From School Library Journal
Grade 7-10-David, 12, lives with his distant father in London. One afternoon, he realizes that he can climb into the building's ventilation system and spy on other tenants. At first, he pretends to be a ghost, but his game takes a more serious turn after he begins to "haunt" Mr. Alveston, and discovers that a "real" ghost intends to harm the lonely widower. After the boy is caught and threatened with criminal charges, he and the old man develop a relationship, and he ultimately confronts the ghost to discover its motives. David and Mr. Alveston are fully realized characters at opposite points in their lives, but other figures, including the boy's father, remain in the background. This is a fast-paced novel with an interesting premise. Within the framework of his ghost story, Burgess successfully incorporates themes of aging, memory, and death. However, these issues are more appropriate for older readers, who may be turned off by a 12-year-old protagonist. This is a complex and involving book, but its audience is unclear.
Beth L. Meister, Yeshiva of Central Queens, Flushing, NYCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Gr. 5-7. David is mischievous, alienated, small for his age, and curious. His curiosity gets the better of him one day when he decides to explore the space behind a wall ventilation grille. The path along the air duct system is scary and dark, but utterly mesmerizing. As he squeezes through, snooping into neighbors' lives, he feels powerful; he can scare a little boy watching television or cast a voyeuristic gaze into a local teacher's private life. The adventure turns to horror, however, when he discovers a ghostlike figure of a boy in the wall. It terrorizes David and leads him to menace an elderly neighbor, old Mr. Alveston, whose memory is fading. Readers may wonder if the ghost is David's alter ego, but Burgess is more clever than that. He's at his inventive best in tying the figure to Alveston's youth, and using David to bring the ghost and old man together, so Alveston can peacefully die. Before that, however, David's remorse leads to a healing, transforming relationship with the old man. An ultimately poignant adventure that will captivate British author Burgess' fans.
Anne O'MalleyCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
