Every once and awhile, I love a good Middle Grade especially when it is on the spookier side. I may be an adult but I am a straight up chicken and sometimes even Middle Grade can be too much! (I’m looking at you Small Spaces!)

When it came to scare factor, I wasn’t sure how spooky this would be but I wanted to give it a try. It’s definitely not on the same playing field as some other paranormal reads like the one mentioned above or City of Ghosts. It is on a lighter note but still has elements, like Ouija boards, to give those shock factors.

I think what helps bring this to a lower digit on the scare factor is that the characters all have their quirks. They were fun to read about but also left you questioning each person because the hotel does have a lot of workers who seem quite suspicious!

The main character, Karma, is twelve and helps her dad with his production company. She is dealing with a lot behind the scenes when it comes to her family because her mom up and left one day. She feels like her dad may do the same. It is a tough subject but I think it is one done well especially for the age range of the book. I also liked seeing a character that is young deal with constantly being worried about everything and what she does to deal with it, like asking a magic 8-ball and seeing a therapist. It’s good to see talks about mental health being done for the Middle Grade range.

Karma also has a trusty sidekick who is an overly large pug named Alfred Hitchcock. She also has a best friend who comes with her for this adventure.

Since the setting has to do with the Stanley Hotel, there is mentions of Stephen King, The Poltergeist, and even The Shining. Most of the references probably wouldn’t be understood by the intended age range but who knows. There may be kids who are into that spooky stuff. There are other references that are more age friendly like Minecraft and Scooby-Doo.

There are also historical references to Harry Houdini and his wife and of course I had to google about it to actually check and sure enough, some of it was actually true. It’s fun to see things from the past be written into books and it always piques my interest.

Overall, this was a fun, just a bit spooky read that I think readers of all ages will like. I am hoping there will be another book with these characters because I am hooked!

Sometimes the twists life throws at you make you stronger. They teach you who you truly are and what (who) is most important to you. And sometimes they also makes you really good at hunting ghosts. Karma Moon is a 12-year-old compulsive worrier and believer in all things "woo woo". She lives in the West Village with her dad and helps him with his documentary company when she's not hanging out with her best friend Mags. She also regularly sees her therapist, because ever since her mom left, Karma's worries have been debilitating. But when her dad gets a call from Netflix about filming a ghost hunting documentary at a famous hotel in Colorado, she just knows everything is going to change for the better! With Mag by her side, Karma tries to help her dad with this life-changing opportunity. They only problem? The ghosts don't seem to want to cooperate. Can Karma, Mags, and their new (super cute) friend Nyx uncover the mysteries of the haunted hotel, save Karma's dad from bankruptcy, and even maybe get Karma's mom to come home finally? Karma soon learns that having the right people in your life means everything, and the ones who are gone are gone for a reason. And you know what? That's ok. This book is fun and cute, but it's also very emotional. It tackles the pain and confusion of parental separation and abandonment, but also illustrates the power of family (both biological and chosen). The ghost story, which is genuinely creepy at times, is a fun mystery with several twists. But the main meat of Karma Moon--Ghost Hunter is Karma's relationships with the people around her and herself. She experiences growth, grief, and joy, and her by the end of the book she is a different girl. This book is perfect for young readers who enjoy Harriet the Spy, Scooby Doo, and the idea of watching classic horror movies they're still a bit too young for!

Karma Moon is going ghost hunting! Karma Moon and her dad are given the opportunity to create a ghost-hunting docu-series for Netflix, one they can’t refuse. So along with her dad’s film crew and her best friend Mags, Karma is off to a famous haunted house in Colorado on the hunt for a ghost! Things get off to a strange start and Karma finds herself wondering what is happening at this haunted house! Throw in some fortune telling, a magic 8 ball, and a cute boy who wants to be an illusionist, and what we have is a fun ghost hunting story. Karma moon definitely has anxiety, where she finds herself constantly asking “what ifs” and worrying and panicking to the point where she can’t breathe. She’s dealing with her parents divorce and if her dad’s company cant capture a ghost, they might not get the series and they might not be able to make rent. Karma is dealing with a lot of heavy issues on top of her anxiety, but she is constantly trying her best and working on fun investigative work. The story was a fun read and I would definitely recommend it!

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This was a super cute, quick read, and I loved all of Karmas doodles that are sprinkled throughout the pages.
Karma has some bad anxiety which she calls the what-ifs.. and I really connected to that, especially when I was younger. I love how everyone just excepts that this is who Karma is, and they don't try and change her, they just let her be who she is.
Karma and her best friend Mags travel with Karmas dad, and his production company to do a netflix documentary on the Stanley Hotel. I really enjoyed Karmas and Mags friendship, and how they are with each other. One of my favorite things is when they are arguing about what lives in the void from the movie Poltergeist. Karma really thinks is pink Jello, and Mags thinks its ghost guts..
Karma is head of research for her dads company so her and Mags start asking questions and investigating. They come across some things that seem like a real haunting, but also some things that are phony baloney.
I think the only thing I would have like more of, was for it to be spookier/ more scary moments with the ghosts. Even without the added scare I did really enjoy reading this, and would read more of Karma Moon and Totally Rad Productions filming more haunted things.

I like the doodles and chapter names. I liked the cover. Karma has a hippie name with meaning. I like the tone and pace. I like the characters and dialogue. I liked reading about karmas life. Cute quick read.

Every reference in this book felt very much like an adult trying to be cool and hip and failing. This was fine overall, but I think there are much better similar middle grade books out there.

