A fun YA read that I would recommend to fans of Haunted Mansion!I

I received an e-ARC from the publisher

I greatly enjoyed the anxiety representation in this book. It showed how Audrey struggled with her mental health but also showed how she learned coping skills. I thought the mystery/haunted parts were not atmospheric enough, but overall this was a fairly enjoyable read.

This was such a fun take on the classic tale of the Haunted Mansion. I think this will be perfect for fans of the attraction or younger readers looking for a spooky read.

Oh how I wish the sum had been as good as its parts. I’ve read a few Claudia Gray books (all of them Star Wars) and I have an absurd love of all things Haunted Mansion.

And yet, this book was all over the place. There was almost nothing to the Haunted Mansion in it aside from a few names and the dog. If you’re going to have a book slapped with that iconic Haunted Mansion font and the cover having the mansion’s exterior, then there needs to be more than what we got here.

And I don’t think that’s on Claudia Gray. She’s usually so good with character, too. But these fell short for me too. Everything felt like a shadow of what it was trying to be. A disappointment to say the least.

I didn't actually get through this one. I ran out of time and it was just at the bottom of my list. I began the book but I just could not get into the characters. I had other books that took priority.

Readers looking for a book that immerses them completely into Disney Haunted Mansion may be disappointed in this slightly spooky tale. Audrey moves to a new town, immediately meets new friends and then discovers that there is a plot to eradicate the mostly harmless haunts in The Haunted Mansion. There is friendship drama and tension between Audrey and her boyfriend Chase along with the effort to save the hotel and its inhabitants but this is not a very scary book. Audrey and her friends are in high school, but the target audience seems to be more middle grade rather than YA. Readers are likely to dislike boyfriend Chase and will be glad that Audrey ends the relationship but it is clear that she probably stuck with a jerk for far too long. Author Claudia Gray does seem to include diversity in her characters but the inclusion of a description that states Black and an off hand comment about having non-binary friends makes that diversity feel contrived rather than authentic. At more than 400 pages, I’m afraid that most readers are not going to spend the time to finish this one when they realize that it is neither truly haunted nor fully immersed in the ride at Disneyland/World.

The Haunted Mansion: Storm & Shade is from Disney and based loosely on their Haunted Mansion attraction.  This book is set in New Orleans, where Audrey has just moved to town and is trying to fit in and make friends.  She ends up finding 2 blocks away a mansion that is supposedly haunted and ends up visiting it with some friends.  A Category 3 Hurricane is also supposed to hit and her friends families as well as hers have to decide if they are going to evacuate or ride it out.  Audrey ends up making friends with someone at the Mansion named Stirling, and ends up realizing that it may be a ghost and a lot of the ghosts there can see and hear everything she and her friends have been doing and saying, even if they couldn't see them at the time.  Some strange things start happening and Audrey and her friends are worried that if they can't stop it, soon they too will end up as a happy haunt at the mansion.

I loved that this book was set in New Orleans - it really lent itself to the spooky haunted and voodoo vibe.  It's about 400 pages long so a bit of a longer read, but a lot of fun and takes you right into the action in the mansion with the friends yourself.  If you enjoy the Haunted Mansion ride and all things Disney, you'll likely enjoy this book!

I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Press for the Audiobook ARC!

For me, this book was a lot of fun! It's definitely geared more Middle Grade than YA, but I very much enjoyed my time with it. Granted, I am a Disney fan and the Disney World version of the Haunted Mansion is one of my happy places. I know the basic story of the attraction by heart.
What I really enjoyed was the way they were able to weave bits of the attraction into the story of Audrey and her friends. The villain of the Shade is a new entity for me, and I would have very much enjoyed knowing more about it. Hoping there will be more books either with this group of friends (and the fantastic Haunted Mansion they've discovered), more stories about the many ghosts inside, or perhaps about other Mansions out there with ghostly issues. There are quite a few little mentions of specific ghosts and details from the ride, though some of them are quite subtle, and they made me grin every time.
I'd say just enjoy the story and try not to think about it too hard. Not unlike the ride. It's a kids book about ghosts, after all. But I look forward to reading it (or a sequel) sometime.

This was a highly compulsive read for me! I love books of any genre about big scary/abandoned homes and I adore the Haunted Mansion and any movie/book that is written about it or centered around it! This was such an interesting take and added entirely new layers to the art that has already been developed about this attraction. I would read this again and recommend it to friends and family alike who also enjoy mystery-thriller-horror novels!

I imagine writing books about the Haunted Mansion, Disney's in particular, can be challenging. There's a lot to work with, but it's also got a lot of empty spaces to be filled with stories. I really enjoyed Claudia Gray's take on my beloved mansion. Audrey as a young woman, dealing with her own internal and external conflicts work really well alongside the complexity of the Haunted Mansion. She is haunted by her own anxiety, she is in a toxic relationship with a boyfriend, and she is learning where she fits in as she enters a new school. All of that is enough of a conflict, but adding in the ghosts of the mansion, and the mansion as it's own character alongside that was very well-done. I really enjoyed getting to know Audrey, and it was really rewarding to watch her come into her own person, make choices that were good for herself, and deal with difficult things in a really mature way.

As a person who has suffered from anxiety for my entire life, I really appreciated how well done Audrey's responses to her own anxiety was. We need more books like this...books normalizing the challenges of living with anxiety while also dealing with the complexity of everyday life.

This book also appeals to a wide range, because while there are ghosts, this book wasn't scary. I have kids that want to read books that have some supernatural elements but don't scare them, and this is one I can safely recommend. I think this book matches the vibes of the mansion entirely. I wish we had gotten to spend even more time with the mansion's haunts, perhaps learning more about their backstories, but if you've never visited a Disney theme park, this is a great entry point into learning more about the mansion.

Great book!

The move from the suburbs to New Orleans isn't helping Audrey' Perez's anxiety disorder as she's faced with starting a new school and making new friends, but the haunted mansion in her neighborhood will bring her together with new friends and show her that anxiety is not the opposite of bravery.

The book is more spooky than scary with a bigger plot about a threat to Audrey and her home that came together slowly.

Spooky fun!
Audrey Perez, her brother and their parents are moving to New Orleans and she will be attending a girls only private high school. Audrey doesn’t want to leave her old house or her boyfriend Chase behind but her family is hoping that the move will help her anxiety.
Audrey accidentally finds a haunted mansion and thinks she hears her boyfriend’s voice calling to her from inside, so she goes in. Once she enters, she’s enthralled by the atmosphere and the library. Audrey gets possessed by three spirits, one at a time, a guitarist, a ship captain, a jazz loving evil man and each spirit helps her find a key. Once she starts collecting the keys, she sees and feels an ominous fog coming for her.

Likes/dislikes: I like the spookiness level of the book. I found the possessive spirits interesting because they were each unique. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the story.
Language: PG-13 for 10 swears, no f-words.
Mature Content: G for holding hands.
Violence: PG for danger.
Ethnicity: Audrey Perez is of Spanish descent. Tatum Stewart is Scottish. Iris Boone is African American.

I thought this one was so much fun, and also so important in how clearly and lovingly it deals with anxiety disorders. I can't wait to have this book in my classroom because we love a spooky vibe, but also because I feel like my students are part of the target audience, and I think many could benefit from how thoroughly anxiety is discussed, and how main character Audrey grows throughout the story--both in terms of her anxiety and her confidence.

As someone who literally grew up with the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland, I loved this updated tale of the Mansion. In case you weren't aware, a newer Haunted Mansion movie was recently released, and while this book was released in tandem with the film, they are two different but complementary stories. I loved the spooky ghost vibes and the description of the mansion! I don't know if a sequel is planned, but I would 100% read another.

Thanks to Disney Press for sending me a copy of this book for review.

It’s officially spooky season! Will newest book from beloved Star Wars/YA author Claudia Gray, The Haunted Mansion: Storm & Shade, give you goosebumps? Read on if you dare!

Storm & Shade revolves around Audrey Perez, a teenager who’s recently moved to New Orleans and, anxieties and all, quickly makes new friends. Audrey discovers a house in her neighborhood that’s too spooky to pass up, and after her first encounter with it, she and her friends become embroiled in a mysterious plot to claim its ghostly residents. Audrey’s balancing all of this paranormal activity with her own personal issues; her aforementioned anxiety, a boyfriend back home who seems to be growing more and more distant, plus a new love interest that may or may not be part of the land of the living. As Audrey and her friends learn more about the Haunted Mansion, they come to realize that its ghostly denizens don’t deserve eternal banishment; but can they solve the mystery of how to save the house before a powerful darkness overcomes the entire town?

