Halle is a superfan of horror film director Maximus Price and dreams of being an onscreen Scream Queen one day. She jumps at the opportunity to make a delivery from her family’s flower shop to his estate, hoping she’ll get the chance to meet her idol. She arrives at the manor to find all the estate’s workers under attack by slimy creatures and in a zombie-like stupor. The director’s twin children, Paisley and Argyle, initially seem unconcerned, thinking it is a birthday prank set up by their father, but begin to have second thoughts. Halle and the twins team up to use their skills to save the residents of the manor and stop the creatures from taking over the world.

With her knowledge of the horror movie genre, Halle is the perfect heroine to lead the sheltered Price twins in battling the creepy creatures that threaten their safety. Peril at Price Manor has the perfect mix of horror and humor for middle grade readers looking for a scare.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC to read and review.

Halle Thompson is a scary movie devotee of a famous fright film director Maximus Price. His children, Paisley and Argyle lives at home where they are home-school taught. They have never left their home as their father tells them it’s the only safe place. It’s not safe to go to town or anywhere. Halle’s mother has an ongoing order to deliver flowers every week. When the driver calls in sick with the flu, Halle convinces her mother that she deliver Mr. Price’s flowers by riding her bicycle. By the time she gets there she is panting and the flowers are drooping. She meets Paisley and Argyle as they open te door. Earlier that day, Paisley woke up finding no one had woken her up or pick out her clothes to wear for the day It was the same for Argyle. When they go out of their rooms, they come across someone who has a grotesque tentacled blob monster on their face. Halle, Paisley and Argyle run to a room, which is empty but not for long. They run into another room and try to figure out where the monsters came from. Will they ever find out? Why can’t they find Paisley and Argyle’s father? They know he had one of the monsters on his face. Will they be able to save all the staff with the monsters on them?

The author has written a laugh-out-loud scary story. The novel reminds me of R.L. Stine’s “goosebumps series.” The story is scary and creepy with humor that makes it so much fun to read. I truly enjoyed reading it and recommend reading it,

HAHAHAHAHAHA, I Love The Opening Lines . . .

‘A shrill scream pierced through the otherwise quiet morning in the sleepy town of Bedlamton. It was the kind of scream usually associated with axe murderers, vengeful spirits, or toxic-sludge monsters. The only monsters in sight, however, were the ones in the movie posters plastered all over the walls of the tiny bedroom where Halle Thompson stood alone, facing down her own reflection. Her scream was followed by an equally alarming yell from the kitchen down the hall.

‘“Halle, cut that out! You’ll give the neighbors a heart attack!”’


PERIL AT PRICE MANOR — by Laura Parnum

‘She dreams of acting in horror movies—she never wanted to live in one . . . .’


That. Was. Awesome!! Heartwarming and Creepy Good—Highly Recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing, for providing me with an eBook of PERIL AT PRICE MANOR at the request of an honest review.

This was a fun middle grade romp that played to so many horror tropes! I'm not a big horror fan, but this was right up my alley and not too scary--perfect for middle grade. The pacing was great, the characters were fun, and the plot was intriguing. I definitely recommend this for middle grade readers who want to venture into horror!

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

This was such a fantastic, funny and appropriately scary middle grade read. I had so much fun with Halle, Argyle, and Paisley as they battled an infestation of slimy, tentacle creatures. The descriptions of the old manor definitely gave me vibes from an old Vincent price movie, but with the thrills and fun for your every day middle grade reader. This story had wonderful scream queen references and Halle was such a wonderful Heroine! If I could give it a thousand stars I would! Thank you to the publisher and author for the excellent read!

Peril at Price Manor is a hilariously spooky middle grade novel with heart! Just the right amount of spook for younger readers and lots of laugh out loud moments. Relatable characters and a great storyline make for a great read a loud!

Lovely middle grade novel about believing in yourself and liking what you like unashamed and side plot to parents to let your kids live their lives

Synopsis

Halle loves horror movies and dreams of becoming a "scream queen," the damsel in a horror movie who lets out a blood-curling scream, and, much to the dismay of her family, she has been practicing. Her favorite director, Maximus Price, just happens to live in her hometown. Halle would do anything to meet the acclaimed director and this story chronicles her opportunity to do just that. Unfortunately, when she arrives at the manor, Price is missing and his two sheltered children as well as the manor's servants are under attack by slimy, face-sucking monsters. Can Halle put her extensive horror movie knowledge into practice and defeat these parasites before the entire town is infected?

What I Didn't Love

I have nothing of substance to list here. I would have liked more of everything - more description of the creepy manor, more depth, more backstory for Halle - but I think the length and depth was about perfect for the middle-grade audience.

