It's not every day that I come across a book that I ENJOY! 🤪
The Saturday Night Ghost Club chronicles the summer of 7th Grade for young Jake Baker. In it, Jake recalls the days that he spent with his uncle and friends exploring the urban legends of Niagara Falls.
For me, a Canadian born and raised an hour away from Niagara Falls, this story holds a special place in my heart. If you've ever had the chance to visit this world wonder, then you may understand some of the references as well!
Of course, there are many mentions of Clifton Hill, the tourist destination of The Falls...
"The Ripley's Believe-It-Or-Not Museum on Clifton Hill," "Frankenstein's House of Horrors," and due to copyright, famous amusement park Marine Land is referred to as "the cheaper version of Sealand, Land of Oceans."
(Me, visiting Ripley's Museum back in 2018)
There are even local references, such as the "Two Hearts Wedding Chapel on Stanley Avenue" -- my sister was married here! 😂 The Screaming Tunnel -- I have visited this location! In fact, the urban legend that is recounted in the novel is the same one that I am familiar with: a little girl who had burned to death supposedly haunts the tunnel.
Anyway, these are the kinds of adventures that take place in The Saturday Night Ghost Club. It begins with trying to contact a friend's deceased grandmother via spirit phone. From there, they visit the Screaming Tunnel. They discover a sunken car in the lake. They explore a burnt down abandoned house. They learn of the legend of Black Agnes, a childless mother who endlessly searchs for her lost daughter...
As it will turn out, half of the legends were actually about Jake's uncle himself. The abandoned house had been his -- his family's -- where he and his wife conceived a baby before they were both brutally attacked by home invaders. The uncle attempted to save his wife and drive her to the hospital, but the car slid out of control on black ice and crashed into the lake. This becomes the explanation for the sunken car.
Jake's uncle awakens in the hospital with amnesia, remembering nothing about the attack, or even his wife, so everyone simply allows him to live in such a state. However, the memories still have a way of knocking at the door.