Review: Peeled

Title: Peeled
Author: Joan Bauer


From GoodReads, "Hildy Biddle dreams of being a journalist. A reporter for her high school newspaper, The Core, she's just waiting for a chance to prove herself. Not content to just cover school issues, Hildy's drawn to the town's big story— the haunted old Ludlow house. On the surface, Banesville, USA, seems like such a happy place, but lately, eerie happenings and ghostly sightings are making Hildy take a deeper look. And she suspects the editor of The Bee, the town newspaper, is more interested in selling papers than he is in reporting the facts to a frightened public.

Hildy's efforts to find out who is really haunting Banesville isn't making her popular, and she starts wondering if she's cut out to be a journalist, after all. But she refuses to give up, because, hopefully, the truth will set a few ghosts free.

Peeled is a classic Joan Bauer novel, featuring a strong heroine, and filled with her trademark witty dialogue, and problems and people worth standing up to."

This book will entice readers who love mysteries and books that have a good guys versus bad guys theme.  The book begins with strange goings on at an old house in a small community.  There are rumors that the house is being haunted by the ghost of old man Ludlow, who was a mean guy in life and has gotten even worse in the after-life.  The high school newspaper's best reporter, Hildy Biddle, doesn't believe the rumors and sets out to find the facts.

I loved the character of Hildy Biddle, who is a strong female protagonist that isn't afraid to take on the bad guys and stand up for what is right.  The supporting characters are also well written and fascinating.  I especially like the back story of Hildy's reporter father. I really liked the cover and title of the book and thought that Joan Bauer did an amazing job of weaving together the apple theme throughout the novel, including the high school newspaper staff, The Core, and the community newsletter, The Peel.  Those play on words coupled with Bauer's exquisite writing had this reader "peeling" back the rumors to get to the "core" of the truth, which made this a delicious read.