Erratum:
"I didn't want to your friend..." To be or not to be?! That is the question! I think it should have been "to be your friend."

This is from an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.

I really wanted to like this book but I could not. It was so negatively-written and it went on and on for so very long, with an unremitting aura of sadness and defeat about it, that I do not think it appropriate for the middle-grade audience for which it appears to have been written. It seems more like a young-adult novel, but it's not a good recommendation even for that group. I think if it had been about half- or two-thirds the length, and had some upbeats added here and there to leaven a dour, unremitting funereal drumbeat of poison and tragedy, it would have been much improved. As it was, it made the 1998 movie Heathers look like a Care Bears story, and that is really too much.

There were two main characters: Annie and Elsie, and there was very little to like about either of them. Annie was glommed onto by Elsie when she changed her school. Elsie is thoroughly unlikable from start to finish and her behavior seems to make little sense at times. Se literally had no saving graces whatsoever.

We get hints here and there of a sad past, but this is never shared with the reader, which I think was a mistake since it left us with no choice but to assume that Elsie was simply a liar on top of all her other defects, but even had it been true, and even had it been a thoroughly tragic past, it would have failed to make her any more likable because she was more caricature than character.

Annie was a different kettle of go-fish and was portrayed as the victim (and not in a good way) throughout this whole story. She never learned anything, never changed, never grew, and never improved. She did not make things happen; she had things happen to her and did not even react to them except to let them carry her away in the Elsie tide, and she never even tried to swim against the current. Such a helpless maiden-in-distress was she that she had to be rescued in the end in a way which was telegraphed from way ahead of the event. She was such a limp worthless character that it was impossible to like her either.

The story is one of relentless bullying, brutality and cruelty, and all of this is from the hands of these young girls, who seem wholly out of character for the era in which they are depicted. Rosie and her allies detest Elsie, and it's not unjustified. They start hating Annie because Elsie has 'captured' her first, but when Annie sees how awful Elsie is, she sides with the other girls, and rightly so. I'm sorry, but it's impossible to feel any sort of sympathy for Elsie.

The sad thing is that despite all this abuse going on, not one single adult ever steps up to enforce discipline, not even Annie's parents. The adults are so bland and vaguely constructed that there is no difference between any of them and for all they contribute, they could have been dispensed with completely and the story would have remained largely unchanged.

What happens is that, since this is set in the 1918-1919 era of the flu pandemic, Elsie dies, and comes back to haunt Annie, making her do vengeful things which eventually land her in a home that is one step shy of an asylum. Elsie follows her there, making her situation worse, but no matter what Annie does, Elie's behavior never changes. It makes no sense! Not that Annie really does anything save whine about her lot in life, and since this is written in first person, it makes for a very tedious read. I kept on reading in hopes of a turn-around or at least an improvement, but there was none to be found here.

Annie is a completely unmotivated character who is blown about in Elsie's wind. At the risk of a spoiler, she is not the only one affected by Elsie, but we learn of this only in a passing sentence or two at the end. I think the story would have been immeasurably improved if the other stories had been told, but this monotonous focus on Annie and Elsie, which essentially goes nowhere for three hundred pages, is too much. Everything is resolved in the end, but there is no build up to it. It takes place literally in the space of a half-dozen pages at the end and so is rather abrupt. perhaps the author herself grew tired of how this was dragging itself out?

There was a good story to be told here, but we did no get it. The author found the root of this story in something her own mother, who lived through the pandemic, told her about how she and some friends would 'pay their respects' at wakes (which were held in family homes back then) so they could grab some free drinks and food, but they were scared out of this behavior when they attended one at which they soon learned that the deceased's body was that of a schoolmate of theirs: a girl they did not know had died. There is a different, interesting story right there to tell, but again that's not the one we got.

Everything is spaced out in this book, including the text and margins. If the margins had been smaller, and the lines of print slightly closer together the book could have been maybe fifty or more pages shorter and a few trees saved. Again, that's not what we got. Once more I have to beg a publisher to consider what they are doing to the trees when they format a book as liberally as this. There are better ways. In an ebook, which is what I got for this review, there are no trees harmed, of course, but a longer book still takes more transmission time over the Internet and that requires the use of more energy, so again, a longer book is less kind to the environment.

