Creepers [Hardcover]

Joanne Dahme (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 9, 2008

From moving to a new house to making new friends and preparing for high school, life for the new girl in town can be unsettling. But thirteen year-old Courtney is unprepared for how creepy life in Murmur, Massachusetts turns out to be. Her ivy-covered house overlooking the antiquated cemetery next door is one thing, but Courtney finds herself thrust into a full-fledged haunted adventure after meeting Christian and Margaret Geyer, a strange father and daughter with unfinished family business. The body of their ancestor, Prudence, has gone missing from beneath her ivy-carved tombstone and must be returned to its final resting place in order to break the spell that looms over Courtney’s house. To add to the suspense and help solve the mystery, authentic documents and photographs are set at the beginning of each chapter pertaining to Murmur, Courtney’s house, and the infamous cemetery. Will Courtney uncover the secret lurking within the dark, dank underbelly of her ivy-covered basement?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Who doesn't like a good ghost story? Creepers is a good one! Thrills and chills? You bet. But it will also warm your heart!" -- R.L. Stine, author of the bestselling series Goosebumps

About the Author

Joanne Dahme currently works for the Philadelphia Water Department as its Watersheds Programs Manager. She received her civil engineering degree from Villanova University in 1980, and went on to earn a Masters of Journalism and a Masters in Creative Writing from Temple University. Joanne has written a number of short stories and two young adult novels. She lives with her husband and son in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Running Press Kids (September 9, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762433132
• ISBN-13: 978-0762433131
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,094,201 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars From S. Krishna's Books, December 30, 2008

By 

skrishna (http://www.skrishnasbooks.com) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Creepers (Hardcover)

Creepers is a modern day gothic mystery, aimed at young adults. The book itself is beautiful; there are rich illustrations throughout the novel and there is ivy running through the pages (which is a recurring theme in the book.) It makes for a wonderful reading experience, helping to envelop the reader within the pages.

However, I was a bit disappointed by the book. I had heard many good things about it, and maybe my expectations were too high. I just didn't think it was as good as it could have been; while the mystery was interesting, it wasn't captivating. Also, gothic mysteries do well with a sense of creepiness, which this novel seems to lack. Basically, it is a great young adult novel, but might leave adults looking for more.

That being said, Creepers does have its own sense of enchantment. Dahme builds a scene very well and it is easy to get lost in the atmosphere of the town of Murmur. The pages interspersed between the chapters of diary entries and signs are well-placed and help add to the ambiance of the novel. Whoever was in charge of designing the book did extremely well.

While I did want something more out of Creepers, it was an easy read that young adults will definitely enjoy. I look forward to Dahme's next novel, The Plague, which is being released in May, 2009.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ok Young Adult Mystery, September 1, 2008

By 

Mint910 (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Creepers (Hardcover)

13 year old Courtney has just moved to town with her parents, the first thing she notices about her new house is the abundance of ivy covering it, (no matter how much ivy her father removes it just comes right back) also the cemetery next door. In the cemetery Courtney meets Margaret Geyer and her father Christian, they give tours of the cemetery. Soon they share a secret with Courtney, they have relative, Prudence, that is supposed to be resting in the cemetery but they know her body is not there.

Prudence and her father, also Christian once lived in Courtney's house. When young Prudence died her father was beside himself and allowed a witch to try and help him bring Prudence back to life. But where is Prudence? And is the Ivy trying to tell Courtney something? This is the story of Courtney and the Geyer's quest to find Prudence and reunite her with her father, even in death.

This is a sweet little mysterious story, a great summer or fall read for junior high aged kids. Courtney senses something different about Margaret and Christian Geyer but can't quite put her finger on it, I think readers will have a fun time guessing just what is up with these two characters. I'll tell you this, I guessed wrong! I found the ending a little too vague for my own tastes. And not all my questions were totally answered. But who knows, maybe that was the point. Not everything always has to be wrapped up neatly.

Each chapter is started with a news clipping, or other piece of information that helps piece the puzzle together. There are also several images throughout the book and pages of the 1st Christian Geyer's diary. I really liked that aspect of the books design, it created a world for this story to take place within. To compliment the abundance of ivy (a character itself) in the book there is ivy growing on the pages of the book! Very smart book design!

1.0 out of 5 stars BORING!, January 23, 2011

By 

Elizabeth "Swords for Fighting" (CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Creepers (Hardcover)

Creepers was not a very creepy story. I was expecting a sort of thriller with some scary aspects, but it fell short for me. In fact, some parts of the book were kind of boring. The story definitely had some interesting parts, but they never really caught my attention enough to where I was absorbed in the story.

One of the things I did not like was that the main character, Courtney, did not really act like a thirteen year old girl. The way she acted and spoke made her seem far older at times. Another problem with this book was the writing. I noticed many grammar errors and overall the writing was just sloppy. Creepers had potential, but it did not reach it.