Customer Reviews

The Haunting of Granite Falls

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Be aware that there are 3 books with the exact same story word for word. "The Haunting of Granite Falls", "The Haunting of Hiram C. Hopgood", and "The Haunting of Hiram" are all the same story by the same author. Just a different title and different cover art, same book inside. This is not the author's fault by the way, it is just that 2 publishers have the right to publish, Puffin and Macmillan, and this is what they have done. For some reason that is done with another book from this author, "Island of the Aunts" is also released as "Monster Mission". Personally, I like the artwork on the Macmillan covers from England better.

On to the story - This is a book about a rich Texan that buys a Scottish Castle named Carra from the last heir of an old family, an orphan boy. But he does not want any ghosts included as he is worried that they will scare the little girl that will live in the castle. The millionaire ships the whole thing stone by stone and rebuilds it in Texas. But the castle does have ghosts, very nice ones who have helped raise the boy. They include a viking, a ghost dog, and Miss Spinks. What the millionaire does not notice is that the ghosts do come with the castle. The boy flies to America to get the ghosts out and stays in the castle. When they learn they cannot stay, they move into an old movie theater next door, where they meet the mysterious ghost hand. Somehow, he is trying to solve the mystery of his murder many years ago. And when the little girl is kidnapped for ransom, the ghosts must join the effort to rescue her and the boy.

This book is suspenseful, but laugh-out-loud hilarious. The author creates the most charming and imaginative characters you can imagine. I strongly reccommend!

"The Haunting of Hiram" is the same book as: "The Haunting of Granite Falls"


Some of the book that Eva Ibbotson wrote in the U.K, are publish in the US with another title, like this one, and
"Moster Mission" that was publish as "The Island of the Aunts"
After that been said, every book that she had done is excellent!!
Synopsis of "The Haunting of Hiram" from Amazon.com U.K.
Twelve year old orphan, Alex MacBuff, doesn't want to sell his beloved home, Carra Castle. But it is falling to pieces and he can't afford to keep it. American millionaire, Hiram C. Hopgood, offers to buy it on condition that there are no ghosts - and Alex can't refuse. Problem is, Carra Castle is full of ghosts! There's Krok the hairy Viking warrior, mad Miss Spinks, a vampire with no teeth and a hell-hound called Cyril. Will Alex be able to stop them haunting Hiram? A barmy, brilliantly funny, supernatural adventure from the ever-popular Eva Ibbotson.

Having discovered Ibbotson's imagination and humour in The Secret of Platform 13, our family has listened to or read aloud her other books with equal enjoyment. Car trips are a treat as we all listen to the adventures of plucky kids who form friendly alliances with ghosts, other 'imaginary' creatures, and caring grown-ups as they all combat a couple of villains.
In The Haunting of Hiram, a young boy is separated from the ghosts who raised him. The ghosts have some wild adventures (we know where JK Rowland found some inspiration) and meet an unusual new friend. They are reunited with the boy, and a girl who has become *his* new friend, just in time to help the kids escape some nasty kidnappers. I'd recommend this for ages 8 and up.

Poor Alex MacBuff! He's being forced to send away his only friends from his castle in Scotland. But his friends are all extraordinary. A Viking, a Victorian governess with webbed feet, a retired vampire, a poltergeist, and a hellhound-all of which are ghosts! They are harmless, but when Alex and his new found friend, Helen, are caught in an evil plot, the spirits reveal some hidden powers!

Overall Review: Alex MacBuff has no parents. He was raised by a group of ghosts that haunt his family's castle in Scotland. When he is twelve, he finds he can't keep his family home because he is broke. Enter Mr. Hopgood who wants to buy and pay top dollar. His only caveat: No ghosts! His daughter is sick and he's afraid the shock would kill her. So, Alex has to ban his ghosts from the castle. The ghosts have to move to a relatives' house, whose ghosts are far from friendly, so the Carra ghosts run away back to the castle only to find it in pieces! The castle is taken down and shipped to America--with the ghosts! On the way, they encounter some bad guys, discover America through a cinema, make a new friend (a severed hand), and eventually save the day! Each of the ghosts has such a funny personality. From Krok's false bravado, to Miss Spinks who always has to drown herself (even if it's just using the drinking fountain!), to Mr. Louse and his false teeth, there's always something to laugh at! Of course, this story isn't just about the ghosts. Alex is a sweet little boy and is a great influence for good on his new friend Helen Hopgood--who isn't as sick as everyone thinks she is! All in all, this was a fun book with a lot of twists to keep you reading and dripping with droll humor to lighten the mood. Overall rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

