This Appearing House - by Ally Malinenko (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

From the author of Ghost Girl comes another standalone spooky middle grade for fans of Nightbooks and Ghost Squad, about a terrifying house and the girl haunted by her experience with cancer, grief, and healing. Are you brave enough to step inside?

For as long as anyone could remember there wasn't a house at the dead end of Juniper Drive . . . until one day there was.

When Jac first sees the House, she's counting down to the five-year anniversary of her cancer diagnosis, when she hopefully will be declared NED, or "no evidence of disease." But with a house appearing, and her hands shaking, and a fall off her bike, Jac is starting to wonder if these are symptoms--or if something stranger is happening.

Two classmates dare Jac and her friend Hazel to enter the House. Walking through the front door is the way in. It's definitely not the way out. There's something off about the House; Jac can feel it. The same way she knows it's no coincidence that the House appeared for her five-year marker. It wants something from her. And she won't be able to get out until she figures out what.

• Perfect for Halloween reading
• Features light scares
• A charming cozy seasonal pick

Best Books of 2022 School Library Journal * Junior Library Guild Selection * Summer Scares selection by the Horror Writers Association

Review Quotes

Praise for Ghost Girl: "A girl who delights in the macabre harnesses her inherited supernatural ability. The creepy supernatural current continues throughout, intermingled with very real forays into bullying (Zee won't stand for it or for the notion that good girls need to act nice), body positivity, socio-economic status and social hierarchy, and mental health. This debut from a promising writer involves a navigation of caste systems, self-esteem, and villainy that exists in an interesting world with intriguing characters . . . Warning: this just might spurn frenzied requests for Frankenstein." - Kirkus Reviews

"Zee is a likable character, and readers will root for her . . . This is a chilling story that will -delight upper elementary readers who enjoy truly creepy books." - School Library Journal

". . . Raising themes of body positivity and feminism, debut author Malinenko writes an atmospheric tale that is rife with chilling moments and an affecting exploration of grief . . . " - Publishers Weekly

"Readers will be gripped not only by the terror of a truly haunted house, but also the brutal honesty of Jac on her path to becoming whole. VERDICT Highly recommended; not only for those who have experienced trauma, but for those who love them as well. A gripping, poignant addition to juvenile fiction collections." - School Library Journal (starred review)

"This Appearing House is as beautiful as it is spooky, with unnerving surprises around every corner. Malinenko paints a heartfelt tale of a girl who's defied fate, already faced worse than monsters, and knows the only way out is through. A smart, chilling house of haunts." - Hailey Piper, author of The Worm and His Kings

"This Appearing House is a wise and terrifying story that stares into the heart of fear and faces the nightmares within. This important book is sure to be a friend to anyone who's ever felt defeated, scared, and alone. A gripping mystery that keeps the reader hungry for more. In This Appearing House, Ally Malinenko proves that the most horrifying stories are born from our most frightening truths." - K. A. Reynolds, author of The Land of Yesterday and The Spinner of Dreams

"A tale of survival, friendship, and the strength that comes from overcoming fears. Delightfully nightmarish visions chase Jac, offering the feel of a thrilling game with twisted and terrifying imagery, as she navigates the house, seeking to understand her connection to this unusual place in this emotionally resonant story. Offers a hauntingly truthful view of secrets and strength." - Kirkus Reviews

"Employing haunted house tropes, Malinenko's (Ghost Girl) ominous telling explores layers of anxiety . . . a strong third-person voice accurately evokes the feeling of long-bubbling uncertainty as well as familial and personal fear amid recovery." - Publishers Weekly

★ "Plenty of imaginative frights to creep out even the most fearless young connoisseur of scary stories. Through Jac, Malinenko also offers a vital corrective to narratives of disease and disability still commonplace in children's literature. At once an inventive and satisfying haunted house story and a powerful exploration of coming to terms with and beginning to heal from trauma, This Appearing House is a triumph." - BookPage

"Children still emerging out of their own traumatic experiences of a global pandemic, life interrupted, and severed social connections may find Jac's pain particularly resonant; there is nothing to do except go through it . . . [H]er emergence as a girl who understands that life waiting for doom isn't her only option is hard won and meaningful." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books