Spooky Middle Grade

Review: X Marks the Haunt by Lindsay Currie

~ megs14malloy

X Marks the HauntX Marks the Haunt by Lindsay Currie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

12-year old, Will Stone, has some unique interests for his age, mainly stemming from his proximity to his Mom’s work at a local historic cemetery.

Will is well-versed in all things Graceland cemetery. He’s familiar with how all the burial vaults work, he knows where the most interesting markers lie, and he is a wiz at interpreting centuries old records. Not quite the typical past-times of his peers.

Because of all this, Will doesn’t have a ton of friends. He’s more of a loner. He does have a best friend, Stash, and no one is really mean to him, but he doesn’t have a big group he would generally pal around with.

When his class ends up taking a field trip to the cemetery, at first he’s horrified. He doesn’t want his classmates knowing his Mom works there, and she’s going to be guiding their tour. It’s instant panic mode for Will.

His Mom is a professional though, and ends up making it a fun and memorable visit for all the kids. Will is surprised by the interest a lot of his classmates show, and by the end of the day, he’s found he’s made a couple new friends.

Unfortunately, there is one kid that’s not as nice as the rest and he ends up pressuring Will into doing something he really doesn’t want to do. The result of this action is that a priceless crypt key ends up lost.

After that, Will’s peaceful existence in the cemetery goes awry. Trees start to die, the lake seems poisoned and Will begins hearing and seeing disturbing things.

It seems some sort of malevolent force has been unleashed, and Will, along with his new found friends, need to figure out how to put things back to rights. If they find the key, that should solve everything, right? Maybe, maybe not.

X Marks the Haunt is classic Lindsay Currie. If you’re a fan of her work, you definitely need to read this one. It’s once again set in the beautiful, historic city of Chicago and incorporates history so fluidly.

Will is extremely lovable and pure. I love how resourceful and naturally curious Currie makes her protagonists, but they’re also vulnerable and you can’t help but root for their success. I loved watching Will gain confidence around his peers over the course of the story.

He showed a lot of growth and we love to see that. I think as far as Middle Grade stories go, Currie is one of the best at making history, learning, books smarts, all those things, look cool, because they are, but not all kids see it that way.

Although I didn’t feel this was quite as spooky, or atmospheric, as some of Currie’s earlier works, I still loved these characters so much and the incorporation of the cemetery as the backdrop of the action was so fun.

If you are a fan of Spooky Middle Grade and for some reason haven’t read a Lindsay Currie book yet, you need to change that immediately. She’s the best in the biz, IMO.

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Currie has never disappointed me.

I look forward to everything she writes and will continue to do so for a long, long time!

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Review: Another by Paul Tremblay

~ megs14malloy

AnotherAnother by Paul Tremblay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚

Another is beloved Horror author Paul Tremblay’s Middle Grade debut, and it was such a delight to read. I found the concepts fun, well-imagined and eerie. There were some genuinely creepy moments that got under my skin.

I would have been obsessed with this as a kid!

In this story we’re following Casey, a middle school boy currently living with Transient Tic Disorder, or TTD. The disorder first presented itself, unfortunately, when remote learning was a thing during the Covid pandemic.

All of Casey’s classmates witnessed his tics during a Zoom session. Casey has since been treated like a social pariah, and he has started isolating, keeping to himself a lot more.

When his parents receive an odd phone call one day, and then report to him that he has a friend coming to the house for a sleepover, Casey is confused. Who could it be? What friend? He knows nothing about it.

When Morel shows up, Casey is even more confused. He’s never seen this kid in his life. And what’s going on with his skin? It looks like clay and Morel doesn’t speak.

In spite of the oddness of Morel’s appearance and behavior, Casey’s parents act like nothing is off. In fact, they seemed charmed by him, and Casey is certainly in no position to turn away a potential new friend.

The longer Morel is there though, the more unsettled Casey becomes. Morel is evolving the more he interacts with the family, and Casey is left scratching his head about the nature of his new friend.

Another is an extremely well-crafted story. I didn’t know what to think when Morel first arrived. The whole circumstance with him being there, it felt dangerous, before I actually knew whether it was or not. It left me unnerved.

This story definitely channeled the nostalgic feel of classic kids horror from my own childhood, but done in a modern, more thoughtful way.

