Eleanor, Alice, and the Roosevelt Ghosts Blog Tour + Review

Eleanor has tried to live up to her grandmother and late mother’s expectations all her life. Her mom never approved of her when she was alive, and her grandmother has continued the tradition. Now, her life is a cycle of trying to keep her grandmother happy and trying to make it through each day. When her cousin Alice shows up, she thinks her life could either be changed for the better or the worse. Alice is her opposite, always doing what she wants to do and not caring what everyone thinks. If Alice hates her, this time with her cousin will be miserable. If Alice likes her, she could learn to be more confident and begin to truly live her life. She might even be able to go to school! Between Alice and the new ghosts, this is going to be a wild ride for Eleanor. 

The ghosts just added another flavor to this already excellent book. Imagining a world where the people are constantly at risk of a random ghost popping up and wreaking havoc was fun. Yet, those who had to live during this time weren’t having fun. They were at the mercy of those who would come into their homes to determine whether the ghost was a friendly mischievous ghost or a vengeful ghost capable of harming those who live in the house. This world of ghosts was created so intricately that I started thinking “Wonder where all those ghosts went, guess we don’t have them anymore.” Granted, I was reading this at 2 AM after a long day of school, but I just couldn’t put it down.

The real Alice and Eleanor Roosevelt had very similar family situations as to the ones in this book. The ghosts were the author’s creation, but reading this book made me feel a lot closer to the daughter and wife of 2 former Presidents. It actually made me want to learn more about their family as a whole, which I didn’t have much of an interest in before. I care about the people who live during certain time periods rather than who was in charge at the time, but the two things overlapped in this book by showing Eleanor and Alice as people. I think this would be a good introduction to these two young ladies for preteens who like historical fiction or ghost mysteries. 

The pacing of this book was perfect. There were no moments where I was bored or feeling like I wanted the book to slow down. I was just along for Eleanor and Alice’s ride. There were also POV switches between the two characters, but I could always tell who was talking. These characters were so unique that I was never confused. 

I can’t wait to read more by this author, and I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a new MG mystery novel to read. 

I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review. 

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 books. 

About Dianne:

Dianne K. Salerni is a former elementary school teacher living in Chester County, Pennsylvania with her husband and two daughters.

Dianne’s first novel, We Hear the Dead (Sourcebooks 2010), recounts the true story of Maggie Fox, a teenaged girl credited with the invention of the séance in 1848. A short film based on We Hear the Dead and titled The Spirit Game premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

Her second novel, The Caged Graves (Clarion/HMH 2013), is inspired by a real historical mystery in the mountains of Pennsylvania and was named a Junior Library Guild Selection, a finalist in the Tome Society IT List, and a Best YA Historical Novel for 2013 by BookPage.

The Eighth Day, a middle grade fantasy about a secret day of the week, is the first in a series by HarperCollins, which also includes The Inquisitor’s Mark (Book 2) and The Morrigan’s Curse (Book 3). The Eighth Day has been featured on state reading lists in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Maine, Minnesota, and Indiana.

Dianne’s sixth novel, Eleanor, Alice, & the Roosevelt Ghosts, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, releases from Holiday House on September 1, 2020.

Photo taken at the grave of Sarah Ann Boone in Catawissa, Pennsylvania

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Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of ELEANOR, ALICE, AND THE ROOSEVELT GHOSTS, US Only.