The Spirit Snatcher

Pip just wants to fit in, he has spent years trying to just blend into the surroundings and it getting quite good at it, with parents like his this has been no easy feat. Pip’s Mum gets a new job and his parents decide to uproot from their life in quiet lives in Norwich and move to the centre of London. Pip’s Dad is beside himself with excitement at the prospect of finally opening his own antique business but Pip dreads starting a new school and being “that” child that everyone stares at yet again.

A strange girl gives him a sinister warning and Pip goes to bed wishing that he could persuade his parents to move back home. Before he gets the chance something happens to his Parents, sapping all of their craziness overnight and for the first time in his life, Pip wishes they would be their old, alternative selves again. What has happened and will they ever be their old selves again?

This is Cat Gray’s second novel aimed at the middle school reader, a mixed up supernatural tale that – in the style of the best whodunnit – introduces a host of characters who could each be the spirit snatcher. Combining this with the sweet tale of friendships, edged with the pain of always feeling an outsider, Gray combines enough action and twists, with sprinkles of dark humour; picking the pace up leaving the reader willing our unlikely hero to solve the mystery before time runs out.

A great gripping read for a class story, sure to appeal to a range of readers and a good source of discussion around bullying, respect and the supernatural.