What I Loved

The pacing was perfect for the middle-grade novel. It never got bogged down in detail, yet I could see the manor vividly and I was completely invested in Halle and the Price children's plight. The tension was constant. There were few moments to breathe and take it all in. I loved it and I think it would equally engage younger readers.

I highly recommend this for your 2nd - 5th grade reader.

4.5 stars
A cute story and I think my kids, 12 & 9, will really enjoy it.

It’s reminiscent of an old scary movie and written perfectly for a middle school audience. Think ‘The Blob’ but for preteens/tweens.

The main characters are likable, well created, and relatable.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with children (or even you) who like a little darkness.

Scary movies often follow unsuspecting victims as they do just the wrong things to battle a terrifying threat. But in the middle grade adventure Peril at Price Manor by Laura Parnam, a scary movie fan finds herself trying to follow all of the rules to stay safe when dangerous creatures threaten to take over the town.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery

Author Laura Parnum knows how to do middle-grade horror well. Peril at Price Manor has a silly-scary vibe that works well with kids who don’t really want to be scared with violence and gore but enjoy a Goosebumps-like tale.

Parnum’s writing is bright and conversational, making it a comfortable read for both her intended audience and grownups who we’ll enjoy reading it aloud as well.

The story is told from all three kids’ viewpoints, adding depth and color throughout. And it is great fun to have the kids solve the problem rather than rely on adults. There’s a lot of growth here as they learn their own strengths.

Peril at Price Manor is a quirky read that should appeal to a large cross-section of readers.

I really liked this book. It was a really good read and well written. Thank you for the ARC! I really appreciate it!

This was a very sweet tale of friendship amongst some truly creepy crawly creatures! I very much enjoyed the 3 pov's from each child's perspective. It was fun to see all of their personalities and how different they were from each other.

While this is a middle-grade book I think any one who enjoyed Goosebumps books or other creepy crawly books would really enjoy this!

I really enjoyed this book! It brought me right back to when I would the Goosebumps books growing up. This book is the perfect amount of scary for upper elementary and middle school students, but I think adults looking for a light horror book will enjoy it. 10/10 and a reccomendation. Special Thank You to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! Imagine Alien and House on Haunted Hill mixed together for middle grade readers. It was funny, spooky, original, and oh so fun.

The book starts, and we meet Halle. Her ultimate dream is to become a scream queen. So she spent a lot of time in front of the mirror, and you guessed it, practicing her screams. Her mom has a flower shop, and she won't be able to make a delivery to the secluded Price Manor. Immediately, Halle volunteers, only because one of her favorite horror directors lives there. Once she's there, spooky and weird people start acting funny. She'll also meet Paisley and Argyle, a mysterious bother and sister who will work together to uncover a mysterious menacing entity. This was truly perfect, young, and not so young readers will adore this story. It had such a Vincent Price vibes and the author is my new middle-grade hero.

"We've got to be smart. We've got to assume we're in peril."

Words to live by, Halle--words to live by! Peril at Price Manor plays delightfully with horror tropes: the scream queen/damsel in distress, the bumbling friends, rules to survive, a gothic manor with lots of servants and a spooky atmosphere, etc...and it gives me just enough scares and tension mixed with hilarity. Rich, sheltered twins Paisley and Argyle make the perfect helpless foils to Halle's more capable/knowledgeable personality--and the three of them banded together to fight the tredecapuses, rescue the adults, save the day, and realize that they have agency and power is incredibly charming. At its heart, Peril at Price Manor speaks to the perils of parents overprotecting their children and not letting them learn and experience life as it really is--and stresses that kids don't need to have the loudest voice to make the biggest difference as long as they work together to accomplish what seems scary. A new middle grade fave!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review; all opinions are my own.

Genre: Middle Grade Horror, Middle Grade Mystery, Middle Grade Fiction
Scare Factor: Just right for 8-13 year olds

Halle has a clear goal of becoming a scream queen—and the book makes sure to give enough information so that kids know what that means. The fictional horror movie references are hilarious and remind me of the B movies that are very old.

Once Halle gets to Price Manor, I kept wondering how the author would solve the problem of the creepy, squid-like creatures attached to people's faces. Seriously, I didn't know how this would work out. But the author did it! Hooray for middle grade horror!

PERIL AT PRICE MANOR is perfect for middle grade readers (8-13ish) because it's got a bit of a silly factor, monsters, zombie-like people, and a trio of friends with unusual talents.

I highly recommend this book for an audience who wants goosebumps and things to go bump in the night. Kids love horror when it's at the right level for them. (You can ask a psychologist why.)

Happy (creepy) reading!

