What an absolutely superbly spine-tingling story!  The Haunting of Aveline Jones is a satisfyingly chilling, tension-filled and eerily atmospheric story, and is the perfect read for a cold, dark evening – if you dare! 

Aveline Jones has been sent to the seaside town of Malmouth on the Cornish Coast to stay with her Aunt Lilian whilst her mother visits her Grandmother who is unwell.

Aveline is a booklover who has a predilection towards those of the spooky kind – you know, the kind that keep you awake at night or, even worse/better, wake you up in the middle of the night!  After visiting the most wonderful dusty old second-hand bookshop, she buys a book of folklore about local ghosts and phantoms. 

Aveline finds the name of the previous owner, Primrose Penberthy, written in the book and, on further investigation, discovers that she went missing over 30 years previously.  She is determined to find out what happened to her, to not let her be forgotten and to unearth the truth behind the last story in the book which has been crossed out … a booklover’s nightmare!

So begins a riveting mystery, laden with masterfully balanced tension and a sense of foreboding which creates a tightrope of suspense, orchestrated perfectly to send shivers down your spine.  Is there any truth in a local almost forgotten ghost story? Why are scarecrows placed outside homes in the lead up to Halloween? 

I am in awe of how enticingly the eerie atmosphere has been portrayed through the senses:  a seaside town in winter, stormy weather, crashing waves, child-like scarecrows, scratching noises, unexpected occurrences and sightings, shocking revelations, the threat of danger … this is definitely a story that made me jumpy and read some parts from behind my fingers, and I loved it for being able to do that! 

Aveline is a wonderful protagonist who shows great courage, determination and strength despite her understandable fear.  She is intent on solving the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Primrose, and feels an affinity with her as she learns more and more about her.  I loved how the relationship between Aveline and her Aunt Lilian changed during the course of the story, from one of tentativeness and awkwardness to closeness and warmth.  I also enjoyed Aveline’s growing friendship with Harold who despite his scepticism about ghosts and irritating her at times, proves an ally in her investigation. 

I have to give a special mention to the bookseller, Ernst Liberman, who is a wonderfully warm, eccentric character, kind-hearted with a wealth of bookish knowledge, who utters the lines that are very close to my heart … “ … Books are the most precious thing in all the world …” 

The cover and inside illustrations by Keith Robinson are stunning and complement the spooky vibe of this story perfectly.

This is an absolutely perfect middle-grade read for those who like the frisson of fear, the eerie atmosphere and the build-up of tension that are all part of a thrilling ghost mystery story … it gave me delicious reading chills. 

Thank you to the NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you so much to Dave at The Write Reads for inviting me to be part of this blog tour, to the publishers, Egmont, for sending me a physical proof in return for my honest opinion and to the writer, Jack Meggitt-Phillips, for giving me a few hours of very satisfying reading time!

Review

This is a deliciously dark, wickedly witty and heart-meltingly warm story, which I gulped down in a very satisfying single sitting.  Excuse the bookish burps! 

Ebenezer Tweezer is youthful in appearance and, if he does say so himself, really rather handsome, BUT he’s approaching his 512th birthday!  What magic is this?  Well, he is kept in this youthful state by a magical elixir given to him by the beast in his attic.  The beast also vomits – yes, sorry, vomits – up all sorts of presents to keep Ebenezer in the lavish lifestyle to which he has become accustomed. 

And the price?  Why, nothing more than becoming a willing servant, ready and able to serve the beast any food it desires.  Which is all very well when it demands, say, a rare singing parrot, but what about a plump, juicy child?  Eternal youth versus child sacrifice?  To be fair, Ebenezer does try to protest, but honestly, it’s no contest for this egotistical, vain fellow.  One plump, juicy child coming up with the proviso that she’s horrible and truly deserving of being the beast’s next meal.

And what a child he finds!  Bethany “Bog Off” lives in an orphanage and amuses herself by tormenting the other children.   She’s horrible, nasty and mean, and just PERFECT for the beast’s next meal.  But, are Ebenezer and the beast ready for what Bethany has to offer?

