I ended up, not quite enjoying this book. I had high hopes for it, and I have read book by the author before, so I hoped to enjoy this one. I will check out more from this author in the future, however.

Twelve-year-old Halle Thompson wants to become a Scream Queen. She's practiced the many poses and expressions of her heroines in the mirror. She's got her scream perfected. And she happens to live in Bedlamton, a sleepy town that also happens to be the home of one of the maestros of horror film: Maximus Price. When her mom's delivery van breaks down, Halle gets the unexpected opportunity to deliver Mr. Price's black roses herself. This could be her big chance to meet the director, impress him with her credentials, and maybe even be (gulp) discovered for his next movie. Halle never dreams she might be riding her bike and floral burden into a real life horror picture …

The Price twins, Paisley and her brother Argyle, are waking up to a really weird day. No one bothered to come get them up, no one's brought them breakfast, no one's provided the day's schedule (crucial! To! Life!), and now they are having to get dresses by themselves and look for answers. When they find the housekeeper lying in a pool of slime, some icky thing clinging to her face, the twins know what's happening: their dad is home from his latest film and is trying out a new special effect! Probably to scare their governess Mrs. Pennywhisker. Maximus loves making her scream. When they find the cook down, too, they have second thoughts. Maybe it's this year's birthday prank. The twins are twelve and set to turn thirteen on April 1, just two days away. Their dad always pulls some kind of shenanigan for their birthdays. Could this be it? The reality doesn't sink in until a new girl arrives, and the sheltered/homeschooled twins witness the staff behaving so very, very wrong—even a prank would not allow the tidy housekeeper to smash an antique chair without pause or a break in her monstrous new character.

Soon enough, Halle and her new allies/soon-to-be friends Paisley and Argyle Price are dodging blob monsters, racing around the house, and trying to keep one step ahead of Dire Circumstances. Sadly, the Price twins are not properly schooled in horror, so it's up to a thirteen-year-old horror movie enthusiast to give them the rules, keep them alive … and maybe save the town from this infestation of weird, slimy creatures. Where did the strange creatures come from? What do they want? And where is Mr. Price? These are the questions lying at the heart of Laura Parnum's Peril at Price Manor.

While those might be the questions, the themes of Peril at Price Manor are friendship, self-reliance, finding the courage to do the right thing, and the dangers of helicopter parents. All lovely themes, of course. But this is not a heavy book. Even with slimy monsters abounding and overwhelming every adult they encounter, reproducing in a slimy-ewwww-gross-out fashion, the book feels light, fast, and fun throughout. Laura Parnum's novel is not horror as a delve into the dark, this is a rollercoaster ride and it's an effective one.

The book oscillates between three point of view characters: Halle first, Paisley second, Argyle third, and then back again. Always in that order from start to finish, with perhaps one or two exceptions here and there. The chapters are as long as they need to be and therefore do not conform to a standard length. Some are meaty, some are concise, none overstays their welcome.

The mood is always chipper and cheery despite some darkness in the backstory. The Price Twins are sheltered because their mother passed when they were wee. Her passing involved a strange, almost blackly comic circumstance (which resulted in bagels being banned from the house) and convinced their father to keep his precious children away from the world and its many possible threats. So, Maximus Price confined them to Price Manor, brought in all the help needed to educate them. If they wanted to try skiing, he would have a special effects crew construct a hill for such use. If they wanted to see a movie on the big screen, there's a screening room and therefore no need to go to town. The house was intended to be, as is often repeated by the twins, The Safest Place on Earth … which also happens to be shrouded in spooky fog (thanks to fog machines) and home to spooky props and pranks (because of their Dad's passion and his wonky sense of humor). Which makes it the perfect place to stage a real horror movie. But instead of having the characters feel even the slightest tension for the readers to share in the opening scenes, these twins are so blasé and reading things improperly. It's a clever way to raise the stakes for the reader: We know something weird is happening long before the twins do and therefore feel heightened tension despite them wandering about, utterly innocent.

Halle is our point of view character, and she's been shaped both by the movies she loves as well as the Aunt who introduced her to them. Aunt Rhona is a more or less typical movie watcher, someone who expects they would not make the same mistakes as characters in a picture. Someone who has a very solid sense about how to stay alive, which pretty much means avoiding any instances of plunging into the direst circumstances. It's from her example as well as her own observations that Halle has fashioned her rules for survival, many of which make sense but which taken together seem to be a bit confining. She may recognize danger, and she may have better than basic survival skills, but she's also in need of a chance to learn how to trust in herself and her own strengths.

And not a one of the characters in this book has a solid friendship when the book opens. This will change by the conclusion.

Laura Parnum has fashioned a page turner of a story. Self-contained, there seems little opportunity for a direct sequel, but I wouldn't be surprised if one comes along featuring these characters. Peril at Price Manor is a charming book, a fun page turner with quirky characters and a zany sense of humor. Also, there is a metatextual approach to the stuff of horror that's utterly delightful.

