Thank you NetGalley and the publisher to grant me an ARC.

I was lured by the promise of middle-grade fantasy with "The Haunting of Hill House for preteens". I love the series (haven't got the chance to read the book) so I was excited because of the blurb. First few pages, it felt like the typical middle grade book, confused girl with stubbornness, a mother who keeps secret as tight as possible. The more you read it, the book started to detach itself from middle grade vibe (in a good thing!)

Some parts gave me creep and chill and I had to take some hours for a break before continue the book. And I think that was really, really beautiful. It gave me the sensation that I craved when I picked up a gothic themed book, the hidden and layered meaning for the characters motivation, the secrets and curses, they were all wrapped very nicely that I cannot put this book down!

I also thoroughly enjoyed the chapter titles, the very detailed process of some important scenes, they were all so enchanting and I enjoyed every words written in the book!

In conclusion, a very strong punch! I loooove it ♡

This was such a great concept for a mystery book, I loved the idea of this mystery mixed with Addams Family meets The Westing Game. Everything worked so well together and I was on this journey with the characters. The characters worked so well and I really enjoyed every part of it. Dianne K. Salerni has a great writing style and it worked in this novel so well.

"The garnet hanging against the pulse in my throat roars in warning. “I don’t think I trust you enough for that.” He seems legit in that he’s got a photo of Mom, knows about the danger of Carrefour magic, and properly uses words like mundane and arcane. But there’s something not right about this meeting— and I’m still mad about the charm that got me here."