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An excellent addition to the Eerie Tales from the East series and especially good for fans of supernaturally spooky stories.

Synopsis

Michiko is eager to try the ouija board with her friends Kate and Sophia. They summon Kokkuri-san, a Japanese trickster spirit, to answer a few questions. Most importantly, Michiko wants to know if her mother’s long illness means she’s going to die soon.
But once summoned, the spirit refuses to leave, warning them of danger over and over. When Michiko’s friends meet with near-fatal accidents on an overnight field trip to the Mojave National Preserve in California, they blame her for everything that has gone wrong. Their friendship is shattered.
Can Michiko solve the mystery of the trickster spirit, or will she be the next target for the devil in disguise?
From the award-winning author of The Third Eye, Valley of the Rats, and The Tiffin comes a spine-tingling series of diverse scary stories from around the world. Eerie Tales from the East is perfect for young readers (8-12+) of Goosebumps and ghostly mythology. For more information, please visit www.mahtabnarsimhan.com

Thirteen-year-old Michiko could not be more excited for her class trip to the Mojave National Preserve. She has packed her Ouija board, and she knows that her two best friends will help her use it to gain the answer to a question that has been plaguing her for weeks. When the girls activate the board and the spirit they conjure refuses to leave, however, the weekend field trip becomes more sinister and dangerous than they could have ever anticipated. With each passing moment, their situation intensifies, and they must find a way to banish the offending spirit before it is too late.


This third in the Eerie Tales from the East series falls right in line with the others as far as its spookiness level and design. Centering around middle grade kids with an interest in the supernatural, this book combines many of the familiar challenges of youth with the darker potential of the Ouija board. An assortment of diverse characters makes up Michiko’s class, which gives the book a pleasantly multifaceted foundation upon which to grow the story. As the mystery unfolds, young readers will puzzle out the clues along with the protagonists and will worry for the characters as they navigate their way out of each frightening situation. 


The spookiness factor in this book primarily stems from the vivid descriptions of the supernatural characters who make an appearance in the narrative. Like any good ghost story, this one is left open-ended, the fear lingering because the danger is never really gone. Throughout the course of the book, the protagonists undergo a variety of changes due both to their adolescence and the influence of their frightening visitors. This character-driven approach helps readers better connect to the characters and empathize with them as each circumstance arises. Fans of spooky stories will enjoy this and the other installments in the Eerie Tales series, especially as it is a natural next step for more confident middle grade readers looking for a challenge after completing the Goosebumps series.

Reviewed by

I review books for kids, tweens, and teens and blog about them on my website. To date, I have over 500 published reviews. Sign up for my monthly newsletter at www.maryrlanni.com to get recommendations straight to your inbox! I primarily write reviews, but will create video reviews upon request.

Synopsis

Michiko is eager to try the ouija board with her friends Kate and Sophia. They summon Kokkuri-san, a Japanese trickster spirit, to answer a few questions. Most importantly, Michiko wants to know if her mother’s long illness means she’s going to die soon.
But once summoned, the spirit refuses to leave, warning them of danger over and over. When Michiko’s friends meet with near-fatal accidents on an overnight field trip to the Mojave National Preserve in California, they blame her for everything that has gone wrong. Their friendship is shattered.
Can Michiko solve the mystery of the trickster spirit, or will she be the next target for the devil in disguise?
From the award-winning author of The Third Eye, Valley of the Rats, and The Tiffin comes a spine-tingling series of diverse scary stories from around the world. Eerie Tales from the East is perfect for young readers (8-12+) of Goosebumps and ghostly mythology. For more information, please visit www.mahtabnarsimhan.com

Prologue

 

The boy huddled behind a tombstone, trying not to sob. He took in a ragged breath, goosebumps exploding on his skin. It was only the end of August and the California nights had been cooler, but far from chilly. Tonight, however, felt like the middle of winter, in Canada. All around the graveyard, shadows flickered without the slightest hint of wind.