This is a completely unputdownable treat of a book which is brimming with fast-paced chaotic action, hilarious battles of will and plenty of heart-warming and poignant moments too.  I dare anyone not to be desperate for a second helping!

I really enjoyed the changing dynamics of the interactions between Ebenezer and Bethany which sees them both tentatively reaching towards friendship, and seeking redemption in order to become good people, even if they’re not quite clear what ‘good’ constitutes, but together there is hope for both. 

My heart went out to Bethany who has been sent to an orphanage run by the uncaring Miss Fizzlewick after the loss of her parents who she barely remembers.  She doesn’t know what family is, yet is desperate for a sense of belonging.  Then along comes Ebenezer who, whether he knows it or not, is lonely and in need of a friend and a moral compass.  Each is just what the other needs.

And what can I offer up in defence of the beast?  Nothing, absolutely nothing.  Well, alright, maybe, just maybe, it feels a little inferior about its looks, but that really is no excuse for those eating habits and that demanding attitude!

This is such a cleverly layered story with important messages relating to themes of the fear of aging/death, overcoming loss, greed, the ability to empathise, honesty and the misuse of power. Its also ferociously funny, terrifically twisted and delightfully dark. 

The proof I have does not have complete illustrations but those that are included complement the book perfectly:  lively, expressive and whimsical. I’m looking forward to buying a finished copy so I can see all the illustrations.  

The Beast and the Bethany has everything I love in a captivating story – sharply observed wit, wonderful characters and interaction, an imaginative plot, and just that je ne sais quoi that utterly charms the reader.  I can’t wait to share this with my class!

Jack Meggitt-Phillips is an incredibly exciting new talent. He is an author, scriptwriter and playwright whose work has been performed at The Roundhouse and featured on Radio 4. He is scriptwriter and presenter of The History of Advertising podcast. In his mind, Jack is an enormously talented ballroom dancer, however his enthusiasm far surpasses his actual talent. Jack lives in north London where he spends most of his time drinking peculiar teas and reading PG Wodehouse novels.

Isabelle Follath Isabelle is an illustrator who has worked in advertising, fashion magazines and book publishing, but her true passion lies in illustrating children’s books. She also loves drinking an alarming amount of coffee, learning new crafts and looking for the perfect greenish-gold colour. Isabellelives in Zurich, Switzerland.

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
• Finally… reveal the book!

There were two men in the graveyard, under the stars. Both were very tall and unnaturally thin, and wore black suits and long black coats. They walked through the oldest parts of the church grounds among overgrown weeds and tombstones so decayed that the names of those buried beneath had been lost forever.

Any ideas?

I’ve been reading some spooky middle-grade stories recently and want to try to add to my collection and this one seems like a great addition. I think I’m going to make October my month long readathon for spooky books!

Goodreads Synopsis:

Are you brave? When mysterious Amelia Pigeon turns up at Kirby’s bedroom window in the dead of night, this is the question she asks him – immediately before they tumble into a world of ancient malevolent spirits who have torn their way into Kirby’s sleepy seaside village. Ross MacKenzie weaves a world of magic and adventure, which twists and turns magnificently and will keep thrilled young readers guessing right to the end.

This is my new weekly meme celebrating amazing middle-grade books. I hope others will enjoy taking part in this too!

How to take part:

• Post a picture of the front cover of a middle-grade book which you have read and would recommend to others with details of the author, illustrator and publisher.
• Open the book to page 11 and share your favourite sentence.
• Write three words to describe the book.
• Either share why you would recommend this book, or link to your review.

This week, I’m celebrating …

Favourite Sentence from Page 11:

I do not recall much about my early life, except cardboard boxes under my paws and the whines of my siblings, who always nudged me away from the food dish.

This book in three words:

FAMILY, LOVE, ‘DOGGEDNESS‘

I, Cosmo is a ‘woof-tastically’ heart-warming story, full of life, heart and humour which will appeal to any dog-lover, adult or child.  Telling the story from the perspective of Cosmo, the 13-year old family golden retriever, is genius!  The tone is conversational and authentic:  I can really imagine that this is exactly how a dog sees himself within a loving family.  Cosmo is wise, humorous and devoted to his family.

