THE CLACKITY is one of the most unique, atmospheric stories I've read in a long time. An almost gothic fairytale vibe saturates everything from the crisp, enticing prose to the at once alluring and discomforting alternate world the main character finds herself traversing. Evie is a brave, tough-hearted protagonist who I adored, and I particularly liked the anxiety rep with her character. And as always, I loved Bird, the animal companion who accompanies Evie on her spooky adventure. Highly recommend this one!

Evie Von Rathe just has her Aunt Des left after her parents went missing years ago. When Aunt Des disappears into the town's abandoned slaughterhouse, Evie has to enter a world of ghosts, monsters, witches, and one determined serial killer in order to get her back. The Clackity was creepy, full of adventure, and so much fun to read. This is exactly the kind of book I would have loved as a kid, and I adored it now as an adult. Evie is a great character - full of heart and determination but also real and flawed. The adventure and cat-and-mouse chase from a ghostly serial killer also reminded me of A Series of Unfortunate Events, while the cursed world and monsters Evie goes up against reminded me of A Wrinkled In Time. Yet, The Clackity remained perfectly original and already feels like a modern classic in middle grade fiction. I would love to see more books following Evie and her friends in the future.

Evie Von Rathe lives with her aunt Desdemona in the seventh most haunted town in America - Blight Harbor. Desdemona is Blight Harbor's local paranormal expert. Living with Desdemona ("Des") has been an interesting experience and pleasant enough, And Des hasn't had too many rules for Evie, the main one being "Stay away from the abandoned slaughterhouse at the edge of town" (as if Evie had any interest in being in an abandoned slaughterhouse!). The ghost of John Jeffrey Pope - a serial killer who hunted in the streets of Blight Harbor a hundred years ago - is said to dwell in the space.

But when Des goes into that building and doesn't return, Evie knows it will be up to her to get her aunt back - if she can even find her!

But John Jeffrey Pope isn't the only strange creature to exist in the shadows of the slaughterhouse. Evie meets The Clackity - an unusual creature that seems to live in more than one reality - a bridge between worlds. Evie strikes a bargain with The Clackity - it will help Evie get Des back and Evie will deliver the ghost of John Jeffrey Pope to The Clackity. A fair bargain it would seem to 13 year old Evie.

The journey through unchartered worlds will have Evie encounter witches and ghosts and even a memory-thief, while alternately looking for and avoiding Pope, who wants to add Evie to his collection of souls. Evie will also amass a weird collection of items that may prove key to getting Des back.

This middle grade novel is a delightfully eerie read. Take some of the darkest parts of the Harry Potter books, put them in a Neil Gaiman-style world, add a Bruce Coville-like impish charm, and we get close to describing the adventure of The Clackity.

Like many YA and Middle Grade books, we're set up with a protagonist of approximately the readers' age and with a perhaps unusual amount of freedom to do as they please (usually because the parents are out of the picture). The adult 'in charge' is quirky but loveable and will either a) need the protagonist's help , or b) be a follower on the adventure (in this case, 'a').

The adventure here is solid and it's more than just a little spooky - at times quite frightening - which is what the readership is looking for,

The characters of Evie and Des are clear but I would have liked something a little more solid about Pope (pun in tended) and The Clackity. Both are integral to the story but less well defined for me. This means it's the adventure that drives the story, not the characters. Perhaps just right for a middle grade audience.

I enjoyed it this and I think a following will develop for Evie and Des in Blight Harbor. Being the seventh-most haunted city in America should mean there's plenty more adventure possibilities.

(Also... I love middle grade and YA books that contain a few pages of artwork. The pictures included in my ARC have a great Charles Addams-ness about them.)

Looking for a good book? The Clackity by Lora Senf is a dark, eerie adventure for young readers that will still scare the pants off a few adults.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic, fast-paced book that anyone who likes a little bit of mild creep will enjoy! The Clackity is definitely a great YA read, so I highly recommend it to YA and middle grade!

Note: Thank you to Netgalley & publishers for allowing me access to this arc in exchange for an honest review! Please note that all opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

The Clackity is the kind of book you wish you could have read as a kid: spooky, magical, adventurous, with just enough real emotion. Overall the tone is a mixture of Coraline by Gaiman and the VE Schwab City of Ghosts series. This is one of those YA/middle grade books that doesn't talk down to the reader, and trusts them with complex ideas. I'm excited to see where this author goes next.

