This was a fun and quick read that I will definitely be recommending to my younger horror readers! For a haunted house story less intense than Ellen Oh's Spirit Hunters, Finch House still had its scary moments that younger ones will feel chilled by, but still be able to sleep at night.
While some of the characters' motivations felt a bit flat in the first half, I stayed engaged the whole story and eagerly await the next installment!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this DRC.

Finch House is a delightfully dark middle grade with a house, ghosts, disappearing children, and the fear of having to move away. Micah is fascinated by Finch House and the lack of reasons that her grandfather gives for staying away from it. Shortly before she is to move away from her Poppop’s house, a boy moves into Finch House. The boy, Theo, also thinks there is something up with the remodeled yet still creepy house, but he invites her inside.

Micah and Theo make a great team while exploring the house and trying to figure out the hold it has on her Poppop. Both characters are smart and relatable and their swift friendship believable.


#FinchHouse #NetGalley

This is an easy read that fits the pitch Encanto meets Coraline - you have this creepy historical house that is rumored to be taking kids through time + paired with the curiosity of eleven-year-old Micah = a spectacular (mis) adventure that encompasses time and place that ties Micah's present with the past.

Finch House started by giving a picture of how Micah lives in the present then gave a glimpse of how people from Micah's past strived and this was such an excellent parallel showing how change is essential in this fast-paced life.

The point of view may be coming from an eleven-year-old but there are lessons that you can pick up from this book such as people's mindset when it comes to change and how trauma transcends generation.

Love, family ties, forgiveness and acceptance are also included in this book's central theme. I like how Micah never gave up all throughout this book - such a brave soul.

Overall, this is a surprising middle grade novel that I enjoyed and I highly recommend if you like Coraline, Mexican Gothic, or The Taking of Jake Livingston.

Rating: 4stars

A curious girl, a family mystery, and a house so full of secrets it devours people—Finch House is a delightfully spooky Middle Grade novel by Ciera Burch

I love when a house becomes a character in a story. And what is it about old Victorian homes that makes them so mysterious and fascinating?

Micah is a wonderful protagonist: brave, curious, and intelligent. Aunt Jenn was the perfect villain: complex, diabolical, and enchanting.

I wish some of the ghosts had a bit more backstory, otherwise this was a quick and creepy read, with an exceptionally eerie ending.

Finch House will be released September 5, 2023.
Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Micah and her mom are living with Poppop’s house with her mom but she finds out that her mom want to get a house of her own.
Micah loves her poppop and the time they spend together and now she finds herself not wanting to leave Poppop house. One day she out walking and finds herself at Finch House and Poppop has told her to stay away from. What do you think she did?
This is a fun story geared toward middle grade kids and has a spooky story going on so perfect for this time of year. I love the relationship that Micah has with her Poppop
And it shows how Micah handles change which might help some kids.
The Kids I read this to enjoyed it and though it might be a little scary to some it’s a enjoyable read which the kids gave a thumbs up

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books. I'm voluntarily leaving a review; all opinions are my own.

Genre: MG Horror, Mystery, Creepy Fiction, MG Fantasy
Scare Factor: I think it's perfect for kids 8-13
Themes: Moving, Anxiety, Change, Generational trauma (fairly light in the way it's handled)

I love creepy old Victorian houses. So going into a haunted one is perfect.

Micah is worried over moving, justifies her actions, and is loyal to family. So a great combo of naughty and nice. She's also clever and compassionate which are the reasons she's able to work through her problems. I think she's a relatable character.
Theo is a secondary character and loves being outdoors after living in the crowded city. If there's a second book, I hope we get to see more of him. Maybe something at a summer camp???

When I worked with kids, I found that moving always caused stress. I love to see books dealing with this trauma for children to read about whether they're the one moving or not. *FINCH HOUSE* isn't preachy because it focuses on the haunted house more than her personal dilemmas.

The one thing I wanted was to get into the creepy house a bit faster. But because it's a fast read, it still worked. Once inside, you're not going to want to stop reading.

I enjoyed this book and recommend it.

Happy scary reading!

August 22, 2023
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8F5dpjQ/

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4/5 STARS

Genre: Middle Grade Mystery/Horror

Similar Books:
Coraline
The Carrefour Curse

Synopsis:
A girl tries to convince a haunted house to release her family from its prison.

