Deephaven by Ethan M. Aldridge

Available now

Ages 8-12, 288 pages

I was first introduced to Aldridge’s work with his graphic novel Estranged. The Kid selected that one during one of our many bookstore runs and I fell instantly in love with his art style. When I saw the news about Deephaven, I immeadiately went to all the usual ARC request sites and placed my request. Yes, I was sent an advanced digital copy and yes, life got in the way and I’m late getting the review out.

From the Publisher:

When Guinevere "Nev’" Tallow receives an acceptance letter to Deephaven Academy, an exclusive and secluded school, they know it’s the fresh start that they’ve been looking for.

But things are strange from the moment they arrive—the house itself seems to breathe, students whisper secrets in dark corridors, and the entire east wing of the academy is locked away for reasons no one wants to explain. And Nev knows something strange and ragged stalks the shadowy corridors, something that sobs quietly and scratches at the walls, waiting to be released.

With the help of another first-year student, Nev takes it upon themself to unravel the mysteries hidden in Deephaven's halls. But will they risk their fresh start to bring the academy’s secret to light?

Deephaven is a beautifully written coming of age story set in a magical boarding school. If you have a young fantasy reader in your life, this book is a perfect addition to their bookshelf. It's the perfect balance of compelling story, quiet character development, and a gentle spookiness perfect for young readers. There are several parts that involve some fantasy violence and scariness, but it’s all age appropriate and written with care for the readers.

You can feel the love and care Aldridge has put into his characters and their story. Nev is struggling with a complicated home life and knows that Deephaven could be their way to a happier life. But with a fresh start comes other complications that many readers will readily identify with: finding new friends, the stress of a new environment, and wanting to fit in. Anyone who has been the new kid knows how scary that can be.

I loved this book and if you want to add it your shelf, you can click on the cover above, or here, for ordering information.

Thanks to Edelweiss and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own. This post may also contain associate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Available now

Reader friends! It’s a spooky ghost story set during the 90s in Mexico City! And it’s so, so good.

From the Publisher:

Montserrat has always been overlooked. She’s a talented sound editor, but she’s left out of the boys’ club running the film industry in ’90s Mexico City. And she’s all but invisible to her best friend, Tristán, a charming if faded soap opera star, though she’s been in love with him since childhood.

Then Tristán discovers his new neighbor is the cult horror director Abel Urueta, and the legendary auteur claims he can change their lives—even if his tale of a Nazi occultist imbuing magic into highly volatile silver nitrate stock sounds like sheer fantasy. The magic film was never finished, which is why, Urueta swears, his career vanished overnight. He is cursed.

Now the director wants Montserrat and Tristán to help him shoot the missing scene and lift the curse . . . but Montserrat soon notices a dark presence following her, and Tristán begins seeing the ghost of his ex-girlfriend.

As they work together to unravel the mystery of the film and the obscure occultist who once roamed their city, Montserrat and Tristán may find that sorcerers and magic are not only the stuff of movies.

I absolutely love this book! Moreno-Garcia has a real talent for crafting characters that feel incredibly real and relatable. Many ghost stories involve silly people who make silly decisions for silly reasons. Not in this book. Montserrat and Tristán get caught up in a decades old magical mystery purely by knowing a great deal of horror movie trivia and stumbling across a once famous horror director. What starts as a friendly chat between a director and devoted fans, quickly becomes a terrifying adventure into the dark occult underground in Mexico City. It’s beautifully written, incredibly complex, and perfectly paced.

I really liked how the author set this in 1993-no internet or cell phones-and how it impacted the characters’ actions and ability to research the history of our occult characters. At several points, Montserrat has to go to an actual bookstore to find books for research and to me, it’s such a fun detail. There’s also something about Tristán carrying around a pager and being tied to his apartment awaiting a phone call that was quite charming.

Montserrat is a very interesting character. She grew up being bullied for a disability but never let it stop her from pursuing her love of film and sound editing. As an adult, she has to put up with sexism at work and unwanted advances from coworkers and other men connected to the business. But Montserrat stays strong and true to herself and was a great character to follow on this dark adventure.