Also, shout out to the illustrator, who did a fantastic job throughout!

Evie Von Rathe may live with panic attacks and anxiety, but it’s going to take more than a few ghosts to scare her. After all, she lives in Blight Harbor, the seventh-most haunted town in America (per capita). And she lives with her Aunt Desdemona, a paranormal expert who helps folks with their “otherworldly concerns” (and writes a local newspaper advice column on the same).

But when Des disappears while investigating spectral activity at the town’s abandoned slaughterhouse, Evie is determined to rescue her. Her aunt has told her to never go there, but Evie has no choice: Her parents went missing years ago and have been declared dead. Aunt Desdemona is her best person, her only family, her everyone.

At the slaughterhouse, Evie meets The Clackity, a spiderlike monster that lives in the historic building’s shadows and seams. It has one good eye—the other looks as if it were carelessly sewn shut with black thread—and a too-big head with a too-wide smile and too many razor teeth. Its long, clawed fingers have too many joints, which click, click, click. Its voice is like shards of glass and wounded animals, and layered, as if many voices were talking in unison. The way it talks in riddles and often speaks OF EVIE in the third person TO EVIE is skin-crawlingly creepy.

Evie must find her aunt before “the Cow and Piggy man” does, The Clackity says. It’s referring to John Jeffrey Pope, a serial killer who worked at the slaughterhouse more than 100 years ago. The Clackity will tell Evie how to find her aunt if she will then bring Pope back to the slaughterhouse. But The Clackity warns Evie to be careful. Bad, bad men make bad, bad ghosties.

So begins Evie’s tense, surrealistic quest through seven houses—each singularly magical and frightening—to rescue her aunt. With help from a sparrow friend, Evie must figure out how to get into each house—face what’s inside—and get out. Pope skulks close behind, often with his hands in his pockets, whistling.

Fans of Coraline and Doll Bones will pick up this page-turner for the scares, but they’ll also enjoy the sharp humor, the beautiful, visceral writing, and the loving relationship Evie shares with her aunt. Evie is a wonderful character: smart, scared, brave, and determined. Readers will cheer as she copes with her anxiety while facing real-life monsters, ghosts, and witches. Pitch-perfect illustrations by Alfredo Cáceres (with a bit of an Edward Gorey vibe) make this scary debut a real treasure.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. I don’t post about books that I didn’t finish or didn’t enjoy.

A new nightmare has arrived and it’s name is Clackity. This wholly original story blends elements of horror with a solid dose of folktales. The main element of a folk/fairy tale is here - a hero takes on a seemingly impossible quest to save a loved one and must prevail over a multitude of horrifying challenges. Readers of folktales will recognize some familiar motifs - 3’s and 7’s abound, the hero is gifted with an animal familiar, and salt saves the day. All of that folded into a beautifully scary story.

Senf’s writing is vivid and evocative, with the reader feeling every tendril of fog or greasy bit of iron. The bad folk here are B.A.D. and the good folk are flawed but awesome. With nods to Coraline and even The Frighteners, this one is a solid read for upper middle grades, teens, and adults who enjoy Neil Gaiman and early Stephen King.

This was a solid middle grade horror novel that took some good inspiration for classic YA horrors! It didn't make a huge impact on me, but it is a good option for you readers who like creepy stories.

As the seventh most haunted town in America, it is not surprising that ghosts and other mysterious circumstances permeate the town of Blight Harbor. Evelyn Van Rathe is nearly thirteen years old, and she has lived in Blight Harbor since the untimely disappearance of her parents four years earlier. She is convinced her parents are not dead, but she has nonetheless settled into a comfortable life with her best person: her Aunt Des. So, when Des goes to the spooky abbatoir in town and gets pulled into an inexplicable darkness, Evie must work through her anxieties and enter the unknown in order to bring Des back home.

