The Keeper by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Moving from Texas to Oregon was a big transition for James and his younger sister, Ava. Making the move even more difficult is the fact that James is still grieving the loss of his beloved Grandmother.
Homesickness and grief are not necessarily a great recipe for success at their new home. Regardless, James is giving it his best. His parents are supportive and even though he hasn’t made any new friends yet, he always has Ava.
Much to the chagrin of their parents, the siblings are currently in the midst of a heated prank battle. Honestly, that’s what occupies most of their time these days.
So when the first spooky letter appears in his bedroom, James assumes Ava is playing a prank on him. Signed by The Watcher, the letter is creepy, but knowing his sister is behind it makes it easy to ignore.
But when the second sinister letter appears, again signed by The Watcher, Ava is with him and she seems just as shocked about it as James. He knows Ava’s not that good an actor.
It’s clear from the threatening nature of the letters that the siblings are in danger. Someone wants them out of their house and out of town, but no one believes them. They’ll need to figure this out on their own.
Diving into the history of their new town, James and Ava discover the charming ambiance may be covering up something much more terrifying.
I had a lot of fun reading The Keeper. I really enjoy Spooky Middle Grade stories and this one was the perfect blend of Horror and Mystery.
The family dynamics were so great. At first it seems James and Ava are always at each other, as many siblings are, but when it really counted they were there for each other 100%.
I also found the parents to be believable. These weren’t parents who disappeared into the background like in many children’s stories, but they also weren’t there to solve everything either; giving the kids supported independence.
Additionally, I enjoyed how McCall explored real-life topics in addition to the main, spooky storyline.
The incorporation of the family’s Mexican heritage, the grief they were experiencing after the loss of their family member, as well as the difficulties of moving and leaving friends behind. That was all so well done and really added to the depth of this story.
The truth behind the town was super sinister indeed and pretty scary, I’ll admit. It did move very quickly towards the end and I feel like I may have missed some of the finer details. Regardless, this is a lot of fun.
I loved the vibe McCall was able to create with this one and definitely recommend it to people who love a spooky, sinister, mysterious Middle Grade!
I would absolutely pick up more from this author. I hope she continues on this track. Very fun!!