Product Description

John Bellairs, the name in Gothic mysteries for middle graders, wrote terrifying tales full of adventure, attitude, and alarm. For years, young readers have crept, crawled, and gone bump in the night with the unlikely heroes of these Gothic novels: Lewis Barnavelt, Johnny Dixon, and Anthony Monday. Now, the ten top-selling titles feature an updated cover look. Loyal fans and enticed newcomers will love the series even more with this haunting new look!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #931747 in Books
• Published on: 2004-08-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-In this continuation of the saga, Strickland effectively follows John Bellairs's style of writing and preserves, and even improves upon, the deceased author's well-rounded and dynamic characters. Every year the students going into junior high put on a talent show for the grade school, and Lewis and Rose Rita decide on a magic act. While they are researching some tricks in a local magician's museum, Rose Rita cuts her finger on an enchanted scroll, and so begin their wild and terrifying adventures.. The plot is fast paced and the story line is captivating. Rose Rita and Lewis are growing up and are dealing with more than evil and the supernatural, and readers will relate to the feelings and pressures with which they must cope. Fans of the previous books will enjoy following these charismatic characters.
Krista Grosick, Cuyahoga County Public Library, OH
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 4^-6. The longest-running alternative to "Goosebumps" stays true to its successful formula in this story based on John Bellairs' mystery-adventure series. After Rose Rita Pottinger falls prey to a long-but-not-yet-permanently-dead adherent of an ancient Egyptian arachnid cult, nerdy Lewis Barnevelt enlists his sorcerous uncle Jonathan and similarly gifted neighbor Florence to rescue Rose Rita from the tomb in which she's imprisoned. Mission, of course, accomplished, after encounters with giant spiders and other deliciously ghastly experiences, for example, "The floor underfoot was unpleasantly soft and spongy, and things squelched under her feet, popping in a horrible liquid way." Yum. If Rose Rita's slow, inexorable ensnarement doesn't put readers on the edges of their seats, the climactic underground encounter certainly will. John Peters

Review
Brace yourself for a wild ride. -- Kirkus Reviews

Is there no end to the suspense John Bellairs can create? -- School Library Journal, starred review

There’s suspense and action aplenty. . . . Perfect for the pre-Stephen King set. -- Booklist

Customer Reviews

Strickland Masters Bellairs' Style in Specter
At first serving as a finisher for the late John Bellair's uncompleted DOOM OF THE HAUNTED OPERA, GHOST IN THE MIRROR, and VENGENCE OF THE WITCHFINDER, Strickland took those characters to new heights in the late 1990s by churning out books like THE HAND OF THE NECROMANCER, and THE BELL,THE BOOK,AND THE SPELLBINDER which mimicked Bellair's writing style down to the letter. In SPECTER, Strickland goes from mimicking the man to being the man. He captures the vocabulary and characterizations of Lewis Barnavelt and company flawlessly in a terrifying story darker than all of the other books combined. Please check out this book. I hope Strickland continues to write. He is hitting his stride now.

A Good Read!
I think that Brad Strickland Did a good job with this title. The story has some depth, and the character development is good, as well. I think this is the best Bellairs' novel that Strickland Has written so far, and would give it a full five stars!

Come long-leggedy beastie...
Initially, one would think that a truly talented author's quirky, unique style could not be very nearly duplicated. But Brad Strickland is doing a fine job with the characters that Bellairs created, and this is one of his best efforts.

Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita Pottinger have to participate in a talent show whether they like it or not. When they hit on the idea of doing a magic show (fake, not real), they end up consulting a friend at a museum who allows them to borrow some books on stage magic. But when Rose Rita picks up an old parchment scroll, she inadvertantly lets a drop of blood fall on some magic dust -- and the dust turns into a living spider. The two of them flee, but Rose Rita brings the scroll, with intent to return it.

Except she then starts acting oddly. When the talent show results in a dismal failure, Rose Rita is left with a burning hatred and a wish for revenge. Then she starts dreaming of becoming a giant spider, and hearing the voice of the scroll's previous owner -- Belle Frisson, a sorceress who now wants to use Rose Rita to rise again and live forever.

This is labelled as a "Lewis Barnavelt" book, but at least half of it focuses on Rose Rita. While fans of Bellairs will be well acquainted with Lewis's insecurities, Strickland takes the opportunity to delve into a few of Rose Rita's. He also manages to give us a message about revenge and hatred and grudges without beating the reader over the head with it. The Message is simply there.

How much of a "Bellairs" book is this? Very much so, and not just in terms of having creepy beasties and a megalomaniac villain. The pacing and tone are very correct, as is the usage of maybe-it's-real-maybe-not ancient magics. I could have used a little more bickering between Mrs. Zimmerman and Uncle Jonathan, but the comforting scene between Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmerman makes up for that.

Strickland does an excellent job with the evil sorceress Belle Frisson, and uses the ever-growing, evil-spirit spider very well also. The idea of a drop of blood turning powder into a malevolent spider is not just good spinechilling material, but it also is quite Bellairsesque.

This is an amazing spinechiller. I do warn you though: Arachnaphobics should definitely not read this book, or they'll never sleep again.