I wish the author all the best, but I cannot recommend this read.

One for Sorrow
by Mary Downing Hahn
Mary Hahn looks into the great flu epidemic from a child’s point of view. Mainly from the stories that her grandmother gave of what had happened during that time. The returning troops in 1918 from the first world war brought back a form of influenza that was more virulent that ever seen before. People died by the thousands, and families held wakes in their houses at that time. Her grandmother and her friends pretended to visit those wakes for free sweets and drinks. This story shows how someone would think to do that and how they would regret their decisions. This book also shows many hard truths about bullies and how they affect children. It is a good story to begin a classroom discussion about responsibility, personal expectation, when it comes to your behaviors.

Mary Downing Hahn is still the master of spooky stories for kids! "One for Sorrow" sent chills down my spine! 5/5 stars.

I did not like the book. The girls are all horrible, their bullying was so horrifying! None of the adults care about it and they don't change after all the things that happened. Instead of being scared, I was being annoyed-_- The pandemic backdrop was awesome though, I really wish we get to know the time more.

7 Crows for a secret, not to be told

The book begins when Annie Browne and her family move to Mount Pleasant. Annie will be the new kid at Pearce Academy for Girls. She's in the 6th grade and she's afraid that she won't be able to make new friends. On Annie's first day of school one girl latches on to her and more or less demands that she be her one and only friend. The girl, Elsie, is hated by EVERYONE! She's a horrible, mean, destructive little girl. The other girls in class harass her, pick on her, exclude her – basically, bully her and make her life miserable. But Elsie seems to deserve it, after all, she's a tattle-tale, a liar and a thief.

Annie is able to get away from Elsie and Annie is able to make friends with the other “popular” girls. Annie
soon finds herself caught up with the bullying even though she does feel guilty about it.

The year is 1918, the year the Spanish flu epidemic hit and millions of people died. When Elsie dies of the Spanish flu – she returns as a ghost to haunt Annie and take her revenge! Without spoiling the book for readers, I'll just say, Elsie's revenge plot is horrible! What a mean, nasty little ghost she is – just like she was when alive.

I loved the eerie book cover art. It is sooo fitting to the story. The characters are very well developed and it's easy to see, in my mind's eye, this little group of 12 year old school girls running and playing in the school yard {and doing the other not so nice things they do}.

This is an excellent ghost story for middle school aged children and older. It would be a great addition to any school library.

As a parent, I can see SO many lessons a parent could discuss with their child(ren) from this book. Moral, ethical, what is {and is NOT} socially acceptable behavior of children, or adults for that matter.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC book in exchange for an honest review.
My review will be posted on amazon, goodreads, netgalley and moonshineartspot.blogspot

This will go live on my blog on Monday. Kellyvision.wordpress.com.

Annie is the new girl at school, and it's awful. Elsie is the only girl who will talk to her, and she's the class freak. Not surprisingly, Annie is now the other class freak. (And it's deserved, honestly; Elsie is awful.) When Elsie gets sick, Annie has a chance to make the popular girls like her...and it works! Except Elsie then gets the Spanish flu and dies...although (like Helen in the scariest kids book ever, Wait til Helen Comes), it doesn't seem to matter. She's still very much around.

This is an excellent, creepy and fun story. It's not as scary as her earlier novel Wait til Helen Comes, but that's OK. It's still very well-written and genuinely unsettling.

Elsie can affect things. She can touch people (who can't touch her back) and she can also damage things. Scariest of all, she can also almost possess Annie and make her say and do things. And, of course, Annie is blamed for everything. (Pro tip: if you blame things on your dead classmate, no one will believe you.)

I love that Mary Downing Hahn is still writing intensely creepy novels. This one is sure to bring a bit of Halloween to your end-of-summer fun.

I found this title online and was happy to receive it through Net Galley for my iPad.

It is billed as a children’s book, but I think the content more appropriate for YA or adults. (similar to the conversations about WOLF HOLLOW — is that really a children’s book? I say not).

