Mallory moved from busy Chicago to the small town of Eastport, Massachusetts where it is Halloween all the time, as it is billed as the most haunted city in the U.S. Since arriving Mallory has problems sleeping, and quickly finds out her neighbor, also a transplant to Eastport, can't sleep either. Mallory and friends have to find a way to appease the ghost of Sweet Mary before the town's celebration of Molly's brother's tragic seafaring death.

Currie has a way with ghost stories! Definitely creepy and very appealing to middle school students. I think this is probably my favorite of hers so far. Great readers advisory recommendation for middle grade students who are Mary Downing Hahn fans.

This was such an entertaining mystery that kept me hooked all the way! I really enjoyed the whole town spooky atmoshphere and how they were all obsessed with legends and curses and the main character and her friends squad were great. I really liked their dynamics and how they were working together to try to figure out what's going on! The family business Mal's parents had with the restaurant was a nice touch too and I liked seeing her actually having a part time job there. It's something I haven't seen explored too much in MG. All in all, this was a solid fun spooky middle grade story perfect for fall . I adored the author's writing style and I'm running to read her backlist now!

I guess that’s part of living in Eastport, though. According to the locals, everything bad that happens here can be linked to one curse or another.

Themes and vibes:

• moody, atmospheric and spooky vibes
• small Halloween-all-year town
• tormented, revengeful ghost
• perfect autumn read
• a dash of mystery

The Girl in White is a spooky, atmospheric middle grade ghost story that is perfect for autumn.

I loved the setting so much - even though it would probably drive Mallory crazy, I would totally be one of the tourists in her parents’ restaurant, on the edge of my seat to hear her mother's chilling tales.

I liked Mallory. She was quite relatable in many ways, and someone who was easy to root for. I also loved the family, friendship and mystery aspects of the story. Just wish we got more from the ghost.

If you want to see my much more in depth review, you can check it out on my book blog NovelOnMyMind.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Kids and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Girl in White by Lindsay Currie in exchange for an honest review.

A twelve-year-old girl named Mallory lives in Eastport, Massachusetts, also known as the most cursed city in the USA. Her parents own a restaurant that especially thrives during the best month of the year, Halloween month. However, Mallory is not very fond of this strange and spooky city. Then mysterious things start to happen. She has the same dream almost every single night and feels watched even when she can’t see anyone. Mallory discovers she has bigger problems to solve as the story progresses.

The narrative's idea is appealing, but I don't believe it was executed adequately. I had a lot of issues with some parts of the plot. For instance, Molly's parents' insensibility at the beginning of the book, while she was going through all these terrifying events, felt out of the ordinary. Other characters have little to no development.

If this had not been ARC, I would have stopped reading somewhere in the middle. Children could enjoy its simplicity, but I've read better books that have more creative merit.

Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Kids, Sourcebooks Young Readers for providing an Advanced Reader Copy of this book for reviewers.

Wow!!! this is the best fall book I've ever read. DarlingDesi recommended it in her newest video and I was sold from the first moment. She described the book as Gilmore Girls but make it spooky and middle-grade! Perfect description! Mallory's family owns a restaurant, very much like Lukes's diner.

The entire town is built on legends and mysteries and it´s become the town's identity. The group quickly discovers that something isn't right, so they decide to go on a mystery chase. The chase leads them through some serious spooky events, where I was for real too scared to put down the book, in fear of Molly coming after me.

It's so easy to read and follow, everyone can read the book! It´s written beautifully and engaging, but not childish as I often experience middle-grade as an older reader. It was honestly just perfect!

I will definitely not stop talking about this book!

Another great spooky read from Lindsay Currie!

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Mallory. She has been living in a new town and she isn’t a fan, literally. The fandomish cult that follows the curses of the town is too much for her. Her parents even own a restaurant that deals with the morbid and has fancy spooky names for all their dishes. I will say that this book made me very hungry while reading! Mallory does her best to deal with it all, but the nightmares are becoming too much to handle.

Mallory is a skeptic which I liked. Along with her friend, they both don’t care about what the town does. They think it’s all crazy talk and don’t believe in the paranormal, but it’s becoming hard to deny with everything that continually happens to Mallory. I like that even though her friend is an even bigger skeptic she trusted her enough to let her in on what has been going on. That is true friendship. There are a couple other kids that form bonds with Mallory as well. One has more in common with Mallory and it’s pretty wild how they are connected!