I fell in love with Cosmo for a two main reasons: his devotion and sensitivity towards his family, and especially to Max, which is wonderfully depicted; and, his sharp, witty observations which permeate the story, lending it many humorous moments.

This is just the most wonderfully, heart-warming, tender story which I can highly recommend. You can read my full review here.

I’d love if anyone who wants to give this meme a go would comment in the comments box and include a link to your post so I can visit, comment and find some great middle-grade recommendations. If you do create a post and are on Twitter, and would like to share your post, please use the hashtag  #MGTakesOnThursday so I can find it, read it and share it!

I’m currently listening to Northern Lights on audio. I can’t believe, being such a fan of fantasy, that I haven’t read this yet! I did try many years ago, but just couldn’t get into it. I’m giving it another go and, so far, am really enjoying it. I’ve just started The Haunting of Aveline Jones which I already know I’m going to love. It’s definitely giving off spooky vibes!

I finished Small Spaces as I could’t stop reading where I was meant to for the Book Club discussion – it was so good. This is a really spooky tale that will never let me look at scarecrows in the same way again! I also read and posted my reviews Luna and Sam Wu is NOT Afraid of SPACE. I finished the audiobook of the first book in the Murder Most Unladylike Series and, when I had a chance to listen to a longer section, I really LOVED it. Talk about having to eat my words! I’d said I didn’t feel the need to pick up any others in the series – well I did, and now I’m ever so slightly addicted! I was reading Arsenic for Tea far too late last night and then again at 6am this morning! I absolutely loved it, and have the next two, First Class Murder and Jolly Foul Play downloaded from Borrowbox and ready to read. I want to have the next two read before Christmas and read Mistletoe and Murder during the Christmas holidays. I think the only problem will be holding back until Christmas! I also read The Beast and the Bethany which I absolutely loved – it is wickedly dark with plenty of razor-sharp humour. I will be taking part in the Blog Tour with The Write Reads this Saturday.

I’m a huge fan of both of these authors so I’m really looking forward to reading The Key to Finding Jack (due for release on 3rd September and for which I have been sent a proof copy) and The Midnight Swan which is the final book in the Clockwork Crow trilogy (due for release on 1st October which I was approved to read via NetGalley).

What have you read this week? Have you read any of these?

Dragon Mountain is an absolute scorcher of an adventure glittering with excitement, danger and an unbelievable sense of anticipation which kept me engrossed from beginning to end.

Although twelve-year-old Billy Chan never wanted to go to a summer camp in China, once he arrives, he senses Camp Dragon is a place for adventure and he can’t help feeling excited.  His interest is piqued further when the camp leader, Old Gold, tells him the legend of a great battle between dragons, a battle which saw the disappearance of dragons from earth.

Whilst taking part in a challenge with his new friends, Dylan, Charlotte and Ling-Fei, the children make a startling discovery about Dragon Mountain, a discovery that leads to them entering the mountain where they are confronted with the reality of the legend:  warrior dragons who have been trapped within the mountain, waiting for the children to help release them.  And, oh my goodness, what fantastic dragons they are, all with such individual personalities that really shone through.  I must confess to having a favourite:  Xing who has a fiery tongue, and is not afraid to use it when putting her opinion across.

The dragons inform the friends about a dangerous quest that they need their help to fulfil, a quest that will see the children each bond with a dragon and travel to the Dragon Realm to attempt to defeat the Dragon of Death and her evil nox-wings in order to stop them from destroying both the Human and Dragon Realms … Will the children and dragons be strong enough together to save both worlds?

Oh my goodness!  What follows is the MOST exciting corker of an adventure filled with danger, revelations and twists that genuinely had me filled with excited anticipation as I eagerly devoured the story, desperate to find out what would happen.  This story has such a clever, action-packed plot that took me on an epic adventure, surprising me, enthralling me and leaving me VERY eager for the next adventure.

