We meet Garnet on her way to her mother's ancestral home. The mother, Emerald, is extremely reluctant to go, having left with the intention to never return, and Garnet is literally chucking up baby frogs left, right and centre. The extended family is ripe with earth magic, in different forms, and some of that magic is being used for ill. For the old man of the house is dying – but if the past is anything to go by, he might just nab a lot of people's life energy, and store it up for himself with fatal consequences for anyone else. With the magical property and/or its older residents keeping people there against their will, can Garnet get out alive, or will her increasing knowledge of the distant 1990s prove she is destined to vanish, as all the auguries suggest?

Oddly, this took me quite some time to actually care. There are a lot of slightly weird people to meet early on here, and even with her amphibious abdominal angst it took me some time to warm to Garnet and her lot. Perhaps some of this came from the chapter introductions, all featuring as they do their own relevant gemstone and the hooey that comes with believing in crystal worship.

That scepticism aside, there is no disguising many of the merits of this fantasy adventure. There are multiple "duh-duh-derr!" moments, where surprises to the characters give a successful frisson of the unexpected for the reader. The magic is by no means limited to flapping a crystal on a string around, and is all the better for it. And ultimately it's clear to see what the author intended (she tells us in the end-matter) and that she pretty much succeeded. So while I didn't love this throughout, I certainly can appreciate the filmic, middle-grade spooks and peculiar set-up these pages bring.

This New to me author has me positively hooked. Garnet who is 12 & her mom, Emerald, are experts at stones & their powers. They have the magic to understand and use them. They are just living their life when suddenly Garnet has a case of throwing up frogs. This means they have to return to her mother's home, her estranged family and their curious world of magical things and people. She is happy to meet her family, but upset that her great - grandfather is dying and that the the family is having some mysterious problems. Garnet  decides to get to the bottom of things. She begins working with her cousins to help save the family and  right the wrongs the are destroying her family. She learns new things about herself, her family and what she can do with her special magic.

I absolutely loved this story. I have always been fascinated by the different powers and uses that stones like mica, amethyst and Emerald can hold. I loved that each chapter started with a description of a different stone  and what powers it can have.
Her writing was so detailed and she made me feel like I was part the mystery and magic.
I know this book is perfect for any middle-schooler or for anyone who loves a story full of magic & mystery.
I give it high ratings and I will be telling everyone to read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks so much to NetGalley.

This was a magical, engaging middle-grade story!

The book jumps right into the excitement, with our main character Garnet suffering from an ailment where she keeps throwing up frogs (it gave Ron throwing up slugs vibes lol). Garnet is taken to the Carrefour family home and quickly starts learning about her family and the different magic they possess.

The pacing is quick and the book isn't very long, but has enough time to explain everything well and give us a great plot. I liked the various side characters, especially Ash and River, though there are a lot to keep track of. There are also past family members that we run into and I think the cast could have been cut down a bit to help with clarity.

Overall this was fun to read and I'm happy to have checked it out.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Holiday House and NetGalley for the copy

I loved this! I read a lot of ya being a substitute teacher...always looking for a good book for long term jobs and this will definitely be the next one I read to them! Love that the magic are a little different. Love the family dynamic and the twists and turns. A little spooky but not overpowering since it's for a younger crowd. And of course the HEA ending is the best. Totally worth the read and I love the cover.

What tropes, vibes and themes does this book include?
Elemental magic, time travel, big family, sleuthing/mystery; Obvious themes of courage, family bond, and self-discovery.

Who should read this?
Anyone who likes a good mystery with a spattering of magic.

What ages are appropriate?
Generally, I think ages 10 to 13 are a safe bet. But this of course depends on the child's fear tolerance.

Trigger warning: mass dead bodies and near-death accidents.

Review with minimum spoilers:

This book was more compelling that I anticipated! It started off a tad slow with not a whole lot happening, but it really did pick up fast. It was a really well written family mystery with lots of twists I didn't see coming! Really, some of them genuinely surprised me.
I loved the idea of a magical family -- and I especially loved their names -- but it did give off suspiciously Encanto vibes. A family with magical gifts, but unique to each person? A prophecy that dooms the MC? An aunt that can control the weather, and a hermit uncle? The house crumbling because the magic is failing? The elder head of the family a pseudo villain? The similarities end there, however. Likely, it's just coincidence, and it didn't stop me from enjoying the story.
The cast was also a bit too big and might be confusing keeping all the characters separate. Sometimes I thought, "wait, who is this guy again? Somebody's cousin, or a spouse?"
In parts it did feel like it might be a bit morbid for kids. Even in adult fiction, mass corpses seems excessive.
Overall, a really good read!

More Ash Carrefour! What I really like about this book was that my first thought isn't 'where are the parents/family/anyone??' Usually most middle grade protagonists are off on amazing yet dangerous adventures all alone. I like that Garnets family were present and had stories of their own in a way.

This book had all of my favourite things.
- Secrets
- Mystery
- Supernatural abilities

I would certainly read a second book and more books by this author.