What a fun book this was! I loved ghost stories as a kid, and I would have eaten a book like Karma Moon right up. Karma’s a regular kid dealing with anxiety and a parent that ditched her for greener pastures. Karma and her dad are tight, but so is money. Her dad gets a call from Netflix to film a ghost documentary at a haunted Colorado hotel (and yes, it’s the exact hotel you’re thinking of). Under enormous pressure, Karma tries to balance her anxiety and her responsibility to help her dad deliver a show that will save their family’s financial problems.

Karma’s anxiety, or what-ifs, are sensitively portrayed. She relies on a combination of therapy and “woo-woo” to handle them, and her family and friends readily accept this aspect of her. The talk about kissing makes me inch up this recommendation for grades 6 and up, although without it I think 5th graders would enjoy it as well. The story, for only taking place over a week, did seem to drag in the middle, with the only real action coming at the end. And I’m not sure that most kids are really familiar enough with Poltergeist or The Shining to really get those references. Still, a fun enough book for ghost-obsessed middle schoolers.

Karma Moon is afraid of everything, which does not bode well when her father's documentary team is hired by Netflix to investigate the notoriously haunted Stanley Hotel. With best friend Mags, Karma digs deep into the paranormal happenings at the hotel. Along the way she meets several interesting characters - and it's up to her to find out if they're friends or part of the "phoney baloney" going on at the Stanley. While Karma becomes a true ghost hunter, she must also deal with big changes in her family and her own feelings of insecurity.

Karma Moon - Ghost Hunter is such a fantastic middle grade book. The reader gets to see Karma go from someone who is full of self-doubt and worries to someone who is more confident and knows better how to handle her anxieties. Mags makes the perfect best friend, and it's impossible not to love these two characters together. The plot is also fun, engaging, and the perfect mix of silly, spooky, and mysterious.

This seems like a fun book for grades 3-5, and it's not all that spooky. I appreciated the depiction of Karma's anxiety, though her voice seemed a little TOO bubbly some of the time. I will also mention that I didn't appreciate the joking references to "bad juju," considering juju describes a real (and broad) set of magical practices (and it would've been great if Karma--and the novel-- expanded her interests beyond a very Westernized idea of karma and all things mystical).

3.5 stars
Karma Moon, her dad and best friend head to the Stanley Hotel to catch a ghost on film for a Netflix series. Karma worries that if they don’t her father won’t be able to stay in their apartment. Karma struggles with anxiety since her mother left. She relies on her best friend Mags, the strategies her therapist gave her and her Magic 8 ball to cope. This was a good not so scary ghost story for middle grades. I would have liked to see a little more spooky and action in the book.

Karma and her father are on their own after her mother runs off with five suitcases to live life on a beach with a new friend. Karma's father makes documentaries with two of his friends, who form Totally Rad Productions. They have made a pitch to Netflix about a ghost hunting show that gets picked up, and before they know it, Karma is staying at a haunted hotel in Colorado with her dad's film crew and her best friend, Mags. The hotel seems safe enough, but Karma has struggled with anxiety since her mother's departure, and the "what ifs" swirl in her brain. She carries a Magic 8 ball with her and believes strongly in what her father calls "woo-woo". On the upside, she has been seeing Dr. Finkleman, who has given her coping techniques to deal with her anxiety. The hotel has a colorful staff, including a boy whom Mags likes, a gift shop proprietor who has been there since 1972, a cleaning person named Ruby Red, and a progression of managers, who all seem to depart in dramatic ways. After the departure of the latest (Mr. Plum, who left in an Uber... while clad only in his underwear!), the film crew, along with a certified ghost expert, try to document the hauntings in order to make the show. Will Karma be able to get through the time while managing her anxiety, dealing with the thoughts about her mother, and hanging out with the interesting Nyx?
Strengths: This is on trend with current depiction of children with anxiety, and I did like that Karma saw Dr. Finkleman frequently, had a range of coping strategies, and her friend Mags not only knew about this, but often reminded Karma to call upon those strategies. Probably also a good idea that Karma shouldn't watch Dateline OR Scooby-Doo! Living in a hotel for ten days would be a lot of fun, and filming a documentary for Netflix only adds to the excitement. This had much the same kind of feel of Bradley's Midnight at the Barclay Hotel, Guterson's Winterhouse, or even Milford's Greenglass House.
Weaknesses: I wasn't a huge fan of all the quirky hotel staff.
What I really think: This was a fun ghost story that wasn't too scary, and would be great for grades 3-6. My own students have proven to be much more interested in truly scary things, so I wished this had been a bit scarier, like Poblocki's The Ghost Hunter's Daughter or even Currie's Scritch Scratch. For the type of hotel book my students like, look no further than Balog's Alone.

This is a fun, spooky romp for middle graders. The main character, Karma, has a distinctive voice and the writing is humorous. Young readers will appreciate the little illustrations throughout.

Karma Moon, her father, her best friend, and her dog Alfred Hitchcock pack up and head to a haunted hotel to make a documentary series for Netflix. The Netflix deal has 1 catch: get a ghost on film or no deal. There's definitely something spooky going on at the Stanley, but Karma also has to deal with her crushing anxiety and grief over her absent mother. Readers will love Karma, her obsession with all things "woo-woo", and the colorful characters at the Stanley Hotel. A great recommendation for kids who want spooky, but not scary reads.

This book had just as much of the superstition/pseudoscience angle as Nessie Quest, which I read earlier this year, but with even more heart!

Also I Nyx's real name made me laugh out loud.