The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the field nomination form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.
Each week, the teams will feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation will be listed as well. At year’s end, the team will use that list of nominated titles to select a final list and Top Ten. The previous years’ lists are also made available on The Hub.
This is Not a Ghost Story by Andrea Portes
HarperTeen / Harper Collins
Publication Date: November 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-0062422446
Daffodil doesn’t have a typical plan for the summer before her Freshman year of college. Instead of hanging out with friends or traveling, she agrees to house-sit all alone in a creepy mansion. As the summer progresses, things in the house get progressively stranger and more sinister, and Daffodil can’t ignore that there is something evil about the house. Will she be able to discover the house’s secret before it’s too late?
This is Not a Ghost Story is a quick-paced read that delves into the action of the story quickly with short chapters that keep the story moving. Told from a first-person, stream-of-consciousness point of view, teens will appreciate that the voice actually sounds like a teenager. The mystery of the story is compelling and will keep teens guessing until the twist ending.
This title is perfect for fans of other spooky mystery stories such as Horrid by Katrina Leno, which also has creepy mansion vibes. This would also be great for fans of Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor which both have a haunted house mystery similar in tone to This is Not a Ghost Story.
— Jayna Ramsey, Lakewood, CO
Other Nominated Titles
- Teen Killer Club by Lily Sparks (November 10, 2020)
Want to suggest a title? Access the nomination form to read more about the requirements.