Content Review:

PROFANITY: A few mild instances

VIOLENCE: Mild throughout

SEXUAL CONTENT: A few mild instances

MATURE THEMES: Mild

RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 12+

Since this book is about a group of ghosts, already there are a few issues to deal with. The first is the ghosts themselves. They're not scary at all, but violence does surround them. The instances of their deaths is described in vague detail and obviously includes death--in some cases a lot of death. All of this is described very `tongue-in-cheek'. There is a Viking who is cursed because he couldn't manage to kill someone--and had to kill someone to be un-cursed, however, he's been a spook now for well over a thousand years; he just doesn't have the heart to kill. The others include a poltergeist, a wanna-be vampire, an ex-governess, and a large dog. The dog used to work in the underworld, and is referred to often using an interesting term, which some people may find offensive. There are a few other instances of profanity, but not more than five. There are some very vile characters who enjoy hurting and killing people. Many characters die. There are kidnappings, shootings, drowning, stabbings, bombings and death threats. The sexual content includes a man who dresses as a woman (his disguise)--a character sees him take off his `false bosoms' through a window. This is referred to often throughout the story. A Valkyrie comes to take the Viking to Valhalla and she is described in a slightly uncomfortable way (an emphasis on thighs and chest). A character falls in love with a married man, and since he doesn't return her love, she drowns herself. This story is meant to be very humorous. It usually is, but there are times when it tips a bit to the dark side. This is recommended as a Clean Read for ages 12+.

This review was written by Emily
A Squeaky Clean Reads Book Reviewer

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Another good read by Eva Ibbotson. She writes quite gruesome stuff - but it is funny. Gruesome from an adult's point of view.

Eva Ibbotson writes stories about funny and not too scary ghosts. A recurring theme is displaced or homeless ghosts.
The Haunting of Granite Falls, 2004 is the story of a millionaire who purchases an ancient Scottish castle from 12-year-old orphan Alex MacBuff, and moves it to Texas. Every castle has ghosts; this one has five of them and they are the only family Alex has every had.

Her writing always makes me grin. There is just the right touch of ghoulish humor. It occurs to me that her "Granite Falls" could be modeled on Marble Falls, Texas where Granite Mountain is a huge dome of pink and red granite. This granite was used for the construction of the Texas Capitol. A fun connection for Texas readers.

This book was one of Eva Ibboton's top books!!!

The story has a boy, a girl, and of course ghosts. The ghosts are a Viking, a governess with Water Madness, an old man in a wheel chair who was once a vampire, a little girl who is a polterguist, and a hellhound dogg that is the size of four dachsands end to end. The boy, Alex, has lived in the Scottish mansion, Carra, with his ghost "parents" his whole life. When money starts to run low, he decides to sell it. A man from America wants to buy it but on one condition, it has to be ghost free. This shocks the ghost and starts the whole adventure.

It is as exciting as Harry Potter but much less scary in my opinion. When I was younger, I started reading Eva's books and couldn't stop reading it. I had to put down the second Harry Potter by chapter eight because it was too scary. This is the newest book so far by Eva and I have read all her other books. I am her #1 fan!!!!!!! I have even researched her and made sure I didn't miss a book. Other books by her are Dial-a-Ghost, Which Witch, The Secret of Platform 13, Island of the Aunts, and Not Just a Witch. Enjoy!!!

A young scottish boy, the Laird of Carra, Errenrig and Sethsay, named Alex Mcbuff, has to sell his beloved castle to a rich multi-millionare from America. But there is a deal, he will only buy the castle if Alex can assure him that the castle is completely ghost-free. What can Alex do, he knows that there surely are ghosts in his castle, and they are very close to him. How can he send his beloved ghost-friends away? Surely there must be a way out, but if he doesn't shoo (unwillingly) the ghosts away, which he can never think of doing, and if he doesn't sell the castle to the multi-millionare, he and his Aunt will face poverty, and that, he also doesn't want to happen, no matter how much his love was for the ghosts. He had to sell the castle.
This book is exciting and magical in both feelings and the writing, all the way through the book. Eva Ibbotson entertains us, putting magic into each page. A fab story, for the whole family.