In this novel, young Annie is the new girl at school and she snubs an unpopular but clingy and unkind girl, who then contracts influenza and haunts Annie. Lots to think and talk about with this one in regards to how we treat others, and/or in the historical context of WWI.
Again — it’s not just for children! I enjoyed it and read it straight through in a sitting.
Thank you for my review copy!

A haunting story, indeed, more so for the first part of the story when the girls are so callous about death and so mean to Elsie. And when Annie goes along with the other girls, tormenting Elsie who tried to be her friend, you know ... can feel that retribution is at hand. Fans of Mary Downing Hahn will not be disappointed in this one.

Mean girls overshadow ambiance in Mary Downing Hahn’s One For Sorrow

ONE FOR SORROW: A Ghost Story, by Mary Downing Hahn, Clarion Books, July 18, 2017, Hardcover, $16.99 (ages 10 and up)

The first book I read by Mary Downing Hahn was Wait Till Helen Comes. I got my paperback copy through a book order. That was around 1988-ish. I still have my copy. It’s a book that’s always stuck with me; the setting was absolute perfection. It’s with Wait Till Helen Comes in mind that I started reading Hahn’s latest middle-grade ghost story, One For Sorrow.

One For Sorrow takes place during WWI against the backdrop of the 1918 influenza epidemic. The book follows Annie as she enters a new school and is immediately claimed as best friend by Elsie, the school outcast. No one likes Elsie, who makes life miserable for all her classmates, tattling, lying and thieving when it suits her. Annie learns this firsthand when Elsie invites herself to Annie’s house and deliberately ruins Annie’s things.

Annie wants nothing to do with Elsie, and when Elsie doesn’t come to school for a week, Annie takes advantage of the situation. Soon Annie has the kind of friends she’s always had and has always wanted. When Elsie returns, Annie finds herself on the other side of things, joining her new friends in teasing and tormenting Elsie.

The girls aren’t in school long, though, before the influenza epidemic forces its closure. Thousands of people are ill and dying, and Elsie is one of them. When Elsie dies, Annie thinks she’s finally free, but she’s wrong. Elsie returns as a ghost to reclaim Annie’s friendship and punish everyone else. Annie is going to be Elise’s friend whether she likes it or not.

Hahn has a gift for creating a spooky atmosphere. One For Sorrow is nuanced and creepy. Even on a sunny day, you still have the shivers. You become fully immersed in the world she’s created. I just wish the world she created had characters I actually cared about.

It seems like all the children in One For Sorrow have a nasty streak. It’s not just Elsie who’s awful, although she immediately stands out as a horrid child. Annie and her other friends are by no means angels. They bully and taunt Elsie horribly, and then when school is closed they start visiting wakes of dead children they don’t know in order to get treats. Annie feels guilty about the practice, but her distaste doesn’t keep her from joining in.

One For Sorrow follows the typical ghost story plot for this age — outcast girl comes back from the grave to exact revenge. It’s a well-written book that moves quickly and is delightfully creepy. But without at least one character I really wanted to root for, it fell flat.

What can I say about Mary Downing Hahn that die-hard fans don't already know, think, or feel?
She is awesome. I am 45 and I love her books. She never disappoints, and One For Sorrow is no exception.

This is a ghost story set during the influenza epidemic of 1918. The material is well handled and (as usual) Ms.. Hahn's writing is straight forward, relatable and just well done.

This is the only author that I, as an adult, buy on the first day she releases a new work.

I wish I'd discovered Mary Downing Hahn when I was a kid--she really scratches that itch for gentle-ish horror and scares without the slasher-movie elements of RL Stine.

The Spanish Flu tears through town. A new girl is instantly claimed by an outcast, despite her wishes to go with the more popular girls. She manages to break away, but the betrayal stings--and the outcast girl swears revenge.

Really enjoyed this and will recommend to 4-6th graders looking for something creepy.

I would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group for granting my wish on Netgalley and providing me with a free electronic ARC of this book.

Now I want to remind people now that ‘One for Sorrow’ is of the “children’s fiction” genre. I wouldn’t even put it into the YA genre, more the tween (middle school in USA) genre. And I knew this when I asked to read it as, quite frankly, I loved ghost stories when I was that age and the blurb of this book reminded me of such books.