Gray’s easy-to-read writing and love for the YA genre shines in Storm & Shade. Her characterizations of Audrey and her friends are thoughtful and rooted in real world issues, and they’re each distinct in their personalities. This trio of girls are the highlight of the novel, their fast friendship is adorable and their quirky personalities are hysterical (Gray balances their own senses of humor with physical comedy expertly). While the characterizations are spot on, there are moments when the teenage protagonists use references or slang that I find hard to believe would come out of the mouth of these modern teenagers. This out of touch nature with modern youth isn’t new to the genre and it only took me out of a story a small number of times.

Disney fans with a particular love for the Haunted Mansion ride might not quite have their expectation met with Storm & Shade. Yes, all the elements are there like the architecture, music and beloved ghosts that have haunted Disney Parks audiences for decades but Audrey’s story and the Mansion’s don’t quite mesh. I found myself interested both in the humorous and social aspects of the Audrey storyline and the Haunted Mansion’s lore, but the two never quite aligned. The Haunted Mansion: Storm & Shade feels like a compromise between a mega corporation and a mega talented author that unfortunately doesn’t result in a classic. I think either Audrey or the Mansion should have taken center stage; with both sharing the lead, Storm & Shade doesn’t reach its spooktacular potential (horror it definitely is not).

The Haunted Mansion: Storm & Shade didn’t quite do it for me, but that’s not to say certain audiences wouldn’t find it enjoyable. I give it 🧢🧢5 – recommend for Disney and/YA fans ages 12-17.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Publishing WorldWIde as well as the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.
#NetGalley #DisneyPublishing #Worldwide #ClaudiaGray #HauntedMansionStormand Shade

Author: Claudia Gray
Publisher: Disney Publishing Worldwide
Publication Date: August 29, 2023

This is a book for a fan of the ride upon which it’s based. It’s a Disney lover’s dream. If you love this ride, please read this.
This YA novel is based on Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. It takes place in New Orleans and features a character named Audrey who stumbles upon the titular mansion after moving to the Big Easy. She makes friends with a ghost and two girls that are outcasts just like her. They are a delightful cast of characters and, along with the ghost host, they must save the Mansion from an evil entity.
This is a cute read. The Haunted Mansion vibes are fun and familiar. The characters are fun. The lead character, Audrey, is a relatable character. She suffers from anxiety and, of course, is uncomfortable in her new surroundings until she meets her new friends. She has left a boyfriend in her previous city. He offers nothing to the story and is, frankly, kind of a jerk. He spends the whole book talking down to Audrey. He could have been left out of the book and it wouldn’t have affected the story at all.
Even though this book had a lot of familiar vibes and such, I do wish there had been more of the Haunted Mansion and more of the ghosts characters. That’s what we/re here for after all.
This is a quick and pleasant read. Perfect for anyone who loves the ride. Highly recommend.

I am a huge fan of the ride The Haunted Mansion, so I expected to love this book. Very early on, I was disappointed because Claudia Gray gave a physical description of a Black character, but that's the only character described by their race. Another character is described as very pale, but that's it. This then presumes that every other character is white. Later on, the main character, who is introverted and does not have many friends, makes an off-handed comment about having nonbinary friends. It was so forced, and that's pretty much the only queer content in the whole book. The story itself wasn't bad, but didn't give the most Haunted Mansion vibes. I think where this is such a beloved ride, I expected a story that lived up to it. The plot was intriguing, and I liked the main character's journey throughout the book.

Haunted Mansion book?! Yes please!

Love all things haunted mansion and this book is no exception. Perfect read for all those who love all things haunted mansion and spooky season. Read with my middle school aged girls and they LOVED it!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

I just finished reading Haunted Mansion: Shade & Storm by Claudia Gray which I was completely hooked into. I’m already a major fan of Claudia Gray as a Star Wars fan and really loved all the characters presented although I disliked one person before they even appeared but that in my opinion because of how well Claudia presents certain traits of them before they have some major growth. You can also see the love for New Orleans in this book as not only is the Haunted Mansion a character on its own, so is the city of New Orleans. If you love the Haunted Mansion there are also a ton of cameos and references that will connect by the end of this book. I highly recommend this book to anybody that enjoys light horror as it doesn’t do anything extremely scary but still has its moments and also if you just enjoy the Haunted Mansion lore. So go check it out. It’s available starting today.

I liked this. It is a middle grade book based on the attraction and the 2 movies. I thought it was really good and it was interesting. I think it is a great book for middle grade readers for Halloween.
I just reviewed The Haunted Mansion: Storm & Shade by Claudia Gray. #TheHauntedMansionStormShade #NetGalley

The Haunted Mansion: Storm & Shade is a fun middle grade/young adult mystery thriller. While I really enjoyed it, it felt a bit long to me at times.