity within the story. The concept of ghosts being something that can and should be appeased, rather than defeated, prevents the ghosts from being too traditionally frightening. The distinguishing between banishing and appeasing makes way for an allegorical reading of the story, exploring the implications of ignoring (‘banishing’) one’s problems instead of resolving (‘appeasing’) them. An allegorical reading, however, is not necessary to enjoy this relatively straightforward ghost story.

Alexander writes in third person limited, switching perspectives between Rosa and Jasper. Both are relatable children who work well together. Jasper is Black and Rosa is Latina (this book is #ownvoices for Latinx representation). Their families (particularly Jasper’s dad and Rosa’s mom) play notable roles in the story. The death of Rosa’s dad prompted her move to Ingot, but his death plays only a small role in the story.

The book contains seven full page black and white illustrations, most of which emphasize the story’s dramatic visual scenes. These illustrations contribute to the story by helping readers visualize sights they may have never seen before, such as a man dressed up for a renaissance fair (8) or a forest of ghosts (108).

Accompanying activities could include identifying a ‘haunted’ place at home or at school and creating an appeasement plan, researching the Renaissance or local renaissance fairs, or conducting a job interview for an appeasement librarian.

The Bottom Line

Coming in at under 200 pages, this easily digestible and self-contained story could appeal to reluctant readers, especially ones who like the idea of ghosts but also would like to sleep through the night. Watch for the sequel coming in August!

Further Reading

• Author website
• Read an excerpt (scroll down)
• Review by Charlotte @ Charlotte’s Library
• Review by Katy  @ A Library Mama
• Review @ Publisher’s Weekly
• Review @ New York Times