My dear bookish friends,
Are you working on your Halloween TBRs yet? If so, you should really squeeze in Scareground by Angela Kecojevic, a fun and spooky middle grade story perfect for young and old(er) readers alike!
A big thank you to TheWriteReads, Neem Tree Press, and the author for my ebook and my spot on the blogtour (none of which affected my review or rating in any way).
About the Book
Roll up, roll up, the Scareground is in town!
Twelve-year-old Nancy Crumpet lives above a bakery and her life is a delightful mix of flour, salt, and love.
Yet her mind is brimming with questions no one can answer: Why did her birth parents disappear? Why can she speak with the sky? And why must she keep her mysterious birthmark hidden?
Everything changes when the Scareground returns to Greenwich. When Nancy and her best friend meet the fair’s spooky owner, Skelter, and discover a world full of dark magic and mystery, she must confront her greatest fears to get to the truth. But is Nancy ready for the secrets the Scareground will reveal?
My Review
This book is perfect for October – the official month of spooky season!
I really enjoyed Scareground – from the title to the blurb – I knew right away I would love it, and I was right! I thought it was very imaginative and unique, and I loved the world Nancy presented to us with her steady rooftop skipping. Her friend is the sky – how special is that?!
I also loved that Nancy, who is adopted by her Ma and Pa Crumpet, knows that she is loved. She feels at home with the Crumpets and their little bakery, though she never really feels more homely than when she is on the rooftops and closer to her best friend, the sky. Unfortunately, the other children in the village aren’t very kind to her, so she doesn’t really have many other kids her age to play with. Other than Arthur that is, the doctor’s son.
On one of her nightly adventures, Nancy sees a single black balloon coming out of the forest…all by itself (spooky, right?!). She senses something is up, especially when she also hears fairground music playing in the distance, and the balloon suddenly disappears, leaving black feathers in its wake.
What does it signify, and why did it appear so Nancy could see it? Will Nancy and Arthur find out what the deal is with that mysterious fairground, even though My and Pa Crumpet want her to stay far away from it? What will Nancy find out about her real heritage, and what does the sky have to do with all that?
I absolutely loved the historical feeling to the story, the spooky fairground atmosphere, the mystery surrounding the balloons – Angela Kecojevic created the perfect spooky world for young and old(er) readers alike! I loved the theme of friendship in this book, the special place of the sky in it, and the revelations that are uncovered slowly.
Some of Nancy’s decisions felt a bit… contrary to what was presented to us at first? But then again, she was presented with an impossible situation, so who knows what one would do! The suspense kept me on edge of my seat the whole time and I needed to know what was going to happen next. I also loved the ending, Nancy and Arthur grow so close together, and they are so brave! Also, does the ending possibly suggest a next book?!
A really interesting premise, a cast of great characters, a mysterious and spooky fair, big revelations – this is a great book for all spooky middle grade lovers!
4 stars from me, and I hope there will be more books to come!
Thank you all so much for reading!
xoxo
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Perfect for the start of spooky season!
