This is a perfect spooky season book for the tween or young teen who doesn't like their ghost stories to be too scary. The main character Rebecca has a single mother and a father who had passed away. The exploration of her and, to a certain extent, her mother's grief was well examined and age appropriate for the target audience. I wish that the relationship between Rebecca and her enemy (frenemy?) Kelsie was explored a little further. The romance was so light it was almost non-existent, which worked well for the story, which was really focused on Rebecca learning more about her family's history, which she feels detached from after her father's death.

The twist at the end was surprising but not too surprising. The book had all the right building blocks for a spooky setting but didn't take it too far. I would recommend this to kids who like Mary Downing Hahn and Ellen Oh's Spirit Hunters .

I'm trying to get through my Netgalley shelf, and when I requested this, I was still in my YA thriller/horror era. Unfortunately, that is not me anymore, however I definitely see the appeal of this one. I think a lot of teens will be interested in this, so I will definitely be recommending it to them.

Field of Screams is an spooky and engaging paranormal middle grade thriller by Wendy Parris. Released 1st Aug 2023 by Random House Children's, it's 256 pages and is available in paperback, library binding, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.

The author does a great job of making the book spooky and a little scary with great dramatic tension, and managing to do so in an age appropriate manner. The main character, Rebecca, is a scary movie and paranormal fan who loves ghosts. She's not looking forward to spending the summer with her extended family, looking after her little cousin and missing out on camp and fun activities with her best friend.

Then she meets a ghost.

The author does a great job with the premise and story. It's entertaining, and somewhat scary, and entwined in the story, the author manages to convey thoughts about responsibility, family, grief, growth, and trauma.

Four stars. Definitely a worthwhile tween/middle grade selection.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

All the blurbs for this book are absolutely right. Field of Screams is the perfect middle grade horror read. It has a supernatural mystery and introduces our protagonist, Rebecca. She has always wanted to meet a ghost. What will happen when she meets one?

Rebecca is being dragged to Iowa by her mother to spend her summer vacation. She is a paranormal enthusiast, and when she starts sensing a mysterious presence, everything will unravel. Unfortunately, nobody believes her or brushes her off. When she starts reading a comic left by her father, she finds a very old letter that may prove the existence of the ghost. I definitely enjoyed this story, filled with suspense, jumpy moments, and an ending that will leave you speechless.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This was one of the more enjoyable middle grade books I've read in a while. I normally read this age range to see if my nieces and nephews would like it. I have one nephew that loves ghost stories that this would be perfect for. I really loved how the main character really stuck to her guns. She was innovative and strong and not afraid to ask for help. I thought the ghost story was just scary enough for the age range that it is intended for. Overall this was a great book and I will be getting it for my nephew to read.

Field of Screams is a cute book about ghosts and trying to answer the age-old question, Are ghosts real?

Rebecca is not looking forward to spending her summer in Iowa. She would have to leave her home and her ghost stories behind. Until she arrives at her Aunt and Uncles house, and strange things begin to happen. She meets new friends and some foes.

I will say this was a little slow for me. I would have loved to have seen more of the supposed ghost hauntings. As the reader, I felt we were only allowed to see Rebecca as right. So much so that she took other opinions of people not believing in ghosts as a personal attack. However, Rebecca is only 12 years old. I will also say the action in the book was too fast, and the ending was a little too long. So the pacing was a big deal for me.

3 stars. I did enjoy the family dynamic in Field of Screams and even different versions of how people dealt with grief. I suggest you check it out if you lean more towards reading about family dynamics than reading about ghosts.

Thanks, NetGalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for providing this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you, Netgalley and Wendy Parris, for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you to the publishers for your hard work!

This certainly wasn't what I thought it would be. It was delightful! I enjoyed every moment of it. You could feel the fear the characters felt every time a ghost was in the picture and when something unexpected and unexplainable was happening. The story wasn't just about horror. It was a story about finding out why things were happening and stopping it before it got out of hand.

Our main character loves ghosts and the unknown, but her mother would rather her forget all about such things. Rebecca won't do such a thing, and throughout her summer, she goes on such an adventure, trying to figure out a mystery and why strange and terrifying things are happening around her. Does she succeed? That's for you to find out.

This book made me smile, worry, and even wonder what's going to happen next. I think this is a wonderful book for YA and know itle do well.

Field of Screams was an enjoyable middle grade novel. .Some parts felt a bit slow to me, but overall this was a fun read.

