Fire Star vs The Haunting: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Child and youth fiction, Supernatural, Paranormal, Children's fiction, Fiction

Fire Star Chris D'Lacey · 2005 ★★★★☆ 3.9 549 pages · ≈ 10 h 10 m · Light

There is a fire star coming, signaling a time of new beginnings. A time for dragons to rise again... A research trip to the Arctic and a contract for a new book - life can't get much better for David Rain. But as soon…

Boardinghouses Arctic regions Bears Boarding schools

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The Haunting Margaret Mahy · 1982 ★★★★☆ 3.6 135 pages · ≈ 2 h 30 m · Light

After a shy and rather withdrawn eight-year-old begins receiving frightening supernatural images and messages, he learns about a family legacy which could be considered a curse or a rare gift.

Extrasensory perception Ghost Stories Ghosts

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Side by side

The verdict

Readers rate Fire Star highest: Fire Star 3.9 · The Haunting 3.6.
The Haunting is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 10 for Fire Star.
The Haunting has the widest readership — 26780 ratings behind its score.
Fire Star runs the darker storyline; The Haunting stays the lighter read.

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How to choose

Want a one-evening read? The Haunting ≈ 2h vs 10h for Fire Star Just want the better-reviewed one? Fire Star 3.9 vs 3.6 from readers In the mood for something dark? Fire Star a darker storyline than The Haunting Want something lighter? The Haunting an easier tone than Fire Star

Scores by source

	Fire Star	The Haunting
Goodreads	3.9 (18013)	3.6 (26780)
Hardcover	3.6 (31)	4.1 (7)
Google Books	4.5 (9)	—
Apple Books	4.5 (63)	—
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Reception

	Fire Star	The Haunting
Ratings	18013	26780
Editions	10	21
Citations	—	13
Film adaptations	1	1
Want to read	6282	1102
Reading it now	414	24
Written reviews	580	116
Wikipedia attention	245	169
Pages	549	135
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Questions readers ask

Which is rated higher: Fire Star or The Haunting?

Fire Star has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Fire Star 3.9/5, The Haunting 3.6/5).

Which is shorter to read: Fire Star or The Haunting?

The Haunting is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Haunting (135 pages, ≈ 2 h 30 m); Fire Star (549 pages, ≈ 10 h 10 m).

Which is harder to read: Fire Star or The Haunting?

Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Fire Star: Light; The Haunting: Light.