PS: If you love this one, check out The Very Unfortunate Wish of Melony Yoshimura by Waka T. Brown, The Mystery of the Radcliff Riddle by Taryn Souders, The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste, and Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker.

Twelve-year-old Halle Thompson loves horror movies, and her greatest desire is to one day become a Scream Queen on the silver screen. As fate would have it, Maximus Price, the most famous horror movie maker of all time, happens to live in Halle’s town. And, he has a standing weekly order at Halle’s mom’s flower shop for a bouquet of black roses. This week, Halle has the unprecedented task of hand delivering the requested flower arrangement to her idol. But when she arrives at Price Manor, she learns that something sinister has taken root, and Halle may end up needing her well-practiced horror movie scream more than she ever expected.

This engaging middle grade novel has equal parts humor and horror, which blends the story into one that is accessible for young readers while giving them just a small taste of what the world of horror movies is really like. Told through multiple points of view in the third person, the narrative elegantly introduces the problem from the perspectives of three different characters who each experience the situation in their own way. Because Maximus Price is a well-known trickster, his children presume that the unexpected events at Price Manor are innocuous and just part of his elaborate annual birthday plans. But Halle sees things differently, and the three protagonists are fortunate to be able to combine their individual skills to survive the horror film unfolding around them.

Middle grade readers will delight in the fast-paced, cinematic nature of the narrative, which flows quickly from one scene to the next. The peril in which the characters find themselves enhances the forward momentum of the plot, and readers will find this book difficult to put down. Early on in the story, the primary characters are left without any adults to guide and protect them, so they must work together to resolve the problem and survive the advances of an unfamiliar enemy. Though there is an element of horror to the storytelling, the book is presented in a way that promotes lighthearted feelings over scary ones. Older readers will appreciate the loose homage to the Alien franchise as the danger increases, as well as the diverging differences between the two stories. This is an entertaining and mildly frightening tale that is a positive addition to library and classroom book collections for middle grade readers.

I simply loved this novel. I could visualize it perfectly as a classical horror movie presenting all the classical tropes and then making them all go wrong. Fun!

It is the perfect read for fans of classic monster movies or for young readers who never saw one/read this type and may start to love them indeed. It is horror but not creepy, nightmarish gore stuff, instead a humorous zombie/alien kinda attack of squid-like creatures with pinkish slime.

Halle loves all the movies from her favorite horror director Maximus Price and one day she helps her mom by doing the regular delivery of the order of flowers to the mansion herself. There she meets twins, about her age, who never leave the house. The entire staff of the house was overtaken by the strange creatures and at first, they think it is their birthday prank made with props but soon they have to run and hide for their lives. It's fun, and exciting and three kids bring a lot of different ideas and personalities to the story. No annoying characters or slowing down chapters, great pacing, page-turner.

The mansion becomes their adventure ground and soon they realize it's up to them to find the solution and grow up a little because they can't rely on any adults.

Lots of action and fun tips. I love their dialogue the funny horror bits of the creatures hunting them and how their friendship brought so much positivity into all their lives. Loved it.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this eARC.

<i>Peril at Price Manor</i> is all about B-movie tropes and finding your own voice, a delectable combination of important thematic meaning and humorous (mis)adventure. Halle, a wannabe Scream Queen, finds trouble at the Price mansion, where movie-maker Maximus Price lives with his children, Argyle and Paisley. As the trouble unfolds, Halle and the Price twins have to look within themselves for their best traits and rely on themselves to save Price Manor, their town, and maybe the world.

Parnum's characters are delightful, playing with archetype but never being so lazy as to only be one-dimensional. Halle is street-smart, but insecure about her own value; Paisley is athletic and active, but lacks direction for her ambition; Argyle is intelligent and ambitious, but lacks the executive skills to manage what he wants. As the story advances, each of the three kids have to learn to overcome their limitations and embrace their own authority, learning to think, act, and speak with the intent of being seen, heard, and believed.

In many ways, <i>Peril at Price Manor</i> is all about bridging the gap between childhood and adolescence, of learning what it means to take on a mantle of authority. While the stakes might be fantastic and even a bit silly, Parnum writes the story with a real thematic conviction. All too often, I think middle grade literature misses some of the point of this critical age of transition, of learning how to be who you are, but Parnum keeps this idea at the forefront of much of the book. She deals, too, with the problems of helicopter parenting, or of authority figures who forget that it is just as important to equip children with the tools to function with authority and agency in their own lives.

Whether you're looking at the book for its B-movie tropes (which are seriously <i>delightful</i>) or for the conversations the book can open, <i>Peril at Price Manor</i> is an often hilarious adventure fit for any kid approaching that transition between the child they are and the person they will eventually become.