Acevedo, Chantal. Curse on Spectacle Key, The. Fiction. Balzer & Bray, 09/2022. 256pp. $16.99. 978-0-06-313481-2. ADDITIONAL. GRADES 4-6.
Fifth grader Frank Fernandez longs to stay in one place and find a best friend. When his parents uproot the family once again, this time in order to rehab an abandoned lighthouse in the Florida Keys, three things make the move less of a disaster: they will be near his beloved grandfather; his parents promise this is the final move; and Frank gets a Great Dane puppy. Unfortunately, Frank realizes something is very wrong on Spectacle Key: his usually loving parents can’t stop sniping at each other, the lighthouse is besieged by biblical-level plagues, and an unscrupulous neighbor is determined to drive them out. When Frank investigates the abandoned orphanage next door, he discovers a mysterious lost white girl his age, whom only Frank can see. Together the two kids set out, determined to get to the bottom of multiple mysteries. There are lots of engaging details in Frank’s story, and the friendship between the specter-child and Frank feels real. Unfortunately, the mystery and the villains have Scooby-Doo-level verisimilitude with a page length suited to more mature readers and content. Too many elements are packed in and too much of the plot is the result of supernatural forces that fail to follow a consistent pattern. Frank never quite feels like a real fifth grade child because of an odd mix of adult and juvenile vocabulary. This, combined with the pile-on of action, plot devices, and exposition, drag down what could have been a short, fun, shivery read. Review based on an ARC.
Melissa McAvoy, Retired
