May 2023 Review Issue
Established in 1976, the Midwest Book Review is an organization committed to promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. The MBR publishes the following monthly book review magazines specifically designed for community and academic librarians, booksellers, and the general reading public:
The Weber House
Mark Lance
theweberhousemystery.com
Atmosphere Press
https://atmospherepress.com
9781639885794, $11.99 Paper/$7.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Weber-House-Mark-Lance/dp/163988579X
Nicole Kelly’s new home is haunted. She discovers this fact as her mother is driving them to join her father at their latest abode in the small town of Elk River in rural Maine. Did anyone ask her if she wanted to move? Of course not. But here she is: collateral damage in a family effort to build a new life.
The Weber House will reach young adults interested in mystery and detective stories with its powerful story of friendships and problem-solving. Entering eighth grade is supposed to be fun, but Nicole discovers that starting all over is easier said than done.
Ironically, as her life becomes filled with new friends, ghosts, pirates, and another outcast who is proud of her Native American roots, Nicole comes to discover more about history, prejudice, and superstition than she ever experienced in New Jersey.
Mark Lance uses the allure of a ghost story and mystery to build the foundations of an equally appealing story of friendships, new beginnings, and unexpected, unusual connections made between very different girls.
Teens drawn to the story for its supernatural promise will come to appreciate its underlying messages about racism, bullying, and proactive thinking. These create powerful messages about perseverance, problem-solving, and life lessons.
It’s also important to note that the Native American historical and cultural components of this story are reinforced by Lance’s consultations with experts, including “Chief Richard Menard from the Missisquoi Abenaki Nation. Without knowing me whatsoever, Chief Menard not only read the story but offered it to others in his family and the Abenaki community in Swanton, Vermont.”
What began as a gift for his daughter to reflect their experiences and shared vacations in Maine has evolved into an important story compelling both for its action and adventure and for its cultural and social insights.
Libraries and readers seeking the allure of the supernatural juxtaposed with real-world experiences and concerns will find The Weber House an immersive experience that draws from its opening lines and proves riveting to its unexpected, powerfully thought-provoking conclusion.