I really liked all the children, and loved how different their personalities were which leads to both disagreements and opportunities for humour.  Billy and Charlotte are more competitive and impetuous, Dylan is more wary and tentative and Ling-Fei is wise and kind-hearted.  The friendship between Billy, Dylan, Charlotte and Ling-Fei is brilliantly portrayed.  These children have been brought together in incredible circumstances and quickly form a wonderfully close bond of loyalty, trust and support.  Working as a team makes them stronger and gives them the courage to face up to the fear and danger that their adventure brings.  They believe in each other and in their dragons, which is a powerful source of strength and determination when faced with great peril.

I loved the close bond between the dragons and the children, with each of the children bonding with a dragon and being given a special power to use in their fight against the dark dragons.  There was such a sense of magic and awe as the children rode the dragons, and connected with them on such an emotional and empathetic level.  I would love to say I’d like my own dragon, but I’m not sure I’d be brave enough – and I’m scared of heights -, which is why I love reading about them instead.  So much safer!

This is the most exhilarating, epic adventure that is a MUST-READ for anyone who loves stories of heroes and dragons, who loves excitement and action, who loves to be surprised and awed.  It utterly captured my imagination and transported me into a magical, exciting and dangerous world which I did not want to leave … sheer perfection all wrapped up between the pages of a wonderfully told story.  And that ending!  I absolutely CANNOT wait to return to this world!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Luna is a magical, heart-warming time-slip adventure of one girl’s journey to save an adorable bear cub, and is a story I absolutely adored, and can see being enjoyed by young readers and their families as they snuggle up to read this on a cold evening – perhaps with a hot chocolate!

Hannah and her family are visiting the Christmas market in Dresden, which is breathtakingly captured, when she is shown a small wooden bear puppet by a stallholder. Both fierce and beautiful, she is inextricably drawn to the bear puppet, and becomes its new owner.  However, after a fight with her younger sister which sees the little bear damaged, she falls asleep upset … and wakes up in a stable in old-fashioned clothes with a scared and very real bear cub!

She soon meets Matthias who has come from his home to rescue the bear cub, Luna from the cruel bear leaders who have captured her to train her to perform at the markets.  So begins a heart-warming, magical adventure to save Luna from her terrible fate, and return her to her forest home in the wild …. Will the children be able to rescue Luna, and will Hannah find her way back to her family?

Hannah has travelled to a past time which is unfamiliar to her and is shocked by what she sees happening to the bears.  She is determined to help Matthias in his mission to save Luna, even if this puts her in danger.  The friendship between Matthias and Hannah is wonderful, supportive and encouraging, as they hatch a clever plan to rescue Luna …

Luna is the MOST adorable bear cub.  My heart ached for her when she was scared, especially learning of the reality for her should she not escape.  I was so desperate for her to be rescued, and completely caught up in the enchantment and warmth of this exciting, action-packed adventure.

I adored the magical element to this wonderful story, which does have some poignant moments as well as plenty of heart-warming ones, and loved how something in Luna’s present connected her to the past, and led her back in time to help Matthias in his mission.

The full, and partial, page illustrations are absolutely beautiful, capturing the feeling of this story perfectly.  I loved that each chapter number had a full-page illustration to lead the reader into the chapter.

This is a truly special story which will be adored by young animal lovers and adventurers alike, just perfect for a cosy read on a cold, wintry evening, especially in the lead up to Christmas when magic is in the air!

Thank you to Charlie and Little Tiger for an early review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
• Finally… reveal the book!

For as long as she could remember, Emmeline Widget had been sure her parents were trying to kill her.

Any ideas?

This is one of my favourite ever middle-grade books and is the story that re-ignited my love of middle-grade, so it will always be a very special book for me.  I was lucky enough to meet the author, Sinead O’Hart at the Bath Children’s Literature Festival and got a dedicated copy for my class.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Emmeline Widget has never left Widget Manor – and that’s the way she likes it. But when her scientist parents mysteriously disappear, she finds herself being packed off on a ship to France, heading for a safe house in Paris. Onboard she is befriended by an urchin stowaway called Thing. But before she can reach her destination she is kidnapped by the sinister Dr Siegfried Bauer.  Dr Bauer is bound for the ice fields of Greenland to summon a legendary monster from the deep. And he isn’t the only one determined to unleash the creature. The Northwitch has laid claim to the beast, too. Can Emmeline and Thing stop their fiendish plans and save the world?

