  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 06/01/2017 Gr 4–6—Kidd's latest historical fiction novel mixes the macabre world of gothic horror with middle school angst. After David Cray's dad ran off to New York, David and his mother were forced to move into an old spooky house in Baltimore. When David's anger bubbles up and leaves a classmate injured, he is grounded and discovers a mysterious room. There he finds inspiration and an outlet for his rage. Strange mishaps start occurring all around the school. David and his only friend, Libby, must establish whether these events are just horrible coincidences or if something else escaped from the Room of Shadows. There are numerous references to Edgar Allan Poe's famous stories throughout. The action scenes are appropriately horrific but never overly gory. David's anger and isolation are relatable, and his relationships with Libby and his mother are realistic and well grounded. Kidd's attempts at bringing Poe into David's reality are forced at times, but the lush descriptions of the classic horror author's life and tales more than make up for this flaw. VERDICT Not a book for everyone, but definitely recommended for budding horror hounds and as a read-a-like for Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark.—Kasey Panighetti, Indianapolis Public Library - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 06/01/2017 Before the start of eighth grade, David’s life is upended. His father leaves, forcing David and his mother to move into a rundown Victorian house in Baltimore, and now he’s grounded for beating up the class bully. Confined to the house, David discovers a secret room that possesses him with nightmarish dreams and visions. Meanwhile at school, bizarre, dangerous acts are being committed against students by someone calling himself the Raven, and David is determined to stop him before someone gets seriously hurt. Kidd (Night on Fire, 2015) drops clues from page one that horror master Edgar Allan Poe is of central importance to this literary thriller, including asides by the writer’s tortured spirit. He draws upon Poe’s short stories and mysterious death, while constructing a lively and suspenseful tale. It’s an interesting idea for a ghost story, and one Kidd attacks with gusto, though it never quite comes together in a believable way. Happily, most readers will be too wrapped up in David’s investigation to care, which is decidedly more thrill than chill. - Copyright 2017 Booklist. Loading...
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