The plot surrounding the paranormal was very interesting and kept me on edge the whole time. I loved learning more about Sweet Molly and how she fit into everything going on with Mallory and the town. It was cool to see all the plotlines match up. It was easy to understand Sweet Molly and her feelings, even though she didn’t actually communicate well haha. It was more scaring than anything but it worked! I also liked that we got a glimpse of what happened after everything.

Overall, this was another great book by this author! I hope she continues with this genre because I need more spooky stories from her!

There’s always one spooky middle grade book published every autumn that completely blows me away. The Girl in White is that book for 2022. Currie spins a riveting and eerie story that will make even the bravest reader shiver and check their closet.

The ghost of Sweet Molly is at once scary and sad. Her connection to Mallory and Joshua is visceral and very frightening at times. Currie does an excellent job of developing her characters, building tension with floor creaks, lost time spent digging holes, and lots of unexplained and disturbing incidents that all come together in a wild, apocalyptic ending.

Those readers who revel in the crisp air and strange stories of autumn will surely enjoy this one. Recommended!

A town where everyday is Halloween (basically) and it just happens to have a ghost story and be cursed? Are you kidding me? Autumn lovers, if you’re looking for the perfect autumn read to get into a fall mood, you’ve found it. I have an obsession with cozy east coast towns that remind me of Salem, where it just feels like eternal autumn. Creepy parades each month featuring a piano with keys actually made of bones, spooky themed hotels using spooky history to draw in tourists, and restaurants offering “chill up your spine chili” and “boneyard biscuits” are just a few of things that this quaint, historical town has to offer. Even the local coffee shop is called Cups and Cauldrons. This is a town that knows how to capitalize on spooks and Halloween to draw in tourists and if this town were real, I would fall for it hook line and sinker. Jack o lanterns all year round? A halloween lover’s paradise honestly. Since sadly autumn (aka the best season) also feels like the shortest season of the year, I rely on books like these to get fall vibes whenever I want them. This book is the epitome of a cozy fall read. It made me want to get out my flannels and drink a pumpkin spice latte despite the fact that we are still enduring torturous summer weather. Since I can’t have the frigid weather I want, I have to read about a town where the weather is bone chilling by early October.

“Today is October first. It barged in on a gust of chilly air with red and orange leaves on its heels. Morning fog settled over our narrow streets like a cold, wet blanket, and everyone—and I mean everyone—is already wearing their chunkiest sweaters. For most people I know, October isn’t just the end of T-shirts and flip-flops; it’s the beginning of the best month of the year. Halloween month. The time when Eastport comes to life.”


Middle grade horror is GREAT and that is a hill that I will die on. It’s creepy but there’s an innocence to it. In the same way that “kids” movies like Coraline or Monster House are geared towards children yet still deliciously creepy even for adults, middle grade horror is the same way. Don’t think it can’t be creepy just because it is targeted towards a younger audience! Also, it never bogs down its horror with pointless and non scary horror motifs like excessive gore or jump scares. Which granted, is mostly in movies rather than horror novels, but it’s still annoying. This book had a quirky innocence to it but still had a deliciously creepy feel with high stakes. The perfect Halloween read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for sending me and advanced copy in return for my honest review.

Absolutely amazing! Lindsay Currie is one of those authors you just love to read in autumn or during spooky season. Her books are atmospheric, creepy, and will keep you on the edge of your seat. This particular one only had one draw back. I realized what was going on/how to resolve it pretty earlier on, whereas with Scritch Scratch it kept me guessing almost to the end. That doesn’t take away from the beautiful writing and the moral of the story, which I think is an essential one. Lindsay Currie will continue to be an auto read author for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Kids for the opportunity to read for review prior to publication.

We are delighted to provide you with the third Lindsay Currie novel in successive Young Blood roundups with The Girl in White being her brand-new Middle Grade novel. As with Scritch Scratch (2020) and What Lives in the Woods (2021) Currie has the ability to pitch-perfect Middle Grade chillers aimed at kids from ten to thirteen. They have thrills, wonderfully believable characters, clever plots and superb pacing which quickly turn her tales into great page-turners. In The Girl in White twelve-year-old Mallory has not quite adapted to life in the small coastal town of Eastport (Massachusetts) which has turned an old ghost story (more of a local legend) into a cottage industry as tourists flock to the town to find out more about ‘Sweet Molly’. Like all of Currie’s novels friendships play a key role, with Bri, Emmie and eventually Joshua being pulled into a mystery which has Mallory on edge of which she is certain is connected to the Sweet Molly legend.

