Page Count: 240
Published on: October 24, 2017
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Genre(s): Middle Grade, Mystery, Paranormal
Source: Paperback - via publisher
Age Rating: PG
Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon // Book Depository
My Rating: 3 stars
Goodreads synopsis:
A spooky middle-grade story that's full of fun, friendship, and humor--perfect for fans of Ingrid Law and Lisa Graff.
Ruby is best friends with Emma, but she and Emma's twin sister Olivia are definitely not friends. Unfortunately, Emma will be away for the summer, while Ruby and Olivia are going to be stuck at a community service day camp for troublemakers--together.
To kick off the spirit of service, the campers are outfitted with bright pink polka-dotted t-shirts with smiley faces on the front, then tasked with cataloging the contents of an abandoned mansion. Sorting through objects in an old house sounds boring, and working with each other is that last thing the girls want to do, but the stuff is actually pretty cool. There's everything from mink stoles to golf clubs to stuffed deer heads . . . and . . . wait . . . is that stuffed deer head watching them?
When the taps run freezing cold and doors slam inexplicably, Ruby and Olivia wonder if the other campers are having a bit of fun, or if the abandoned mansion is looking for new residents. To solve the mystery, Ruby and Olivia will have to put their grudges aside and figure out how to be a team with or without Emma.
Ruby is best friends with Emma, but she and Emma's twin sister Olivia are definitely not friends. Unfortunately, Emma will be away for the summer, while Ruby and Olivia are going to be stuck at a community service day camp for troublemakers--together.
To kick off the spirit of service, the campers are outfitted with bright pink polka-dotted t-shirts with smiley faces on the front, then tasked with cataloging the contents of an abandoned mansion. Sorting through objects in an old house sounds boring, and working with each other is that last thing the girls want to do, but the stuff is actually pretty cool. There's everything from mink stoles to golf clubs to stuffed deer heads . . . and . . . wait . . . is that stuffed deer head watching them?
When the taps run freezing cold and doors slam inexplicably, Ruby and Olivia wonder if the other campers are having a bit of fun, or if the abandoned mansion is looking for new residents. To solve the mystery, Ruby and Olivia will have to put their grudges aside and figure out how to be a team with or without Emma.
~~~
Hey, guys!
This adorable spooky middle-grade book was sent to me for an honest review from Penguin Random House. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Ruby and Olivia follows two young girls who are sent to a community service camp after getting into trouble. The kids are sent to a spooky house to inventory and count the items in preparation for renovation. Two of the girls, Ruby and Olivia, become unlikely friends as supernatural and spooky things begin to happen to the campers. They begin to investigate the house in order to figure out what's happening; and when they begin to find clues to the answer, who knows what will happen.
I was so excited to receive this book for review. I'm such a sucker for twin books and the fact that it had a spooky element to it really reeled me in. I really enjoyed those aspects, as well, however, I do not think they were incorporated as well as they could have been. I feel like the characters could have been a bit more dynamic and their relationships could have been more realistic. The relationships in this book felt like plot devices rather than something that should have been a concrete part of the book. The plot could have been more fleshed out as well. I think that Rachel Hawkins has a really sweet base to an even spookier story. However, this is an adorable middle-grade novel. I really did enjoy the characters and I really enjoyed the premise of the plot.
I really enjoyed the spooky bits of this book, but I really didn't think that they were fleshed out enough to actually be spooky. There just wasn't enough happening for it to be legitimately spooky. Granted, it's a middle-grade book, but I know plenty of kids in the age group that would like to get scared pantsless.
I really didn't think that the sister relationship between Emma and Olivia was resolved either. I just felt like it was resolved too quickly and too efficiently. There wasn't nearly enough said to resolve their issues. I also don't like how the drama between Olivia and Ruby was resolved. It was too convenient and too quick. I just felt like the characters were two dimensional and static. I wish there had been more development.
I really loved how Ruby and Olivia's friendship developed. I think that their friendship is really interesting and as they grow closer, they'll become really good for each other. I love how Ruby helped Olivia grow as a sister and I love how Olivia helped Ruby communicate and express herself. This book perfectly showed what it's like to be in the awkward middle school age. These girls were super cute. I'd love to read more about them.
For what this book is and for the age group that it is marketed for, I think this is a cute book. I think that it is thoroughly entertaining. I would have loved to read this ten years ago. This would have been one of my favorite books, I'm sure. As a twenty-year-old, it just wasn't all for me. My sister, Bailey, will love this book, though. I can't wait to show her it. She loves Liesel and Po by Lauren Oliver and this gives me some spooky vibes, so she will definitely love this one.
Happy reading!
Olivia
I was so excited to receive this book for review. I'm such a sucker for twin books and the fact that it had a spooky element to it really reeled me in. I really enjoyed those aspects, as well, however, I do not think they were incorporated as well as they could have been. I feel like the characters could have been a bit more dynamic and their relationships could have been more realistic. The relationships in this book felt like plot devices rather than something that should have been a concrete part of the book. The plot could have been more fleshed out as well. I think that Rachel Hawkins has a really sweet base to an even spookier story. However, this is an adorable middle-grade novel. I really did enjoy the characters and I really enjoyed the premise of the plot.
I really enjoyed the spooky bits of this book, but I really didn't think that they were fleshed out enough to actually be spooky. There just wasn't enough happening for it to be legitimately spooky. Granted, it's a middle-grade book, but I know plenty of kids in the age group that would like to get scared pantsless.
I really didn't think that the sister relationship between Emma and Olivia was resolved either. I just felt like it was resolved too quickly and too efficiently. There wasn't nearly enough said to resolve their issues. I also don't like how the drama between Olivia and Ruby was resolved. It was too convenient and too quick. I just felt like the characters were two dimensional and static. I wish there had been more development.
I really loved how Ruby and Olivia's friendship developed. I think that their friendship is really interesting and as they grow closer, they'll become really good for each other. I love how Ruby helped Olivia grow as a sister and I love how Olivia helped Ruby communicate and express herself. This book perfectly showed what it's like to be in the awkward middle school age. These girls were super cute. I'd love to read more about them.
For what this book is and for the age group that it is marketed for, I think this is a cute book. I think that it is thoroughly entertaining. I would have loved to read this ten years ago. This would have been one of my favorite books, I'm sure. As a twenty-year-old, it just wasn't all for me. My sister, Bailey, will love this book, though. I can't wait to show her it. She loves Liesel and Po by Lauren Oliver and this gives me some spooky vibes, so she will definitely love this one.
AUTHOR BIO
Rachel Hawkins is the author of Journey's End, the Rebel Belle series, and the New York Times bestselling Hex Hall series. Born in Virginia and raised in Alabama, Rachel taught high school English before becoming a full-time writer.
Happy reading!
Olivia
~LivTheBookNerd~
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