And I wasn’t disappointed!

The era the story was based in was clearly researched, and I do love the author’s note at the end explaining the inspiration for the story. Just added to the whole story and explained why the setting was so vivid.

And the ghostly hauntings were just right for the age group it is aimed at. A little hair raising, but not so scary as needing to only read it in the daylight (or in your parents room as it’s so scary) - yes, that was me as a tween (all those eons ago) when I was reading a particularly scary kid’s book. I like a scare…. But not such a scare as I couldn’t sleep in the dark. So, yeah, my teacher reading the class ‘The Triffids’ was right out! ;-)

‘One for Sorrow’ was a fabulous balance of history, adventure and spine tingling scares - that weren’t so scary that the child might need to lock the book away in a drawer because it scared them too much (me again aged 9). I enjoyed it so much I am going to go hunting for more children’s ghost stories by Ms Downing Hahn and also see if I can encourage my own kids to read them. Sadly, they are not into scary books like I was. No idea where I’ve gone wrong with that area of parenting. ;-)

Would I recommend this book to others?

Yes I would. My children are aged 13, 10 and 8 and I honestly do feel the older two - if they read ghost stories - would thoroughly enjoy this tale. I am going to try my electronic copy on them next time they tell me they are bored and just see how we go. But yes, I feel this book is perfect for the age group it was written for (and those who enjoy that genre but may be a tad older like me) and would indeed recommend it. Though I would emphasise the obvious - it’s a ghost story. Be prepared if you’re kids do find it too scary. I don’t think they would… but I could be wrong.

Would I buy this book for myself?

Not for myself exactly, but yes I would definitely consider ‘One for Sorrow’, and others like it by Ms Downing Hahn for my children to read. Ghost stories can be such fun when they are written well, and this one was indeed written well!

In summary: A great little ghost tale for children and children at heart who want a little scare.

The story begins narrated in first person from the point of view of Annie; She is a girl who has just moved and has to face her first day in a new school and neighborhood. Annie is not very good at making friends, although in her old home she never had a problem to have them, she just does not know if she will be able to adapt.

That morning after the presentation she feels a little rejected and shortly after going to rest the prospect of being alone becomes more real, until she is intercepted by one of her new companions, who takes him by the hand without even asking.

Elsie, her self-proclaimed new best friend, is a rugged, rugged girl who turns Annie into her company whether she wants it or not. So is our protagonist, who is being friends with Elsie for fear of reprisals, and although she does not sympathize.

But, something good happens: one day Elsie does not show up at school, and that day Annie is free to play at break with the other girls. That day, everything changes. She begins to spend time with the popular ones, with whom she feels happy, and forgets Elsie, at least until the times when she and her new friends annoy her.

Annie and most people are worried about getting the flu, which has already claimed the lives of many citizens. And yes, the flu visits her school, but the one she takes is not Annie, it's Elsie.

After the bad times that made her pass, Annie feels guilty but convinces herself that she must forget and that from now on Elsie will not bother her again. A big mistake. Elsie is determined to be her friend, whether she is alive or not, and will come to any end to make sure of it.

So, this is what we have. It is a story disaggregated enough in the synopsis so we already know what we are going to face, it might have been better to read it without knowing some things but it does not affect too much.

Without deepening we get to know the most characters well. Annie, our narrator is, of course, the most known; She is an average girl, likes to play at rest and walk with her friends after school. And she is a character that contrasts strongly with Elsie, who opposes her: she has no loving parents, many toys, and above all, friends.

Before Annie's arrival, Elsie was always the object of the mockery of her companions: Fat, liar, stranger, German; These and many more insults kept repeating themselves, and that was how, at that early age, Elsie learned to hate.

There is something that for me highlights, and is that despite being a Middle Grade book the personalities are quite complex, especially what has to do with Elsie. We find a girl who both before and after dying has a strong aversion to the world after being set apart for years, is cruel and has pretty strong ideas of how she wants to carry out her revenge.

The author builds this story, that yes, it is about ghosts but without having to resort to frightening moments but attending to the personages; And achieving a simple plot that entertains and leaves you satisfied at the end.

