Minerva Estate is haunted by ghosts of children who had died there, yet Jim is the only one who can see them. At first, Jim thinks that the children are mischievous ghosts who play pranks on him for the fun of it. He eventually realizes that they're leaving him clues leading him to the cause of their deaths as well as an ancient prophecy that he must break before another death occurs. When he encounters Einstein Minerva, an autistic math genius, he believes that Einstein plays a vital role in the prophecy. With his own family – a grievous father mourning over his wife's death and an overbearing younger sister – and the Lord Minerva posing as obstacles, Jim must be shrewd and sleuth-like in order to follow the ghost children's instructions to "find the Seventh".
Jim is an identifiable character; he has to deal with parental control as well as an annoying, interfering sibling. Jim is also very determined with a subtle hero complex; he believes that he alone can save the Seventh child from freak accidents that killed the other Minerva children. I found this to be a commendable and worthy characteristic since it shows his courage in spite of difficulties. On top of his courage and perseverance, Jim is also caring and compassionate. He treats Einstein with kindness in spite of his differences.
Though the beginning was dragged a bit and the sentence structures of the first few chapters were rather choppy, the story picks up more momentum as it progresses and increases its suspense. It just got better and better. It never once slows down again, finally ending with a dynamic bang. The novel reads very much like a modern ghost mystery until the part about the ancient prophecy plays in; Morton-Shaw did an excellent job at blending modern with ancient.
Upon finding each clue, Jim witnesses a replay of the death of the child who had just left him the clue. I must say that the clues and riddles were really fun to read. Just when you think you've solved the mystery, another twist is produced. Intriguing, captivating, and energetic, The Hunt for the Seventh is guaranteed to keep you reading until the end.
Note: This was also reviewed for HarperCollins Children's.
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