Delia inherited a house. A HUGE house. A house big enough to have wings and dorms. A house that was once a mental institution, an insane asylum for troubled girls--many of whom weren't actually troubled but rather not demure and sedate. Hysteria Hall--more formally known as the Piven Institute--knows these girls belong. Hysteria Hall wants to keep them there. And Delia is one of those not-demure girls. The place is overrun with ghosts and secrets, and the house is determined to keep them all. 
 Alender writes a really good ghost story--the right balance of creepy against a sense of normalcy. The characters mostly sound real--the present-day ones, at least; the ghosts who have been hanging around since the 19th century sound a little cartoonish at times. Delia's struggles and concerns make sense; her actions are consistent with her character. 
 Recommended for 8th grade and up.