Ghosthunters #2: Ghosthunters and the Gruesome Invincible Lightning Ghost [Paperback]

Cornelia Funke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2006 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: Ghosthunters (Book 2)

Book 2 in the GHOSTHUNTERS series of frighteningly funny paperback originals by the phenomenal Cornelia Funke!

After banishing the Incredibly Revolting Ghost of book 1, Tom, former klutz, Hugo, still an Averagely Spooky Ghost (ASG to the uninitiated), and Hetty Hyssop, current world-renowned ghosthunter, have formed an agency dedicated to dealing with difficult apparitions. No case can defeat them--until they encounter a Gruesome Invincible Lightning Ghost. This smoking specter has claimed the penthouse suite of a beachfront hotel, where it passes its eternal vacation by turning guests into ghosts themselves. Could Hugo's slime douse the flaming phantom? Or are Tom and the team about to get burned?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5–In this sequel to Ghosthunters and the Incredibly Revolting Ghost (Scholastic, 2006), the phantom-fighting team is summoned to the remote Seafront Hotel to deal with another case of otherworldly mischief. The clues–hot water, steam, and sulfurous odors–seem to indicate the presence of a harmless Fire Ghost, but when Tom and Hetty Hyssop try to tackle the sizzling spook, they discover that there is a much more dangerous entity involved. Then Seafront guests begin disappearing, and the duo realize that they are outmatched. Only the third member of the crew, Hugo, an ASG (Averagely Spooky Ghost), has the occult skills to battle the sinister Lightning Ghost before it incinerates the hotel–and everybody in it. The Ghosthunters are delightfully diverse: nine-year-old Tom is a cool-headed, cautious type; Hetty is a feisty, no-nonsense senior citizen; and complaining, pouting, ego-tripping Hugo is a reluctant contributor but always comes through in the end. Much of the humor is conveyed through crisp, lively dialogue and dramatic scene descriptions. While the team's off-the-wall techniques are generally played for laughs, there are also some genuinely scary moments. Black-and-white cartoon illustrations add to the fun. A winning combination of chills and chuckles.–Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

The latest in a series of humorous adventures about expert ghost hunter Hetty, her sidekick Tom, and their affiliate ghost, Hugo, this novel offers some unusual characterizations along with nonstop action. Hetty and her crew are called to help solve a haunting problem at a seaside hotel, which requires them to employ everything from crafty detective skills to ghostly slime. Hetty is the brains of the outfit, Tom the spunk, and mischievous Hugo comes through in a pinch. More silly that scary. Francisca Goldsmith
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (October 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439833094
• ISBN-13: 978-0439833097
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #825,138 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Cornelia Funke is one of today's most beloved writers of magical stories for children. She is the author of The Thief Lord, Dragon Rider, Inkheart, Inkspell, the Ghosthunters series, When Santa Fell to Earth, and Igraine the Brave. She lives with her family in Los Angeles, California, in a house full of books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gruesome Good Read!, November 11, 2006

By 

Amy Graham (Scottsdale, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ghosthunters #2: Ghosthunters and the Gruesome Invincible Lightning Ghost (Paperback)

This is the second in the Ghosthunters series and we join Tom (9 year old boy), Hetty Hyssop (world famous ghost hunter) and Hugo (their resident ASG - that's average spooky ghost to you and me) who are now a business complete with business cards!! This volume we join them as they set out to help one Mr. Alvin Bigshot at his posh (and remote) Seaside Resort on what they think is a simple and easy task (and maybe a little recreation time at the beach). What they get is not what they thought and they find themselves taking on one of the most fearsome ghosts of all...the Gruesome Invincible Lightening Ghost (GILG). After arriving at the Seaside Resort, Tom and company begin to notice that things aren't quite what they'd been led to believe, so they ramp up their investigation and find they must rely on Hugo more and more (apparently one of the GLIG's greatest weaknesses is ASG slime (which Hugo has an spades)! Will they defeat the GLIG before he turns them into ashes? You'll have to read to find out.

I enjoyed this one as much as the first in the series...I mean what's not to love about an eccentric ghost hunter lady, a 9 year old apprentice and their very own ASG? I think that Ghosthunters and the Gruesome Invincible Lightening Ghost has genuine hair-raising moments mixed with just the right about of absurd humor, making this ideal for young readers! Who couldn't love a story where the main human characters don protective suits of tin foil coated in sugar and who tote icing guns! It's FANTASTIC fun...with genuine scares worked in. We all love these stories and we're anxiously awaiting the next volume! I give it a sold A, a fine read for 6-12 year old with the idea reading range probably at 8-10. This format is great for newer chapter book readers and still has illustrations (black and white, rather cartoonish) to help bring the story to life for young readers!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside, January 14, 2007

By 

Amanda Richards (Georgetown, Guyana) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ghosthunters #2: Ghosthunters and the Gruesome Invincible Lightning Ghost (Paperback)

They captured first an IRG

(More dangerous than most)

Now Hetty Hyssop and her crew

Must tackle a new ghost

They go to a seaside hotel

(The staff are agitated)

And find the manager's report

Was badly understated

Equipped to fight a fire ghost

They find something much stronger

They use the tools they have on hand

(I won't go on much longer)

The moral of this Funke-y tale

Is simple and sublime

"Never underestimate

A well placed gob of slime"

Amanda Richards, January 14, 2007

Ghosthunters And The Gruesome Invincible Lightning Ghost (Ghosthunters)

Ghosthunters And The Totally Moldy Baroness! (Ghosthunters)

Ghosthunters And The Muddy Monster Of Doom! (Ghosthunters)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An Invincible Lightning Ghost, May 31, 2007

By 

Brian & Randy "Two Brothers" (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Ghosthunters #2: Ghosthunters and the Gruesome Invincible Lightning Ghost (Paperback)

Ghosthunters And The Gruesome Invincible Lightning Ghost is the second book in the series. In the first book, the ghosthunters got their ghost - an Incredibly Revolting Ghost. Now Tom (a 9 year old boy), Hetty (a world famous ghost hunter), and Hugo (an Average Spooky Ghost) must face a new ghost.

The story starts when the ghosthunter crew sets out to help Mr. Alvin Bigshot at his isolated Seaside Resort on what they think is a simple and easy task to chase away a bothersome ghost. In an identical plot twist as the first time around, the ghosthunters go after one particular ghost and find there is something more dangerous to go after instead and you can probably guess that it's the Gruesome Invincible Lightning Ghost in the story's title.

For those who haven't read Roald Dahl's BFG, please do to see where Cornelia Funk got the ideas for IRGs and ASGs etc. Dahl's is a story of Giants and Funke's is a story of Ghosts. Dahl does a much better job at storytelling than Funke, and that's the crux of the problem. As with the first one, this one's weak on plot and not always believable. Unlike the first one though Funke less on the "idea" of ghosts and haunted houses being scary and more on real msytery/mystique. There are even a few genuinely scary moments (for young readers).

Although the plot is weak, young readers interested in witches and ghosts should enjoy the story. It is a fairly good beginner chapter book for ages 7 to 9 and given a choice between the Junie B. Jones books and the Magic Treehouse books (which are also for ages 7 to 9 and also don't have much plot), this book is more fun.