Review: Sweet Miss Honeywell's Revenge

Sweet Miss Honeywell's Revenge: A Ghost Story by Kathryn Reiss

12-year-old Zibby can’t understand what came over her when she bought the antique dollhouse. She spent every penny of the money she was saving for new skates and now all she has is this rundown dollhouse. And she’s too old for dolls anyway.

But the dollhouse turns out to be haunted. And whatever haunts the dollhouse starts causing accidents to happen around Zibby and her family. The ghost turns out to be Miss Honeywell, the governess of Primrose, the original dollhouse owner in 1919. Miss Honeywell has been waiting years for someone to come in possession of the dollhouse. She wants revenge, and she’s not about to let anything stand in her way. And that includes her own death.

Sometimes when I’m at the library I find books that I refer to as “hidden gems.” These are those books that are a little older, don’t have a great following or are otherwise somewhat neglected on the shelf. You know, those books you stumble across and find just by pure accident. This is one of those books. It combines the suspense of a ghost story along with the theme of adjusting to a new stepfamily, and I think the blend works in the end, though it does seem a little forced at times.

Although this is a ghost story, it certainly doesn’t feel that way the entire time. The book involves ghosts certainly, but I really don’t consider it a ghost story until I feel totally creeped out by the ghostly occurrences. The ghostly suspense lags in the middle, but not enough to make me give up. It wasn’t long before I was completely wrapped up in this story of a mean spirited woman who won’t let anything get in her way of revenge. The character of Miss Honeywell was completely terrifying.

This cover, by the way, was the one that was on the book when I read it. And although it is interesting, I don’t think it really conveys the feeling of the book like the current one does. Just looking at Miss Honeywell on the cover of the new one sends a little shiver down my spine.

Shady Glade Rating: 8/10

This post brought to you courtesy of Recommendation Week: Ghost Stories. Today is your last day to nominate your favorite ghost stories!