This spooky middle grade adventure does an excellent job blending the very real sensation of anxiety with an adventure that often feels as though it is pulled straight from a nightmare. Told in the first person, readers are quite literally inside of Evie's mind as she puzzles through the challenges set before her and utilizes calming techniques to ease the uncertainty she feels. The story itself is built upon a progressive structure, with each moment leading very clearly into the next. Just as Evie is learning to put one foot in front of the other when she is feeling out of control, the unfolding of the narrative mirrors her behavior with obvious forward momentum. Life is not easy, especially without one's parents, but Evie discovers the strength inside of herself through the help of unexpected and supportive companions.

Because of the overall design of this story, it would translate quite well to a video game format. With each passing scene, Evie gains another skill or object that helps her get closer to her desired goal. There are an assortment of creepy elements within the novel, from ghosts and other frightening characters to unpredictable locations that change with no notice at all, which can be intense for some readers. Occasional illustrations increase this feeling by making specific moments in the story more palpable and connecting readers more viscerally to Evie's plight. For middle grade readers who enjoy the adrenaline spike that comes from a nightmare, this story is one that will fuel their enthusiasm while incorporating a feeling of wholesome family connection along the way. Elements of recognizable tales like Alice in Wonderland and The Lord of the Rings enhance this unique and spellbinding tale of a young girl whose bravery increases each time she faces down her fears. This is an excellent contribution to library collections for middle grade readers.

Reminiscent of Coraline, this otherworldly middle grade novel is a must-read for any horror fan.

Things I loved about this book:

➼ The absolutely atmospheric writing. Both the town of Blight Harbor and the alternate dimension Evie finds herself in to rescue her aunt are vividly described and evoke such powerful images in my mind. I literally read this book while lying on a sun-drenched beach and I still found myself chilled to the bone.

➼ Evie, our protagonist, is brave, determined, and loyal to her family. One of my favorite tropes ever is when a character is scared and admits to being so, and yet goes through the challenges they face anyway. The Clackity had this in spades.

➼ THE ILLUSTRATIONS. It's been a while since I read a middle grade book that had illustrations, and these were really breathtaking and just overall contributed to an already excellent reading experience.

Coraline meets Monster House in this story about a brave girl who will do anything to protect the family she loves.

This was one of those books that instantly caught my attention with its amazing cover. Even though it's dark, it stands out and calls for your attention. And then I read the synopsis. I became obsessed after I read the part about a haunted slaughterhouse. I just adore haunted locations and here we get something a little different from what we're used to. Instantly sold.

The story was a really quick read and it gave off Coraline vibes, which I loved. Evie was a great character. She never gave up and always had hope even in the darkest and toughest of times. She is one character that I would love to have in my corner. She was a fighter and didn't stop at anything that got in her way. The family aspect was adorable. We all wish for family in our lives that would be willing to go to the ends of the earth for us and we find that here with Evie and her Aunts. It was amazing.

The Clackity was a decent middle-grade read. The story and characters were great. I loved that the entire town was haunted by ghosts and every resident was okay with that. The slaughterhouse being the residence of something dark and evil was genius. We usually don't get locations like that being haunted and Lora changes that. It was awesome. Middle-graders who love spooky tales will love this one. Hell, even I enjoyed this one and I'm in my thirties.

Evie lives in town that is haunted. Not just a little bit haunted but a lot haunted. So the fact that her aunt deals with spirits around the town is nothing new. Yet there is one place in town that no one goes the abandoned slaughter house. So when Evie sees that her aunt is going there for a visit she gets worried, and follows her. Only to find that the rumors of the slaughter house are not wrong in fact her aunt gets taken by the creature who is haunting the building. What does he want for Evie's aunt? Only the towns most notorious serial killer. Can Evie make it through the underworld in time to get her aunt and avoid being the serial killers next victim?

This book was such a breath of fresh air. I know that sounds strange to say about a book on death and serial killers, but the pace is just fantastic, the characters and adventure are so easy to get sucked up into, and this is just a book you want to dive nose first into and not let go. I truly enjoyed every aspect of this story and I know that kids are going to just fall in love with the characters and story.

Thank you so very much to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy. I will share my review closer to the publishing date as requested.

