The Sinister-Winterbottom children are whisked from the perfectly modern regular lives into the world of their Aunt Saffronia. They experience only a mild unease while adjusting to this new reality in which the local Waterpark reviews appear on Gulp instead of Yelp and the wristbands are replaced with heavy brass lockets around their necks. Young readers who like mystery, word play, and the idea of an alternate reality that is just enough different from their own will enjoy The Wretched Waterpark. They will certainly find that many things may be strange during a new experience, it’s still going to be impossible to get someone to accurately tell you their Wi-Fi password.

I really did enjoy this book, despite taking me longer to read it. That had more to do with the real world than the book. The characters were loveable and weird. It was a great story with a lot of mystery and suspense. The ending set up a sequel perfectly.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's & Delacorte Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wretched Waterpark is my favorite kind of middle grade - the weird, off-kilter kind that balances an inherent darkness with the expectations of a story written for a younger audience. This book apparently came into being after the author misread the title of a news article as “Gothic Waterpark,” and now I am fixated on the concept of this venue being executed in the real world. The horrible mixture of macabre waterpark rides painted in black and sitting idle under the aggressive summer sun is such an uncomfortable setting to contend with. Not an ideal place to spend a summer, but a perfect backdrop for a middle-grade mystery. Throw in a man that disappeared into the wave pool and an aunt with questionable babysitting tactics and you can’t really miss.

I admit I have a soft spot for stories with twins, because it’s such an easy way to create a sibling dynamic of two people that know each other better than any other but could also be as different as night and day. Theo and Alexander both fall into the well-worn stereotypes of the wild rule-breaker and their overly cautious foil, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story as a whole. Instead, it gives you two different perspectives to view the park as Theo jumps headlong into the waters while Alexander questions the suspicious lack of visitors and cryptic letters his mother left the twins before apparently stranding them at their aunt’s house for the summer. It’s a great setup for what is looking to be a thriller series that will force the twins to contend with different bizarre cases as per their quirky aunt’s request. And if the A-Z Mysteries taught me anything, I love a middle grade mystery with some alliteration in the titles.

Wretched Waterpark was a quick, but not necessarily light read that I think might actually resonate with an adult audience more than the younger target demographic. It’s a bit insular, a bit claustrophobic and all very purposefully so. Those coming to this book for the kind of broad, sweeping stories of middle grade fantasy should look elsewhere than this book that bridges mystery and horror and still maintains a tone suitable for its audience. For those more in tune with Katherine Arden’s brand storytelling as illustrated in her Small Spaces series - this is the readalike for you.

Thank you to the publisher Delacorte Press for providing an e-ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

I received this book for an honest review.
Wilhelmina learned how to write her own name as a toddler. Wilhelmina was adopted as a baby.Theo and Alexander had joined the family later. Their parents had left for the summer and left their aunt Saffronia in charge of them. This was a very cute book for middle schoolers.

As a child I loved summer vacation. Playing in the sun with my brother, reading books and trying to find mysteries to solve as a wanna be detective. This new middle grade series fits this esthetic to a T.
I have said this for years but Kiersten White writes books I didn’t realize my soul was craving for (hello Conqueror’s Saga!) and this is another one she hits out of the park.
Part mystery, part hilarious descriptions of a gothic water park, and a lot of heart, this book had everything. I recommend this for all the middle grade kids in your life especially if they are looking for a new series in the vain of Series of Unfortunate Events.

Thanks NetGalley and Delacorte for the copy.

Really fun book! Wil, Theo, and Alexander are woken in the middle of the night by their parents and taken to a previously unknown Aunt for the summer. Aunt Saffronia has no idea what to do with the children or how to take care of them (children need to eat?!).

They get a week's day pass to a gothic water park and the mystery thickens. They are tasked to find something, no idea what. The park is creepy, the owner, Mrs. Widow, even creepier. With weird rules and people disappearing, the children are on their own to find out what's happening (and what the heck is up with the Aunt and where did their parents go?).