There is also the simple prose that Annie tells us, very much from the point of view of a child but without being exaggeratedly childish or foolish. And to take into account that it is narrated by a girl directed at children, who at no time despises their problems or minimizes them.

The reading is extremely fast, if you like the story you do not realize that the pages are happening, suddenly you are already in the middle and then you arrive at the end without more, and being a book with age range children I take this as a virtue, that quickness saved from boredom. The only thing to criticize would be that the end will accelerate a bit but nothing very abrupt.

Reading in English: While it is a simple language, one should be careful with some words because being a book based on 1800 in some dialogues goes to that type of language, which is not difficult for a young understanding but can be complicated so that we are not native to the language.

One for Sorrow is an another addition to Mary Downing Hahn’s ever-growing oeuvre, and it’s a solid one, although perhaps not as refreshing or as creepy as I had hoped.

Against the influenza epidemic of 1918, Annie is a new girl at school. She’s immediately claimed as best friend by Elsie, a bossy tattletale classmate who Annie somewhat sympathizes with because of her horrible situation at home. Yet Elsie easily distances Annie from the other classmates, destroys her favorite doll, and soon turns out to be the worst friend in history. When Elsie is ill for a week, Annie makes new friends, much to Elsie’s dismay.

Then, the influenza epidemic strikes, and Elsie grows ill and dies. She returns from the dead to haunt Annie and her new friends, and to make Annie believes she’s responsible for Elsie dying. She makes Annie’s life a miserable, going so far as to get her locked up in an insane asylum. Annie must find a way to fight back against her unwanted ghostly companion.

It’s old school horror, but doesn’t have any of the delicious eeriness that usually accompanies those stories. The historical setting works, the writing is excellent, the children are cruel and wicked, but it’s still missing something. Elsie’s ghost isn’t particularly scary. She lets Annie do wicked things, but it’s not scary, not creepy, not eerie.

Also, all the characters are horrible. Even Annie. She decides to hate Elsie right away when it’s obvious and should be obvious to her that Elsie has a horrible childhood and could really use a friend. Maybe Elsie should temper it down somewhat, but she could still use a friend. I found it downright cruel how even the adults were mean to Elsie. That’s terrible. All the girl characters were nasty and spoiled, and the adults weren’t much better.

I was also rather annoyed by Annie not being able to do anything on her own. She wanted to get rid of Elsie’s ghost, but she didn’t really do anything about it. She didn’t try research, or try to contact anyone who could help her. She was very passive, and just let things happen to her.

Anyway, it’s a good story for middle graders, but not the best, although I did enjoy the writing and pacing, and the historical setting. The characters just weren’t very likeable, and the story wasn’t creepy enough.

This book is a heartbreaking and unique look at bullying within the context of World War I. I've read Mary's Downing Hahn's ghost stories since I was a girl, and I remember being chilled by the haunting in her stories. This story was chilling in another way. It takes a look at a young girls wish to fit in, bullying, compromise, and insanity. It was well done and left me thinking long after the final pages.

Who doesn't love a good ghost story!Though I have never read anything by this author I have read reviews with positive remarks about her previous works. For a middle grade audience I knew it couldn't be too too spooky but still enough to grab the attention of that age group.

I have to admit at the 30% mark I was ready to give up, to me this was just Mean Girls on steroids. I got the just of the picture the author was painting but it just seemed to go on and on. When we were first introduced to Annie she comes across as a sweet shy girl then she becomes so nasty, I get how that fit into the story but it felt to fast and uncharacteristic. I would have loved to known more about Elsie's home life and why she was a tattletale, liar and thief.

As for the ghosty scary spooky side of the story I didn't feel that at all and again there was a stretch in the middle/last third that was the same thing over and over again, there was no surprise or suspense as to who the ghost was and. I only continued to read because I was curious about the ending.

It was a good ending and I loved how the author played on her mother's own history here. It's a time period lacking in MA HF and I commend the author for tackling it.

However I did find this book somewhat disturbing and not really one that I would recommend to my nine-year-old granddaughter.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC ebook copy.

