BOOK REVIEW: The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street

I had been counting down to the release of The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street, by Lindsay Currie, for months, after hearing about the middle-grade novel on Twitter. Once it was released in the United States, I quickly ordered it and then had to wait weeks for it to arrive in Australia. Thankfully, when it did, I devoured the book within 24 hours and was not disappointed! 
See below for my review of the novel on Goodreads, plus here's a great trailer to give you a taste of what's in store when you read the book:

The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street by Lindsay Currie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I heard about this book on Twitter many months ago and had been counting down to reading it. Happily, I was definitely not disappointed when I finally got to read it from cover to cover.

This ghost story is just the right amount of creepy for my liking, and seems perfect for the middle-grade audience. I loved the setting of the haunted house (the cemetery scenes were super spooky too!), and all the details of Chicago that were interwoven in. I also really enjoyed all the historical aspects that the author added about the city.

My favourite part of the story has to be the friendship element though. The friendships came across as very real and believable, and I certainly hope these characters might be revisited at some stage as they're likeable, funny, supportive and interesting. I think they all have more stories to tell, too!

The voice of the main character was fresh and considered and, unlike some novels I read, I found the parents in this story to be more fleshed out and believable than the norm.

I look forward to reading more from this author in the future, and find my appetite whetted for more middle grade ghost stories right now!

View all my reviews