Devil, the Banshee and Me, The

In this frightfully funny novel by L.M. Falcone, somebody has moved into the creepy, abandoned cottage in the cemetery across the road from Will Trenom's house in small, sleepy Port Elgin. Will is on a perfectly normal errand on a perfectly normal day when he knocks on the cottage door. Suddenly, a crazy sumo wrestler with gold hoop earrings is chasing him through the cemetery while a strange man with long blond hair -- who calls himself the devil's nephew -- laughs. Then, late that night, Will hears crying in the cemetery and sees a ghostly old woman hovering above the gates. What kind of neighbors are these? What the devil is going on?

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8–Will is chased by a sumo wrestler while at the neighbor's house borrowing some eggs. Later that evening, he hears a Banshee crying in the cemetery next door, a sound said to foretell the death of a loved one. The loved one happens to be Megan, the neighbor's daughter, who is to die on her 13th birthday unless her mother can make a bargain with the Banshee. Will becomes involved in the plot to trick the evil creature and save Megan's life. This quick read has lots of over-the-top humor and a sprinkling of Irish folklore. While the author does a good job of building tension, the development of the characters is lacking. Still, it's a fair distraction for readers looking for a light read.–Michele Capozzella, Chappaqua Public Library, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

L.M. Falcone has worked as a teacher, a private investigator and a screenwriter. Her writing credits include television's popular preteen series Are You Afraid of the Dark?, as well as the novels Walking with the Dead, The Devil, the Banshee and Me and The Midnight Curse. She lives in Toronto.

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