A good middle-school age book for kids who like things spooky and a little bit scary with a strong element of magic. Garnet knows little about her family except they have magic, like her, and live in the mysterious Crossroad house. Garnet's mom wants to keep it that way, but when Garnet develops a case of vomiting live frogs they have no choice but to return the ancestral home. But things are quite what she expected: the house is depilated, her grandfather seems to be sucking the energy out of the family and people have gone missing. Garnet will have to keep her wits about her to survive this visit.

There has a definite gothic feel about this story but nothing too extreme for most middle-schoolers and up. There is some danger and some gross scenes but I think that will be all the more appealing to the readers. I particularly loved the family connection here. Garnet has a strong relationship with her mother, but it isn't perfect. When she encounters her extended family she discovers support, love, dissatisfaction, and envy. Something you run in to in most families. But in the end love is the key to it all.

I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of some of the spooky books I read at this age and still remember very fondly.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

This was a really spooky, exciting good time! It has an awful lot of probable murder for a middle grade book, but it's such a thrilling, magic, ghostly adventure that I cannot complain. I have never seen the T.V. show Dark Shadows, myself, but my mother was a huge fan, and when the author mentioned being inspired by her own avid childhood viewing of that show it was so obvious, I recognized the influence just from my mom talking about it. Similar in tone to the Lockwood & Co. books, tons of fun.

I really enjoyed reading this horror-mystery. It ticks a lot a boxes in the horror genre- a creepy old house, a sinister (and I suggest evil) family patriarch (Garnet’s great-grandfather), mysterious disappearances, cursed ruins, visions, a premonition…plus a bunch of squabbling relatives and some family magic. The story flows well and I read it quickly, keen to find out what was going on. Apart from one minor point (no spoilers), I found the ending satisfying. This could have been a terrifying story but the tone is creepy and intriguing rather than frightening, so it is fine for middle grade (though I would say older middle grade) as well as teens.
The story features Garnet’s extended family, with first cousins, second cousins, cousins once or twice removed, uncles, aunts, great-uncle’s and great-aunts… I really liked this element of the book. It’s unusual to have so many pertinent and related characters in a story, in my experience anyway, and the family interaction was credible. The downside was that I found keeping track of the characters relationships difficult. My eARC had a family tree (I think) but it didn’t display properly. It’s needed, because after the first introduction, we’re not given any reminders of who’s who (well done, Garnet, for remembering them all!) so while I knew who belonged to Garnet’s generation, I was less clear on the adults.
I liked Garnet, who is kind, curious, persistent and brave. We’re told Garnet is twelve years old. However she seems far too mature in her reactions and reflections to be twelve. I had a few ‘a twelve-year old would think this?‘ moments throughout the story. I would have put her at fourteen or fifteen.
Overall this book has a great story, good characters and a satisfying ending. Recommended to those middle grade readers (of all ages) who enjoy horror.

Thanks to Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book for an honest review.

I keep wanting to say this is a ghost story, but it isn't. There are no ghosts in this book, but you get that spooky feel, in the best way possible. This story is about a family, their magic, and their mysteries. I had a great time learning about this unique family and solving their mysteries along with them.

This is a good book for middle grade children that haven't found their love of reading yet. I think this book might open up the reading world for them.

This will definitely appeal to younger audiences. They will find the adventures and mystery interesting. The plot was captivating and the mystery was understandable. It wasn't weighed down by too much exposition. On the other hand, the soul or energy stealing concept irked me a little but the target demographic will still immensely enjoy it.

This one started out a bit difficult to follow for me. Simply because there were many characters as members of this big family line that out protagonist meets at the very beginning. So we’re with her for the ride. I admit, it was hard for me to follow every single person at the start because they came at us from left and right, and there wasn’t much time to remember every single one. After a while though, I got the hang of it. But really, for the first third of the book I thought this wasn’t going to work me and that made me hella sad.

The story though, and the family dynamic, while intriguing enough at the beginning, really takes off after the second half, and then I couldn’t put it down.

I loved that every chapter started out with the name and description of a gemstone that was significant to the story. I also enjoyed reading about a big family, how they interacted with each other, a family secret here and there. I loved that the cousins, all around the same age as the protagonist’s twelve years, bonded right away. The one thing that I found hard to believe was the main character’s voice. She sounded much older than twelve years old.

As for the story, it definitely picks up and is very engaging towards the end. I just really liked it but could use some more details in the beginning for a smoother entry into the story in general. And any more stories from this family would be welcome. I feel like this family could get into more shenanigans that I’d be more than happy to read about.

The Addams Family meets The Westing Game and the haunting of hill house in this funny light read. I was so delighted with this story

This is a middle grade book following a family where people mysteriously vanish. It does have a very Haunting of Hill House feel to it, and I absolutely loved that books. I loved the whole vibe of the book, it was such a quick and fun read.
I'm a sucker for fantasy mixed with mystery and a little family secret so this book was just incredibile.
In this book we had action,adventure and mystery. I liked going along with Garnett to figure out her family history along with trying to solve a mystery surrounding her family. This is such perfect! You have to read it!

