City of the Dead: The Haunting of Derek Stone series

by: Tony Abbott

Published by: Scholastic

Reviewed by Stephanie Boyd

(City of the Dead is the first book of The Haunting of Derek Stone series by Tony Abbott.)

Derek Stone, his brother Ronnie and his dad are involved in a freak train wreck that changes Derek’s entire life. Ronnie and their dad are assumed dead from the wreck until Ronnie appears suddenly at their home. But is this really Ronnie? He looks like Ronnie but he doesn’t act or think like Ronnie did. Suddenly Derek is on the run from the dead–and doesn’t have anyone to turn to. If he tells some well-meaning adult that the dead are chasing him, they’d probably commit him to a mental ward somewhere. And why are the dead suddenly coming after Derek? What does he know or possess that they want?

City of the Dead is the first book of The Haunting of Derek Stone series by Tony Abbott. I was surprised at how emotionally moved I was by reading about Derek’s experience in the train wreck. The description is pretty thorough, although not gory. This series is written for nine to thirteen year old kids and that age seems appropriate to me if the child likes to read scary stories. I, as an adult, found parts of this book scary!

Young Derek is a practical, no nonsense type of personality and the least likely child to believe in ghost, zombies, possession or any of that scary stuff–until the train wreck. After Derek can no longer deny that he is really seeing the dead, Derek realizes he must do something to stop the dead, and then his adventures begin.

This book sets up the series but there is no resolution at the end of the book. Readers will have to continue to read the rest of the books planned in the series to find out what Derek has to do to save the world. I know I want to know what happens next!

I do not think this series is appropriate for kids who do not already like scary stories. It is pretty intense in parts and not for the fainthearted. At the moment, I have no desire to ride a train crossing a bridge… just in case!

Armchair Interviews says: Well-done book but know your reader/child’s level of “being scared.”

Author’s Web site: http://www.TonyAbbottBooks.com