Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Sandpiper)
Pages
187
Description
When thirteen-year-old Ali spends the summer with her aunt and cousin at the family's vacation home, she stumbles upon a secret that her mother and aunt have been hiding for over thirty years.
Description
Just before summer begins, 13-year-old Ali finds an odd photograph in the attic. She knows the two children in it are her mother, Claire, and her aunt Dulcie. But who's the third person, the one who's been torn out of the picture?
Ali figures she'll find out while she's vacationing in Maine with Dulcie and her four-year-old daughter, Emma, in the house where Ali's mother's family used to spend summers. All hopes for relaxation are quashed shortly after their arrival, though, when the girls meet Sissy, a kid who's mean and spiteful and a bad influence on Emma.
Strangest of all, Sissy keeps talking about a girl named Teresa who drowned under mysterious circumstances back when Claire and Dulcie were kids, and whose body was never found. At first Ali thinks Sissy's just trying to scare her with a ghost story, but soon she discovers the real reason why Sissy is so angry.
Mary Downing Hahn is at her chilling best in this new supernatural tale that's certain to send shivers down her readers' spines.
Ali figures she'll find out while she's vacationing in Maine with Dulcie and her four-year-old daughter, Emma, in the house where Ali's mother's family used to spend summers. All hopes for relaxation are quashed shortly after their arrival, though, when the girls meet Sissy, a kid who's mean and spiteful and a bad influence on Emma.
Strangest of all, Sissy keeps talking about a girl named Teresa who drowned under mysterious circumstances back when Claire and Dulcie were kids, and whose body was never found. At first Ali thinks Sissy's just trying to scare her with a ghost story, but soon she discovers the real reason why Sissy is so angry.
Mary Downing Hahn is at her chilling best in this new supernatural tale that's certain to send shivers down her readers' spines.
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2007
Physical description
187 p.; 7.6 inches
ISBN
9780547076454
Similar in this library
Media reviews
School Library Journal
Gr 4-7–Thirteen-year-old Ali is excited to be spending the summer with her Aunt Dulcie, an artist, and her four-year-old cousin, Emma, in the Maine lakeside cottage where her aunt and mother spent their childhood summers. But why is Ali's mother so terrified to let her go? Why did the sisters'
Show More
annual sojourns there stop so abruptly 30 years earlier? And what is the meaning of Ali's recurring dream in which, while walking along the shore of Sycamore Lake, she meets a young girl who points to three girls in a canoe and admonishes, you must do something about this? Ali soon discovers that Teresa, her mother's and aunt's playmate, had disappeared and was presumed drowned when their grandfather's empty canoe washed up on shore. When a strange girl calling herself Sissy shows up at the cottage and lures Emma into defiant and dangerous behavior, Ali finally realizes who she is. Hahn weaves into the story some classic mystery elements such as a torn photograph, a waterlogged doll, dense fog, and an empty grave, all of which add to the suspense and keep the well-plotted story moving along to a satisfying conclusion.–Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Show Less
Lexile
650L
User reviews
LibraryThing member Phantasma
If this wasn't such a short book, I probably wouldn't have read it all the way through. It was rather boring and more than a little obnoxious. The "twist" was completely obvious and the resolution was ridiculous.
It was over quickly, though.
It was over quickly, though.
