Saint Juniper's Folly is a new pillar of queer, spooky YA novels.

It's enticing, charming, and full of love so warm it's like a pat of sunshine to the face. I truly adored each of the main trio of characters - Jaime, Theo, and Taylor. They are flawed and, therefore, perfect. They are kids trying their best in an unforgiving world, held up only by the strength of each other.

The story itself is spooky with a dash of mystery. Because it is a debut novel, the pacing isn't perfect, but is still well-done! I honestly really enjoyed this story and look forward to more from this author and publisher.

Thanks Peachtree Teen and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. This books is a fantastic blend of magic and teen angst! Add in family history, first love, new friendships, a haunted house, and I’m sold! Jaime just moved back to Saint Juniper, a town where everyone knows you and everyone judges you. One day he walks into the forest desperate to get away. Theo grew up in Saint Juniper, all he’s ever know. Is what other people expect of him. Taylor recently lost her mother, her only connection to the witchcraft that is her birthright. When Theo comes a crossed Jaime in a forest, in a house Jaime can’t leave, he and Taylor are determined to find a way to free Jaime. Can they do it? Why can’t Jaime leave? And what’s going on between Theo and Jaime? Alex Crespo will have the read hooked and on the edge of their seat to know more! A supernatural adventure that’s also romantic with a little bit of mystery rolled in! Highly recommend! Can’t wait to read it again!

3.5 out of 5 stars!

“Comforting” isn’t a word I’d thought I would use to describe a book about a haunted house, but that’s what this was! While this books draws you in with the promise of a spooky atmosphere, the characters and their growing relationships with one another are what make you stick around. Each of our 3 point-of-view characters had their own challenges to confront, and watching them grow more comfortable with themselves by way of interacting with each other was a delight to read. It’s a beautiful display of found family that makes you root for everyone! While this isn’t as horror-forward as one might expect, the elements are definitely there and I think it would be especially great for readers looking to introduce themselves to this genre.

The only thing I wished is that we spent a bit more time being “shown” rather than “told.” Frequently, the reader is told something that just happened, or a conversation is summarized rather than letting us see it for ourselves. This made some development feel like it moved a bit too quickly because while the timeline made sense, the reader didn’t get to see it play out. Since the book is only 300 pages, I don’t think it would have been a detriment to expand some of the scenes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book!

This is a great YA debut with well-developed multiple POVs and a really fascinating duo of small towns with the accompanying vibes. It'd be a phenomenal Autumn/Halloween read, though it works anytime.

4 stars for "Saint Juniper's Folly"! A haunted house (with a twist) bringing the lives of three teens together in a storm of mystery, fear, and love.

The first 30% of this book was *incredible*. Atmospheric, captivating, and honestly the kind of book I'd been missing for a while now. Some of that extra magic did wane for me, but I think that coincided with the characters becoming more familiar with their surroundings themselves, as that atmospheric enchantment definitely increased again with the climax. I also would have liked getting to see more of the town and a certain psychic friend!

The writing remained great throughout - beautiful, vibrant; and the bond between the characters was super sweet. Plus, I'm obviously always a fan of some gay love! So that was glorious.

'Twas a great read and I happily recommend it to those who like the genre!

*Thank you to Peachtree Teen and NetGalley for the ARC!

There were very interesting parts of the book, but for the most part, I didn't find it engaging, certainly not scary. I won't hold the fact that it wasn't scary against it because it's aimed at teens and young adults.

I'm of a firm belief that a review should factor in a book's target audience, not just the reviewers preferences. Therefore, I must say that this book hits it mark.

A haunted house in the woods? Yes, please!

Jaime has felt lost his entire life, and the day he comes across the dilapidated house in the woods is no different. To his absolute shock, he finds himself trapped in the house and not able to leave. For the first time, Jamie finds himself having to depend upon someone to help him escape. But will they be able to save him before it's too late?

While our trio is uncovering the past, they'll forge a friendship rich in self-discovery, acceptance, and love. Their path won't be easy, but they'll have each other to lean on, something Jaime had never allowed himself before.

The second half of the story is truly what grabbed me. In many ways, I find myself connecting with each character. Don't get me wrong, I was wrapped up in the story from the first chapter, but their individual struggles and willingness to accept each other are what really captured me.

We've all struggled with something in our lives, and having someone there for you, even someone you just meet - without judgment - is everything.

I really can't go into the "struggles" without giving the plot away, so I'll just say, read the book! You won't be sorry. It's an amazing blend of personal and social struggles that will give you all the feels.

I don't know if I would necessarily categorize this under horror. It had sort of a dark tone/atmosphere to it, but that was about it. I did like the paranormal romance aspect of this, combined with a plot that I haven't seen done often. I think I am just a little disappointed because I was expecting this to be a little spookier and scarier, but this was still a fast fun read! Crespo's ability to craft a narrative was really stellar and I am looking forward to more from this author!

So, because this was under horror I hoped for something spookier, scarier, creepier. It certainly had a dark atmosphere but nothing more. The thing I loved most about this book, and what drew me to it as paranormal romance isn't something I typically read, was how original the plot, subject matter, and writing were. This was a quick read but a good one.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows Jaime who is a teen in the foster system. He is located to the town of Saint Juniper. One day he develops an urge to go into a house and then he realized that he can’t leave. Theo is a character that finds him. Theo is assumed to be someone who has it all together, but we later on learn that there’s more nuance to his character. He decides to get help from the local apothecary and that’s where we meet Taylor. Taylor’s mother used to be daughter of the apothecary and she passed away. After she passed away Taylor’s father bans magic in the house. He continues to run the apothecary, but plans to shut it down once the stock is gone. When Theo asks Taylor for help she doesn’t know what to do, but she has a connection to the house so she decides to help them.

