I won a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Goodreads. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Bone Tree
Written by Jenna Lehne
Illustrations by Uliana Babenko
Published by Little Press
on April 1, 2021
Genre: Middle Grade, Paranormal, Horror
Length: 188 pages
Ages: 9 - 12 years
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Synopsis:
Elsie battles a terrifying ghost to keep her best friend around forever. But does forever have too much of a cost?
Elsie's best friend, Roman, is dying. But Roman has a plan to escape death. He wants to be resurrected through the powers of the Bone Tree and the curse of the Woman in White, Mary Simon, whose body lies beneath the tree. Terrified, yet determined not to lose him, Elsie promises Roman to summon Mary's ghost and the powers in the Bone Tree to bring him back when he dies. When the Bone Tree's magic works and Roman resurrects, Elsie vows to do anything to keep him around, even if that means battling an angry, screeching banshee, with talons for fingers. But what Elsie doesn't realize is that the cost of keeping Roman around may be too high. When the Woman in White kidnaps Roman's brother, Jake, and threatens to take his life as revenge, Elsie must choose between saving the lives of many from the deadly grasp of Mary Simon, the Woman in White, or keeping her best friend.
My Thoughts:
Elsie's world shatters when her best friend, Roman, dies of cancer. Before his death, Roman was obsessed with a local legend about a Bone Tree and a Lady in White whose ghost has haunted the tree and surrounding cemetery for years. Armed with the secret of how to return as a ghost, Roman makes Elsie promise to bring him back. She is all too willing but the Lady in White is furious and Elsie soon learns that there is a price to pay for having her best friend's ghost around.
I loved this! There were definitely some extra sad moments but it's mostly a ghost story with a unique (to me) back story and some rather spooky and thrilling plot twists. The story behind the Bone Tree is and the Lady in White was extra interesting.
While this is a great spooky story (perfect for Halloween!) it's also a look at losing a close friend or loved one at a young age and what lengths people will go to deal with their grief. This heartwarming ghost story will appeal to middle-grade readers who want a spooky, edge-of-your-seat read that isn't too long or time-consuming!
