What do you get if you put four tween girls in a creepy house…with no grown ups…on halloween night…and LOCK THEM INSIDE with a ghost who wants to play hide-and-seek? A brilliant Halloween read, of course! But be warned – it is creepy.
Bella Bright and her Mum are staying at Darkling Manor for their latest renovation project but, before it gets the luxurious makeover Bella’s Mum has been contracted for, the old building is endlessly eerie with its mouldy wallpaper, creepy crawlies, and its…ahem…strictly-out-of-bounds cellar and clocktower.
I absolutely love the spine-chilling details author Carolyn Ward has woven into this sinister story, and main character Bella Bright is an intriguing mix of nervous and gutsy. Bella has become accustomed to living in run-down reno projects up and down the country and, while this has given her a great set of skills when it comes to roughing it and doing DIY, her social skills are a bit more lacking. Which is how deadly duo – Skyler and Regan, manage to bulldoze Bella into hosting the sleepover at Darkling Manor, against Bella’s better judgement.
Luckily, pun-loving Lex is coming along too. Bella’s sure they would be besties if only her Mum would let them stay put for once. Bella is so comfortable with Lex, she doesn’t even stammer or have to use the breathing techniques she picked up at speech and language therapy.
Will Bella make the lasting friendships she so desperately wants? Or will she trapped playing everlasting games of hide-and-seek with a 150-year-old ghost girl called Alice? Bella will have to solve Alice’s riddle to have any chance of a future at all.
Illustrator Beatriz Castro has done a fantastic job of conjuring Darkling Manor and the chilling vibes of the book.
A brilliant book for age 9+ in the lead up to Halloween. I also appreciated the nod to technology in this book, specifically Bella’s concern that mean girls Skyler and Regan are planning to post embarrassing videos of Bella on social media, something the intended readership may worry about, too.
Make sure you have caught up with the rest of the tour and check out the fantastic activity pack. There’s something for everyone with colouring in to creepy maths and creative writing!