I truly loved this book and if you want to add this dazzling dark adventure to your shelf, you can click on the cover or here for ordering information.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own. This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

My Favorite Fiction Podcast and Book Pairings: Spooky Edition

My family and I have been so busy lately that finding time to read has been extremely difficult. As someone who always has an earbud in and a podcast playing, I’ve come across a few fiction podcast gems that have completely sucked me into their worlds and made me slightly obsessed. I have always enjoyed audiobooks and still listen to several a month, but there is just something different about a story in podcast form. Maybe it’s all the time I spent watching soap operas growing up, but the short episodes filled with a wide range of characters and multiple concurrent storylines has always been the best way to keep my attention and interest.

Some of these podcasts are no longer active, but all their episodes are available for listening. Some have some pretty intense content warnings so definitely check their websites for details.

Because I loved:

I listened to:

Old Gods of Appalachia. Created by Steve Shell and Cam Collins, this horror anthology podcast is set in an alternate Appalachia and features dark gods, magical people, and intricate storytelling. Steve Shell’s voice is almost disturbingly perfect for the narration of these stories and the full cast episodes are absolutely haunting. It’s highly recommended that you begin with episode 1 and continue in episode order. This is one of my absolute favorite podcasts.

Unwell: A Midwestern Gothic Mystery is a fabulous full cast fiction podcast. Lillian Harper returns home to care for her estranged mother and discovers that there is so much more to the small town of Mt. Absalom. Centered around the boarding house her mother runs, Unwell is full of ghosts, creepy mysteries, and disturbing happenings in the woods.

Because I loved:

I listened to:

After losing his job, Nate moves across the country with his precious dog Bella and discovers a disturbing stash of letters in the cellar of his rental house. As Nate tries to uncover the mystery of his new house, he documents it all in podcast form with some….mixed results. I really love this one and luckily, the third season is coming soon!

I’m pretty sure I was the last person on earth to discover this fantastic podcast. Jonathon Sims is the new head archivist of the mysterious Magnus Institute. As Jonathon begins the overwhelming task of organizing and recording disturbing witness statements that were left in disarray from the previous archivist, Jonathan uncovers a disturbingly dark side of the Institute. Full cast, completely engrossing and horrifying, it’s no wonder it has won ALL the awards.

What are your favorite spooky podcasts?

This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

Holiday Book Gift Guide: 9 Spooky Middle Grade Books That I Love

Here’s a post from October with my favorite middle grade spooky books for your young spooky book fan!

It’s Spooky Reading Season! These are some of the most popular books going out at the Library right now, and, they also happen to be some of my favorite middle grade horror novels. I’ve done my best to add in any content warnings that I remember from my reading, but as always, you may want to preview before handing these off to kids. All are super spooky but some contain more humor than spook so there should be something for everyone.

CW: Parental death, grief, bullying, threats to children

Eleven year-old Ollie has been dealt a tragic blow that is affecting her relationships at home and at school. When a magical book finds it’s way to her through troubling means, Ollie becomes obsessed with the book and the characters found within. Ollie’s obsession becomes reality when a class field trip takes her to the graves of the very people she is reading about.

Now, Ollie and two of her classmates must battle unimaginable forces to save themselves and the lives of their classmates.

CW: Violence, Mild Violence, Discrimination, Disability

From the Publisher: When Ned and his identical twin brother tumble from their raft into a raging river, only Ned survives. Villagers are convinced the wrong boy lived. Across the forest that borders Ned’s village, Áine, the daughter of the Bandit King, is haunted by her mother’s last words: “The wrong boy will save your life, and you will save his.” When the Bandit King comes to steal the magic Ned’s mother, a witch, is meant to protect, Áine and Ned meet. Can they trust each other long enough to cross a dangerous enchanted forest and stop the war about to boil over between their two kingdoms?

Barnhill is an excellent writer and crafts beautifully written fantasy stories about family and friendship.