A really engaging story. I loved the characters, the creepy theme, and the adventure. Very much looking forward to the next installment.

Theo and Alexander have been suddenly left with their Sinister aunt for the summer. She's not actually suspicious; Sinister is just her last name. What is mysterious and concerning is the water park, Fathoms of Fun, where the lifeguards are translucent and the cabanas look more like mausoleums. Although their older sister, Wil, is there, she never looks up from her smartphone (Rodrigo), so when people start disappearing from the park, it's up to Theo and Alexander to solve the mystery and save their friends.

This book had me gasping with laughter. Usually exposition is the worst part of a book, but this one was so fully of clever plays on words and snarky observations that I didn't want it to end. The mystery was well-crafted and the characters relatable (although they were certainly caricatures). I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Lemony Snicket and Neil Gaiman. I can't wait to see what happens in book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I grew up in the “A Series of Unfortunate Events” era so the cover of “Wretched Waterpark” was enough to grab me, but the synopsis pushed it over the top. Lemony Snicket’s famous series has been mentioned along with Scooby-Doo for marketing purposes, but allow me to enlighten you on something even more synonymous with the Sinister Summer series: the Addams Family. *snap snap* Aunt Saffronia is Morticia’s twin with pale skin, long hair, and a black dress that makes her appear as though she’s floating instead of walking. Fathoms of Fun is a dream, nay, nightmare for the lost souls in search of a resting place . . . pardon me, vacation spot. The mystery is simple and easy to solve for adult readers, but I’m not holding that against a book aimed at a middle grade audience. The macabre atmosphere and humor are immaculate, and the tease of book two has me jumping out of my skin in anticipation of the September sequel. My rating is five stars, and I’m urging you to walk, DON’T RUN, to pick up this book if the summer heat has you missing spooky season.

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Content Breakdown:

Adoption: It is briefly mentioned that the oldest Sinister-Winterbottom sibling Wilhelmina is adopted.

Blood: There is a conversation about blood in chapters 12 & 13.

Dark Humor: The siblings have to sign paperwork before entering the waterpark, & it mentions drowning & lost souls.

Upset about the summer plans forced on her & her siblings, Theo says she’s “gonna walk into traffic now.” Alexander responds by offering to test out the sharpness of a knife on her hand. When Wilhelmina doesn’t respond in a responsible way, they wonder if texting her about getting matching tattoos or ingesting small doses of poison would get her attention. Later on the twins tell Wil a man offered them candy & a ride in his van, which receives the same distracted response.

Disappearance: The owner of Fathoms of Fun walked into the wave pool one day and never came back out; this occurred off-page but is described a few times. More missing persons are mentioned later on.

Spooky: If you’re trying to gauge how dark this book gets, especially for young readers, I would recommend you compare it to things like “A Series of Unfortunate Events” & Scooby-Doo but especially the Addams Family. That is the exact level of macabre atmosphere & humor the reader needs to be comfortable with. Expect a casual mention of coffins or a character with the surname “Widow” or a joke about death. If you’re curious about the direction of the series, the next book is about vampires.

I previously read The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein and really enjoyed it. When I saw Wretched Waterpark come up on NetGalley, I had to have it 😂

This is the first in a middle grade series that takes place at a waterpark with mysterious circumstances surrounding Theo and Alexander's time there. For the most part, this was fantastic and a lot of fun to read. I love the Gothic type feel throughout the story. It also has vibes of A Series of Unfortunate Events, so if you are a fan of that series, I think you'll love this one as well.

I do think the pacing and chapter length make this a better choice for middle graders on the older side. Not a lot of action or movement in the beginning so it may deter younger ones from continuing the book.

While this is a younger read, it was a fun escape for me and would make a good one during the spookier months of the year. I sincerely appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy. All opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone.

And I would have gotten away with it too…!

This book was very reminiscent of 90s books and television with the exception of cell phones and Wi-Fi. It was really enjoyable to sit back and enjoy the mystery in the story. I think kids will find this book really enjoyable and the characters weren’t obnoxious like a lot of middle grade stories. I think this would be a fun story to read to a class of kids or even play the audiobook. I am eager for the next book in this series.

