The Secret Dead Club

Starred review from May 20, 2024
A Black tween with a supernatural gift determines to banish a terrifying specter from her new town in this hair-raising, American South–set horror novel by Strong (Eden’s Everdark). After fleeing a wicked ghost in Las Vegas, Wednesday Thomas and her artist mother travel to Alton, Ga., where Wednesday was born. Now the
seventh grader is enrolled in Noble Middle School and living in her nana’s family home, “which doesn’t look haunted.” Wednesday tries hard not to stand out,
but her attempts are dashed when she makes a spectacle at lunch after discovering that she can see ghosts—and that her school is haunted. While navigating her newfound powers, Wednesday learns that she is protected by Lodestar, a “guiding light” that prevents Wednesday and her family from being possessed by spirits. As Halloween creeps closer, she’s approached by classmates­—each of whom has their own secrets—who invite Wednesday to be part of their covert paranormal mystery-solving group, the Dead Club. Strong uses tight plotting, fully fleshed out characters, and eerie and empathetic prose to examine themes of legacy and friendship, and deliver a smartly conceived mystery. Ages 8–12. Agent: Patrice Caldwell, New Leaf
Literary & Media.

July 15, 2024
After moving into her late grandmother's haunted home, a girl attempts to make friends while hiding her inherited powers as a paranormal medium. Despite her newfound anxiety over her gift following a near-fatal spectral encounter, Black seventh grader Wednesday Thomas sees and interacts with ghosts every day, everywhere she goes. These spirits include harmless wisp and guide ghosts; she tries to avoid the wicked ones--malevolent, violent shape-shifters who terrorize both the living and the dead. But Wednesday must face her fears when she's invited to join the top-secret Dead Club at school. She agrees to help new buddies Miki Okada and Danni-Lynn Porter communicate with Violet Delgado, their recently deceased friend, who appeared to them on Halloween, desperate for help. Although she's warned away from the group by estranged member Alexa Scott and unnerved by her own growing sense of dread about a sinister force watching her, Wednesday attempts to fulfill Violet's final wish with the help of her new crew. While the story, which features a racially diverse cast, includes dark and scary moments, the heavy themes are buoyed by representations of strong familial support and protective, loving friendships that endure even through conflict. Wednesday displays bravery, compassion, and creativity in overcoming both life challenges and nefarious spirits. A strongly characterized paranormal coming-of-age story that grapples with relatable issues.(Paranormal. 8-12)

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