Greenhouse of Horror by Liv Livingston

 I'm starting the week with a little fun...and a few spooks? Today's read is the third in a graphic novel series for chapter book readers. Nope, I haven't read the first two, but when has that stopped me from diving into an interesting read? I really don't know what to expect with this one, so let's just find out what it holds!

GREENHOUSE OF HORROR

Spirited, Book #3

by Liv Livingston

Illustrated by Glass House Graphics

Little Simon

Chapter Book Paranormal  /

Graphic Novel

144 pages

ages 6 to 9

Liv’s class visits the greenhouse and encounters some strange plants in book three of the Spirited graphic novel chapter book series.

Liv’s science class has a new botany finding the plant that best represents them. Mrs. Arber, the ghost caring for (and haunting) the Gloomsdale Botanical Gardens, comes in to give a helping hand. In a town full of ghosts, Liv isn’t even sure she knows who she is, but when she meets a new ghost friend, she discovers that maybe she’s not the only one feeling like the odd-ghoul-out.

GOODREADS    /     AMAZON     /      B&N

MY TIDBITS

Ghosts and gloomy plants pack tons of surprises, which are sure to delight more than just paranormal fans.

Liv is the only 100% human girl in Gloomsdale, a town of ghosts and a few other paranormal creatures. To say she doesn't really fit in is an understatement, and it gets to her sometimes. Since she's still somewhat new to the town, she hasn't really found her place and wonders if she ever will. The ghosts, while fairly friendly, still enjoy poking fun at her inability to do anything ghostly. And having them 'accidentally' float through her is just plain awful! When the teacher announces the annual gardening class project, she's sure things will end with a new disaster.

This is such a sweet read! There's a lovely balance between spooky creepiness, school drama, and enjoyable humor, which draws in. The nod towards darker gothic adds a hint of creepy possibilities, but instead of heading into spookiness, the setting creates unexpected and unique situations to bring more than a few smiles. Still, this read addresses problems many readers face in their own lives and will have them rooting for Liv the entire way through.

There are messages surrounding friendship and embracing your own uniqueness mixed into the ghostly surroundings. These are clear but drift right along into the story as Liv discovers more about the interesting town and its residents. It stays very much at the level of the intended age group and brings across enough familiar aspects to let readers settle right in. 

Bright and bold graphics carry the tale, while the text offers just enough difficulty to push readers' skills a teeny-tiny bit while letting the enjoyable atmosphere of the story still capture with every scene. It's an enjoyable story which promises tons more fun to come.

And here she is...

Liv Livingston likes cats, hot drinks, and walking through the woods with her friends that may or may not be ghosts. Unfortunately, she cannot walk through walls. She lives in New York.