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_thebookstermama_'s review against another edition
5.0
I know this is technically a middle-grade book but ugh I loved it so, so much! The pacing was excellent, the main characters were wonderful, the villain was truly wicked, and a magical cat? Yes, please!
A story based on fairytales reimagined and the power of words made for such a fun and inspiring read for any age and reader.
It was the right amount of spooky, atmospheric, and entertaining.
The audiobook was great and I highly recommend listening to it.
4.5 stars rounded up
A story based on fairytales reimagined and the power of words made for such a fun and inspiring read for any age and reader.
It was the right amount of spooky, atmospheric, and entertaining.
The audiobook was great and I highly recommend listening to it.
4.5 stars rounded up
cornmaven's review against another edition
4.0
Very nicely executed scary book for kids who have passed Goosebumps and are ready for a little more excitement - think Coraline, Joseph Delaney's The Ghost Prison, and Dan Poblocki.
Alex writes scary stories, having become addicted to the genre after watching The Night of the Living Dead at age 4. OK, so he's kind of an outlier, and having a little difficulty dealing with that. Lured into an apartment in his building, he becomes trapped there and forced to tell a scary story to the resident witch Natacha every night, a la 1001 Arabian Nights. Another kid, Yasmin is also stuck there, and they team up to figure out a way to escape.
This story also combines stories within a story, Hansel & Gretel, coming of age issues. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and kids who like scary stories will, too.
Alex writes scary stories, having become addicted to the genre after watching The Night of the Living Dead at age 4. OK, so he's kind of an outlier, and having a little difficulty dealing with that. Lured into an apartment in his building, he becomes trapped there and forced to tell a scary story to the resident witch Natacha every night, a la 1001 Arabian Nights. Another kid, Yasmin is also stuck there, and they team up to figure out a way to escape.
This story also combines stories within a story, Hansel & Gretel, coming of age issues. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and kids who like scary stories will, too.
nhi_nguyen's review against another edition
4.0
Really good but a little boring at some parts. I really enjoy the read, though. It's one of the better horror novels that I have read. I love the fact that they took the the book was about the original tale Hansel and Gretel, except BETTER!
lesserjoke's review against another edition
4.0
In this delightfully spooky middle-grade adventure, a young horror fan keeps his witch kidnapper at bay by telling her a series of scary stories. It's a modern blend of Hansel and Gretel with The Thousand and One Nights, and both the smaller nested narratives and the larger framing device are sure to please the Goosebumps crowd. There's a late twist that genre-savvy older readers will likely see coming, but it's deployed well and is no less enjoyable even when guessed in advance. This novel has a lot of heart to it, and it deftly captures the fun of frightening fiction without ever growing too terrifying itself.
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Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
rachel_faerie's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars - Cute kids story. Never heard of this until I picked it out from the library recently but apparently its going to be a movie on netflix in like a week? I think the movie will probably be good. It felt like a story written to be seen.
tenthrow's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was an enjoyable read that had an actually exciting ending sequence. It's enjoyable but simplistic. would recommend for anyone looking for a creepy YA novel.
katie_johnson's review against another edition
4.0
Cute for a YA novel. I appreciated the different personally representation of the main character. Unexpected fairy tale retelling
mollyj099's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
maryhannawilson's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Alex loves scary stories. In fact, he has a collection of notebooks full of his own original stories. He has no idea just how handy his collection is about to become when he becomes trapped by a witch in her apartment. Thankfully, she loves stories so as long as he has a tale to tell, he will remain alive. But Alex knows that time (and his stories) are running out so he has to find a way out of this trap before it is too late.
Yes, I love a good scary story and this one was pretty clever and fun for the middle-grade audience. I enjoyed the concept of a scary story framework that contained individual scary tales written by the main character.
Overall, I thought the level of "scare" was middle-grade appropriate, but sensitive kids probably won't enjoy this one. A witch is involved, a few creepy creatures, a puzzling house that seems alive, and a bit of a twisted ending. You can assure your reader that everything turns out just fine at the end.
Yes, I love a good scary story and this one was pretty clever and fun for the middle-grade audience. I enjoyed the concept of a scary story framework that contained individual scary tales written by the main character.
Overall, I thought the level of "scare" was middle-grade appropriate, but sensitive kids probably won't enjoy this one. A witch is involved, a few creepy creatures, a puzzling house that seems alive, and a bit of a twisted ending. You can assure your reader that everything turns out just fine at the end.