I feel like Tremblay put a lot of care into these characters and Casey is so well-developed and empathetic. He’s a character you can get behind and I felt like I went on this wild and crazy journey with him.

Morel’s presence was entirely unsettling. Particularly, because it felt like Casey was so on his own in this. His parents were captivated by Morel’s presence, they could see no wrong, leaving Casey to navigate all the mysterious happenings on his own.

I did enjoy Casey’s relationship with his older sister, Ally, but she was away at college, so couldn’t be much help to him in this situation.

I also enjoyed the real world issues that Trembay explored, such as the challenges of remote learning and isolation. I don’t tend to enjoy any stories that touch upon Covid, but I feel like it was done well here, and in a way that didn’t feel overwhelming to the rest of the plot.

I would highly-recommend this to anyone who enjoys Spooky Middle Grade stories. This has such a vibe and was so much fun to read. It’s fast-paced and engaging, with an excellent audiobook to boot.

Thank you to the publisher, Quill Tree Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m hoping to see a lot more of Tremblay’s work in the Middle Grade space!

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Review: Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson

~ megs14malloy

Blood in the WaterBlood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

💙🧡💙🧡💙🧡💙🧡💙🧡💙🧡💙

In Tiffany D. Jackson’s Middle Grade Debut we follow 12-year old, Kaylani, a Brooklyn girl headed to Martha’s Vineyard for the summer to stay with some family friends. A trip she’s not exactly excited about.

The family in question, the Watsons, are extremely wealthy and powerful. In fact, Kaylani’s Dad used to be close with them and worked for them, prior to his incarceration for financial crimes Kaylani is positive he didn’t commit.

She doesn’t have time to go to the stuffy ole’ Vineyard, when all she wants to do is study the law and try to figure out a way to free her Dad.

In spite of her hesitations though, both Kaylani’s parents insist she go. She needs to have fun, be a kid and let loose. She’s been so worried about her Dad, and focused on his case, she’s sort of put her life on hold.

Even on the ferry to the island though, Kaylani knows it’s going to be a rough summer. The Watson’s granddaughters, London and Cassie, are also on the ferry and London instantly makes Kaylani feel uncomfortable and judged.

In spite of this, once on the island. Kaylani does start to settle in. It’s beautiful and there are lots of other kids. Maybe it won’t be a completely terrible summer. Sometimes, she and London even get on a little, or at least find ways they can be mutually-beneficial to each other.

The day after the girls attend their first beach party, they’re shocked to learn that one of the other kids from party, a boy named Chadwick, has been found dead.

The circumstances are mysterious, and rumors fly as to whether it was a drowning, a shark attack, or even worse, murder. Chadwick happens to be Cassie Watson’s ex-boyfriend, and suspicion falls onto her.

Kaylani’s innate curiosities are triggered and she’s determined to get to the bottom of it. She’s confident Chadwick’s death was no accident, but how can she prove it?

Blood in the Water was really fun and so cute, with a great MC. Kaylani is a character you can connect to instantly. She’s smart, determined, she loves her family and she’s just an all-around good kid. She’s someone you want to see succeed.

I love the setting on the Vineyard. I live on the neighboring island of Nantucket, and appreciated all the true-to-life details that Jackson brought to the story. It made it feel extra special for me and helped me picture everything perfectly.

I also loved having a true murder mystery where the majority of our main players were kids and teens. Kaylani getting her sleuthing on, and making friends to help along the way, was such a delight. Additionally, I loved Kaylani’s relationship with both of her parents, but her Dad especially.

My only complaint was that I wish it had been like 30 to 40-pages longer. I wanted to know even more about the characters, and to get more details on Kaylani’s stay on the island. Overall though, a great MG debut for Jackson.

Jackson is such a talented writer, definitely one of my all time faves and I loved seeing what she could do in this new age-range. Thank you so much to the publisher, Scholastic, for providing me with a copy to read and review!

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Review: Welcome to the Ghost Show by J.W. Ocker

~ megs14malloy

Welcome to the Ghost ShowWelcome to the Ghost Show by J.W. Ocker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Welcome to the Ghost Show is a Middle Grade Horror novel that took me completely by surprise.

I’m not even sure I ever actually read the synopsis. It was offered to me, I took once glance at this cover and said, absolutely, I’ll read that!