On the one hand, this is a middle grade novel about one kid who knows her horror movies and has thought about them as much as Stephen Graham Jones and his character Jade Daniels (star of My Heart is a Chainsaw and Fear the Reaper). She's generous with her info, hopeful for her dreams, and heroic (though she's denies any such thing). Still, she brings in all the lore she's accrued from the fictitious movies of Maximus Price, which nevertheless ring true to any horror fan.

On the other hand, running underneath the surface are easter eggs that adult readers will catch but young ones might not. For example, when one character notices a red Plymouth Fury and a beat to hell yellow Oldsmobile in the garage, those aren't just randomly chosen cars. They have the weight of horror history: the first referencing Stephen King (and a fine John Carpenter film adaptation) and the second … well, we're never told it's a beat to hell 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88, but maybe we know it has to be. After all, that's Sam Raimi's classic, the car Ash drove through the various installments of the Evil Dead franchise. The car that appeared in many, many, many of that director's films (and all of his horror pics, starting with the original Evil Dead). Needless to say, when I encountered this in the text, I guffawed quite a while, highlighted the text in my eARC. Is it crucial to the plot? Nope. Will most kids in the target age group get this? Nope. It's a little mention intended to appeal solely to readers like me. Laura Parnum is my kind of writer, all right. That the kids who read this now, who might develop an affection for horror pop culture may come back to it in future years and have that same "Aha!" moment tickles me. Books ought to have things to offer on rereads.

Hmm. And there I went expostulating for hundreds of words like some overly enthusiastic geek about one line in the novel. Sometimes a book just hits you in that sweet space.

Peril at Price Manor is a fun middle grade read, spooky and icky but never gratuitous and peopled with clever kids who save the day because the adults can't. This book hammers all my Critters-school of fright story buttons. Joy!
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Special thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Halle is a flower delivery girl for her family's flower shop but she dreams of becoming a Scream Queen. She enjoys practicing her screams and facial expressions in the mirror. One morning Halle gets to deliver flowers at a house of a famous movie director, Maximus Price, who is known for his creature features. He has twins, Paisley and Argyle, who he wants to protect at all costs so they never leave the manor. While Halle tries to deliver the flowers, she finds a weird looking squid creature stuck to an adult's face. The twins wake up that morning to find their staff in a stupor and their faces are covered by a creature. Is this an elaborate birthday prank for the twins or did something deadly show up at their home?

This is a very fun Middle Grade Horror book! I liked that it was a creature type horror. All three of the kids are fully written and equally enjoyable. It's a good mix of fun and freaky. There is a wonderful bonding scene between them in the middle of the book that I really enjoyed as it gave more depth to the characters in the middle of chaos. Overall this is a great children's horror book that gives off Snicket vibes!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Peril at Price Manor. It was fast paced, unique, and I loved the three main characters— Halle, Paisley, and Argyle. I’ll definitely recommend this to middle grade readers!

“Halle laughed. “One of these days, you two have got to learn to tie shoelaces.”
“No problem,” Argyle said. “We’ll get to it right after we save the world.””

Quirky, wacky and whimsical, packed with every possible type of action imaginable (plus a lot that is unimaginable!).
I loved that underneath all these fantastical layers of spookiness, creepiness and mystery lay important questions— What if the place we believe to be the safest is actually more dangerous than we could have ever imagined?
What if in order to be safe we need to be secluded from the rest of the world? Parnum cleverly explores these questions and more. She shines a light on the importance of friendships and demonstrates how the dangers of this world are worth its wonders.
At the risk of sounding creepy I’ll say, I wish I could crawl into Parnum’s brain and take a close look at her imagination at work —Wow!

Peril at Price Manor is a fun, humorous story with just the right amount of creepiness and kid-friendly horror. This fast-paced book has quirky characters and an amazing setting that will delight young readers. The story features Halle, a horror movie fan who dreams of being a Scream Queen, along with Paisley and Argyle, twins whose famous father has constructed a world inside their home designed to keep them safe. But what will happen when that safe world is invaded by terrifying, slime-covered, blob-like creatures who leave their victims in a stupor? This book is filled with hilarious moments along with the scary stuff, yet also touches on deeper themes of protecting those we love, while also allowing them to live full lives. Five stars for this imaginative, amazing debut.

This was a such an enjoyable book. The story was quirky and engaging. The characters were odd and likeable. The setting was mysterious and entertaining. It wasn't really scary, more spooky. I think middle graders will enjoy this.

Peril at Price Manor is quick, spooky story that young readers will devour. This is exactly the kind of book I would have stayed up too late reading as a child. Halle, Paisley, and Argyle were quirky but fun and I enjoyed seeing their friendship develop. The plot was creepy but not too scary for young readers. I hope to read more by Laura Parnum in the future!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the chance to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book was such a perfect blend of creepy and fun! The characters were all so unique and kids are going to love the gilded cage that Laura has created in the Price Manor. The story does a wonderful job of setting all the vibes for a scary story while never crossing into truly terrifying. Excellent for middle graders looking for an edge-of-their seat read!