           Panic flooded the boy as he debated with himself. Why did I agree to do this? He didn’t need to be in this group. He had friends—good friends. Sort of. What had he been thinking when he’d said yes to this dare?

“Hey, what’s the hold-up?” a voice called out in the distance. “If you’re too scared, just say so. Quit wasting our time.”

           A gust of wind swept icy raindrops down his neck. He shivered and leaped to his feet, making up his mind. The boys had dared him to race to the center of the graveyard, touch the ancient crypt, and come back to the gates, where they waited—an initiation that had sounded painless, at first.

“Yeah, come on back if you want and we’ll go home,” said another boy in a hollow voice. “No one’s forcing you to do this.” Muffled laughter echoed in the mist.

           He could do this. He was going to do it! He just had to be brave for a few minutes and he’d be in. Surely that couldn’t be too hard? And then no one would say he was a coward. 

           The boy gulped, swallowing the lump of fear lodged in his throat, and took off. Blood, and the sound of his own footsteps, pounded in his ears as he ran, dodging tombstones and open graves. The globe lights atop lamp posts shed watery light along the path that led to the crypt. As he approached, a stink of rotting leaves rose up in the air. There was something else, too, something putrid. A dying animal? A skunk? He covered his nose and mouth with his arm and hurried on.  

           An iron fence with a latched gate enclosed the crypt: a dark, squat square of brick. The cold metal of the gate seared the boy’s fingertips. Every instinct screamed at him, Run! Forget this initiation and get out of here. 

           Only pride and a deep desire to join the cool kids made him walk into the enclosure. The dread in his heart ballooned as winged shadows flitted past his face, making him whimper. The bats stank of damp fur and urine. Still the boy approached the crypt, his breath fogging in front of his face. He reached out an arm, which shook so badly, he felt as if he had the flu.

But under his palm, the brick was warm. Pleasantly so. The boy breathed deeply.

I did it!

Nothing had jumped out of the crypt or crawled out of the cavernous entrance. The mist hung as it did before, almost seeming friendlier. Letting his shoulders fall back, he made a mental note: Reality was less scary than your imagination. All you had to do was see something right through to the end. He tried to smile, but his face wouldn’t cooperate.

           The grand realization sank in. Now that he’d completed the task, he was part of the group. Not only would he never be lonely again at school, but he would also have a place at the cool kids’ table. Him! Relief and adrenaline made the boy bolder.

           He stared at the crypt and slapped a hand on it. “You’re just an old, useless pile of bricks and I’m not scared of you.”

           Nothing happened and, feeling braver, the boy gave it a swift kick. “There! That’s for scaring me—”

           A sharp current jolted him from head to toe. It felt as if someone were ripping him apart and climbing into him. He couldn’t scream or breathe. His limbs seemed paralyzed, and his skin seemed to be on fire.

What was happening to him? Help! the boy screamed silently as the world momentarily turned dark.

           As suddenly as the sensation had started, it stopped. The boy gasped for air and took in a shuddering breath as the graveyard came back into focus. His head pounded, his lungs were fit to burst, and his mouth was dry.

Were the others playing tricks on him? Was it someone else? How . . .? He scanned the surroundings. The gravestones looked back at him silently, offering no explanation. Only the shadows shivered in the wind. As soon as he regained command of his feet, the boy raced back to the gate, where the gang stood.

           “So?” one of them asked.

           “P-piece of cake,” the boy replied.

           Everyone gathered around him, thumping his back and punching him playfully.

           “Welcome to the club,” another said.

           But the boy barely heard him. Inside his head, someone was cackling like a maniac.

 

 

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About the author

MAHTAB NARSIMHAN is an award-winning author with numerous critically acclaimed books, including The Third Eye which won the Silver Birch Fiction Award. She is inspired to make sense of the world through stories and is deeply committed to representing diversity in her books. view profile

Published on June 27, 2022

40000 words

Worked with a Reedsy professional 🏆

Genre:Middle Grade Fantasy

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