7^th Grade and Up

Claire has absolutely no interest in the paranormal. She’s a scientist, which is why she can’t think of anything worse than having to help out her dad on one of his ghost-themed Chicago bus tours. Claire thinks she’s made it through when she sees a boy with a sad face and dark eyes at the back of the bus. There’s something off about his presence, especially because when she checks at the end of the tour . . . he’s gone.
Claire tries to brush it off. She must be imagining things, letting her dad’s ghost stories get the best of her. But then the scratching starts. Voices whisper to her in the dark. The number 396 appears everywhere she turns. And the boy with the dark eyes starts following her.
Claire is being haunted. The boy from the bus wants something . . . and Claire needs to find out before it’s too late.

“Look for the story history doesn’t tell, because that might be the one that matters.”

This story is a blend of Chicago history, ghostly hauntings, and middle school drama.

Be warned, if you are easily scared, do not read this book, for this is a truly terrifying story that will chill you to the bone. I listened to the audiobook, and the woman narrating is incredible. You can feel the fear and agony in her voice. The only thing missing was scary background music.

Claire is embarrassed by her father’s ghost tour, which makes sense because she thinks ghosts are nonsense. She’s also a middle school kid, and middle school kids are self-conscious and easily embarrassed. Her reaction to being haunted is authentic, to say the least. Exactly how you’d expect someone to react to being haunted, terrified, and going out of their mind. She’s also dealing with friend drama as well. Because being haunted wasn’t stressful enough (Note my sarcasm). By the end of the book, she goes through some serious character growth.

This story stands out from other ghost stories because it’s based on actual historical events. Most ghost legends are based on real horrific events, and Chicago has a seriously sinister history. You’ll learn from this book that real-life happenings are often more terrifying than the idea of ghosts.

If you want to learn more about the historical events featured in this story, read the Note from the Author at the end of the book for recommendations on books, articles, and websites to check out.

I recommend this book to fans of scary stories and morbid and forgotten history.