I honestly enjoyed the contemporary aspects more than the horror aspects. So if you’re new to horror, then I think you would enjoy this.

Representation: Jaime is gay and Mexican. Taylor is Puerto Rican. Theo is bisexual

Saint Juniper's Folly by Alex Crespo managed to get me out of a severe reading slump and is one of the few books I have finished for several months. I really enjoyed the storyline being portraied by the three perspectives of the main characters via their POV.
I felt like I was sent back in time, back to beeing a teenager coming from a very small town, not fitting in and trying to figure out who I am. Even though many reasons why the characters do not fit in (each one has their own personal reason and they share reasons too) have never apllied to my personal experience, the book describes the feeling so well - it did not matter, and I desperstely wanted them to succeed in their adventure. The book is beautifully written, spooky and very gay - loved every minute of the experience.

Alex Crespo’s Saint Juniper’s Folly follows three young people in Vermont as they deal with their internal conflicts and face the eerie mystery of the valley. Jaime has been relocated yet again for his senior year, sent to spend the year with a reluctant guardian who used to be friends with his absent mother. Taylor, still mourning her mother’s recent death, has put off starting college in order to work in the family’s soon-to-close magic shop. Theo is struggling with the need to be perfect, especially in light of his desire to leave his small town and figure out his future. The three meet when Theo stumbles upon a house in the valley where Jaime has been trapped by an invisible barrier for days. After a ghost attacks Jaime, Theo enlists the help of Taylor to use her supernatural knowledge to help Jaime escape.

It isn’t a perfect book, with some pacing issues and underdeveloped themes that had the potential to be more impactful, but boy did I enjoy reading it. I liked all the characters, who felt unique and interesting, and there was enough tension in the conflict to ensure that I didn’t put it down until I was done. I would recommend this to YA readers who like supernatural mysteries and found family. A solid debut.

Alex Crespo does a great job in creating this debut, it does a great job in what I was looking for in a horror novel. It does the "Cemetery Boys meets The Haunting of Bly Manor" line great, it does everything that I wanted and was invested in what was going on in this story. The characters were what I was looking for and glad I got to know them. I'm excited to read more from Alex Crespo.

"The voice was loud enough that it drowned out the sound of my sneakers hitting the sidewalk as I scrambled from the alley and ran south. It bounced off the pavement and the stout buildings that lined the narrow road, only getting louder when I rounded the corner to a quieter side street."

First off, I want to say that I went into this book with pretty high expectations. Any comparison to Cemetery Boys, which is possible my favorite book of all-time, is going to give me those. Needless to say, those expectations were met and exceeded after just a few pages! Alex's writing is equal parts sharply wittty and achingly beautiful. I often found myself swapping between laughing at quick-paced banter, smiling at tender moments filled with vivid imagery, and getting teary-eyed during times of profound emotional vulnerability. There were so many gorgeous quotes and lines in this book that it was hard to pick a favorite, and as a queer person who's still on a path towards finding my place in this vast, uncertain world, they really sank into my skin and spoke a type of truth and belonging straight to my soul.

I'm going to be honest here: I'm not always a fan of books with alternating POVs. Not only does it work to STF's advantage by giving us a more complete coverage of the story's events, but I actually couldn't picture the book without it. Jaime, Taylor, and Theo all have such strong, distinct voices, and I found such a joy from getting to experience each of their perspectives. Each character struggled with their own battles, both internal and external, yet they all found common ground when those struggles were laid out side-by-side. I loved watching their relationships with each other develop and shift throughout the course of the book, and I found myself relating so much to all three of them in different ways.

I honestly could not have predicted the plot twists that happened and was completely enthralled by the ending! (I think I was holding my breath at one point!) And the delicacy with which Alex handled finding yourself in your identity was lovely and heartwarming. (Without giving spoilers, the queer romance in the book literally created one of my new favorite couples!) All in all, it was a wonderful, joy-filled ride of a read that was a whole lot of heart, healing, mystery, and spooky rolled into one.

I can say with absolute certainty that I will be reading whatever Alex writes in the future! So glad for the chance to enjoy this terrific book, and I can't wait for its official release!!

Saint Juniper's Folly would be the perfect choice for an overcast autumn day of reading, with pouring rain running down your foggy bedroom windows while lo-fi for witches plays in the background. Expect a cosy mystery rather than frightening horror or fast-paced thriller.

What brought my rating down was that I felt the choices made regarding story structure and focus of events meant that opportunities for raising the tension and heightening the drama were missed. In the horror/thriller/mystery genre, I feel as though this aspect of craft is especially important. I'll avoid spoilers but for example, early on, Jaime wonders about entering the woods, then the next time we see him it's through another character's point of view, after having had an accident. The general approach throughout is to narrate through inner monologue what has been happening to the characters and how they feel about these experiences, rather than showing them in real time on the page and allowing us to engage with their emotions more immediately. It creates a sense of flat affect that I struggled to find engaging. For me personally, I felt that having three point of view characters meant that not enough time could be given to allow us to get to know the characters and their lives and wants and needs before the major events of the story began, or perhaps that the characteristic moments of each character were not as strong as they could have been.

While atmospheric, based on the blurb, I was hoping for something more solidly creepy, but I think if you're looking for something gentler then you should definitely give the book a chance!

I am grateful to have received a ARC of this book from Peachtree via NetGalley, and I am voluntarily leaving this honest review.