This story was so delightfully creepy and weird in all the right ways with strong vibes of classic horror legends like John Bellairs. The cast of characters includes an orphan named Evie Von Rathe who refuses to believe that her parents are dead, her ghost-hunter aunt, and a librarian who's a witch. But maybe my favorite character was the town itself: the haunted Blight Harbor where the living are used to mingling with the undead, and where there's an abandoned abattoir (based on a real-life slaughterhouse) that turns out to be a portal to the coolest and scariest little village where the ghost of a serial killer lives. Be prepared to be thoroughly spooked!

A wonderfully original, spooky, and compelling story about Evie's quest to save her aunt, Des from danger set in motion by The Clackity. Evie's journey takes readers through a series of colorful characters, places and challenges, and the adventure is made even richer by Alfredo Caceres' excellent illustrations. Readers looking for the just-right amount of edge-of-your-seat fear will love this exciting debut.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

First, I picked this title as an ARC because of the books cover: its creepy and is reminiscent of the Baba Yaga stories.

On the creepiness factor I was not disappointed. Evie lives in Blight Harbor with her aunt Desdemona (also can I just say the names in this story were also fantastic!). Four years ago her parents died (or disappeared) in a terrible fire while Evie was away. Her Aunt is her whole world. The thing is that Blight Harbor is haunted...like with a capital H. The town is number seven on the most haunted list. Even so, most of the ghostly inhabitants are harmless.

All except one (or maybe two), Jeffery Pope - the towns most notorious serial killer. His life left such a nasty stain on the town that no one goes to the slaughterhouse where he used to work. Its just not a good place. Until one day, Aunt Des does and then she too disappears right before Evie's eyes.

The only thing Evie can do is be a brave brave girl and make a deal with the Clackity. What's the Clackity? Not even Evie is sure but its her one chance to save her Aunt.

Along the way she encounters challenges and witches and other unlikely friends. All working to help Evie save her Aunt and maybe in the process, save themselves.

For the most part I liked the story. It gave off toned down Coraline vibes. Some pieces seemed at bit random at times, but I had to keep in mind that the narrative was written for kids. Overall I think it was the right parts spooky and heart warming. I would recommend it to kids interested in spooky stories.

The Clackity grabs your interest on page one and does not let it go. The illustrations throughout give it extra appeal and my only complaint is that there wasn't more of them. The world Lora Senf has created in Blight Harbor is spooky and yet hopeful all at the same time. Evie makes for a great heroine for the story - she's smart, daring, and she overcomes her fears time and time again. Each of the houses Evie visits is unique and interesting and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The Clackity and Jonathan Jeffrey Pope make for great villains each in their own way and you understand why they could never be allowed to join forces. I will admit that I kept waiting for Pope to make one last appearance and confrontation which had me turning each page with a sense of nervousness and trepidation. I would warn that this story may be a little too scary for some more sensitive younger readers so teachers and parents should keep this mind when recommending it. I can see this book being a perfect addition to a classroom and school library (and as part of a Halloween display).

The Clackity is about a girl names Evie who has to work through a series of magical houses in order to save her aunt from a malevolent ghost and an entity called The Clackity. This is an engaging read that is sure to be a hit with fifth and six grade fans of horror and mystery.

Lora Senf created a spellbinding thriller for middle grade readers. Evie’s relaxing summer volunteering at the library gets turned upside down when her Aunt Desdemona (Des), a paranormal expert, gets taken by an evil ghost. Evie must fight strange beings, tricky witches and her own darkest fears to save Des…and herself.

Throughout the story Evie battles anxiety. Her family home burned down. Her parents disappeared. Senf describes the anxious and overwhelming feelings Evie experience and how she bravely faces and tries to counteract those feelings. Evie is brave. She pushes herself through terrifying situations because she must find and save her aunt. Many children will be able to relate to those moments of insecurity, anxiousness, and apprehension Evie encounters in the story. How she works through them is just as much of a task as saving her beloved Aunt from a wicked killer ghost.

The Clackity is a thrilling novel and is great for those who love ghosts stories.

Thank you to the publisher and @NetGalley for the E-ARC copy of this book. The rating of this book is entirely of my own opinion.

This was a great middle-grade novel. I will be purchasing this for my middle school collection. This will be perfect for my students who love horror. Perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman. The book reminded me of Coraline.