Charlie Hernández loves the myths and stories his abuela told him growing up. When he begins to turn into something similar to a creature from one his favorite stories, Charlie knows he’s in for an adventure. Charlie is quickly thrown into a world of brujas, magic, monsters, and danger!

This is a great pick for kids who are looking for action, adventure, and lots of magic!

CW: Cruelty to Animals, Mild Language, Mild Violence

When Mup’s father is kidnapped by witches, Mup and her mother must set off on a journey to rescue him from the evil queen who has outlawed magic. This evil queen also happens to be her grandmother…

For readers who love a character on a magical journey, as well as family and political drama.

CW: Parental death, majority of the book takes place in a funeral parlor, kid danger and peril

When Molly’s neglectful father passes away, Molly returns to her mother’s home to collect her inheritance. What she finds, is a brother who doesn’t want her around and his business partner who really wants her to leave. But Molly is persistent and she has a plan to get what she wants.

What she doesn’t anticipate is the business she so badly wants a stake in is a mortuary for monsters.

Yep. She’s about to find out the supernatural is all around her and she and her brother will have to work together to keep the monsters safe.

CW: death of a grandparent, racism, segregation, harassment, gun violence

After the death of their grandmother, eleven year-old twins Jezebel and Jay begin training in root work with their uncle. Their family has crafted small potions and charms for their community for generations but when a dark force begins to threaten their home and community, Jez and Jay discover their magic goes far deeper.

An excellent story that weaves history, culture, magic, and mystery seamlessly.

Portal fantasy! When her parents go missing after a series of mysterious letters are delivered to their home, Emily must gather her courage and clues to rescue them. Emily discovers a parallel London, full of magic, mystery, and the fae.

This is book 1 in a 3 book series so if your Reader loves it, there are more books!

A funnier take on the spooky tale

This is a much lighter and funnier take on the spooky story. Will Hunter is dealing with his parent’s divorce, a move to a new town, and a brand new school. On top of all that stress, he seems to be the only one who notices all the spooky stuff in his town. There are monsters where his teachers should be and weird stuff all over the town’s streets. Luckily for Will, he makes friends with the school outcasts and together, they work to solve the mystery of the super spooky shenanigans.

This book is a ton of fun and has a mysterious secret narrator!

This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

9 Spooky Middle Grade Books That I Love

It’s Spooky Reading Season! These are some of the most popular books going out at the Library right now, and, they also happen to be some of my favorite middle grade horror novels. I’ve done my best to add in any content warnings that I remember from my reading, but as always, you may want to preview before handing these off to kids. All are super spooky but some contain more humor than spook so there should be something for everyone.

CW: Parental death, grief, bullying, threats to children

Eleven year-old Ollie has been dealt a tragic blow that is affecting her relationships at home and at school. When a magical book finds it’s way to her through troubling means, Ollie becomes obsessed with the book and the characters found within. Ollie’s obsession becomes reality when a class field trip takes her to the graves of the very people she is reading about.

Now, Ollie and two of her classmates must battle unimaginable forces to save themselves and the lives of their classmates.

CW: Violence, Mild Violence, Discrimination, Disability

From the Publisher: When Ned and his identical twin brother tumble from their raft into a raging river, only Ned survives. Villagers are convinced the wrong boy lived. Across the forest that borders Ned’s village, Áine, the daughter of the Bandit King, is haunted by her mother’s last words: “The wrong boy will save your life, and you will save his.” When the Bandit King comes to steal the magic Ned’s mother, a witch, is meant to protect, Áine and Ned meet. Can they trust each other long enough to cross a dangerous enchanted forest and stop the war about to boil over between their two kingdoms?

Barnhill is an excellent writer and crafts beautifully written fantasy stories about family and friendship.

Charlie Hernández loves the myths and stories his abuela told him growing up. When he begins to turn into something similar to a creature from one his favorite stories, Charlie knows he’s in for an adventure. Charlie is quickly thrown into a world of brujas, magic, monsters, and danger!

