Although Blossom Culp and the Sleep of Death is a tale of the supernatural, that aspect of the book is merely the surface story and meant to be interesting and entertaining for young adults.

The secondary story, that of growing up in a turn-of-the-century small town, transcends time and depicts the same high school social stratification that teen-agers face today. By providing leading characters that readers can look up to and giving a sense that problems can be solved, Peck has shown that not all of life is cruelly conformist and young adults can think for themselves. This lesson is not preached. Rather, Peck employs a humorous tone and sometimes slapstick relief to lighten his message. The initiation rites of Alexander's secret fraternity are a prime example.

Peck's strength lies in his convincing characters. A few well-chosen words describe a character physically, but the emotional makeup...