Twins Theo and Alexander and their older sister Wil are baffled when their parents leave them for an entire summer with their Aunt Saffronia (I mean, they don’t even know her!). The whole thing seems odd - they don’t remember arriving or why they’re here. It’s obvious Aunt Saffronia hasn’t spent much time with kids and doesn’t really plan to do so since she gets the three in her care a week long pass to the local waterpark, Fathoms of Fun, and promptly drops them off.
Fathoms of Fun is an oddly gothic waterpark with mausoleums instead of cabanas, slides extending from gargoyle faces, and not a churro in sight! How can a waterpark operate without churros on the menu??
Theo and Alexander are soon pulled into the mystery of the missing owner who disappeared in the wave pool (aptly named the Cold, Unknowable Sea) as each day park attendance - and employees - dwindle. On top of these bizarre events, the Sinister-Winterbottom kids soon realize they have no idea how they’d get back to Aunt Saffronia’s house or when they’ll be reunited with their parents who have sent a peculiar letter reminding them to be both cautious and brave.
This is the beginning of a charming gothic middle grade series with definite A Series of Unfortunate Events vibes! It’s fun and lighthearted even with the gothic tones and I can’t wait to see where the next adventure takes these characters!
Thanks to Delacorte and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Wretched Waterpark was released on June 7, 2022.

Kiersten White is well known for her YA books including, the Camelot Rising Trilogy starring Guinevere, the Conquerer’s Saga about Vlad the Impaler, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein — a reimagining of Frankenstein — and the Paranormalcy trilogy about a teen who works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. All of the books are well worth reading, but Wretched Waterpark is a whole new animal.

Wretched Waterpark is White’s second foray (Beanstalker and Other Hilariously Scary Tales, July 2017) into the world of middle-grade fiction, and she does it flawlessly. From the book’s faux Gothic tone to White’s tongue-in-cheek prose this book hits all the right notes.

This is one book where the setting — the Fathoms of Fun Waterpark — is just as important as the characters. White deftly transports readers to this creepy world and allows the park and its inhabitants to carry some of the load.

Theo and Alexander are a strong duo, well in tune with each other while having vastly different personalities and interests. The twins older sister Wil starts out obnoxious — she is glued to her smartphone all the time — but redeems herself in the end.

Wretched Waterpark is a fast-paced adventure that should have wide-spread appeal, particularly for fans of the Lemony Snickett series. It is the first book in a planned series following the Sinister-Winterbottom twins as they solve mysteries at increasingly bizarre summer vacation destinations in the hopes of being reunited with their parents. The second book, Vampiric Vacation, is slated for a September 2022 release.

Wretched Waterpark by Kiersten White is a middle grade mystery about teens who have a week long pass at the worst waterpark ever. The book felt like a mix of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket mixed with One Day at Horrorland by R. L. Stine, with a little bit of Disney's Phineas and Ferb thrown in. My biggest complaint is I feel like this book couldn't settle on a style and tried a couple. This book reads way to slow for a middle grade book, I felt at the beginning the chapters are too long. The book got more exciting at the end and had a worthwhile climax with most things getting wrapped up. The book had some moments of humor, but needed more in my opinion, i did like the macabre widow joke that is a character's last name. The mystery when it got going was fun but it took me up to the 60% mark to get invested. This book is a start of a series called the Sinister Summer series which ties into the last name of the siblings. I liked where the next book in the series was going and it's title Vampiric Vacation. I had just read and enjoyed Hide by Kiersten White which had a compelling mystery from the get go and needed a bit of that here. I read Wretched Waterpark thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press. Wretched Waterpark by Kiersten White is published on June 7 2022.

