REVIEW: All the Lovely Bad Ones

All The Lovely Bad Ones
Author: Mary Downing Hahn

Travis and his sister Corey are happy to be spending the summer with their grandmother at her Inn in Vermont rather than being sent to summer camp. They love pranks and having fun (which got them asked not to return to said summer camp). When they discover that the Inn has a reputation for being haunted, they decide to fake some ghostly activity. Their antics might scare up some extra business for their grandmother's Inn and also provide some fun for them. Little do they know that their foolishness will awaken real ghosts at the Inn and cause more fright than fun....

This book was a fun read!! The story line isn't that original. It's been done before many, many times, but I still enjoyed it. The kids thought they were going to have a great time scaring their grandmother's guests, but they ended up scared themselves. As a mom, that made me smile. :) The grandmother was a bit annoying at times. Even when faced with clear evidence her grandkids weren't behind the occurrences, she still pretty much refused to believe what she was seeing and hearing with her own eyes.  But then again, if I experienced the same thing, I don't know that I would believe it either.

The book is written for middle grade children, but it's an enjoyable, afternoon read for adults, too. There are some scary events, but nothing age inappropriate. This would be a great story for kids to read on their own, or to have read out loud to them.

The cover art is deliciously spooky!! Love it!

My rating: 8/10
Ages 10+