I must say, this is the most disturbing book for kids I have ever read. Mary Downing Hahn writes ghost stories, but this one had a little extra something. I found myself trying to solve this otherworldly problem in my head as I continued to read, and yet things never wanted to go in the direction I wanted. The antagonist in One for Sorrow is a troubled girl who takes her problems to the grave with her. She is most definitely an outcast. She doesn't know how to be friends, and she seems to not even want to be friends even with the one friend she manages to make.
The protagonist makes some weak decisions along the way and pays the price in a huge way.
The protagonist makes some weak decisions along the way and pays the price in a huge way.
 | From goodreads: Against the ominous backdrop of the influenza epidemic of 1918, Annie, a new girl at school, is claimed as best friend by Elsie, a classmate who is a tattletale, a liar, and a thief. Soon Annie makes other friends and finds herself joining them in teasing and tormenting Elsie. Elsie dies from influenza, but then she returns to reclaim Annie's friendship and punish all the girls who bullied her. Young readers who revel in spooky stories will relish this chilling tale of a girl haunted by a vengeful ghost. I don't see how any synopsis of this story will ever describe the difficulty the reader will have along the way. Nothing ever seems to go the right way for the main character. I will say, the ending was a little trite and convenient. I wish Hahn had developed it a little more and drawn it out for a more meaningful - even more tearful - conclusion. The rest of the story, however, will make the reader cringe with uncomfortable situations. |
