Member Reviews
Dominique P, Reviewer
I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.
Stacey B, Librarian
I enjoyed this one a lot. I wasn't the biggest fan of some elements of the ending, but overall I had a great time reading this one and just had to know what was going to happen next. I flew through this one.
Carmen N, Bookseller
This book had me hooked immediately. The characters were very strong and I could really get into the writing style
Katie C, Librarian
2.5 stars rounded up to 3.0.
Arden dreams of leaving her small, stifling town after high school and study her butt off for the next ten years to become a doctor. Until she finds out her realtor parents spent her tuition money to buy the creepy house on the hill (which may or may not be haunted). Rumors abound about what really happened at Deinhart Manor. All anyone knows for sure is that the family went in, boarded up the doors and windows, and never came back out. And now Arden has the key, which she secretly swiped from her parents. Making the best of a terrible situation, Arden decides to earn back some of her tuition money by charging at the door for a graduation rager, hosted at a haunted house.
What could possibly go wrong? What they didn't know is that just like the Deinharts, whoever goes in may not come out.
The flow of this book was lacking a bit for me. There are various, sporadic scenes implying a haunting (that ultimately end of being important to the climax), but they all happen independent of one another, making it feel scattered and choppy. The ending wrapped it up nicely, but the reading experience was not pleasant.
That being said, I would give five stars to just the characters if I could. The three best friends (Arden, Maddy May, and Remi) are adorable and have such honest, earnest voices, and they actually sound like teenagers (not an adult writing for teenagers).
The premise for this book was intriguing and while I enjoyed the ride, I feel like it wasn't executed as well as it could be. This title by Anderson is, unfortunately, ultimately forgettable.
