The Skull in the Wood

by Sandra Greaves

[Kelly]

3.5 Stars
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2014/01/skull-in-wood-by-sandra-greaves.html
Skull In The Wood is a cute little read, and great for ages nine to early teen. It's spooky, without being scary and doesn't contain any romance, cursing or mature themes. Matt and Tilda are more alike than they'd both care to admit. Both only thirteen, they're at that age where your in between a child and those difficult teen years and refuse to put aside their difference for the harmony of the farm and pending curse. Tilda believes that Matt's mother, who is part owner of the farm, is trying to sell it from underneath them, and Matt's anger at his father leaving and being replaced with Paul, his mother's new boyfriend. In typical teen fashion, both pick at one another until they are both left hurt. The mysterious skull the cousins find, only amplifies their feelings, which seem to be luring an evil presence onto the farm, where one of them will fall victim to the curse.

Tilda's character was a stronger presence than Matt, and her anger and resentment were justified. I enjoyed the dual points of view, with small snippets from little sister Kitty thrown in. Kitty was adorable. By far the most annoying character was Gabe. He was one dimensional and only sprouted off passages of doom and gloom. I can see children being annoyed by his constant presence. But for the intended age bracket, it was a fun, quick read.