Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn
Genres: Ghosts, Mystery
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Sandpiper/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-547-07645-4
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book
Just before summer begins, thirteen-year-old Ali finds an old photograph. She recognizes the two children. One’s her mother, the other her aunt Dulcie…but who is the third person, the one who’s been torn out of the picture? Ali will have two months to figure it out, since she’s spending the summer with her aunt and her cousin in the same house her mom and aunt used to visit when they were kids.
Then Ali meets Sissy. Sissy is mean, spiteful, and determined to ruin Ali’s summer. Sissy also has a secret. Could it have something to do with the old photo? Ali is dying to find out. Though, if she’s not careful, that’s exactly what might happen to her – die, that is.
Personal & Info
I picked this up cheap with a few other spooky books. This is the last of those for me to review. My edition appears to be older than the ones currently available in stores, so the links lead to the current available edition.
Characters
Ali is the main character.
Dulcie is Ali’s aunt. She’s an artist, specifically a painter.
Claire is Ali’s mother. She seems to have a lot of problems. She’s sensitive emotionally, and for some reason overly protective of her daughter to the point Dulcie says Claire owns Ali.
Emma is Dulcie’s daughter, and Ali’s cousin. She’s about four.
Pete is Ali’s dad. He seems to be the reasonable parent. When Claire is overprotective, Pete advocates on Ali’s behalf.
Sissy, the girl they meet at the lake, is mean and temperamental. I think they said she appears to be nine or ten, but small for her age.
Story & Thoughts
I generally don’t like stories with blatantly mean people in them. This book, and Wait Till Helen Comes, which is by the same author, are both like that, though this one isn’t as bad. This one is tolerable in comparison, but there are other issues.
The story is too bland for me. There is no blatant haunting danger. It’s more manipulation and bullying than anything. Granted, it’s not a bad story. It’s just not for me.
I hate how Dulcie and Emma act throughout. Emma’s behavior makes sense due to her age and lonely upbringing, but Dulcie has no excuse. Dulcie seems straight up unreasonable in some parts. Like, yeah, it’s Ali’s fault that Emma sneaks out the window during nap time because she wasn’t watching her, because that makes sense (This is sarcasm). What’s she supposed to do, sit in Emma’s room with her for every nap and bed time? At some point the child is to blame.
If you don’t like your ghost stories to be scary, and want something a little more mysterious, maybe check this out. Nobody dies. The ghost doesn’t blatantly try to murder anyone. It’s about finding the truth so the ghost can rest.