LibraryThing member Voxc
A definite page turner! I recommend this book to children ages 9-12. The beginning was pretty boring. The story begins with Ali, the main character, about to spend the rest of her summer vacation at an old cottage her mother and Dulcie, her aunt, used to grow up in. She then discovers an old
Show More
photograph of her mother, her aunt and someone else. Her picture seems to be ripped out of the photograph. It's Ali's job to find out who it was and why did they rip her out of the picture. Show Less
LibraryThing member lnommay
Booklist (March 15, 2007 (Vol. 103, No. 14))
Hahn offers another eerie, suspenseful ghost story filled with family secrets. Thirteen-year-old Ali is thrilled when her aunt Dulcie invites her to spend the summer at the family's Maine cottage, where Ali will help babysit her four-year-old cousin,
Hahn offers another eerie, suspenseful ghost story filled with family secrets. Thirteen-year-old Ali is thrilled when her aunt Dulcie invites her to spend the summer at the family's Maine cottage, where Ali will help babysit her four-year-old cousin,
Show More
Emma. Things fall apart, however, when Sissie, a mysterious, manipulative girl, befriends Emma. As tensions rise, Ali begins to piece together rumors about a childhood tragedy that continues to haunt her mother and Dulcie. Early on, Hahn drops heavy hints about who Sissie is. Guessing her identity won't spoil the suspense for readers, though; on the contrary, it will feed their sense of terror as events unfold. The emotional weight of family dynamics and the private burdens of adults might have overwhelmed the ghost story, but Hahn maintains the momentum with scenes that will chill readers as surely as a plunge in cold water. Young people will easily connect with sensitive Ali, whose search for family truths feels like 'good practice for crossing a minefield.' Show Less
LibraryThing member bookberry
Great story. Could not put down until I finished it. I think this will satisfy our scary story kids.
LibraryThing member hippieJ
Oh my gosh this book is amazing! it gave you chills and i kept guessing who the mysterious girl was. wen you read this book its amazing how it just flows and slowley unravels itself. its scary but its not absolutley horrific. its a quick read. i read it in six hours but thats probably bcuz i
Show More
literally did NOT put it down the entire time i had it in my possesion. Show Less
LibraryThing member craftyfox
Once you start this book, you will not be able to put it down! I actually woke up from a dead sleep at 2:00 in the morning to finish this book. For all you teachers out there, read it first! You will be fighting your students for it. I've already got a waiting line in the class for it and it hasn't
Show More
hit the door yet! One of the best children's ghost stories I've ever read! Show Less
LibraryThing member cutey737
I love book i could but it down once. it took me three days to git to read all of it.
LibraryThing member tzaleski
Not as good as The Doll in the Garden, but fun nonetheless! Students will not have a difficult time predicting outcomes, but that takes away some of the scariness. Can't wait for my students to read this Georgia Chapter Book Nominee this fall!
LibraryThing member sriches
Just before summer begins, 12-year-old Ali finds an odd photograph in the attic. She knows the two children in it are her mother, Claire, and her aunt Dulcie. But who’s the third person, the one who’s been torn out of the picture? Ali figures she’ll find out while she’s vacationing in Maine
Show More
with Dulcie and her fouryear- old daughter, Emma, in the house where Ali’s mother’s family used to spend summers. All hopes for relaxation are quashed shortly after their arrival, though, when the girls meet Sissy, a kid who’s mean and spiteful and a bad influence on Emma. Strangest of all, Sissy keeps talking about a girl named Teresa who drowned under mysterious circumstances back when Claire and Dulcie were kids, and whose body was never found. At first Ali thinks Sissy’s just trying to scare her with a ghost story, but soon she discovers the real reason why Sissy is so angry. . . . Mary Downing Hahn is at her chilling best in this new supernatural tale that’s certain to send shivers down her readers’ spines. Show Less
LibraryThing member libraryclerk
Ali's mom and her aunt has a secret from their youth, It has caused emotional problems in their lives. A young adult book that is a bit scary with a ghost that is not very nice. Will Ali be able to find out what it is and help them to get over it?
