The Ghost in Apartment 2R by Denis Markell (review)
Buy Issue for $25 at JHUP- The Ghost in Apartment 2R by Denis Markell
2019 [320p]
Library ed. ISBN 978-0-525-64573-3 $19.99
Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-525-64571-9 $16.99
E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-525-64572-6 $9.99
Reviewed from galleys Ad Gr. 5-7
Thirteen-year-old Danny Kantrowitz has two problems: 1) his parents are breaking their promise to let him move out of his current bedroom (a closet) into his college-bound brother's bedroom, and 2) said room appears to be haunted. The latter is particularly an issue because his parents are renting out that room on AirHotel, and whatever is haunting the room seems intent on keeping it empty. After possessed guests confront Danny asking "Where is my little boy?", he and his friends seek answers; a trip to Danny's Bubbe Ruth reveals the presence is a dybbuk, a malicious spirit of a dead person in Jewish mythology. While the premise is intriguing and more than a bit wacky, slow pacing and a lack of action mean this story never really gets off the ground (unlike the levitating possessed guests). Most of the plot can be distilled to Danny telling his friends, brainy Nat and boorish Gus, about the newest spooky happening in the apartment, then hearing some admittedly creepy stories from the culture of one of their relatives or Brooklyn neighbors. A diverse, interesting cast and a few hair-raising ghost stories may nonetheless breathe enough life into this tale to appeal to fans of comic spookiness.