4.8/5 stars
(It just feels right)
Warning: Spoilers

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Non-Spoiler Section
Let me begin by saying the this book is going on my favourites lists. It was a wonderful read, and I can’t wait to re read it in a few months. The storyline is absolutely gripping. The best thing about this book, that I haven’t seen in a lost of other book, is the lack of an over dramatic reveal. The twists and turns are absolutely perfect, and sometimes not at all what I was expecting. The pacing is so good, that I read this book in two sittings (only because I had to sleep - I had classes the next day), but you will find yourself reading late into the night.
The formatting was a bit off, and for some reason, the family tree wasn’t showing in my kindle, but since this is an ARC, I’ll let it slide. But because of that, I found it a bit hard to keep all the relationships straight, but it wasn’t terribly difficult.
I also kinda wish that the magic was explored further and deeper, instead of being left basically at the surface level, but that’s just me, I think. I like hard magic systems.

SPOILERS!!

I didn’t like the way Rose basically wanted to kill Jasper, for leeching off of other’s magic even though he was a dick, and everybody was sort of okay with it - like nobody told her off, or even said that this is problematic.
I didn’t understand how Tana was still alive in the Old House after 20 years, and others weren’t, there wasn’t much explanation, except “time passes differently in the old house”. It would have made more sense if she was dead. (Also, out of the many traps in the old house, our dear Garnet stumbles upon the same trap Tana was lead to)
But at this point, I’m just nitpicking.
This was a really great story, and a fun read, and I’d highly recommend it!

This was a delightfully creepy, gothic middle grade with magic and fantasy elements. The Carrefour family practices earth magic and as our main character, Garnet, soon finds out some family members have been using it dangerously. When Garnet and her mother are forced back to the family home, Garnet learns about the people she has been kept away from her whole life. She also learns about the mysterious deaths and disappearances that follow her family. Will she be able to stop the curse and save herself and her family?
This book reminded me a bit of a cross between Gallant by V.E. Schwab and The Winterhouse mysteries by Ben Guterson.
Overall I just loved the spooky atmosphere, the mystery and the unique magic system. This was definitely a fun and quick read.
Thank you to netgalley and holiday house publishing for providing me with a digital copy for review.

We LOVED this book. It is so deliciously gothic in tone. Perhaps not so suitable for younger children (dead people, stealing others life force) but all of my grandchildren (except the youngest) read this with me and enjoyed the story. Feisty Garnett fixes a curse on her delightfully dysfunctional magic family. Great family read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This book had action,adventure and mystery. I liked going along with Garnett to figure out her family history along with trying to solve a mystery surrounding her family.

This text has a lot of twists and turns that the target audience will enjoy. I believe the added graphics in the finished novel will add to the text and aid readers in remembering plot details.

What worked:
The opening hook will grab young readers with its grossness. The scene finds young Garnet in the back seat of her mother’s car, regurgitating frogs into a bucket! The chapter goes on to reveal her mother’s reluctance, maybe outright defiance, to return to Crossroad House, the place where she grew up. This fact establishes a conflict and will make readers wonder what’s wrong with the family. On the other hand, Garnet has always wanted to visit Crossroad House but isn’t aware of her mother’s reasons for staying away. Maybe Garnet shouldn’t have sabotaged her mother’s plans.
The plot keeps readers wondering about the identity of the actual antagonist. Grandfather Jasper has lived longer than expected and is able to absorb the life force from others to continue living. Garnet experiences his power on her first day at Crossroad House. But then, there’s the house itself that has magic of its own. It won’t let anyone tear down a dangerous, damaged section of the property and now it won’t let anyone leave. Garnet experiences events from decades before that she attributes to the house’s power. Finally, a stranger summons Garnet to the cemetery and tells her some things that are hard to believe. He says he can help but Garnet isn’t sure if he can be trusted or if he’s dangerous.
The plot unfolds like a mystery as Garnet tries to understand her family and the danger surrounding Jasper’s transition. She hears stories of relatives and others who’ve suddenly died or disappeared on the property and an uncle dies while she’s there. Almost all of the relatives feel fear and anger toward Jasper and some of them silently wish he would die. Jasper says they’re ungrateful and don’t understand what he’s done for them which makes Garnet even more determined to uncover the truth. Jasper seems to be the obvious villain but is there more going on here than meets the eye? Why can’t his transition of power and death occur smoothly as with so many ancestors before?
What didn’t work as well:
There are many family members living in Carrefour House resulting in many names to remember. However, only a handful are critical to understanding the plot so readers will need to figure out which ones to focus on. Garnet and Ash are probably the two most important characters with others enhancing the story.
The Final Verdict:
This book is quite entertaining with the creepy house and energy-sucking patriarch at the center of the conflict. The blend of elemental magic with twists thrown in elevates the problems derived from broken family dynamics. I recommend you give it a shot.