This is a spooky middle grade book. Think Encanto, but creepy! It is a very fast paced, fun read. Perfect for fall and Halloween. I love a story about a house with secret doors and hidden rooms. There are a few ghosts and some age appropriate suspense. Would definitely read more from this author!

Thank you Simon Kids for the gifted copy! 🏚️👻

I have an incredible weakness for MG books with any kind of supernatural/fantastical bent to them, and this one absolutely delivered. A haunted house, a twist before the end, and some heavy topics, were just the cherry on top.

Micah is such a wonderful character. She isn't some perfect, unchanging monolith who never needs to grow (something I've seen be an issue in some MG books). She makes mistakes, and she learns from them. She also digs herself, and others, out of the consequences.

I greatly enjoyed the specifics of the supernatural elements (no spoilers!), and am interested in seeing what else the author is up to. Personally, I'd love to see what happens next for Micah. Although I can absolutely accept the story as a standalone, I think there's enough going on that a continuation could happen.

If you're someone who enjoys MG novels with supernatural elements, I think you'll likely enjoy this one. It's a fun, easy read, with a nice payoff and memorable characters. What's not to enjoy?

This was a great middle grade read! This book follows Micah, who is getting ready to move out of her Poppop’s house with her mom and is having a hard time with the upcoming changes. One day she finds herself at Finch House, which her Poppop has always told her not to go to, and discovered that it had changed since the last time she saw it.

This was a short, fast-paced read with spooky vibes. I loved Michah’s relationship with her Poppop in this book. I found this to be an enjoyable storyline, it had me hooked the moment I read that people had disappeared at Finch House. I think many middle graders will enjoy reading this book this upcoming spooky season.

Micah is upset to be moving away from her beloved poppop. So much so that she disobeys his order to stay away from Finch House. Next thing she knows, he is missing. She goes searching for him at Finch House and finds herself unable to leave.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I think it was fast-paced and easy to read. I was expecting more mystery and intrigue after Micah is captured by the house. But it was more about processing trauma in away.

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

his book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our list for order next year and will recommend it to students once we have it.

Finch House was an adorable book.

Micah (Michaela) and her mother are getting their own home after living with Poppop (grandfather) for some time. Micah has no interest in leaving her Poppop's home because she has gotten used to having him right down the hall and will miss their dumpster diving. The only rule that Poppop had was to never go inside the Finch House. This only intrigues Micah, so she rides her bike to the Finch House only to meet a boy named Theo. Micah then questions her grandfather about why the finch house is off-limits. Things get heated.

This story was so cute, and I did get Coraline vibes from it. The pacing seems off at times, but it is a well-written story. Finch House took a twist I did not see coming, and I gasped out loud. My daughter will love this book, she is into creepy, and this is right up her alley.

4 Stars! I enjoyed Finch House. I think there will be a second book. I am highly intrigued. I recommend. Do you want to read a cute little story about a haunted house? Finch House is for you.
Thanks, NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books. For providing this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Very solid, tight, clean writing—which makes me giddy with joy. This book is fast paced and completely engaging. I was quickly swept up in the story and ended up reading the whole book in a single sitting.

There's so much to love here: great plot, diverse characters, multicultural interest, multi-generational family, and enough mystery and creepy vibes to make for an exciting story. I will be on the lookout for more books by Ciera Burch.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! Finch House is a book about Micah, a girl who is soon to move out of her grandfather’s house, as she and her mother are getting their own place. However, this change is bringing some trepidation for her, as she and her Poppop are very close. Their relationship in this book was a real sweet spot for me.

Soon enough, Micah becomes the strangeness that surrounds Finch House, a place that her Poppop warns her against from the beginning. What ensues afterwards is a journey through the creepiness of the Finch House as Micah looks for her missing grandfather (and perhaps there is more hidden at Finch House?).

On a sentence level, this book was scary! I love horror (both adult and middle grade) and this book had a good sense of timing and built the atmospheric dread well. There were a few things I wish had been fleshed out more thoroughly — the role of segregation in the house’s history and its impact on her grandfather, and some of the characters. But overall — what a fun romp through a haunted (?) house with mystery and atmosphere to boot! I think middle grade readers will devour it.