I loved the fact that Mallory found the commercial element of the Molly myth annoying, which was worsened by the fact that her parents owned a restaurant which really went over the top about the legend. I also thought her parents were great, not all kids have to come from a broken home to create a convincing Middle Grade story. Early in the tale Mallory wakes up with sand on her feet and realises she has been sleepwalking, coupled with weird visions and her seeing a strange old woman she is on edge. And the fact that it is almost Halloween every day in Eastport does not make things easy, however, she soon realises that her neighbour Joshua has been having a similar unsettling experience. What have they got in common? Neither kids are natives of Eastport. What follows is an entertaining supernatural thriller which plays around with the idea of myths, their commercialisation and reconnecting with the past. This was another winner from Lindsay Currie who is fast becoming one of my favourite Middle Grade authors. Now, which other books have I not read from her back catalogue?

Lindsay Currie keeps readers on the edge of their seat as they try to unravel the mysteries surrounding the legend of Sweet Molly. As Mallory and her friends try to decipher all the clues Sweet Molly leaves for them, time is running out. Readers will truly enjoy this suspense filled mystery that leaves you wondering at the end of each chapter, what does Sweet Molly want from the town of Eastport?

Thank you for Netgalley for the eARC

English is not my first language, but I love to read English books, especially middle grade. This is my second Lindsay Currie books after Scritch Scratch.

Mallory Dentons' family move from Chicago to small town Eastport, and she had nightmares from the first night they came. But she keep it for herself, since she saw her parents love the life in Eastport. Her dad love to cook, and they open a restaurant, with spooky background of course, because everyone at Eastport want to keep the town's reputation as the most haunted place.

Eastport had a legend about Liam, went to sea even in storm, even his sister begged him not to go, and he never come back again. Story said, the sister, Molly, haunting the town. And the town commercializing the story!

Mallory's not alone, because her neighbor, Joshua, also not native from Eastport, also had nightmares like hers! Would Mallory, Joshua, and her other friend Emmie & Brianne find out about the nightmares and the legend, Sweet Molly?

I love to see they work together to solve this mystery, almost without adult. And that Converse!

If you're looking for a spooky, atmospheric, and entertaining middle grade book, then look no further. From the second I read the Sweet Molly poem, I was hooked. The legend. The curse. The mystery. The clues. The conclusion. The characters. The friendships. The town. I absolutely loved it all and I have a feeling readers are going to agree with me!

When Mallory finds herself moving from Chicago to small-town Eastport, Massachusetts, she soon discovers that Eastport is more than just a little out there. Known for its curses, there is one curse in particular that starts to completely upend Mallory's new small-town life.

Plenty creepy and spooky, this is a great atmospheric thriller for young readers. That being said, this wasn't the best children's novel I've ever read. The characters (especially Bri and Emmie) fell a little flat at times and although this was a quick read, I also felt like the story was just missing something? Maybe flash-back scenes from Molly's perspective? Overall it was good, and I know my spooky loving readers will enjoy it!

The Girl in White by Lindsey Currie focuses on Mallory, a girl who moved to the town of Eastport a year ago with her family. Eastport boasts being the “most cursed town in the US” and uses this as a way to get tourists to come see all the local haunts, which makes living there feel like Halloween all year long. Since she arrived in the cursed town, Mallory has been having nightmares about Sweet Molly, the local legend of the woman that cursed the town after they sent her brother to sea during a horrible storm. Mallory is convinced it’s Molly who she feels watching her, trying to get a message to her. Mallory and her friends must figure out what Molly wants and how to make her stop.

This was such a great middle grade horror book! I loved the idea of the cursed town and how Sweet Molly reaches out to Mallory. Sometimes it was truly terrifying! The plot was fabulous and I enjoyed the character development as well, not just with Mallory, but her friends as well. They had a problem and were able to work together to overcome it and came out better at the end. I will definitely be recommending this at my school!

Lindsay Currie knows how to deliver chilling middle grade reads. Currie's ghostly adventures continue wither newest ghostly installment- The Girl In White.