The Plot Summary: The Sinister-Winterbottom siblings Wil the oldest sister, loves one thing her cell phone she has named Rodrigo, Twins both 12 Theo, is the adventurous sister, and Alexander is an extra careful brother are left to stay with their Aunt Saffronia for an entire summer. Saffronia knows nothing about kids and food, she gets them each week passes to the waterpark called Fathoms of Fun. When they get there they realize it going to be anything but fun. The place is falling apart understaffed, and has the worst food choices. The sibling learn that the husband is missing and things started going downhill, with his wife running the company into the ground. The siblings decide to help find Mr. Widow the missing husband.

What I Liked: I liked the sibling relationship especially how the twins worked off each other ad used the other's strength. Wil and the relationship with her phone was pretty great, I love how the twins knew there was a problem when Wil wasn't on her phone. I liked the climax and how the mystery ended. I loved the cover art on this one and the sequel. Some of the humor was funny.

What I Disliked: Beginning was slow, it took me too long to get invested in the story. The churros joke ran its course, it was funny for a it, but did not need to be a running gag, I did like the final joke at the end though. The kids only went on 5 rides, I wanted a lot more, I feel like One Day at Horrorland, a much smaller book, had more rides. I need more humor and more scary situations too make this book work.

Recommendation: I would skip this book, there's some okay moments but mostly felt like An Unfortunate Events fan fiction with not nothing new to add to middle grade literature. I mean if I tried to write middle grade I'm sure my attempt would be similar as fell, but this book felt to close. I have liked White's more adult novel Hide, which I would recommend. I hope the next book in the series is better since I did enjoy the end. I rated Wretched Waterpark by Kiersten White 3 out of 5 stars.

When twins Theo and Alexander Sinister-Winterbottom find themselves spending their summer with their older sister Wil and their Aunt Saffronia, they’re not at all sure what to expect. It was a sudden decision. In fact, all three siblings can’t seem to remember how they got there. Well, the twins don’t anyway. Wil doesn’t pay much attention to anything other than Rodrigo, her cell phone.

But Theo and Alexander are finding the entire experience quite unusual. Aunt Saffronia doesn’t have any food and she doesn’t know how often to feed them. But she does offer to take them to the waterpark and get them a week-long pass, so they’ll have something to do for the next seven days. But when she drops them off at the side of the road, the twins don’t feel great about the idea.

But Theo is super excited about a waterpark. She loves water slides and churros, and she is ready to get started. Alexander is more of a worrier, especially concerning food preparation, so he doesn’t share her enthusiasm. But he’s willing to try out a water slide. At least, until they get to the waterpark. Fathoms of Fun is its name, but it looks like anything but fun. It’s dark and creepy, and the employees, the few ones the kids see, are dressed strangely and act even more strangely.

Theo is ready for the waterslides, and she goes on one after another after another. Alexander does give one a try, but he finds the ride harrowing and chooses to spend his time watching Theo instead. He does join her on the lazy river, even thought it’s called The River Styx, which he knows is the entrance to the underworld, but really they just drift in a big circle. The ride is even run by the one employee they like, Edgar.

Edgar tells them that the waterpark used to be better. It was still a little dark and creepy, but it was a lot more fun. But his uncle had gone missing. He’d gone into the wave pool and just disappeared. Ever since, his aunt, Mrs. Widow, had been acting strangely. Instead of cake for her birthday, she had mincemeat pie and jellied eels. And when she thinks that Alexander might be getting ideas about looking for her missing husband, she pulls him out of the lazy river and warns him to stop investigating.

That just makes the twins want to investigate more. But they’re having trouble finding any clues. It will take the three Sinister-Winterbottom siblings working together to figure out what’s going on at the waterpark and find the missing Mr. Widow.

Wretched Waterpark is the first in the Sinister Summer series. Author Kiersten White brings together fun creepiness and sibling closeness and summer vacation hijinks in this middle grade book. Fans of Lemony Snicket will throw themselves into this dark mystery, and readers who enjoy smart wordplay will enjoy in the conversations of the twins.

