Wait Till Helen Comes

Hahn, M. D. (1986). Wait till Helen comes. Clarion Books. 184 pages. ISBN 0899194532

Primary genre: horror

Other elements: family, friendship, loss, adventure, mystery, suspense

Intended reader age: 7 and up

Synopsis:

Molly, Michael, and Heather are not getting along as well as their parents had hoped when they married. They become especially unhappy when their parents decide the best course of action is to move them far from all their friends and everything they know. But their mother and Dave, their new stepfather, have decided that this is the best course to bring the entire family together. Heather has always been withdrawn, considering the way in which she lost her mother, but the move sets her farther apart from everyone. She has made a new friend, one who promises to make everything better, who just happens to be a ghost.

Review:

I cannot recall ever reading this book when I was younger. I was absolutely into the whole ‘horror’ genre (huge fan of Goosebumps and then later Fear Street) but I think I just missed all the Hahn books.

I can definitely see where the thrills would come in for kids; there was a great deal of build up to the introduction of Helen. First we learn of the graveyard, then we find the hidden grave, then Heather keeps disappearing and talking to someone, and on. I think much of the horror and thrill of this book comes from the perspective that Molly gives. Everyone around her did not believe in the prospect of ghosts, but she continued in her belief. Hahn did a fantastic job of portraying those feelings that we have all experienced when we get scared.

There were moments where I became a little annoyed with Molly. Just as her family felt, I felt she was a bit too much of a chicken at times. I did like that she fessed up to it. She was honest with herself and admitted that tendency. But, she also stuck with her conviction that this tendency had nothing to do with what was occurring with Heather. 

After reading this I am interested in reading more of Hahn’s books. All the Lovely Bad Ones and The Old Willis Place have always appealed to me just as much as Wait Till Helen Comes has. 

The new, creepier cover