This story follows Hazel, known as Zel, and her two best friends, Theo and Lucien, who are the only members of their self-created Creepy Club. The purpose of the club is ghost investigations, and the trio is always looking for evidence of paranormal activity.

When a entity called the Ghost Show arrives in their town, people hardly know what to make of it. What is it exactly?

Zel and the boys have no idea, but Zel is still one of the first in line to find out. After all, it’s hard not to be drawn to the 5-story black skull that has just suddenly erected itself at the edge of town.

The Ghost Show is run by an Amadeus Everest Mancer, a carnival barker-type, who claims to be a ghost catcher. As the kids roam through the Ghost Show, they can hardly believe their eyes. The whole experience is outrageous, leaving them wondering, is any of it actually real?

When Mancer offers to show Zel a real ghost, and in fact the only ghost she would give anything to see, Zel quickly finds she’s let her desires get her in over her head.

Soon the entire town is infected by ghosts and it’s up to the Creepy Club to banish the Ghost Show and save everyone they know, but will they be able to fight back against Mancer’s frightening creations?

I’ll admit, I wouldn’t say this is a perfect book, but I just had such a wonderful time reading it, and that’s how I rate my books, on the experience. The first couple of chapters, I was worried. It did take me a minute to get used to the flow of the author’s writing, but man, did it end up pulling me in.

I worked a full day today; a full stressful day, and I still ended up reading this in its entirety. Once I started to get to know the Creepy Club, and the dangers they faced with the Ghost Show in town, I couldn’t put it down.

I feel like Ocker successfully channeled the 80s/90s Spooky Middle Grades vibes that I’m always looking for. And luckily, the writing is better than the majority of those books, but it still gave me such a nostalgic experience, which I adored.

I enjoyed the dark carnival atmosphere created via the Ghost Show. It gave it all an air of mystery and danger that I liked watching our characters interact with.

Also, the characters were so well done. They each have their own personal issues they’re working through, and you see how the creation of the Creepy Club was sort of a way for them to maybe not be so alone during difficult times.

I felt like Ocker did a great job of exploring those issues, and the friendship, while still keeping the intensity of the Horror aspects. IMO, that blending of the two was very well done and made the story feel more multi-layered.

My favorite character was Theo. He pretty much saw the world through the lens of his video recorder. He was filming everything and he frequently self-narrated things, and I found those narrations hilarious. I was frequently laughing out loud at the things he was saying, which made for a great break in the tension.

Overall, I feel like this is such a fun Spooky Middle Grade story. I would definitely recommend this to any MG Horror Reader. It’s fast-paced, engaging and fairly unique in the plot and conclusion. I’m so glad I picked it up. I need more from this author!

Thank you to the publisher, Storytide, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Come for the cover, stay for all the nostalgic vibes!!

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Review: The Stitchers (Fright Watch #1) by Lorien Lawrence

~ megs14malloy

The Stitchers (Fright Watch, #1)The Stitchers by Lorien Lawrence
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Stitchers is the 1st-installment to Lorien Lawrence’s Spooky Middle Grade trilogy, Fright Watch. I have owed this book for close to 5-years, and am now kicking myself for waiting this long to pick it up.

I absolutely adored this story. Lawrence was able to pull me in and get me completely invested from the very beginning. I loved the MC, Quinn, and her friend/neighbor, Mike.

They made quite the dynamic duo.

Quinn and Mike both live on Goodie Lane. They’re both on the school track team and most days, go running together early in the mornings before school.

On these early morning runs, they frequently observe odd and slightly disturbing behavior from their neighbors; all elderly folks, they’ve dubbed The Oldies, who’ve lived on the street for as long as anyone can remember.

This behavior isn’t really anything new, as Quinn’s Dad, who fairly recently passed away, was a police officer and even he found their neighbors suspicious.

Why don’t they ever seem to age?

After her father passes, Quinn becomes even more focused on getting to the bottom of whatever is going on with the The Oldies. Mike seems like the perfect Robin to her Batman, and he’s more than willing to help out.

The neighbors seem to be on to them though, aware of the kids digging around. Are Quinn and Mike in real danger, or are they just letting their imaginations get away from them?

