After her mother runs away with an opera star, Elizabeth and her father go to live in her father's childhood home. Elizabeth brings along her closest friend, Zenobia, that no one else can see or hear. Zenobia is the opposite of Elizabeth. She is brave and strong with a affinity for the macabre. Elizabeth, on the other hand, is afraid of everything and likes flowers and sunny rooms. In their new home Zenobia is determined to meet the ghost, or "spectral presence," she is sure lives in the house. At first Elizabeth follows along reluctantly, but as the two girls seek for the ghost, Elizabeth gradually learns more about her family's clouded past.I didn't really like this book at first. My regular readers will know that I am not fond of the whole "imaginary friend" thing. Even aside from that, I didn't feel sympathetic to either brash Zenobia, or whimpy Elizabeth. But as the story progressed, Elizabeth gets a little more spunky, Zenobia becomes a little less grating and I got caught up in the plot with its ghoulish implications. All in all, this is a decent horror offering for a middle grade reader. It isn't as intense as Coraline, but it delivers enough spookiness and suspense that the chill seeker will be satisfied. (2017, 202 p.)
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