While Karen Strong’s previous two middle-grade books have had ghosty elements, The Secret Dead Club is a full-fledged haunted ghost story. After Wednesday Thomas moves back to her mom’s hometown in Georgia she realizes she’s not the only middle school girl who sees ghosts. This exciting mystery uses themes of friendship and grief to help the reader know themselves better. This story masterfully includes (what can be seen as) delicate topics such as getting your period or how emotions can manifest physically in your body to create an extremely relatable and readable book.?
The Secret Dead Club by Karen Strong, (List Price: $17.99, Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9781665904506, August 2024)
Reviewed by Rachel Watkins, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia