5^th Grade to 7^th Grade

Frank Fernandez’s family never stays in one place for long. His parents renovate unusual buildings and turn them into homes, which means the family moves – a lot. This makes it hard for bookish Frank to make friends. So when his parents announce they’re moving to Spectacle Key, Florida, to live in a lighthouse–this time for good! Frank is thrilled.
But Spectacle Key isn’t the perfect forever home they’d imagined. The lighthouse is falling apart. There are knocks on the door – but no one is there – and mysterious sighs and sniffles from nowhere. There’s even a creepy doll that seems to move on its own. Could Spectacle Key be haunted?
Then one day while exploring, Frank meets a girl in old-fashioned clothes with no memory of who she is. What she does know is that the island is under a curse–and she needs Frank’s help to figure out how to lift it. But what if learning the truth about Spectacle Key means losing the first real friend he’s ever had?

Frank’s parent’s renovation business is what caught my attention. I liked the idea of fixing up unusual structures and turning them into homes for families to buy. It sounds like one of those home improvement shows on HGTV that my parents love. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were already a show with a similar concept.

One of the renovated buildings mentioned was a water tower in Atlanta. Now there’s a setting for a story that I want to read.

I thought it was messed up how often Frank’s parents uprooted his life every time they got a new renovation job. From the start, we learn how much moving has upset Frank and how much he wants to make a friend he doesn’t have to say goodbye to. In my opinion, Frank has every right to be frustrated with his living situation. I was pleasantly surprised that Frank manages to stay positive instead of complaining for half the story, like most main characters I read about.

The overall mystery was well-crafted, and my need for answers kept me invested. I recommend this book to young fans of spooky mysteries.

Well, this is the last of my spooky October book reviews. I hope you enjoyed it.