Age Group
11 & up. This book is mildly scary but doesn’t have any real horror. Around sixth grade (USA) is a good age to read it. I don’t consider it to be too scary and there’s not violence. There are scarecrows that come to life though. The book also deals with the death of the main character’s mom, which might not be suitable for younger children.
Genre
Paranormal
Summary
“Keep to small spaces at night.” These are the words 11 year old Ollie finds on the inside of a book. But it isn’t any ordinary book. As Ollie reads, she discovers the tragic story of Beth and the two brothers who caused their own downfall. When Ollie’s bus breaks down on a school field trip to Misty Valley Farms, Ollie and her two friends Coco and Brian discover that Misty Valley Farm is not all that it seems. The book is full of adventure and spooky plot twists. I loved this book and there are two sequels that are both equally great.
Things I did not like
Honestly, I can’t think of anything I didn’t enjoy in this book. There are brief mentions of blood (Scraped knees and pulling out splinters) but definitely nothing graphic. Moreover, there is one scene at the beginning where Ollie throws a rock at someone, however she is punished and the author definitely doesn’t frame it as condoning violence.
Things I did like
I love how Ollie’s adventures line up with the book she has. It’s a great touch that the author uses to really hook in her readers. Aside from that, the writing is great and the characters are funny and relatable.
Overall Rating
9/10