Kimmel, Elizabeth Cody. 2009. Suddenly Supernatural: Unhappy Medium. Little, Brown. 277 pages.
I daydream a lot, especially during science class. I can dream up the perfect dessert, the perfect day, the perfect slice of pizza, even the perfect boy. But I have to tell you, sleeping or awake I could never have imagined a place that looked like the Whispering Pines Mountain House.
This is the third in the Suddenly Supernatural series by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel. The first was Suddenly Supernatural: School Spirit. The second was Scaredy Kat. This book opens with Kat, Jac, and Jac's mother arriving at Whispering Pines Mountain House. Kat is tagging along on a music convention. Jac is still angsty: hating her mother with all the spirit she can muster, and being here and there again on the cello. One minute wanting to be a musician and the next wanting to never touch her instrument again. (This is an ongoing issue, it being of central focus in the previous two books as well.) This trip isn't all fun and games. Jac's mother is plagued by headaches and nightmares. And Kat's room is haunted by a Victorian medium, a Madame Serena, who is convinced that Kat is from the spirit world. Kat has to figure out how to tell her that she is the dead one, that she is the spirit. Their interactions lend some comedy to the book while her interactions with Jac are of the angsty variety. Big time drama. Part of Kat's time is spent researching spiritualism and the history of mediums.
While this one is a blend of comedy and drama, often engaging and suspenseful, I personally did not like it. Though I'm not sure like is the right word. I found it entertaining. I found myself enjoying it. But at the same time I felt this one was too heavy in spiritualism, in spirit-world-talk. I found the content objectionable on that front. Granted, this is a person-by-person thing. What one person deems objectionable or dangerous, another person will think is perfectly fine and harmless. So I'm not saying that you should find this series objectionable. (You don't have to agree with me.) I would never try to prevent readers from picking it up.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
2 comments:
Sorry that you didn't love this one. I have some slight prejudices towards the fictional treatment of the occult as well, so I don't think I would like the book very much either.
I loved this book! I have read the first three and am in the last! They are great books. The are unique and creative! I would recommend them to anyone looking for a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat!
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