Such a fantastic debut novel! I really enjoyed the storyline. With Rebecca missing her dad it was nice to see her learn more about him from her uncle and the connection they shared as children. This book was filled of tween drama, family stories, and friendships along with a ghost to round things off. This was a nice quick read, I just kept needing to know more, so I couldn't put it down! I don't normally read YA books but I would read more by Parris.

Read as an ARC and this is my honest review

Field of Screams is a fast-paced thriller with a very intriguing mystery.

I loved reading this middle-grade thriller because it was just spooky enough to set the mood without scaring my socks off. I highly enjoyed the adventurous side of our protagonist Rebecca. I loved her determination to find the ghost and solve the mystery, she is the epitome of stubborn in a good way. She never let what people say deter her from her mission to find the truth and figure out the mysteries in her family. I also highly enjoyed the growing relationship between Rebecca and Nick, their friendship was so innocent and fun and they had great chemistry.

The only thing that confused me in the book was Kelsie's change of heart at the end of the book. I understand how it went with the plot, But it felt very sudden. I suppose that could be blamed on her age, as kids are often impulsive, but I feel as though her immediate change gave me a bit of whiplash.

Overall, this book was an enjoyable and quick read!

I received this arc from NetGalley and Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warnings: Loss of a Loved One, Grief

Thank you to Penguin Random House for a free eARC!

It’s so interesting reading adult horror and now reading my first “proper” MG horror book. When you really strip it all down, both are the same horror base for all ages.

Rebecca loves anything paranormal. After being dragged to Iowa away from her friends and summer camp to go to see extended family, her dreams finally come true! Ghostly happenings start occurring around her, but it seems like reality is a lot scarier than fiction.

I love horror so much - horror games, books, movies, all sorts! I’ve read a few YA horror books but this was my first for younger kids and honestly, I’m loving how much horror was in this and how it was written. It was gripping, tense and very creatively descriptive. And best of all, scary! Even to this 22 yr old seasoned horror veteran, the closer to the end it got, the further I was on the edge of my seat.

I loved the characters a lot. I loved how their youth and naivety contrasted with an “actual” paranormal event and how different personalities react to it. Their different troubles contrasted wonderfully between them to show that no 2 people react the same way to similar experiences. I think the trio of main characters worked really well together and their growth was realistically written.

It’s been a minute since I picked up a middle grade horror novel, but when I saw that Field of Screams was about a paranormal enthusiast and abandoned farmhouses—and the cornstalks on the cover reminded me of Small Spaces—I was instantly interested. Field of Screams is, of course, a very different story from Small Spaces. But what the two books had in common was a good balance between the themes—family, loss, grief—and a spooky atmosphere/happenings tied to a local mystery that found its roots far closer to home than the characters ever expected.

The story follows Rebecca, as she and her mom head to Iowa for the summer. It was the perfect setup, because it quickly removed the characters from familiar places and into the virtual unknown. The setting wasn’t inaccessible per say, it was rural and had a lot of large farms, but it was utilized well. Particularly in regards to the way that the environmental challenges heightened the sense of isolation, tension, and general creepiness.

And, from what I got from Rebecca’s perspective, most of the aforementioned was less than ideal, which was understandable (sometimes the phrase “be careful for what you wish for,” is actually sound advice). But, I liked how the story dealt with her character under circumstances that were best described as stressful and terrifying. Her hope for finding the uncanny; the frustration over missing summer with her best friend; the discontent over being stuck with family members who were almost strangers; and feeling alone and unheard. It was good stuff.

Field of Screams was spooky, but the story was also endearing (thanks to the characters) with an ending that was heartwarming. So, if you’ve liked books like Small Spaces by Katherine Arden and the Forgotten Girl by India Hill Brown, then Field of Screams should be on your radar.

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Delacorte Press) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

Wowza this was a home run. My kids went through a horror story kick while I was doing my Halloween book bingo challenge, and I 100% hope to add this to their holiday TBR.

You get the chills one would hope for with a horror book, but none of that jump scare feel that might leave kids with fear induced insomnia. There's lessons on grief and growing up sprinkled in and I applaud Parris for managing to accomplish that with such skill without making it feel like a lesson. You see a character being empathetic despite hardship, which is so nice in a book for this age range. I think my only concern is the masking of that pain so consistently. As a neurodivergent household, we are actively fighting against masking, so that would be my only issue. But I also understand that sometimes it's necessary, so no real loss of love there.

Move aside, Wendy Parris is the new Scream Queen of middle grade horror. Rebecca is a wonderful main character, a true twelve year-old with one foot in teenagehood (and all the feelings and snark that come with it) and one foot in childhood and its accompanying naivete. In addition to some truly creeptastic horror that fills the senses (MG horror on its highest setting, which my younger self would have gleefully devoured, nightmares be damned), several heavy themes (grief, spiritual belief) are handled beautifully in a way that gives closure without tying everything up in an artificially neat bow. There are clues a-plenty, and while the end does have some expository info-dumping, it's earned (and a relief from the tension built up throughout the rest of the book). Also, as a local kid who held my breath as I passed Resurrection Cemetery, it was nice to have a little Chicago flavor even though the setting is in Iowa.

One thing I especially loved about this story is that MG lit often teaches kids how to act by showing their actions/words hurt people or put them in danger. This book - and I wish more books for this age group did this - actually points out when an adult is failing their child while still allowing for the child to acknowledge the parent is a human and has good intentions. The flip of this trope is handled very deftly in this story.

I don't know if this is a planned series, but I'd happily follow Rebecca, Nick, and even Kelsie into Iowa for summer adventures. Excellent read.

"A new pulse-pounding supernatural mystery about twelve-year-old Rebecca, who has always wanted to hunt ghosts...until she meets one.

Paranormal enthusiast Rebecca Graff isn't happy about being dragged to Iowa to spend the summer with family she barely knows. But when she tracks a ghostly presence to an abandoned farmhouse, she starts to think the summer won't be a total lost cause!

The trouble is no one believes her. Then Rebecca finds a note stashed in a comic belonging to her late father - a note that proves the same spirit haunted him when he was twelve. Suddenly she feels a connection to the dad she pretends not to miss, and she is determined to uncover the story behind the haunting.

But the more Rebecca discovers, the scarier the ghost becomes. Soon she is in a race to piece together the puzzle and recover a family legacy before it is lost forever and a horrible tragedy repeats itself."

I've always felt that people who want to hunt ghosts have no experience of actually meeting a ghost. Because that experience will sure change their minds fast.

I thought this was very atmospheric type of ghost story and for the most point I enjoyed it. I like a bit more action in my stories and at times got a little bored. I did like it but I didn't love it. I do think that those who really enjoy that build up to the end of a story will enjoy this one more than me.

In "Field of Screams," our main character and her mother go to visit her aunt and uncle for the summer. This uncle is her paternal father's brother, and since her father passed away she hasn't really seen them much. She doesn't look forward to being away from her best friend for the summer, but she hopes to learn more about her father while staying in his childhood house. What ends up happening is that she finds more than what she bargained for...a ghost! She must figure out who the ghost is and why she haunts the house.

As much as I wanted to enjoy this story, I felt that it took too long to get to the action scenes. Suspense in a story is always important, but it felt like it was being dragged on for longer than needed. The characters are realistic and at times frustrating, which shows that Ms. Parris did well in creating authentic characters.

Field of Screams is a page-turning, spooky middle grade book. It's got an abandoned farmhouse, a creepy cornfield, hidden treasure, a ghost, and a mysterious one-eyed cat! Perfect for kids who like mystery and scares. The main character, Rebecca, navigates grief, family relationships, friendships, and a stormy summer, all while discovering the secrets of her family's past. Author Wendy Parris is a fantastic new author in the genre of middle grade horror!

I am SHOOKETH that this is the authors debut novel. I am also greatly saddened, lol, b/c it means I will have to wait quite awhile for her next one. I genuinely LOVED this book. If you read “Wait till Helen Comes” by Hahn as a kid (if you haven’t, do so immediately), it has that same incredible vibe. Spooky enough to,leave your on the edge of your seat, but not so much that a kid will be so scared they will have nightmares. It’s just right. The characters are well-balanced and work well together to bring the story to life. Even mean girl Kelsie ends up being likeable as you learn her background story. And it’s not just a spooky story, it’s a mystery as well. Who is this ghost and what do they want? Is Rebecca in danger by seeking out the mystery behind her uncle’s farm or is she in fact helping the ghost find peace? You honestly won’t know until the very end and you will be quite surprised how it ends. It all ties up very nicely and im looking forward to more books by this author.

What a fantastic spooky story! It was just scary enough that kept me on my toes and the character development kept those pages turning!