Daffodil Franklin has plans for a quiet summer before her freshman year at college, and luckily, she’s found the job that can give her just that: housesitting a mansion for a wealthy couple.
But as the summer progresses and shadows lengthen, Daffodil comes to realize the house is more than it appears. The spacious home seems to close in on her, and as she takes the long road into town, she feels eyes on her the entire way, and something tugging her back.
What Daffodil doesn’t yet realize is that her job comes with a steep price. The house has a long-ago grudge it needs to settle . . . and Daffodil is the key to settling it.
Goodreads | Amazon
Rating: 5 Stars
My Review: This is not a ghost story, really not a ghost story per say. I was drawn in from the first chapter and knew that Portes' writing wouldn't disappoint. By the end although I did somewhat figure out what happened. I was so involved in the story I didn't even care that I figured it out. And when the ending came I was balling like a baby. This story was light on the creepy ghost factor and more heavy on the mystery portion. Where you are really trying to figure out what in the world is going on as the main character is unreliable and doesn't really know what is going on either. We get small tid bits of her life before coming to this house for the summer. And that just worked to create a better story.
I think readers that love mystery and light paranormal themes will enjoy this one. I know I did! There was almost no romance in this one as well. So readers who shy away from that will find this one perfect for them.
From School Library Journal
GR 9 UP-Daffodil is ready for college in the fall, if only she can make enough money to afford it. Then, a golden opportunity drops in her lap. An old couple needs someone to house sit for them during the summer and supervises some renovations. Free room and a large paycheck. What could possibly be the downside? And then, of course, things start to go wrong. At first it starts small, like objects mysteriously showing up in places they should not be. Then the construction workers laboring over a secretive project that never gets any closer to being done in the backyard start getting aggressive. And something is scratching at night, wanting to get in. And a neighbor keeps inviting herself over unannounced. For all that the title claims, something spooky is happening in this house. This is a horror book that pokes fun at itself and the genre, managing to be both spooky and funny. Daffodil's voice is full of self-deprecating humor and her analysis of herself and her situation will make readers laugh. Her character is lively, sarcastic, and fun to read. Tension builds as readers are walked through an evolving romance in her past, with no sign of the boy in her current life, and there is an interesting twist at the end. VERDICT This hard-to-put-down novel is perfect for horror fans who need a fun read. Recommended for high schoolers.—Sara Kundrik, Gilbert Paterson M.S., Alta.
Review
“[Portes] tempers gruesome scenes with Daffodil’s likable and chatty personality, and creates a memorable novel reminiscent of John Bellairs stories.” -- Publishers Weekly
“The chills here are on par with The Shining. Readers [will] know to be very, very afraid.” -- Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“For all that the title claims, something spooky is happening in this house. This is a horror book that pokes fun at itself and the genre, managing to be both spooky and funny…[with] an interesting twist at the end.” -- School Library Journal
Praise for ANATOMY OF A MISFIT: “It’s rare that a book can be as funny and absolutely delightful as it is moving and thought provoking, and Anatomy of a Misfit is both.” -- Lauren Oliver, author of Before I Fall
"A self-deprecating and highly memorable heroine whose bawdy, laceratingly funny narration makes her instantly endearing while also revealing her flaws, uncertainties, and ethical quandaries." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A romance filled with seriously funny dark humor and tragedy.” -- Kirkus Reviews
"Anika’s droll voice shines, and her emotions are palpable. After a heartbreaking tragedy, Anika’s ending . . . will leave readers cheering." -- School Library Journal
"Fifteen-year-old Anika Dragomir throws her arms around us and draws us in from the very beginning… Droll, intimate, often laugh-out-loud funny narration carries the reader through more than 300 pages... Anika’s winning voice may just be the star of Portes’s first young adult novel." -- New York Times Book Review
"Anika Dragomir is the funniest, snarkiest, most insightful misfit a reader could ever hope to meet. I laughed my way through Anatomy of a Misfit right up until the very end, when the book broke my heart into a million pieces. This is a beautiful, brave and powerful novel." -- Melissa Kantor, author of Maybe One Day and The Breakup Bible
PRAISE FOR ANDREA PORTES: < “Portes writes with such cool grace we almost forget to be astonished by her narrative’s complexity.”
-- Matthew Specktor, American Dream Machine
"Portes’s short chapters and staccato narration make for a quick and compulsive read." -- Publishers Weekly
"Andrea Portes writes with the tip of a knife, shape-shifting between characters and laying bare their darkest secrets." -- Dylan Landis, Normal People Don't Live Like This
“The chills here are on par with The Shining. Readers [will] know to be very, very afraid.” -- Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“For all that the title claims, something spooky is happening in this house. This is a horror book that pokes fun at itself and the genre, managing to be both spooky and funny…[with] an interesting twist at the end.” -- School Library Journal
Praise for ANATOMY OF A MISFIT: “It’s rare that a book can be as funny and absolutely delightful as it is moving and thought provoking, and Anatomy of a Misfit is both.” -- Lauren Oliver, author of Before I Fall
"A self-deprecating and highly memorable heroine whose bawdy, laceratingly funny narration makes her instantly endearing while also revealing her flaws, uncertainties, and ethical quandaries." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A romance filled with seriously funny dark humor and tragedy.” -- Kirkus Reviews
"Anika’s droll voice shines, and her emotions are palpable. After a heartbreaking tragedy, Anika’s ending . . . will leave readers cheering." -- School Library Journal
"Fifteen-year-old Anika Dragomir throws her arms around us and draws us in from the very beginning… Droll, intimate, often laugh-out-loud funny narration carries the reader through more than 300 pages... Anika’s winning voice may just be the star of Portes’s first young adult novel." -- New York Times Book Review
"Anika Dragomir is the funniest, snarkiest, most insightful misfit a reader could ever hope to meet. I laughed my way through Anatomy of a Misfit right up until the very end, when the book broke my heart into a million pieces. This is a beautiful, brave and powerful novel." -- Melissa Kantor, author of Maybe One Day and The Breakup Bible
PRAISE FOR ANDREA PORTES: < “Portes writes with such cool grace we almost forget to be astonished by her narrative’s complexity.”
-- Matthew Specktor, American Dream Machine
"Portes’s short chapters and staccato narration make for a quick and compulsive read." -- Publishers Weekly
"Andrea Portes writes with the tip of a knife, shape-shifting between characters and laying bare their darkest secrets." -- Dylan Landis, Normal People Don't Live Like This
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FTC Guidelines: In accordance with FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers, I would like my readers to know that many of the books I review are provided to me for free by the publisher or author of the book in exchange for an honest review. If am compensated for any reviews on this site I will state that post has been sponsored.
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