This is a great pick for kids who are looking for action, adventure, and lots of magic!

CW: Cruelty to Animals, Mild Language, Mild Violence

When Mup’s father is kidnapped by witches, Mup and her mother must set off on a journey to rescue him from the evil queen who has outlawed magic. This evil queen also happens to be her grandmother…

For readers who love a character on a magical journey, as well as family and political drama.

CW: Parental death, majority of the book takes place in a funeral parlor, kid danger and peril

When Molly’s neglectful father passes away, Molly returns to her mother’s home to collect her inheritance. What she finds, is a brother who doesn’t want her around and his business partner who really wants her to leave. But Molly is persistent and she has a plan to get what she wants.

What she doesn’t anticipate is the business she so badly wants a stake in is a mortuary for monsters.

Yep. She’s about to find out the supernatural is all around her and she and her brother will have to work together to keep the monsters safe.

CW: death of a grandparent, racism, segregation, harassment, gun violence

After the death of their grandmother, eleven year-old twins Jezebel and Jay begin training in root work with their uncle. Their family has crafted small potions and charms for their community for generations but when a dark force begins to threaten their home and community, Jez and Jay discover their magic goes far deeper.

An excellent story that weaves history, culture, magic, and mystery seamlessly.

Portal fantasy! When her parents go missing after a series of mysterious letters are delivered to their home, Emily must gather her courage and clues to rescue them. Emily discovers a parallel London, full of magic, mystery, and the fae.

This is book 1 in a 3 book series so if your Reader loves it, there are more books!

A funnier take on the spooky tale

This is a much lighter and funnier take on the spooky story. Will Hunter is dealing with his parent’s divorce, a move to a new town, and a brand new school. On top of all that stress, he seems to be the only one who notices all the spooky stuff in his town. There are monsters where his teachers should be and weird stuff all over the town’s streets. Luckily for Will, he makes friends with the school outcasts and together, they work to solve the mystery of the super spooky shenanigans.

This book is a ton of fun and has a mysterious secret narrator!

This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

Cackle by Rachel Harrison

Available Now

Reader Friends, this book is delightful. Now, if like my husband, you think spiders are murderous little monsters intent on eliminating all humankind, you may not find this as delightful as there are A LOT of spiders in this book. But I loved it and flew through it the other night.

Annie has been dumped by her long time boyfriend Sam and is now on her own for the first time in nearly a decade. Breaking up with Sam also means leaving New York City for a new town, new job, and new apartment. Devastated by the break-up, Annie spends her time obsessed with reading old text exchanges from Sam and scrolling through old photos while wine drunk on her couch. As if that wasn’t enough, her new job is plagued with clique-y coworkers, unruly students, and a nosy boss. It’s an all-around crap-tastic situation.

But then Annie meets Sophie. A beautiful, interesting, intriguing woman who lives alone in a mansion in the woods. The more time they spend together, the more Annie realizes that the people in the small village of Rowan seem genuinely afraid of Sophie. She rarely pays for anything in the stores and diners and the townspeople seem very nervous around her. But Annie is enthralled by Sophie’s grace and independent lifestyle. As the two become closer, little things start to make Annie uneasy about their budding friendship. The more Sophie pushes Annie to stop apologizing and live her life as she please, the more Annie realizes that there is a cost to that kind of living.

This was so good! Harrison did such a great job building the tension between Sophie and the people of Rowan. So many of the interactions felt just that littlest bit off from normal so it was easy to brush it all off as people just not liking her, or the complete opposite, like they had such respect for her that they couldn’t possibly do anything that would insult her. Also, Annie isn’t used to small town living and can’t tell if it’s just how the villagers are with each other or if there is something bigger going on. Annie’s break up with Sam runs really close to the line of obsession and threatens to become all consuming which definitely clouds her judgement when it comes to Sophie. There were quite a few times that I was definitely on Team Sophie and wanted to Annie to just get over him and move on but I also understand how hard it was for her to completely sever that tie. Cackle also shows how hard it is to make new friends as an adult and the struggles that come along with moving to a new town where you don’t know a single person.