Wow, wow, wow. I think I spent a total of five hours reading this book, it is so good. This story is equal parts creepy and heartwarming. The book is described as Encanto meets Coraline and it's right!

Micah's grandpa has warned her to stay away from the Finch house, with no explanations, just pleas to stay away and a promise from Micah to do just that. But a joyride around town before moving away with her mom brings her back to the Finch house, meeting its new owners. When her Poppop finds her there, he is less than pleased and immediately takes her home.
The next day her Poppop is nowhere to be found and a feeling leads her back to the Finch house, where her new friend Theo is hesitant to go back inside his haunted house and her Poppop's car is left abandoned down the street. Micah pushes back all the warnings to stay away and ventures inside to find out what happened to not only her Poppop but the children the house seems to have a hold on.

My only criticism, like so many movies and shows targeted at this age, is the total lack of parental involvement in the story. No way would I let my child step foot into a house owned by someone I have never met before, let alone stay the night.

This was such a cute middle grade paranormal story. I could definitely see the inspiration for Coraline. It was a fun story but it took me a while to get into it. Around the halfway mark is when it really picked up.

*This book was given to me by NetGalley for an honest review*

Have you ever felt like things were about to change and weren't ready?

Micah is having a hard time moving away from her best friend. Granted, that person is her grandpa Poppop, but she will miss all the time they have spent together, from going and grabbing random pieces of furniture off the side of the road to getting breakfast and doughnuts at the local bakery. She wants to spend more time with him before she moves, but when an unexpected bike ride takes her towards the one house, Poppop tells her not to go near. "Finch House" has a history of being the last place missing kids have been seen; things change between them. Poppop becomes different. He wants to be alone and won't answer Micah's questions about the house. When Poppop goes missing, Micah is not sure everything is what it seems at the Finch House, and she will get to the bottom of it! With the new owner of the house, Theo. They will see if all of Poppop's warnings are true or if it is all a ghost story.

I was fascinated by this book! The way that the author wove the atmosphere around and created a story about belonging and letting things go made this book enjoyable, and I could not put it down until it was finished. The way the author put a little bit of history about segregational housing with black families was a surprise. Still, it does it in a way that younger children will be able to understand. The book is a little faster pace, and certain plot points seem rushed, but I didn't feel like it took away from the story. This story is about feeling like you have no control over your life and wanting to take a more proactive stand on the things you care about the most. I recommend this book to everyone!

There’s nothing I love more than books about haunted houses, I love the creepiness in them, the bone chilling noises, the shadows sneaking in on the corner of your eyes, there’s something special about them, so I’m always in the look out for a nice haunted house book.

Micah is the main character in this one, she and her mom are moving from the house they share with her grandfather whom she affectionately calls PoPop, Micah isn’t dealing very well with the move and one day when she’s riding her bike she ends up at Finch House, the haunted house of the neighborhood, the only thing she knows about it is that her PopPop has asked her to never enter it, but now she finds out Finch House isn’t abandoned anymore, there’s new people living in it, one of them Theo and Paprika (the cutest dog).

After a few confusions with her PopPop, Micah ends up being even more curious about Finch House, especially when she finds out there’s a lot of kids who went missing in there.

Finch House was a solid debut, it has a well thought out plot and freshen out characters, but I had a few problems with the pacing, it was a bit off, Micah meets someone in one of the chapters and in the very next she finds out they are the villain, everything happens so fast there’s no time to connect with the characters and the happenings, the end felt a bit rushed too but overall it was a nice book, not a lot of scary scenes so younger kids should be fine reading it.

Thanks Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

For a spooky, middle grade novel, Finch House delivers well enough. I enjoyed the twist regarding Jenn, and I love a sentient house, but I thought a few plot points could have been better or more clearly articulated. Overall I thought it was solid, but maybe needed a little bit more time in the proverbial cooker. I don't know if my library will get it, but it has promise!

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, and Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Ciera Burch does a great job in creating a spooky atmosphere. It worked well overall and has a feel of Encanto with Coraline’s feel to it. The characters were what I was looking for and they worked overall with the concept. I enjoyed the spooky feel to it and look forward to more from the author.