Grim Hill: The Secret Deepens [Paperback]

Linda DeMeulemeester (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2008 | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Grim Hill

(ages 9 - 12) Welcome to the thrilling sequel to The Secret of Grim Hill. After a soul-shaking Halloween, things have finally gotten back to normal for Cat Peters. Now the big drama in her life isn't a battle against diabolical fairies, but a battle of the sexes on the soccer field. Meanwhile, ever since escaping her imprisonment in Grim Hill, Cat's little sister Sookie has only been interested in one thing: Magic. When the aspiring conjurer takes her discoveries too far, it is up to Cat to set things straight. Can she really bear to return to the dreaded Grim Hill for a final confrontation with the powerful beings that dwell there?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The characters in the story are well developed and the conflict between the girls' and boys' soccer teams is cleverly written." (Library Media Connection 20080912)

"With Grim Hill, DeMeulemeester, once again, does an impressive job of weaving in sports, academics, an entertaining cast of characters, along with authentic Celtic fairy lore... [it] is a pleasure to read (thus a quick one), and Cat's character offers a strong female protagonist who seems less interested in boys than they are in her, which is wholly refreshing." (CM Magazine 20081201)

"Demeulemeester combines the old world charm of fairy tales, black magic and Celtic mythology with the modern-day world of soccer, homework and divorce to come up with a fast-paced story that keeps you guessing until the very end." (Resource Links )

About the Author

Author Linda DeMeulemeester has worked in the fields of literacy and education for many years, as a teacher and program adviser. In 2001, she graduated from the Clarion West Workshop for writers of science fiction and fantasy in Seattle, and has had several short stories published in magazines. The Secret of Grim Hill (Lobster Press, 2007), her first novel, was inspired by her inner eleven-year-old, who loves adventure and believes in magic. Linda lives in Burnaby, British Columbia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 185 pages
• Publisher: Lobster Press (September 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1897073976
• ISBN-13: 978-1897073971
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,693,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars I love these books!, July 20, 2011

By 

E. M. Tippetts (London) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Grim Hill, Book 2: The Secret Deepens (Kindle Edition)

While the book is fast paced with a lot of humor and heartwarming scenes, the plot is based on actual Celtic myths of fairies - who are not little and winged but rather tall, beautiful, and malevolent. As with the first book, I loved Cat, her frustrations with day to day school life, her believably overworked mother, and especially her little sister, Sookie, who brands herself "The Queen of Mystery" as she starts to teach herself magic tricks.

However, as Cat's friend, Jasper, points out, there are two kinds of magic. Illusion and the supernatural. Cat bought Sookie an illusion kit full of sleight of hand tricks. Sookie soon begins to perform tricks that no illusionist can explain, and is an instant success. Children crowd into Cat and Sookie's home to watch her disappear and reappear objects. Only... her assistants all become ill, and the temperature in town drops like a stone, causing spontaneous ice storms overnight that melt during the day.

Cat's got other problems, though. She picked a fight with Clive over who is better at soccer, boys or girls, and he laughed at her. This means war, and a lot of soccer practice for both teams.

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish I could have read this when I growing up!, September 29, 2008

By 

Jarla Tangh "Her Tangh-i-ness" (Mattapan, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grim Hill: The Secret Deepens (Paperback)

Cat Peters is back! She's feistier and more enjoyable than ever. Follow Cat and company back to Fairy to rescue friends who've become hostages in a war between two ancient Fairy Lords. Who said that fairies were always sweet, spineless beings that have nothing better to do than grant human wishes?

Not!

What delighted me most as a grownup reader was how this book tapped into the kind of girl I truly was--someone who could be stubborn and determined to get her way--but who also cared deeply about others. Cat is a hero who usually works with an ensemble cast. She leads but she also delegates. This is important for kids to understand even heroes can't do everything by themselves.

I love how the Grim Hill books bond younger people and older people together towards common goals. In this book, the adults weren't the most active participants. However, the tendency of pre-teens to overlook the kids whom they once were plays out in how Cat underestimates what's going on with her little sister Sookie.

I was hooked from the start of the argument between Cat and a boy over soccer. I love how Ms. Dreeble came to the rescue and her reciting the names of the unknown women scientists to the same boy who insisted on the superiority of men in sports and science. I flipped through pages leading up to the game between the girl's and boy's teams and agonized with Cat at the expertly handled reversal. I cheered when Skeeter stood up to his snotty older brother and preferred being Sookie's magic act assistant. Boys should be encouraged to understand they don't have to be the ones calling the shots all the time. I love how boy characters are often helpers in the Grim Hill books. This reminds me why I have avoided the Harry Potter books. I wanted to read about a girl being the center of attention only because popular female heroes still seem to be the minority.

The Grim Hill books are extremely realistic even though these books have fantastic elements. Sometimes you don't win where you think you should despite your best efforts and later you win where it really matters. Sometimes the boy you like doesn't see you and the boy who does like you can't get over himself enough to stop being annoying.

And the ending of Grim Hill The Secret Deepens let me know that Sookie her new friend Skeeter will give Cat new reasons to rise to the challenge of straddling the world of Fairy and the regular world. I would give this book to my daughter or any young person who needs a cool, female hero to read about.

Thanks for another thrilling installment. Bring on the next sequel!