Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1927–2014)

This is a ghost story and a character study of an adolescent girl (she's 12) acting all sullen and teenager-y. We see her through the eyes of her younger (he's 11) step-brother who is far more earnest, considerate, and mature. Amanda is what we would now call goth. She missed it by 20 years, but she would've been very into The Craft. When her parents divorce and she's forced to live with her mom's new husband and family, she is clearly unhappy but takes the opportunity to try to induct her new siblings into the occult. There is someone in the family who may have actual supernatural powers, but it's not Amanda.

One very cringe thing that happens in this book is that Amanda gets her little step-siblings to do what she wants by playing "slave and slavedriver." She plays at whipping them to get them do the gardening. Shudder.

Amanda is not the only interesting character in the book. Janie the talkative, dramatic 6yo is a hoot. The 4yo twins Blair and Tesser each have distinct personalities. The grown-ups feel quite real and nuanced. David, the POV character, is exactly what parents want their kids to be without being too good to be true. He observes Amanda carefully and her character is revealed through his observations.

I read this because Lemony Snicket praised it in [b:Poison for Breakfast|56769614|Poison for Breakfast|Lemony Snicket|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1613788183l/56769614._SY75_.jpg|59679665].… (mehr)