It’s Watching: History, ghosts, and the infamous graveyard behind this middle-grade horror novel inspired by The Ring, a guest post by Lindsay Currie

I’ve always loved abandoned places. There’s a feel to them, a vibe you can’t replicate anywhere else. So when I was visiting a Chicagoland school and the librarian shared her childhood of sneaking into an abandoned graveyard in Midlothian, Illinois, called Bachelor’s Grove, I immediately perked up.

An abandoned graveyard? Surely this was too good to be true. Cemeteries are one of my biggest sources of inspiration. They contain so much history and so many stories, not to mention incredible architecture. I’d been to many, many cemeteries to research over the past ten years, but I’d never been to one considered abandoned.

It only took an hour of cursory research to realize I needed to see Bachelor’s Grove in person. It was mysterious, full of ghost legends, and ripe with history. I drove to Rubio Woods, where this tiny, one-acre graveyard is nestled inside a forest preserve, then walked a quarter mile down a secluded wooded path to find it.

I expected to get that same feeling I always get from an abandoned spot, but instead, the first sensation that swept over me was disbelief. The graveyard, inactive since its last burial in 1989, was a disaster. Headstones were broken and toppled over and many were missing. The vandalism that this space—which is supposed to be a peaceful resting place for those buried there—had seen was monstrous. Trinkets and toys littered the ground near an infant’s grave, the only evidence that Bachelor’s Grove hadn’t been entirely forgotten.

Walking away from Bachelor’s Grove that day, I was convinced that I was going to write a book that featured it. That’s when the concept for It’s Watching began to form. I imagined three young journalists vying for editorial positions on their school newspaper and how they might look at Bachelor’s Grove and its sinister history as an opportunity, rather than the loss it is. I imagined using a mystery to tell the stories of some of the people buried there. I imagined giving a voice to a place that has been without one for so long.

I went back to Bachelor’s Grove again. And again. And when I felt like I could finally accurately describe the feeling of it, I visited the Tinley Park Historical Society and spoke with the volunteers there. They welcomed me with open arms and showed me all of their resources related to the graveyard and its history. Slowly but surely a story formed in my mind. It featured a mystery, ghosts, clever tweens, a notorious graveyard . . . and a countdown. A terrifying countdown.

I’m honored that It’s Watching has received five positive trade reviews thus far, including a glorious starred one from School Library Journal. It means a lot because this book aims to do more than scare young readers (though that’s always a bonus, haha). It also aims to remind young people that remembering the past is a way to honor it, and to be mindful of the responsibility that comes with telling stories.

Thank you, Teen Library Toolbox and SLJ,for allowing me to write this post today. I’m grateful this book is finally in the world, and I sincerely hope my readers, young and young at heart, enjoy the glimpse into notorious Bachelor’s Grove!

1 haunted graveyard.

2 sinister memes.

3 days until all terror breaks loose.

It’s Watching.

Meet the author

Lindsay Currie is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of mysteries for young readers, including The Mystery of Locked Rooms, which was the #1 Indie Next pick for May/June 2024, a Read with Jenna Jr. pick, and a Barnes and Noble “Our Monthly Pick.” Lindsay grew up on Nancy Drew and loves a good twisty tale. When she’s not writing, she can generally be found looking for an adventure of her own. She loves researching forgotten history and recently relocated from Chicago to a 220-acre farm in downstate Illinois, where she finally gets to see stars every night and take hikes every day. For more information on her or her books, please visit lindsaycurrie.com.

About It’s Watching

A chilling middle school novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Mystery of Locked Rooms, three kids must discover who—or what—is terrorizing them after receiving an ominous meme on Halloween night.

“A creepy, freaky, fun-as-anything tale.”—Chuck Wendig, New York Times bestselling author of Dust & Grim

On Halloween night, Josie and her two best friends, Jackson and Alison, sneak into the infamously haunted Bachelor’s Grove cemetery. They are hoping to prove the existence of a famous ghost to secure coveted editorial spots on the school newspaper. Instead, they are chased out by a security guard before they gather any evidence…or so they think.

Later, a sinister meme appears on their phones. It’s an image of the “phantom farmhouse,” an evil apparition rumored to appear to unlucky visitors at Bachelor’s Grove—luring them in…and never letting them out—with the words I’m watching dripping down the screen.

Soon, strange and scary things begin to happen all around them. When a second meme from the same number arrives, this time with a countdown, they realize they have only three days to figure out who is terrorizing them. As they investigate, the trio must use their journalistic skills to uncover the truth, or risk becoming a part of the graveyard’s sinister past forever.

ISBN-13: 9780593811665
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Publication date: 02/04/2025
Age Range: 8 – 12 Years

Filed under: Guest Post