Reviews for The Ginghams
Publishers Weekly
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In her eerie debut, Kemper puts a middle grade spin on The Stepford Wives. Twelve-year-old Joni was excited to attend summer camp with her best friends Tyler and May, until a dirt biking injury forced May to stay home. At camp, Joni worries that the time apart is creating distance among the white-cued friend group, concerns that are seemingly confirmed when, upon her return, she realizes that there’s something different about May. The girl’s previously “rock-and-roll” curls are tamed into a neat bun, and she no longer takes interest in her drum kit or the trio’s favorite comic book series. Worse is May’s overly polite new friend, Charlotte Ann Gingham, who “looks like she walked off the pages of a 1950s yearbook.” After Joni and her parents attend a book club meeting at the Ginghams’ home, Joni becomes more uneasy as she notices that Charlotte Ann’s artificial affect and retro fashion tastes seem to be spreading: more mothers and daughters are sporting the same giant pearl earrings and strange “waxy” grins. As Joni and Tyler investigate the Ginghams’ uncanny influence, they uncover information that hints at the family’s surprising past and sinister future plans. Brisk pacing and a tense, dread-filled atmosphere conjure an action-packed piece that draws on classic works of body-snatcher horror. Ages 8–12. Agent: Amy Giuffrida, Belcastro Agency. (July)
Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
There’s a new family in town, and they are creepy, as art loving Joni and budding drama queen Tyler discover upon their return from summer arts camp. For one thing, curtsying new classmate Charlotte Ann wears pearl earrings, a starched cotton pastel dress, and a gingham cardigan, and her parents dress and act in the same fashion, sporting the same plastic smiles. More and more townies likewise turn into identically buttoned down, slogan-spouting conformists, and it’s not long before Charlotte Ann’s father is elected mayor, goons are pulling “inappropriate” books off the library’s shelves, and rebels and rule-breakers—like Tyler!—are hustled off for “enlightenment programming.” Kemper slips in plenty of other clues to what’s going on, from a mysterious supercomputer in the Ginghams’ cellar to a glimpsed research paper on behavior modification. She also cranks up the suspense, supplying Joni with an unexpected ally on the way to a rescue and a thorough denouement shot through with vindications of individuality, tolerance of differences, and freedom of thought and expression. Laudable values support a disquieting and perhaps topical debut novel.
School Library Journal
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Gr 6 Up—Twelve-year-old Joni and her friend Tyler have been at art camp all summer and are excited to see the last third of their trio, May. When the bus pulls in, May is waiting for them, but something seems off: May's normal rocker hair is in a tight bun and her drumsticks that she carries everywhere are missing. The oddness continues when the trio visits the local bookstore and ice cream shop that May's mom owns, and she too comes out in an uncharacteristic fancy dress and updo. That's when Joni learns of the Ginghams, the new family who arrived while they were away, and the book club they host every Thursday for everyone in town. One by one, Joni's neighbors, family, and classmates start to change after going to the Ginghams' book club; they dress, act, and even smile differently. It's up to Joni with the help of others to find out the Ginghams' secret before everything and everyone in town loses their spark. Kemper's debut hooks readers right from the beginning and builds up the creepiness in this mystery thriller. Friendships are well developed and ring true. This book does a great job of balancing the thriller elements with themes of new and old friendship, empowerment, and expression of oneself, and the idea that everyone is a unique individual. VERDICT Hand this to readers who like creepy stories and those who love a good mystery. This is the kind of book readers will want to read in one sitting; a must-purchase.—Kylie Staigers
Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Brainwashing and conformity follow in the wake of the arrival of a new family in Olive Springs in this debut that’s a tween homage toThe Stepford Wives. Artist Joni, rocker May, and theater kid Tyler are normally inseparable, but a dirt bike accident prevented May from joining them for their usual summer at Camp Rebel Arts. When Joni and Tyler return home, they find May behaving strangely— “her wild, rock-and-roll curls” are in a tidy bun, and she no longer carries her drumsticks everywhere. May has been spending time with Charlotte Ann Gingham, her “polished” new neighbor who’s a vision of 1950s girlhood. May isn’t the only one undergoing radical personality changes: Soon, adults who attend Mr. and Mrs. Gingham’s book club are following regressive gender roles too. Wanting their old friend back, rising eighth graders Joni and Tyler investigate the book club; what they find is, of course, sinister. Mr. Gingham’s rapid rise to power in Olive Springs, part of his wide-reaching schemes, provides high stakes, while Joni’s emotional turmoil over losing May’s friendship (and her worries and self-reproach over going away to summer camp and leaving her behind) provides more personal, grounding tension. The plot itself is popcorn science fiction; more adults fall under Gingham’s sway, leaving the last kids standing for an action-packed set piece of a finale. Main characters present white, and names signal diversity in the supporting cast. Fast-moving and fun, with easy-to-root-for heroes and a delightfully despicable villain.(Thriller. 8-12) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
