Hey, Ghosties, this is the Ghost Queen tuning in from the most haunted place in India!
Teen vlogger Malika's ghost hunter channel is almost popular enough to start earning money to support her family. All she needs is one viral video--and she knows exactly where she's going to get it. Bhangarh Fort is the most haunted place in India, rumoured to be home to the cursed princess Ratnavati and her wicked captor. Malika convinces her boyfriend to sneak into the fort with her after dark and record the experience for her avid fans and followers. That's when things go terribly wrong. Can the "Ghost Queen" escape, or is she doomed to spend eternity trapped with a mad magician and the princess who rejected him?
This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for teen readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don't like to read!
I love a HiLo read - I know how hard it is to keep a story fast paced, with simple language, and still be interesting to readers. This is a fascinating read, based on a real place in India - the most haunted place in India, where even the government can't disprove the rumours of ghosts, and no one has ever stayed the night and lived. The story follows two teenage vloggers who want to be able to monetize their ghost hunting channel, and sneak in to stay overnight. There's a great twist which I won't give away!
The pace is snappy, as befits a HiLo book, and the characters act like real teenagers. I'd have loved a map of the fort, but I always want a map of everywhere, and there may be one in the finished book - I was reading an ARC and they aren't always complete in details like that. It's a very creepy read - I was glad I was reading it in daylight!
I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a quick, spooky read, and it might even spark an interest in Indian folklore!
Book Recommendation: For a read with a similar, though slower, feel and tone, try The Pure Heart by Trudi Tweedie. The growing sense of menace is just as sharp.
Movie Recommendation: If you enjoyed the escalating dread in this read, try The Woman in Black. The lawyer Arthur Kipp's attempts to find and calm the wronged spirit in Eel House create an atmosphere that will stay with you.
Ghost Queen publishes on the 11th February, 2025. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.
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