Finch House by Ciera Burch

What worked:

This book focuses on the haunted Finch House and the author slowly builds reader anticipation of its creepy story. For years it’s had a crumbling porch and roof, an overgrown yard, and other states of disrepair. That sounds like a proper spooky house until a new family fixes it up and moves in. The information concerning its past is sketchy as there are few newspaper reports about specific incidents which only allows readers’ imaginations to fill in the gaps. Micah’s grandfather won’t give a reason why she should stay away from the house and she suspects there’s more behind his insistence. All of these factors make Finch House a forbidden, mysterious place that will suck readers into the story.

When main characters encounter new characters in haunted houses, readers are forced make connections and determine if the new characters are friends or foes. Micah meets various “people” inside Finch House and their eerie appearances and cold auras make her uneasy. This helps to make Micah’s character feel alone and despondent and sets the mood for the story. She also meets another girl named Jenn and this character emits warmth, something sorely missing in the house. Readers should begin to wonder why this character is so different because authors always have a good reason for what they do. A warm character is positive, right? However, another character tells Micah to stay away from Jenn which creates a problem. Who can Micah trust and how can she escape Finch House?

Micah’s love for her grandfather, Poppop, is at the core of the story. Micah and her mother have been living with him but they’re preparing to move into their own house, an hour’s drive away. Micah is afraid he’ll be lonely since her grandmother passed away so she’s distressed that she’ll be too far away to visit him regularly. Deep feelings for her grandfather are the force driving Micah to escape Finch House.

What didn’t work as well:

There are many disappearances surrounding Finch House but Micah finds very little information about the incidents on the internet. Wouldn’t families demand answers and wouldn't the police would need to investigate missing children? Strange indeed.

The Final Verdict:

The author has successfully developed a ghostly, eerie story and Finch House’s vast mood swings will keep readers on their toes. It’s very difficult to predict where the plot will travel when the house’s motives are unclear. Overall, this book should appeal to middle-grade readers and I recommend you give it a shot!