A Little Too Haunted

Thirteen-year-old aspiring ghost hunter Luna Catalano always thought that her two mothers’ jobs as home improvement influencers who renovate haunted houses were real—until she stumbles upon them faking a paranormal encounter and exposes them as frauds during a livestream. Their newest project in Cleveland is supposed to be a fresh start, and Luna is delighted to find that the house is actually haunted. But the resident specter seems decidedly unfriendly. The shade goes to increasingly frightening lengths to terrorize the family, and frames Luna by destroying her moms’ film equipment—and even physically harming them. Recruiting her new neighbors, including horror novelist Evie, Luna must learn who or what is haunting her new home before the house claims another victim. But when an attempt at an exorcism goes wrong, Luna accidently empowers her tormentor. In this atmospheric ghost story, Winans (Wishbone) conjures satisfying, spine-tingling scares and a cozy mystery alongside quiet moments of adolescent uncertainty. As Luna juggles issues stemming from irritable bowel syndrome, her first crush on a girl, and her desire for belonging, she undergoes an emotionally volatile but fulfilling journey of self-discovery. Luna cues as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Patricia Nelson, Looking Glass Literary. (Sept.)