I have been making my way through this author's books. Judith Ann McDowell is one talented writer. I have read 5 of 6 books and not been disappointed. This book takes me back to my childhood where tales of haunted houses and supernatural beings were common. My aunts used to gather up all the kids and take us on a haunted drive. We would be huddled in the back seat scared out of our minds yet determined to see a haunt. When we would get close to a haunting and my aunts would start screaming which set us off. We never really saw anything but we went home terrified and happy. That is the experience of this story. I think most adult readers will find it reminiscent of childhood tales of haunts and bad witches. Younger readers, (might be too much for children), will enjoy being scared by this tale of a haunting.
I was told the author wrote this based off of actual events that happened to her family. Now don't go thinking Amityville. It is not like that. I think that it coming from a real event made it more like the stories of haunted places I grew up around. It is a familiar feeling of terror mixed with the strength of love and family. The author mixes real horror with imagination and you come away feeling satisfied. You had a good time.
There is a mature subject matter involved that would make me hesitate to read it to a child, (jars of deformed fetuses, abortion and children experimented on for the purpose of medical advancement). So please take that into consideration when looking for the YA and below crowd. The main characters, though, are in high school so teens will be able to relate to them. In this age of electronics and every space being filled, children, I fear, are missing out on a wonderful part of childhood...haunts. It is difficult to find a neighborhood haunted house. It is not so common to hear whispers of strange happenings in our communities. The Hay Fort has it waiting for them to experience. So come along, huddled around a campfire and read this aloud. It is guaranteed to bring about some chills, terror and loads of fun.

Mature subject matter and language. ( )