READ AT YOUR OWN RISK BY REMY LAI, PUBLISHED BY ALLEN & UNWIN

Remy Lai has changed gear with this new novel. Gone are the softer pastels and friendly faces of Ghost Story. They are replaced with hard edges and sharp lines drawn in black, white and red. Read at Your Own Risk is written in diary style by the main character, Hannah. Along with her friends Mabel, Brian and Lisa, she skips assembly and goes up to the school’s supposedly haunted attic to play “Spirit of Coin”. They haven’t even finished the game when things go horribly wrong. Hannah suffers a series of disasters and must find out how to make it all go away. Each ‘accident’ gets worse as the days go by. How will Hannah outwit the spirit?

Remy Lai’s book is an easy read, so it will be great for reluctant readers. But, due to the plotline and a possible gruesome death at the hands of an evil spirit, this book suits the upper end of Middle Grade and even a bit older. Lai’s illustrations are great and fit the mood of the book beautifully. Themes of resilience, fear, perseverance and friends are all here. Kids that don’t take fright easily and have a bit of a dark sense of humour will love this ghostly adventure.

For Ages: 10 - 14 years

Number of Pages: 160

Published: August 2024

Themes: Resilience, friends, supernatural

Purchase here: https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Remy-Lai-Read-At-Your-Own-Risk-9781761180934