Jennifer W. (GeniusJen) reviewed Over My Dead Body (43 Old Cemetery Road, Bk 2) on + 5322 more book reviews
Reviewed by Allison Fraclose for TeensReadToo.com
After being abandoned by his parents, 11-year-old Seymour Hope took to living at the old Spence Mansion with the cranky author, Ignatius B. Grumply, and the ghost of Olive C. Spence, a failed author who has vowed to haunt the mansion at 43 Old Cemetery Road until one of her mysteries is published. Together, the trio has published the first three chapters of a ghost story (aptly entitled 43 OLD CEMETERY ROAD), and are busily working on the following three, which they hope to have ready for their subscribers by Halloween.
At least, they were until the arrival of a letter from Dick Tater, director of the International Movement for the Safety and Protection of Our Kids and Youth (aka IM SPOOKY)...
According to Mr. Tater, Grumply cannot be the legal guardian of Seymour, and neither of them can be living with Olive, since she died in 1911. Tater promptly removes Seymour and places him in the orphanage, and has Grumply committed to an insane asylum. As if that wasn't bad enough, Tater announces that the book was a hoax all along. Outraged fans of 43 OLD CEMETERY ROAD begin demanding refunds and jumping on board Tater's plan to burn all of the ghost stories in the world instead of celebrating Halloween. It's up to the illustrator Seymour to come up with a clever plan to save the reputations of his coauthors and, ultimately, Halloween.
Told through a series of letters, transcripts, and newspaper clippings, this second book in the series makes for an enjoyable read, especially for the reluctant reader who likes to laugh.
After being abandoned by his parents, 11-year-old Seymour Hope took to living at the old Spence Mansion with the cranky author, Ignatius B. Grumply, and the ghost of Olive C. Spence, a failed author who has vowed to haunt the mansion at 43 Old Cemetery Road until one of her mysteries is published. Together, the trio has published the first three chapters of a ghost story (aptly entitled 43 OLD CEMETERY ROAD), and are busily working on the following three, which they hope to have ready for their subscribers by Halloween.
At least, they were until the arrival of a letter from Dick Tater, director of the International Movement for the Safety and Protection of Our Kids and Youth (aka IM SPOOKY)...
According to Mr. Tater, Grumply cannot be the legal guardian of Seymour, and neither of them can be living with Olive, since she died in 1911. Tater promptly removes Seymour and places him in the orphanage, and has Grumply committed to an insane asylum. As if that wasn't bad enough, Tater announces that the book was a hoax all along. Outraged fans of 43 OLD CEMETERY ROAD begin demanding refunds and jumping on board Tater's plan to burn all of the ghost stories in the world instead of celebrating Halloween. It's up to the illustrator Seymour to come up with a clever plan to save the reputations of his coauthors and, ultimately, Halloween.
Told through a series of letters, transcripts, and newspaper clippings, this second book in the series makes for an enjoyable read, especially for the reluctant reader who likes to laugh.