LibraryThing member skstiles612
While looking for a book to read, Ali finds an old photograph of her mother and aunt. The strange thing is the picture has the arm of another girl but nothing else. That section has been torn away. When she asks her mother about the picture she behaves strangely. Showing the photo to her father he
Show More
informs Ali that her mother and aunt used to spend their summers at Sycamore Lake and they still own the cabin there. He suggests they spend some time there over the summer. Her mother refuses and suddenly gets one of her headaches. Then her Aunt Dulcie and niece Emma show up and inform them that they are going to fix up the cabin so she can work on her art and prepare for a showing. She wants to take Ali with her to act as a babysitter. Her mother is outraged but finally gives in. What is it that has her so upset? Why does she not want to go back to the cabin? Who is the mysterious girl missing from the picture? The answers to all of these questions will have to be answered by Ali as she spends her summer at the cabin. This was another one of Mary Downing Hahn's great ghost stories. This one didn't creep me out as much as a lot of her books do but it still gave me goosebumps at times. I gave this one a rating of 5 out of 5 Show Less
LibraryThing member Sasha_Doll
I just read several very in-depth reviews of this book by other members, so I'll just add my own responses to those who found Deep and Dark and Dangerous lacking. First, I did not find this book to be dry, boring, or overly predictable. As an adult, I usually know the most likely ending of any
Show More
tween or YA book I read, partly because of my many years of reading but also because I enjoy this genre and have read extensively in it. So for an adult, yes, it could be all those negatives, particularly if the reader isn't a big fan of the ghost genre. However, Hahn is one of the best of the writers of supernatural books for this age group, and since I found this book to be very well written and highly entertaining, I would expect that good readers, tweens, and YA readers would love this book. The mysterious, lovely and scary cover will get readers to pick it up, and the story will keep them involved. Kudos to Hahn with this one! A few of her more recent books haven't been quite as well done as her earlier offerings, but Deep and Dark and Dangerous delivers the scares and the intricate relationships involving long-held family secrets. It's not just a ghostie; it's a fine mystery. Show Less
LibraryThing member heatherheartsbooks
A good book, but too similar to Wait Til Helen Comes (which is the better of the two) with an artist mom, a ghost-trashed studio, lake, and storm. Nicely creepy, though.
LibraryThing member tymfos
When Ali goes to spend the summer at Sycamore Lake with her Aunt Dulcie and cousin Emma, she encounters a strange child and a decades-old secret that has haunted her mother and Aunt Dulcie since childhood.
I sort of figured out where this story was headed, for the most part, fairly early on, but I
Not an absolutely stellar read, but a satisfying exploration of the price of keeping guilty secrets -- and a nice, creepy little ghost story, too!
I sort of figured out where this story was headed, for the most part, fairly early on, but I
Show More
believe that was intended by the author. As the pieces fell together, there was a sense of "AHA!" that was enjoyable, and a few surprise touches at the end. The characters were complex -- none totally good, none totally bad. I cared about what was happening, and neglected some of my evening tasks to finish the book.Not an absolutely stellar read, but a satisfying exploration of the price of keeping guilty secrets -- and a nice, creepy little ghost story, too!
Show Less
LibraryThing member 4sarad
Ugh... middle school horror stories. This book, like so many other books before it, is completely predictable from page one and not scary in the slightest. I did have a few students read it and LOVE it, however, so it must just be an age thing. Maybe I need to learn to lower my expectations a bit
Show More
more. Show Less
LibraryThing member BeatrixKiribani
At the start of summer, thirteen year old ali find a mysterious photo of her mom, her aunt Dulcie, and "T". But who is "T"? When Ali asks her mother, her mother grows angry and tells her she knows no one with that name. But Ali will have the opprotunity to discover for herself who "T" is. She will
When Emma meets Sissy at the lake, things take a turn for the worst. Emma become aggressive and more like the mean Sissy everyday. But what does Sissy know? She is hiding a secret in the Deep and Dark and Dangerous lake in Maine.
Show More
be spending the summer with her Aunt Dulcie and her cousin Emma. When Emma meets Sissy at the lake, things take a turn for the worst. Emma become aggressive and more like the mean Sissy everyday. But what does Sissy know? She is hiding a secret in the Deep and Dark and Dangerous lake in Maine.