Not going to lie, I would move into Sophie’s woodland mansion in a heartbeat. I loved how Annie had to travel through the woods, past a run-down, abandoned hut, and a graveyard to get there. Knowing there was no direct route to Sophie’s made it feel very eerie, but also quite magical. And this house was magical. Enormous, with a grand ballroom and many guest rooms, Sophie’s mansion was as run-down as it was expansive. I loved how it was covered in dust and cobwebs but still full of crystal chandeliers and an indoor swimming pool. How do you pass up an indoor swimming pool?

And possibly full of ghosts? Possibly.

This was a delightfully spooky and eerie tale that was full of surprises. It’s definitely on the lighter side if you’ve spent the past month immersed in all things horror, this may be a great book to lighten things up a bit. This would be a great choice for those that love watching characters grown and change throughout a story. Annie’s life and attitude changes dramatically in really interesting and compelling ways.

If you would love to add this charming and chilling book to your shelf, you can find ordering information here:

This post contains affiliate links, such as Amazon, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

Ghost Girl by Ally Malinenko

Available Now

Zee Puckett loves ghost stories. She just never expected to be living one.

It all starts with a dark and stormy night. When the skies clear, everything is different. People are missing. There’s a creepy new principal who seems to know everyone’s darkest dreams. And Zee is seeing frightening things: large, scary dogs that talk and maybe even . . . a ghost.

When she tells her classmates, only her best friend Elijah believes her. Worse, mean girl Nellie gives Zee a cruel nickname: Ghost Girl.

But whatever the storm washed up isn’t going away. Everyone’s most selfish wishes start coming true in creepy ways.

To fight for what’s right, Zee will have to embrace what makes her different and what makes her Ghost Girl. And all three of them—Zee, Elijah, and Nellie—will have to work together if they want to give their ghost story a happy ending.

I absolutely adore this book! Filled with delightfully spooky elements, fierce friendships, and a complicated family life, Ghost Girl is a dark adventure perfect for middle grade readers. Zee is an outsider. Picked on by the class bully Nellie, Zee spends most of her time with her best friend Elijah. Together, the two of them can overcome anything, even the strange events that seem to coincide with the arrival of their new principal, Principal Scratch. People around town are acting strangely and suddenly, the rumors about Zee’s mother having the ability to speak to ghosts don’t seem so far-fetched. As tensions increase around town, Zee and Elijah must work together with an unlikely ally to save their town from the dark and sinister Principal Scratch.

This book is very relatable to young readers. There are many different types of families and living situations represented in Ghost Girl. Zee and her sister are living on their own after their father leaves town to look for work. Elijah has a mother who is battling mental illness and a father who is constantly criticizing him and desperately wants his son to live the same the childhood fueled by football that he had. Nellie, a spoiled bully, has parents who seem to be uninterested in her and pay her little attention, but do shower her in the latest clothes and tech.

I really enjoyed the creepy school principal elements. The author has imbued Principal Scratch with all the characteristics of a shady motivational speaker who is secretly trying to take over the town. Watching the principal quickly worm his way into the hearts and minds of the members of the town was eerie and disconcerting. The entire town is filled with a weirdness that is hard to put your finger on and helps to enhance the overall haunted feel of the story.

Ghost Girl is an excellent spine-chilling read for middle grade readers. It has the right amount of spookiness to draw readers in and a fast-paced plot that will keep them engage.

Thank you so much to Katherine Tegen Books for sending me a beautiful copy of this book. All mistakes and opinions are completely my own. Interested in putting this amazing book into the hands of your favorite middle grade reader? You can find ordering information here:

This post contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases.

Start Your Library Holds for Spooky Season

If you are the type of Reader who loves to fill the month of October with spooky, magical stories, like I am, you need to start your Library Holds now. Here are six books that I have read recently with elements of horror, magic, all things supernatural, and a book series that takes place in a Library in Hell. Click on the covers for more information about each title and ordering information.

