Joe Quinn's Poltergeist

Written by David Almond

Narrated by Malcolm Hamilton

Joe Quinn has been telling everyone about the poltergeist in his house, but no one believes him—no one, that is, except Davie. Davie’s felt the inexplicable presence in the Quinns’ house and has seen random objects fly through the air. And there’s something else...a memory of Davie’s beloved sister and a feeling deep down that it might just be possible for ghosts to exist.

Full of thoughts of hauntings and grief and God, Davie hovers on a precipice of uncertainty and possibility.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dreamscape Media Audio
• Release date: Sep 10, 2019
• ISBN: 9781974972296

David Almond

David Almond is an experienced author who specializes in paranormal fiction. The recipient of a Hans Christian Andersen Award, a Carnegie Medal, and a Michael L. Printz Award, he currently resides in England.

Reviews for Joe Quinn's Poltergeist

[pith_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received this copy through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. It arrived on 22 October 2019.I'm a fan of Dave McKean's art, and for the most part he didn't disappoint here. It's obviously impressionistic and exaggerated, but given the age of the narrator, I think it's a good fit: everything feels bigger and more intense when you're young.Unfortunately, that's about all I enjoyed. The story is thin, with the reader left to fill in a lot of gaps. I'm fine with a wandering plot, but there wasn't much of a point here. There are glimpses of Davie's grief and such, but never enough of any one motivation to pull me through the story. As much as I like McKean's art, I would be disappointed if I had paid full price for this.

[pallandavid · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

David Almond (author) and Dave MaKean (illustrator) have joined and created a brilliant literate and visual story of coming of age! The underside of this story tells of a young man coming to his own mind. The angst of the characters, especially Father Kelly, Joe Quinn and Joe Quinn's mum.

[abealy_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A new book illustrated (designed really!) by Dave McKean is always a time for anticipation and excitement. Joe Quinn's Poltergeist is no exception. Written masterfully by David Almond, this short tale is long on powerful issues. The poltergeist itself may or may not actually be manifest – perhaps it's just Joe Quinn reaching out – but the characters are strongly written and their needs and wants are achingly portrayed. When you toss in a drunken Irish priest with doubts about his faith, the melancholy tale reaches new heights (or perhaps depths).If for no other reason, this book is a treasure for McKean's layered, graphic invention. Every page is a masterful exposition of story and feeling.

[jackiewark · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Joe Quinn’s Poltergeist Is a story of the demons that lie inside one’s head. Unique for each of us, they present themselves in grief, rage, silence, bullying, or even empathy. When Davie hears that Joe Quinn has a poltergeist in his house, he starts to believe when he sees flying objects. Yet we see the underlying emotions in those he comes in contact with.Davie and his mom are mourning the loss of his sister, Barbara.Geordie’s taunting and bullying reflect his jealousy and envy.Father Kelly is questioning his belief in God and turns to drink, smoking and women.Joe’s mom is angry at her husband in jail and her sorry life.Joe’s dad is combative when he cannot control the outside world.Joe...well, he imagines, believes and entices.A story with depth, imagery and questions. The illustrations are bleak and muted, abstract and cutting. They add to the story but, personally, not a fan of the depictions.Thank you to Candlewick Press, David Almond and LibraryThing Early Reviewers for this copy.

[sennebec · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this very quickly, then thought about it for a bit before writing this review. The language will confuse some kids, given that it's British dialect, but for many,sharper young teens, this will resonate nicely. Those who have experienced loss will be in that group, but others liking a supernatural tale with aspects of growing up, as well as the inevitability of change, will like it too.

[chrisweir-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Received this as an ARC copy from Library Thing. Not sure what to think of it. A boy in an English village tells some of his classmates that he has a poltergeist in his house. The two boys he tells about it think he's weird and are bullying him at first but finally relent to go. They see objects flying about the house. One refuses to go again while the other consults his alcoholic priest. Not sure what the book was trying to get across. One of the boys is grieving still over the loss of his sister, the priest we learn later gets defrocked.

[eduscapes · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

JOE QUINN’S POLTERGEIST by David Almond and illustrated by Dave McKean is a dark, creepy story exploring the topics of death, grief, and the afterlife. This thin graphic novel coming of age story explores the the angst of a variety of characters.ARC courtesy of Candlewick.

[kurtwombat · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I enjoy when inner demons are explored by externalizing them as outer demons. That is the basic idea here and these collaborators fail to deliver much of interest. The story is thin—feels more like a second hand anecdote told without passion or intent. The art work is mundane—the color scheme seemed that of a coffee stain rather than anything that might represent the workings of the teenage mind and imagination central to the story. The story was disappointing because of the evocative use of the word “poltergeist” in the title and the art was disappointing because as often happens, the cover art does not represent the style of the book. I received this book free through the Library Thing website with the understanding that I would write a review and I chose it largely based upon it’s cover art—kind of an otherworldly disturbing 3-D puppet image. Wondered if maybe this was geared toward children and that’s why I didn’t connect with it. But if that is the case, then this is an even bigger failure of the imagination than I initially thought.