When Mallory moves to the famously haunted town of Eastport she never expected it to actually be haunted. The townspeople, the tourists, and even her parents have totally fallen for the legend of Sweet Molly. Everyone except Mallory. Until the day Mallory starts loosing track of time time and a ghostly vision starts to haunt her. Could Sweet Molly actually be real? And if so - what does she want for Mallory?

Adventure, fun and ghostly adventures ensure with an adorable legend obsessed town , and a young girl who just wants her life to be normal. Lindsay Currie’s strong writing style is full of atmosphere and heart, relating perfectly to her reading audience. With strong characters, real problems and positive solutions to the issues that arise, this story explores more than your average ghost story. Touching on themes of friendship, moving states, and tackling the fear of the unknown.

A book that provides some genuine creeps. This horror has great imagery that lends to an overcast, New England setting that is haunted (because what NE town isn’t?). But this story excels at being a full mystery on top of a typical defeat the supernatural ghost horror. The group is tasked with figuring out not only how to stop the entity but what is happening and why. The author builds some great suspense by revealing one piece at a time before the gang figures out how they are connected. The general quirky town was also great! The MC is a transplant to NE who is one of two (with her best friend) who doesn’t buy into the haunting stories that make up the towns history (and money). Overall a solid story. My only big complaint was a abrupt ending, but I still loved the story!

This author clearly loves a good scare. Kids love a good scare. Currie gives them what they want, but for me, she misses the mark on many counts. If this were a short, mass market, Goosebumps book, I would give it all a pass, but this is a middle grade novel that wants to get noticed. Sorry. It's just a basic, underdeveloped ghost story. Luckily, kids don't know what they are missing and this book will do fine in the book market, especially with a good cover.

My biggest gripe is the mention, then downplay, of Halloween. For one thing, I don't know a single kid who doesn't love Halloween. Worse is the fact that I got no serious Halloween vibe from the descriptions. The scene building could be much stronger. Take away a star.

Then there's little things the author misses. For example, the legend of the coffin that burst through the restaurant wall because of its location next to the cemetery. Anyone paying attention knows that the dining room would have to be in the basement. Describing it that way would more effectively paint the scene for the reader. Take away a star.

Then there's cliches, like flickering chandeliers and weather turning conveniently stormy without notice. And erroneous additions that drag the plot down, such as Molly as an old woman, which was unnecessary and just muddled things. I would have appreciated some editing. Take away another star.

So that's how a book goes from 5 stars to 2 stars. I don't enjoy rating a book two stars, but I have to have a method to differentiate excellent writing from mediocre writing. There's a gap and a niche for scary stories. Books like this will continue to be successful as long as that gap exists. So librarians, go ahead and purchase. Your kids will read it.

This was a fun, interesting spooky middle-grade reminiscent of the Goosebumps books series! It centers around a town relying on their haunted reputation as a way of marketing, an inquisitive spunk, 12-year old girl, and the thousand-year curse she has to prevent from unravelling.

This perfectly scratched the small-town horror itch that I have and although this was middle-grade, it was creepy enough to give me the spooks (thanks for giving the image of sand and sea salt in the middle of my room at night).

A chilling story about a twelve-year old girl who must face down the most notorious ghost in her haunted East coast town to stop a centuries-old curse that threatens to destroy everything.

Mallory hasn't quite adapted to life in her new town of Eastport yet. Maybe it's because everyone is obsessed with keeping the town's reputation as the most cursed town in the US. And thanks to the nightmares she's had since arriving, Mallory hardly sleeps. Combined with the unsettling sensation of being watched, she's quickly becoming convinced there's more to her town. Something darker.

When Mallory has a terrifying encounter with the same old woman from her dreams, she knows she has to do something—but what? With Eastport gearing up to celebrate the anniversary of their first recorded legend Mallory is forced to investigate the one legend she's always secretly been afraid of . . . Sweet Molly.

Currie always delivers a spooky, atmospheric storyline dripping with eerie settings and intriguing characters. The Girl in White gives traditional ghost story vibes with suspense and tension built throughout as well as deals with themes of family, friendship, coming of age,and tradition.

Mallory is a courageous, inquisitive young girl that many young readers can empathise with and I found myself rooting for her and hoping that she discovered the secret of her town’s curse and saved the day, her town, family and friends from the terrifying ‘sweet’ Molly.

A fun, yet frightening read that I know many will enjoy.