Book Review: Betsy Uhrig – The Polter-Ghost Problem
Description: Three young friends spend the beautiful summer days of Maine together, exploring the woods and trying to find ways to spend their time together. Upon seeing an odd shape in the woods, they follow a ghostly shape deep through the overgrown forest to discover a secret. A secret forgotten by time.
As they make new friends, they must work together to uncover the truth and solve a mystery before time runs out
Perfect For
- Summer Readers
- Fans of Ghosts
- Fans of Mysteries
- Maine Residents
The Polter-Ghost Problem by Betsy Uhrig is a fun-filled summer adventure novel for middle-grade students. Filled with mystery, adventure, folklore, and friendship, The Polter-Ghost Problem is an excellent summer break read for anyone wanting a spooky adventure in their life.
Focusing heavily on three friends, some ghosts they meet, and a race against the clock, the reader will enjoy the whimsical characters and their adventure. While the book is heavily focused on ghosts, it is not necessarily a scary book and is suited for all ages.
Plot
Three friends in Maine discover ghosts and need to solve a mystery before it is too late. They must rely on their knowledge, research skills, and charisma in order to achieve such a task. The plot showed some classic and beloved storytelling of ghosts, but with a bit of a mix to keep things more fresh.
Characters
- The main characters were fun and original. Each having their own unique traits. I liked the main characters enough to care about what happened.
- There were a good number of secondary characters throughout the story. A character for every reader. They all had their own voices, and I never had too much trouble remembering who was who.
- The antagonists were interesting and complex, and they were most certainly made for you to not like them. Though I feel their voices changed a good amount at the end of the story, There is a reason why (I don’t want to reveal spoilers), but it was pretty sudden and harsh and made me look back to see if I missed a sentence or two.
World Building
The world-building brought in the fun and creepy feeling of a dark past. The author used the power of a rich historical past to really sell the world and its inhabitants, and I loved it! Maybe it’s me and the love I have for the early 1900s, but the way it was used, I could feel much of the world and its characteristics. It made me want to go to the library to find out about the rich history of my town and try to discover some lost secrets.
Prose
It was a fun way to tell the story. Told through the point of view of a school report, mostly. Easy enough to understand and read while not making it feel like an obvious middle grade report.
The prose was easy, but it also brought some positive challenges to the choice of some words. It’s a good thing for any book of any genre to challenge one’s vocabulary.
My Favorite Thing
The sibling relationship and its journey. I am a sucker for sibling relationships.
Conclusion
Overall, The Polter-Ghost Problem was an enjoyable summer middle-grade read that brought out the mystery, folklore, and storytelling of any imagination. I look forward to reading more by Betsy Uhrig.
***This is not a paid review. This review is my own personal opinion and thoughts. However, please note that links in this this site contains product affiliate links. I may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links.
