The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery by Allison Rushby
Format/Source: ebook/NetgalleyPublished: 24 July 2018
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Length: 256 pages
Genre: Middle grade historical fiction
★★½
Flossie Birdwhistle is the Turnkey at London’s Highgate Cemetery. As Turnkey, it’s Flossie’s job to ensure that all the souls buried in the cemetery stay at rest. Not an easy job for a young ghost, but a task made especially difficult by World War II: London is being attacked every night by enemy bombers, and even the dead are unsettled. When Flossie encounters the ghost of a German soldier carrying a mysterious object that seems to exist in both the living and spirit worlds, she becomes suspicious — what is the officer up to? Before long, Flossie uncovers a sinister plot that could destroy not only her cemetery, but also her beloved country. Can Flossie and her ghostly friends stop the soldier before it’s too late?
I wanted to read The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery because I love a ghostly middle grade story. Unfortunately, that’s not what this book is. A few reviewers have invoked The Graveyard Book in comparison. I can see some similarities, but the dark aspects I loved about The Graveyard Book are not present here. The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery is first and foremost a historical tale about World War II. It’s not a spooky story at all. I found the plot simple and straightforward, not that engaging. Rules that supposedly govern what the ghosts and their interred can do are easily set aside in favour of moving the story ahead.
The characters fit conveniently into the plot, like they were written to serve it. Few words are devoted to character development. Flossie is a sweet girl, especially with her concern for her interred, but the reader doesn’t learn much about her. I would have liked to learn about who she was before she became a Turnkey – more of her personality and who she is beyond that role. She feels mostly like an actor in a plot and less a fully realized girl. Early in the book, the reader briefly learns how she came to be in her current outfit. The story could have been strengthened with more tidbits of that sort, that give insight to Flossie’s character. Another scene could have been emotionally powerful, but instead took place over two pages and again only served to move the plot forward.
The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery highlighted for me the occasional disparity between how I review a book personally and how I would review it ‘professionally’ (i.e., for a young reader). This time next year, I will have completed my MLIS and will hopefully be working as children’s librarian. I imagine I may shift how I review at that time. I think I might split my reviews into a ‘professional opinion’ and a ‘personal opinion’. Turnkey didn’t appeal to me personally, but it does have appeal factors that would lead me to recommend this book to certain types of readers.
The Bottom Line
The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery isn’t quite up to snuff with the rest of the middle grade novels I’ve been reading this year. Young readers who enjoy historical fiction about WWII may appreciate the unique perspective The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery offers.
Further Reading
- Author website
- Interview @ Books + Publishing
- Review by Rosemary @ Mom Read It
- Review by Brenda @ Log Cabin Library
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