Show Less
LibraryThing member chrisssve
Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn is a spooky good read! Ali has been invited to spend the summer with her 4 year cousin Emma and her Aunt Dulcie at the family cottage on the coast of Maine. Ali’s mother Claire, a troubled, rather sad figure who is prone to migraines is reluctant
Show More
to let her go. Ali’s more positive father decides finally that Ali, at thirteen, needs to get away from her protective environment for awhile. What begins as a warm and fun adventure for the three, quickly changes when a young girl named Sissy appears on the beach while the two cousins are playing. Sissy seems to gain fast influence over four year old Emma who wants very much to have a friend in her life. As fun and exciting as she is to be with, Sissy can just as easily turn cruel and spiteful. Ali tries her best to protect Emma, but no one, including her aunt will listen! As the story unfolds we learn that the mysterious Sissy is a key to past tragedy at the Maine cottage. She is determined the truth about the lake and three young girls from many years ago will be told, but before it is there are many shivery moments to enjoy! Show Less
LibraryThing member educ318
This story is a mystery and it keeps you guessing. The main character goes to stay with an aunt and encounters something new and scary. Chanelle Fall 2010
LibraryThing member beckylynn
I can understand why children are drawn to this story, but as an adult I thought it was dry and repetative. I've read a few of Hahn's books and all are the exact same just the setting changes. Don't get me wrong this was an alright book, I'm not mad about reading it, I just thought it could have
She has a formula that's working for her and she's selling books, so she's obviously doing what she should be doing!
Show More
been 'shaken'up a bit.She has a formula that's working for her and she's selling books, so she's obviously doing what she should be doing!
Show Less
LibraryThing member dfullmer
This was a good, scary mystery that kids that like this sort of fair would love. Anyone that liked Coraline would like this one. It was rather intense at times so not for kids who don't like to get creeped out.
LibraryThing member SadieReads
Deep, Dark, and Dangerous begins with Ali O'Dwyer finding a picture of her mother, Aunt Dulcie, and a third mysterious person who has been ripped out of the picture and thrown away. When Ali asks her mother about the missing girl, her mother denies knowing anything about her, but it's obvious to
Show More
Ali she's lying. When Ali accompanies Aunt Dulcie and her five-year-old cousin Emma to the family's old Show Less
LibraryThing member elpi0913
i read this story in 6th grade when i read it it was my favorite book. Its a ghost story and it makes you want to keep reading. It might not be my faorite now but it was was a read it!
LibraryThing member jrmslib
Just before summer vacation, Ali discovers an old photo of two girls swimming in a lake. She recognizes them - her mom and her Aunt Dulcie when they were young. But who is the third girl, the one torn out of the photo? Ali is confused by the photo and her mom's angry reaction to it. She will have
Show More
al summer to figure it out since she is going to the same lake with her aunt and young cousin, Emma. Things are great there until Sissy shows up. Sissy is mean and has a secret. Does it have something to do with the photo? Ali is determined to find out even if it leads her to something deep, dark, and dangerous. Show Less
LibraryThing member Yona
Even better than "Wait Till Helen Comes". More complex - maybe because it was written about 20 years later - I'll have to pay attention to that. I have a couple more of these on the way.
LibraryThing member TFS93
I enjoyed this book although I had it figured out early on. This author writes lovely descriptions that help you to picture it all in your mind. Very good a quick read!
Awards
Nebraska Golden Sower Award (Nominee — 2010)
Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Award (Nominee — 2010)
Edgar Award (Nominee — Juvenile — 2008)
Georgia Children's Book Award (Finalist — 2010)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2009)
Sasquatch Book Award (Nominee — 2010)
Nutmeg Book Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2012)
Mark Twain Readers Award (Nominee — 2010)
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2009)
Iowa Children's Choice Award (Nominee — 2011)
Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Honor — 2010)
Land Of Enchantment Book Award (Winner — Young Adult — 2010)
Rhode Island Children's Book Award (Nominee — 2009)
Colorado Children's Book Award (Nominee — 2010)
Maud Hart Lovelace Award (Nominee — 2011)
Young Adult Favorites Award (2009)
Call number
FIC G Hah