I really enjoyed Wretched Waterpark. I thought it was creepy but clever, and I really like the Sinister-Winterbottom kids. Some parts of the story may be a little obvious to a sophisticated reader, but it’s still a fun ride, like a waterslide you’ve already gone down several times. This one is made for summer reading at the pool or inside, when the kids are avoiding the sun. Lots of fun, with a side of scary Gothic evil and plenty of snacks.

Egalleys for Wretched Waterpark were provided by Random House Children’s (Delacorte Press) through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Spectacularly sinister and fun!

Wretched Waterpark is the first in what I hope will be many more creepy mysteries the Sinister-Winterbottom children have to solve. The writing is great, and some descriptions were pretty funny, like the girls that were so pale they looked like they were made from a "3D printer that ran out of ink."

Complete with a wave pool, a lazy river and hidden tunnels, Fathoms of Fun is a waterpark I would totally go to on a hot summer day.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this fun middle grade book!

Big thanks to netgalley for providing me with an eARC for my honest review. I had fun!

This was a blast. It reminded me of A Series of Unfortunate Events, but in the best possible way. The gothic waterpark is everything I wish I could actually spend time in, right down to the mausoleum cabanas. Theo and Alexander were bright and funny, and I had such a sense of foreboding that I didn't really trust anyone other than those two the entire time. Wil was a bit of a disappointment, though. For being the older and aloof sibling, I felt like she kind of broke character in the last quarter of the book. Still, huge fun. I will absolutely be reading more in the series. I will not, however, be swimming in any wave pools or climbing giant towers for waterslides. I'll leave that to Theo.

This was a fun, short middle grade book. You have adventure, a mystery, villains, summertime, a water park, missing people, and a hint of magic/paranormal. This one would be perfect for a younger audience to read.

The Wretched Waterpark is the start of a children’s mystery/adventure sereis that does a lot to relate itself to other established and successful works as, obviously, A Series of Unfortunate Events. Our children mysteriously end up with an. aunt, though they aren’t quite sure how and are immediately dropped for a week at a waterpark to solve a m,ystery. That the children are not more alarmed by this is obviously destressful situation is a little bit telling. You will have to suspend your disbelief here. If you can do that, you will have fun. I will put this on my shelf and students will fight for the next installment if they stay as quirky and quickly as this.

This first book in the Sinister Summer series tells the story of the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings and the mysterious circumstances they find themselves in when their parents suddenly send them to stay with their aunt for the summer. As if their old fashioned aunt wasn’t strange enough, the waterpark she sends them too is like nothing they’ve ever seen. The slides come out of gargoyle mouths, everything is dark and grey, and people seem to go missing at an alarming rate. Worst of all, there are no churros!

I loved following along with Theo and Alexander as they tried to figure out what was happening in this crazy park and solve the mystery of why their parents suddenly went away. I’ve been a big fan of Kiersten White since reading her book Paranormalcy for OBOB a few years back and this is one of two new books she has out this month! You’ll definitely see me talking about her adult novel Hide here in the next few weeks 🖤

Wretched Waterpark is a fun and spooky read for the middle grade readers in your life, or for you, and summer is the perfect time for this theme park mystery! I can’t wait to see what comes next in their adventures. Thanks to @netgalley, @delacortepress and @authorkierstenwhite for the opportunity to read this ARC, and the excuse to buy some churros

My 13yo daughter is rating this one a must read for all Scooby-Doo fans !
„The book Wretched Waterpark is the first book in a new series: Sinister Summers.
The story centers around three siblings Theo, Alexander and Wilhelmina Sinister-Winterbottom. They are left with their aunt Safronia for the summer who does not really have much of a clue about raising children or even feeding them …
She decides to send the kids of to a waterpark by themselves and there not everything is as it seems, there is an eerie quality to this waterpark. The kids befriend a worker, Edgar, who suddenly disappears only to be replaced by someone claiming to be him… The kids need to find out what is going on. Good thing Theo, Alex and Wil know where they have seen the real Edgar last, even if that is not that much to go on.
This book is just right for kids who love a creepy fun read, I laughed a lot and enjoyed the book while the mystery kept me turning the pages.”