The Secret of Grim Hill- Linda DeMeulemeester

This book confused me somewhat. I had been looking forward to reading it as it had come up on several recommended sites. The unfortunate cover will likely not appeal to the age group for which I assume it was intended. That assumption is based on the age of the protagonist, Cat, who is just entering her first year of a new high school. The plot and actions of the character made it appear more appropriate for the grade 4-6 crowd. So my recommendation is to offer it to that group of readers as they may quite enjoy the mysterious and and even scary moments in this book.Cat is typically unhappy in her new school and wishes she could afford to attend the posh Grimoire private school. When she hears about a soccer tournament which will award attendance at this school as the prize, Cat is eager to try out and give it her all. Things begin very quickly to seem out of sync.Teachers don’t expect assignments in on time, barriers to players’ attendance at soccer practises mysteriously evaporate and Cat’s playing ability exceeds even her wildest dreams. When her sister Sooky suddenly disappears after having warned Cat of the dangers of the school and her mom doesn’t remember who Sooky even is, Cat finally realizes that something indeed is amiss and begins to explore the possibilities. A creepy atmosphere may well draw kids to this, but when I compare it to Coraline by Neil Gaiman of some years ago, it just doesn’t have the same depth and credibility. Well, you know what I mean- some books allow you to suspend your disbelief with the blink of an eye while others have you going, “you’ve got to be kidding!” Grim Hill falls more into the latter category for me.

It is one of the nominations for this year’s Diamond Willow awards.