As things start to heat up on Goodie Lane, their situation escalates quickly. Quinn and Mike desperately search for answers, but will it be too little, too late?

This is such a great Middle Grade Horror novel. I loved how quickly it kicks off and how likable our main characters are.

The mystery of the story is puzzling and it gets top marks for the eerie atmosphere. There were some seriously creepy moments and I loved watching all the action play out.

The Oldies, as a group, are super creepy antagonists. Some of the interactions that Quinn and Mike had with them gave me literal chills. I was fearful in those moments for the characters I had come to love.

I also really appreciated the, shall we say, Beauty Horror, included in this one. Lawrence has some serious Horror chops, don’t let the Middle Grade categorization fool you. This is a good one and read under the right circumstances, it’ll get under your skin.

I loved this so much that I immediately started this 2nd-book after finishing it. And that’s saying something, because I’m terrible at committing to series.

I would recommend this one to any Reader who enjoys Spooky Middle Grade, but honestly, I would recommend this one to any Horror Reader in general. I definitely think this has something to offer individuals of all ages.

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Review: The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb (Goosebumps #5) by R.L. Stine

~ megs14malloy

The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (Goosebumps)The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb by R.L. Stine
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While on holiday in Egypt, Gabe’s parents get called away, leaving him in the care of his Uncle, who happens to be an archaeologist working in the area.

This also means he’ll be spending a lot more time with his cousin, Sari, who admittedly, drives Gabe nuts. She can such a know-it-all and is always teasing and pranking him.

On an excursion to his Uncle’s worksite, Gabe begins exploring the tunnels of the ancient pyramid. It makes him feel strange being in there, like he’s not alone. It’s so eerie, and then he gets lost!

Will Gabe ever find his way out, or will he be just another victim of the Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb!?

The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb was Book #5 in the original Goosebumps series, and as you would imagine, it does feel like one of the classics.

It’s full of jokes and pranks. As any fan of the series can attest, Stine loves a jokester. It’s one of the true staples of his stories. He’s always peppering them in every way he can.

Overall, this is a fun story. There’s quite a bit of action I wasn’t expecting and I enjoyed the Egyptian setting. It’s exactly what I was in the mood for going in. There’s something to be said for Stine’s formula. Sure, it’s predictable, but you always know what you’re getting!

I would recommend this to fans of the Goosebumps franchise. If you’re new to them though, I wouldn’t start here. You have better options for a first go at it.

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Review: Spirit Hunters (Spirit Hunters #1) by Ellen Oh

~ megs14malloy

Spirit Hunters (Spirit Hunters, 1)Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Spirit Hunters is the 1st-installment in a Spooky Middle Grade series by Ellen Oh. This book follows Harper, a 7th-grader who has recently moved to a new town, along with her parents and younger brother, Michael.

As the Reader, you can tell that they’ve moved in part due to some sort of traumatizing event that’s happened in Harper’s life, but the truth behind that is slowly revealed over the course of the novel, instead of all at once.

This gives Harper a bit of mystery to her character, which captured my attention from the start. She’s a great character; one I was interested in getting to know.

There’s also mystery surrounding the new home they’ve moved into. Quickly, Michael starts acting strangely, talking about a friend no one else can see.

While his parents brush it off, children often develop imaginary friends during times of stress or upheaval, Harper is convinced something more is going on.

After making a new friend in the neighborhood, Harper then hears the stories of the house. It’s haunted. She knew it!

As Michael’s behavior continues to worsen, and living in the house becomes more disturbing, and even dangerous, Harper knows she needs to get to the bottom of the haunting and stop it, before it’s too late.

Spirit Hunters was such a fun and wild ride. This book, along with the next 2-books, have been sitting on my shelves for so long. I woke up one day in the mood for Middle Grade Horror, and decided it was finally time to give this one a go.

I’m so glad that I did. I loved all the characters and following along as Harper learned more about their new home, and about herself.

I loved how Oh created such a dark history for the house. It felt menacing, and I did feel a real intensity to the story as I began to fear for Harper and her safety. To me, sometimes MG authors may pull back, but I felt like Oh really dipped into Horror territory and I appreciated that.

The spirits in this story posed a real danger, and as the story raced towards the conclusion, I could not put it down. I had to know how it was going to turn out for Harper.