Set in a strict, religious colony led by a feared polygamist patriarch, Immanuelle Moore was born a crime. Her mother was one of the many wives of the leader and her betrayal led to the death of her lover and her banishment from the colony. A dark forest on the edge of the colony is rumored to be inhabited by dark witches and when Immanuelle finds herself drawn to it, she discovers her mother’s ties to the darkness and inadvertently releases a plague upon her colony.

Claire is the Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing of the Library in Hell. Yep, a Library in Hell. Charged to protect the books of the Unwritten, books unfinished by authors and whose characters are always trying to escape the Library, her retrieval of a missing character goes horribly wrong when fallen angels interfere. I loved this book and the second book, The Archive of the Forgotten, comes out on October 6.

This one gave me nightmares! Four high school friends go on a hunt that violates their tribal law. Now, ten years later, something is hunting them. It is bloody, gory, intensely graphic, and absolutely terrifying. It’s so good.

One of the best books I’ve read this year! When her cousin sends her a cryptic letter fearing for her life, Noemí is sent to determine if it’s just new marriage nerves or an actual crisis. Noemí discovers her cousin horribly ill and surrounded by her in-laws that give Noemí the absolute creeps. What the family doesn’t understand, is Noemí is far from a shrinking violet and is more than willing to do whatever it takes to free her cousin. Set in a dark, damp mansion, this is one of the most atmospheric books I’ve ever read.

This is a fabulous collection of short stories that will leave you terrified. I love short stories for when you have limited time but still need to get some reading in. Each story in this collection is unique and chilling and Machado’s writing is so deceptively beautiful. Beautiful words should not terrify you, but she does it.

Told through multiple points of view, this book tells the story of a mother and daughter who have the ability to heal through magic and the lengths they will go to survive through the tumultuous years of the Civil War. This is a heavy one-enslavement, torture, kidnapping, and dark secrets that could tear apart an entire community. At the core, this story is about the secrets women keep to protect those that they love.

This post contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases.

Gloom Town by Ronald L. Smith

Available Now

Set in a fictional seaside village on the continent Europica, Gloom Town is an atmospheric and delightfully creepy story of magical planes, mythical creatures, and dark secrets. 

Desperately wanting to help his single mother with the family finances, Rory applies for a valet job at the mysterious Foxglove Manor. When he gets the job, his excitement over financial freedom quickly diminishes with every dark and lonely day on the job. Days spent dusting and cleaning are followed by cold nights and mysterious dinner parties. When Rory’s life is put in danger, he and his best friend Izzy must use their smarts and bravery to save themselves, and the whole of Gloom Town. 

This is a fantastic middle grade adventure with lots of spooky elements that can get a bit dark so it’d be best for those over ages 9 or 10. Rory and Izzy are great characters who are both relatable and interesting. Both children have been gifted some sort of magical power that they learn the true strength of their powers with each other’s help. Even with their special gifts, both children are incredibly brave and strong and show true loyalty to their families and each other. 

Rory and his mother are struggling to make it financially and that’s even with her working two jobs. Their desire for financial security is, unfortunately, going to be very relatable to many young readers. 

The story moves quickly with plenty of action to keep readers interested. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the town and the way that the townspeople are seen as a close knit community. Foxglove Manor is a dark and creepy mansion with mysterious suits of armor and creepy paintings and you could feel how cold and hungry Rory was while there. This would be great for those readers that a book with a strong sense of place and atmosphere. Ronald L. Smith is a multiple award winner including the Coretta Scott King award for his novel Hoodoo and his writing is a delight to read. I’m very excited to add this to our Children’s Department Spooky and Scary shelf. 

I don’t call it the Horror section, the grown-ups get weird about kids reading horror.  Call it Spooky and Scary and they don’t blink an eye. 

If you have a middle grade fantasy lover in your life, you can grab them a copy of Gloom Town, and help support the site, here:

More from Ronald L. Smith:

Books similar to Gloom Town:

As always, purchasing through the links helps support the site as I am a member of the Amazon Associates Program.