Sam Wu is Not Afraid of Space is the sixth and final book in this popular series, and is a really wonderful, fun-filled adventure which is sure to make its young readers want to visit Space Camp too.  Who am I kidding?  It made me want to go too!

After watching Sam’s favourite show, Space Blasters, and realising how much he loves space, Sam and his best friends Barnard and Zoe are invited to Space Camp by twins, Ralph and Regina.  Once there, they form a team of six alongside the rather reluctant and unenthusiastic Sally Doyle.  Will Sam be able to convince Sally to become a team player and help them win the Space Camp Challenge trophy?

The teams at Space Camp compete against each other in a series of challenges to help them learn more about life as an astronaut.  The first challenge does not get off to a good start, but things are about to get a whole lot worse for Sam and his team when special possessions go missing … who, or what, is causing mischief at Space Camp?

The layout is perfect to engage younger and more reluctant readers with the use of bold text, word capitalisation within the text, footnotes (which are brilliant!) within chapters and lots of gorgeous, lively illustrations.

Sam Wu is an incredibly likeable and realistic character, taking on a leadership role within his group. He understands the importance of letting people play to their strengths and letting others shine whilst also supporting those who may be less confident.  I love that the children really learn to work as a team and encourage each other as they meet challenges and face fears and worries which are exactly the sort of worries their audience are likely to have such as missing home and being worried about letting others down.  Sam still feels nervous and afraid at times, but he also shows bravery when facing his fears and helping his friends:

                       “The more you face your fears, the less scary they become.”

There are lots of fascinating space facts sprinkled throughout the text which I really enjoyed reading.  My favourite was learning that pizza was delivered to the International Space Station.

This is a brilliantly humorous and heart-warming adventure showing the importance of friendship and teamwork and is a must-read for any young adventurers who I have no doubt will love visiting Space Camp with Sam and his friends as much as I did.

Thank you to Fritha Lindqvist and Egmont for an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is my new weekly meme celebrating amazing middle-grade books. I hope others will enjoy taking part in this too!

How to take part:

• Post a picture of the front cover of a middle-grade book which you have read and would recommend to others with details of the author, illustrator and publisher.
• Open the book to page 11 and share your favourite sentence.
• Write three words to describe the book.
• Either share why you would recommend this book, or link to your review.

This week, I’m celebrating …

Author: Vashti Hardy
Cover Illustration: George Ermos   Publisher: Scholastic

Favourite Sentence from Page 11:

“Prue took a deep breath, pushed all the doubt down into the pit of her stomach, and started walking.”

This book in three words:

ADVENTURE, AWE-INSPIRING, FRIENDSHIP

Wildspark is one of my absolute favourite middle-grade books.  The story-telling is incredible and took me on a thrilling adventure full of twists that kept me on the edge of my seat.  I really, really hope that the author returns to this world.

Prue is overwhelmed by grief at the devastating loss of her older brother Francis.  But what if she could find a way to bring her adored brother back? A seemingly chance encounter with Craftsman Primrose from the Imperial Personifate Guild of Medlock offers her just that as he offers her an apprenticeship.

Once apprenticed, she is determined to use her superb engineering talent to bring her brother back into her life.  How?  The Guild have perfected the ability to bring people back from the dead and place them in the bodies of animal personifates, but they have no memories of their previous lives.  Can Prue bring her brother back with his memories intact?

It is not long before Prue and her friends, Agapantha and Edwin (who is the first personificate apprentice) make some startling discoveries which lead them on an action-packed adventure to save the City of Medlock – but who is the enemy?  What terrors lurk in the depths of the forest?  The tension is palpable as the plot twists thicken, the threat increases, loyalties are questioned, and heart-breaking decisions have to be made.

This is an absolute must read book which I cannot recommend highly enough.  You can read my full review here.

I’d love if anyone who wants to give this meme a go would comment in the comments box and include a link to your post so I can visit, comment and find some great middle-grade recommendations. If you do create a post and are on Twitter, and would like to share your post, please use the hashtag  #MGTakesOnThursday so I can find it, read it and share it!