I also liked how this story explored Harper’s mental health in regard to a traumatic event that had happened in her past. It added depth to her character, and I liked how those details were included.

Overall, this exceeded my expectations, and I can’t wait to continue on with the rest of the series. I’m hoping to pick up the 2nd-book, Spirit Hunters #2: The Island of Monsters, very soon!

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Review: Goosebumps — Night of the Living Dummy (Goosebumps #7) by R.L. Stine

~ megs14malloy

Night of the Living Dummy (Goosebumps, #7)Night of the Living Dummy by R.L. Stine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Many know Slappy the dummy as one of the most iconic Goosebumps characters of all time. And while I have read other books with Slappy as an antagonist, I’ve no recollection of ever reading this, Night of the Living Dummy, Slappy’s first appearance.

Recently, I needed a quick, fun, not too mentally taxing, audiobook while doing things around the house and decided to pick this up. I’m glad I did, as it fit the bill nicely.

In this story we follow twins, Lindy and Kris, who find a discarded ventriloquist’s dummy. Lindy decides to save it, brings it home with them, and names it Slappy.

Kris, never wanting her sister to upstage her, needs to get a dummy of her own, which she names Mr. Wood. In classic Stine fashion, the sisters battle it out, performing with their dummies, but are the dummies battling too?

Something weird is going on. Disturbing things begin to happen when the dummies are around, and it soon becomes clear there’s an evil lurking in their house. Will the girls be able to band together and figure out what’s happening, or will the dummies force them apart forever?

In my humble opinion, this is definitely one of the stronger Goosebumps stories. At this point in the series, regardless of the direction his character goes in later stories and series spin-offs, Slappy does indeed feel menacing here.

While Stine always loves siblings fighting and having rivalries, I liked how the twins did eventually put their differences aside, and worked together.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this as one of the ‘must reads’ of the Goosebumps universe. I feel like it provides a solid foundation for Slappy’s character moving forward, and is also just a lot of fun!

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Review: It’s Watching by Lindsay Currie

~ megs14malloy

It's WatchingIt’s Watching by Lindsay Currie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It’s Watching is the latest release from my favorite Spooky Middle Grade author, Lindsay Currie. I always find myself completely invested in her stories.

She knows how to deliver that perfect, cozy, spooky small town atmosphere, all while pairing it with likable, strong-willed, curious and determined young characters.

This book kicks off on Halloween night, when Josie and her two best friends, Jackson and Alison, sneak into Bachelor’s Grove cemetery on a mission.

With dreams of being journalists, they have the perfect story idea to help secure them editorial spots with their school newspaper. They just need to find and prove the existence of a local legend, The Woman in White.

Unfortunately, before they’re able to get the proof they need for their story, they’re chased off the property by someone who they assume to be the security guard.

Shortly following that ill-fated adventure, they all receive a creepy meme on their phones, an image of the ‘Phantom Farmhouse’, a known haunt in their town, with the words I’m watching dripping down the screen. This frightens the pants off the three kids.

It’s said that the Phantom Farmhouse sporadically appears, luring people in, but never letting them out. So, yeah, I think they had good reason to be afraid.

Soon many strange things start happening to them, including another threatening meme, this time with a countdown. Apparently, they have three days to figure out what’s terrorizing them, or it may be too late.

I had so much fun with this. I loved Josie, Jackson and Alison. Their friendship was supportive and sweet. It’s always great to see such positive relationships in books for Young Readers.

I thought the investigation the kids did into what was happening to them was completely engaging as well. They incorporated different resources, including a ghost hunter and the local library.

Another aspect that Currie always includes in her stories, which I appreciate so much, is the incorporation of history. There’s always a part of the story that focuses on local history, wherever the story is set, and I feel like she does a great job making history exciting.

As books for Younger Readers, I feel like that’s so important to get them interested in topics like that, and she certainly does it well. In fact, it’s that more than anything that makes her stories stand out to me.

Don’t get me wrong though, she’s great at writing all aspects, including my favorite: ATMOSPHERE. Currie is always delivering the exact vibe I’m looking for when I pick up a Spooky Middle Grade, and that’s why I keep coming back for more, and always will.

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I’m looking forward to whatever spooky adventure Lindsay Currie has in store for us next!

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