Scritch Scratch

This book took me almost two months to read because I could only manage it a few pages at a time.

I was excited for a spooky ghost story and it did not deliver. Sure, there were moments that were spooky, but they were overshadowed by painful dialogue, terrible investigative work (“He must have died in the fire!” as the ghost appears soaking wet and all the hauntings involve water), and unbelievable children.

It took me until about halfway through the book to realize one of the things bothering me was that the characters do not act their age. Claire and her friends are supposed to be 12-year-old 7th graders, and her brother Sam 15. How they all act and talk fits more if they were all 3 - 5 years younger than their actual ages.

I did appreciate the history of Chicago woven into the story, and it spurred a few Wikipedia binges, but other than that I have nothing positive to say about Scritch Scratch and won't be recommending it to my patrons.