The Wrath of the Grinning Ghost

Rating:
Summary: Good to see Johnny again
Review: I found Brad Strickland's imitation of John Bellairs good, though in the end it clearly lacked the soul of Bellairs work. However, I am glad that Johnny is back, along with the rest of the gang. I have been a Belliars fan for a long time and am happy that strickland is keeping bellairs characters alive

Rating:
Summary: More of a smirk than a grin
Review: I have been an avid fan of John Bellairs for a number of years and when he died a few years ago, I was relieved and pleased when Brad Stickland took up where Bellairs had left off. However, the Wrath of the Grinning Ghost...while entertaining, never quite captures the level of suspense and spookiness that Bellairs always managed and that Strickland himself has accomplished up to this point. Some of the characters are never really developed...the fortune teller is an example...and the main characters that we have all come to know and love, just seem like half hearted shadows of their former selves. While not Strickland's best, it's still worth reading. But, if this is your first taste of Bellairs, you may be better off trying some of his pre-Strickland offerings. Any one of them would be worth your time.

Rating:
Summary: Good to see Johnny again
Review: Johnny Dixon is one of my favorite literary characters and I was glad to see someone keep him alive after the untimely death of Bellairs. The book was good and began well enough, but was missing the dark and sinister elements that made Bellairs so brilliant. The humor interjected by Brewster felt out of place and the plot did not compare to those of past books. The whole fortune teller and other world travel seemed a bit hokey...I miss the Catholic undertones and grim scenarios faced by Johnny in the past. The Professor was also denied the passages that make him such an old (but lovable) crab. I hope Strickland writes future novels with darker villans and plots as well as greater involvement of Father Higgins and Prof. Coote. Overall, it was enjoyable and I look forward to new titles.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but not Bellairs
Review: Johnny Dixon is one of my favorite literary characters and I was glad to see someone keep him alive after the untimely death of Bellairs. The book was good and began well enough, but was missing the dark and sinister elements that made Bellairs so brilliant. The humor interjected by Brewster felt out of place and the plot did not compare to those of past books. The whole fortune teller and other world travel seemed a bit hokey...I miss the Catholic undertones and grim scenarios faced by Johnny in the past. The Professor was also denied the passages that make him such an old (but lovable) crab. I hope Strickland writes future novels with darker villans and plots as well as greater involvement of Father Higgins and Prof. Coote. Overall, it was enjoyable and I look forward to new titles.