Readers who enjoy scary stories that will keep them up all night, and subsequent nights, will certainly enjoy this book.! The plot is written against the backdrop of the Flu Epidemic of 1928, which resulted in so many, many deaths. Annie, a new student, is befriended, not by choice, by Elsie, a mean, disliked fellow student. When Annie manages to extricate herself from Elsie's grasp, she joins the "in" group of girls and becomes one of Elsie's tormentors. When Elsie succumbs to the flu, her ghost appears in Annie's life, causing grave complications.
No one will be able to put this book down until its completion. The ominous belief or non-belief in ghosts will certainly heighten the tension. If young readers like to be frightened., this book certainly accomplishes that.

2.5 stars. I've read a few of Mary Downing Hahn's books and liked them quite a bit. I don't read a lot of middle grade, but her books are usually fun, creepy reads. This one I did not like as much as the others I've read. Despite there being a ghost, this was not a creepy book, and that disappointed me. Most of this book was not pleasant to read. There is a lot of bullying done among school girls and although I wanted to feel badly for the girl that was being bullied, and I did at times, it was hard to because she was just as mean as the bullies. For most of the book none of the girls were really likable because of all of the meanness, but in the end the girls all do change. But it does take a vengeful ghost to get them to that point.

The thing I found most interesting about this book was that it was inspired by a story from the author's mothers own experience of living during the Spanish influenza and surviving it. The part in the book when the girls go to the different homes to pay their respects to and view the dead, mainly so they can get free cake, candy, and punch was something her mother and her mother's friends actually did, and they really did end up at a house that belonged to one of their classmates that they had no idea had died until they saw her in the coffin.

If you like reading books about mean girls or vengeful ghosts you might like this book, but for me it was just ok.

Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group for giving me a copy of this book.

*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

For a middle grade book, this is quite scary!! I know I read some of Hahn's other novels when I was in elementary school/early middle school, but that was a long time ago. I only remember thinking that her novels weren't scary, but by 7th grade I was reading Stephen King. I stand corrected! "One for Sorrow" isn't Stephen King-esque horror, but it is a well nuanced ghost story.

Eliza desperately tries to befriend the new girl at school, Annie. But Annie soon realizes that Eliza has a mean streak ('mean' might be too kind of an adjective), and decides to have nothing to do with her. Instead, she becomes part of the popular clique, led by charismatic Rosie. When Eliza dies of the 1918 influenza, like so many others in their community, she begins to haunt Annie. Eliza was a spiteful twelve year-old, and her ghost is even more vicious. If she can't be a happy living girl, Annie won't be able to, either!

While reading, I was really afraid for Annie. Eliza is a relentless force, and she places a lot of blame on Annie for the shortcomings in her own life. I did feel a little uneasy about the way Annie and her friends antagonized Eliza, partly because of her unflinching personality, but also because she and her family are one of the few Germans in town. America is still in the midst of WWI during the novel, and German-Americans are shunned and persecuted. Annie does seem to realize (however vaguely) that shouting racist epithets isn't good behavior, but this isn't fully addressed, and the lines are drawn too starkly between the good (Annie) and the bad (Eliza).

Hahn tends to pick hard times in our history to draw on and examine how pain and suffering can affect children throughout history. This novel followed in these lines, yet, for me, fell short of her normal greatness.
The influenza outbreak is a lesser known part of history for most children today and will be hard for them to understand from the beginning. There needs to be a little more history at the start of the tale, rather than the end, to make sure that children know what they are reading about (time, location, customs, etc.).
Annie is a well-defined character that allows readers to sympathize with and understand her thoughts and feelings. It is frustrating at times to read when her character refuses to talk to anyone (parents, doctors, friends) about what is going on with her as I feel this would be more effective for her instead of shutting everyone out.
Elise is a great villainous character, with a mean attitude and predisposition for breaking things, yet it does not feel real. Elise is mean from the beginning (dominating Annie and breaking her doll without remorse) instead of developing a mean streak which would have been more believable. In fact, most friendships in this novel are unrealistic which puts a damper on the lessons learned.
There is a good plot and story to follow with this novel, but it needs more refining to truly have a meaning or believability.