Peril at Price Manor is such much spooky fun! I wish I would have had books like this when I was kid. Halle is obsessed with horror and becoming a scream queen so she jumps at the opportunity to make a delivery to the famous horror director Maximus Price. She gets way more than she was expecting when she meets his twins. The three of them work together to figure out what's real and what's not in their spooky house. My spooky heart is so happy and I loved this story so much!

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Spooky and goofy choice for younger middle grade readers who enjoy Goosebumps and envision themselves as "scream queens" like Halle. Lots of quirky names and monsters.

This was a quick read and perfect for younger readers trying to break into the horror genre. It is not too scary and falls more on the spooky and eerie side of things. Halle is a fun character to follow and I found her love of all things horror and spooky super unique. Her, Paisley and Argylle were so delightful to follow and I loved seeing them bond. It was super fast paced and I enjoyed the setting. I wish there was a bit more world building but overall very well done. Thank you to the publishers for sending me an e-arc!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a really fun story! The characters were unique and quirky, which made this so entertaining. I really enjoyed that the characters aided in building each other up and working together to solve their perilous predicament. The story was creepy in a fun way, and the plot was great. I highly enjoyed reading this!

This was exactly the book I was in the mood for! It’s fun and quirky. The new Scream 6 movie just came out and April fools day just happened. I almost wish the book had been released in time for all of these things because it was exactly the book I needed right now! While I was hesitant about the three different POVs at first, each character truly was so distant and lovable, that they won me over fairly quickly. I loved Halle’s love for scary movies and her dream of being a Scream Queen. It was fun how it all tied together and her passion so adequately prepared her for something like monsters at an odd manor. Paisley and Argyle’s character arcs were great and each character felt so well-rounded. I feel like a little more could have been added to the plot, with solid plans and scenes with conflict/firm goals, but overall I thought this book was so much fun. I’m excited to pick up whatever Laura Parnum writes next!

What a fun read! The characters are delightfully quirky yet grounded in relatable emotion. Loved Price Manor as a setting. The plot was fast paced and fun with just the right amount of creepiness. Kids won't be able to put this book down!

A girl who dreams of becoming a scream queen gets the chance to visit her favorite horror movie director’s house to deliver a bouquet of flowers only to find herself on a unlikely adventure with the director’s twin kids as they face the perils of the manor! Halle wants to be a scream queen, she loves horror movies and can’t stop practicing for her chance of becoming an actor. Her family runs a flower business and they have a running delivery to the local famous horror movie director Maximus Price. When someone needs to deliver the flowers, Halle grabs the opportunity to visit the home of her favorite director. But what she doesn’t realize is that she’s in for more than she could ever imagine. At Price Manor, Maximus Price’s twins Paisley and Argyle are awaiting their father’s yearly birthday prank. But something strange is happening and what they had assumed was just part of their dad’s pranks becomes something more real and monstrous they can’t even begin to imagine what they have to do. There are squid like creatures attaching themselves to the manor’s staff, putting them in a zombie-like stupor and now the three kids will have to work together to stop these monsters and possibly save the world before it’s too late! This was such a fun and delightful spooky read and I adored the characters, It was a charming story filled with adventure, monsters, and a great way to introduce horror to young readers!

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, HarperCollins for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

"These are Dire Circumstances, remember? Peril doesn't stop and take a lunch break!"
Laura Parnum's middle grade debut is the perfect combination of humor, menace, and mystery with a camp MG horror voice that will have young readers howling and hiding. Halle is a huge horror movie fan with plans to star in them some day. She even practices her Scream Queen Scream with the hopes of getting cast. (Just accept now that your kid is going to be doing some blood-curdling screams while they're reading). She can't pass up the chance to make a delivery to a famous horror movie director's house for her family's florist. There, twins Paisly and Argyle have been shut out from the world after the tragic loss of their mother. When a horrifying blob creature takes over their manor, the twins think it is a birthday prank. Until all three kids combine forces to Save The World. I don't want to spoil anything, but the solution is elegant, hilarious, and worth the entire book!! In addition to the typical middle grade horror elements, readers may want to check content notes about parent loss and a police interaction. Highly recommend this fantastic book! Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read early!

'The Addam's Family' meets 'A Series of Unfortunate Events.' Paisley is a regular girl with unique dreams and interests and she's excited to deliver a flower arrangement to the Price Manor. He favorite celebrity lives there--Maximus Price. So do his too quite odd children. As Paisley heads there for the delivery, the Price children begin discovering the start of this story's mystery.

This was a fun read. I adored the characters. They're so unique and intriguing. This would be a great whodunit with quirks for middle graders. I certainly enjoyed it and would have loved to read it as a kid.

This was a fun, creepy middle-grade horror story. Halle is a great leading lady who will definitely be a scream queen someday. I loved the mystery, the monsters, and the character interactions. I hope this becomes a series so we can follow Halle's adventures futher.

Halle loves scary movies and jumps at the chance to deliver flowers to her favorite director’s house. However, when arrives, something is off. Strange octopus like things are on the adult’s faces and the twins who live there don’t seem concerned. She quickly convinces them they are in peril and they must escape or fix the problem.

A cute book but I wish there had been more problem solving clearly. It was a lot activity and running around so felt chaotic at times.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.