For 11-year-old Jon Whitcroft, attending boarding school means battling vengeful spirits in a fight for his life. Kidzworld has the book review of Cornelia Funke's newest middle grade novel, Ghost Knight.
Isn’t Life Grand
Life’s just getting better and better for 11-year-old Jon Whitcroft. Not. First his mom brings home a new boyfriend, who Jon nicknames The Beard. His sisters immediate adore him but Jon can see right through his luscious face fungus to the black and boring dentist’s soul within. Next, Jon’s mom decides to ship him off to boarding school in Salisbury. Sure, it was the same school his dad attended when he was a boy, but that certainly doesn’t mean that Jon’s going to like it.
Friends and Enemies
At the boarding school, Jon makes a few fast friends - live ones - and a few fast enemies - not all of which were alive. On the sixth night after his arrival, Jon discovered three men on horseback hovering outside his window. They were wearing old-fashioned garb, they were ghostly pale, and they had holes in place of eyes. This was the first of many dealings with these unhappy spirits who seemed particularly unhappy with Jon.
The Savior
With these vengeful ghosts after Jon, he and his new friend Ella must work together to solve a centuries-old murder and discover why they want to kill Jon. But they’ll need help - particularly the help of the late William Longspee, a knight whose spirit still haunts the cathedral in Salisbury. In return, Jon and Ella must help Longspee find peace.
The Bottom Line
If you're a fan of Cornelia Funke's books - particularly her Inkheart series or Dragon Rider - then you might find Ghost Knight a little disappointing. It's not a bad story, but it pales in comparison to her earlier works. It has its exiting moments but it also has its dry moments which happen far too frequently. Hopefully Cornelia's next book will have some of the same magic as Inkheart or Igraine the Brave.
Have Your Say
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