One Hundred Candles by Mara Purnhagen

Purnhagen, Mara One Hundred Candles, 235 p. Harlequin Teen, 2011.  Content: PG (decidedly scary).  Charlotte, 17, and her family are used to the spooky.  As supernatural debunkers, spending Christmas in an abandoned insane asylum is probably not the creepiest thing they have done.  This time, however, something really strange and dangerous did happen – and Charlotte is worried that she and her family will not be able to explain this one away.  Add to that Charlotte’s bad idea to join a New Year’s Eve of one hundred ghost stories and something decidedly scary seems to be unleashed.  The ghost stories are being replayed around the high school and Charlotte’s parents’ marriage seems to be on self-destruct mode.  This time science may not be able to explain away the bad.  I didn’t realize I was read book two in a series – and it didn’t bother me one bit.  Purnhagen manages to craft a second chapter that does not rely upon the first book, but does build interest in the entire series.  Well done.  MS, HS – ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher