Whispers in the Graveyard

I didn't like this book. Maybe I'm just giving it a hard time because I was feeling a little seasick while a read it, but I suspect that if I hadn't been trapped on a boat w/ nothing else to do I wouldn't have finished it at all. First off it was a ghost story, but it lacked any sort of tension, because instead of focusing on creepy supernatural occurrences the book focused on Solomon's (the main character) problems at home and at school. And Solomon has plenty of problems. He deals with a frequently unemployed alcoholic father, a mother who left them, severe dyslexia and an abusive teacher at school. It was a real downer of a book, but it would have been okay if it hadn't tried to throw in the horror story as well. Right up until the very end I doubted there would actually be a ghost involved in anyway, but then at the end there she was ready to disrupt previously established realism. The book also threw in annoying little snippets of song lyrics every so often, at least I think that's what they were. I could only identify the song they were from half the time and I doubt your typical 11 year old would do better than that.
In summary avoid this book, but if it's one of only six books on your shelf and all five others are rejected recommend this book to 5th, 6th and 7th graders or mediocre literature affectionados of all ages.