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Sinister Summer #1
Wretched Waterpark
A middle-grade mystery series that's spooky, creepy, and filled with gothic twists! Meet the Sinister-Winterbottom twins, who solve mysteries at increasingly bizarre summer vacation destinations in the hopes of being reunited with their parents—or at the very least finally finding a good churro.
Meet the Sinister-Winterbottoms: brave Theo, her timid twin, Alexander, and their older sister, Wil. They’re stuck for the summer with their Aunt Saffronia, who doesn’t know how often children need to eat and can’t use a smartphone, and whose feet never quite seem to touch the floor when she glides—er—walks.
When Aunt Saffronia suggests a week pass to the Fathoms of Fun Waterpark, they hastily agree. But the park is even stranger than Aunt Saffronia. The waterslides look like gray gargoyle tongues. The employees wear creepy black dresses and deliver ominous messages. An impossible figure is at the top of the slide tower, people are disappearing, and suspicious goo is seeping into the wave pool.
Something mysterious is happening at Fathoms of Fun, and it’s up to the twins to get to the bottom of it. The mystery, that is. NOT the wave pool. Definitely NOT the wave pool. But are Theo and Alexander out of their depth?
Meet the Sinister-Winterbottoms: brave Theo, her timid twin, Alexander, and their older sister, Wil. They’re stuck for the summer with their Aunt Saffronia, who doesn’t know how often children need to eat and can’t use a smartphone, and whose feet never quite seem to touch the floor when she glides—er—walks.
When Aunt Saffronia suggests a week pass to the Fathoms of Fun Waterpark, they hastily agree. But the park is even stranger than Aunt Saffronia. The waterslides look like gray gargoyle tongues. The employees wear creepy black dresses and deliver ominous messages. An impossible figure is at the top of the slide tower, people are disappearing, and suspicious goo is seeping into the wave pool.
Something mysterious is happening at Fathoms of Fun, and it’s up to the twins to get to the bottom of it. The mystery, that is. NOT the wave pool. Definitely NOT the wave pool. But are Theo and Alexander out of their depth?
235 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 7, 2022
About the author
Kiersten White
63 books13.4k followersKiersten White is the #1 New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning, and critically acclaimed author of many books for readers of all ages, including the And I Darken trilogy, the Sinister Summer series, the Camelot Rising trilogy, Star Wars: Padawan, Hide, Mister Magic, and Lucy Undying. Her books have been published in over twenty territories, and her novel HIDE is currently in development with Universal Television and Peacock.
Visit her online at kierstenwhite.com and @authorkierstenwhite on Instagram and Threads.
Visit her online at kierstenwhite.com and @authorkierstenwhite on Instagram and Threads.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 494 reviews
January 21, 2024
**4.5-stars rounded up**
The Sinister-Winterbottom twins, Theo and Alexander, along with their older sister Wil and her cell phone Rodrigo, are shocked and abhorred when their parents drop them off at their Aunt Saffronia's house for the entire summer.
With nary an explanation, or actually even really a remembrance of how this strange turn of events came about, the siblings are left without a choice. They must stick together and make the best of it.
Truth be told, it's a little uncomfortable. Aunt Saffronia isn't exactly schooled in having children around. Why did their parents leave them with her?
Seriously, it's like the woman just stepped off the pages of a gothic novel from another era...
Luckily, Aunt Saffronia offers them a chance to escape the house during the day by taking them to Fathoms of Fun, a nearby waterpark.
She buys them week-long passes and insist they return day after day from open until close.
Sure it sounds promising, all the water slides, wave pool, park food and a lazy river, but alas, that's not quite what Fathoms of Fun is all about. From the moment they buy their passes the kids realize this is no ordinary park.
There's barely anyone there. Instead of chilling in a cabana, it looks more like a mausoleum and even the rafts used to go down the water slides are shaped more like coffins than anything else. What the actual heck?
With Wil staring at her phone all day, per usual, Alexander and Theo are pretty much left to their own devices. They start to learn more about the park, including the fact that the owner disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
As each day goes by, the population at the park dwindles, both patrons and staff alike; increasingly sketchy things are happening around them constantly and the kids are on edge. Then Wil disappears and the fun is over.
Now the twins have to work together like never before to solve the mystery of the park and get their sister back!
Y'all, it's official. I am in love with the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings. This was so, so much fun. A funny, thrilling, odd, quirky and engaging Middle Grade Mystery.
I loved the writing style, it definitely channeled A Series of Unfortunate Events for me. Additionally, I loved the gothic tones woven absolutely everywhere into this story. White did such a great job of keeping that aspect entertaining.
It was like the characters from Hotel Transylvania opened their very own waterpark.
Theo and Alexander were both such strong characters in very different ways. I liked that they supported each other as siblings. They knew they were different from one another, but that didn't cause them to fight, or dislike the way the other did things or saw the world.
I found that to be quite refreshing. They loved each other so much and were able to work together seamlessly even in the face of grave danger.
I also enjoyed their older sister Wil a lot. Always staring at her phone, completely disconnected from what was going on around her, but when it counted, she wanted to be there for her family. For the most part.
The ending was so fun. I definitely get where the comp to Scooby-Doo came from after those final scenes. Delightful!
The end also left some questions unanswered. Really, I have a lot. I was super happy to read that there is actually a sequel to this, Vampiric Vacation, that may in fact be released later this year. I certainly hope so.
I need more Sinister-Winterbottom goodness!!
Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm in love with this series! Pure sinister fun!!
The Sinister-Winterbottom twins, Theo and Alexander, along with their older sister Wil and her cell phone Rodrigo, are shocked and abhorred when their parents drop them off at their Aunt Saffronia's house for the entire summer.
With nary an explanation, or actually even really a remembrance of how this strange turn of events came about, the siblings are left without a choice. They must stick together and make the best of it.
Truth be told, it's a little uncomfortable. Aunt Saffronia isn't exactly schooled in having children around. Why did their parents leave them with her?
Seriously, it's like the woman just stepped off the pages of a gothic novel from another era...
Luckily, Aunt Saffronia offers them a chance to escape the house during the day by taking them to Fathoms of Fun, a nearby waterpark.
She buys them week-long passes and insist they return day after day from open until close.
Sure it sounds promising, all the water slides, wave pool, park food and a lazy river, but alas, that's not quite what Fathoms of Fun is all about. From the moment they buy their passes the kids realize this is no ordinary park.
There's barely anyone there. Instead of chilling in a cabana, it looks more like a mausoleum and even the rafts used to go down the water slides are shaped more like coffins than anything else. What the actual heck?
With Wil staring at her phone all day, per usual, Alexander and Theo are pretty much left to their own devices. They start to learn more about the park, including the fact that the owner disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
As each day goes by, the population at the park dwindles, both patrons and staff alike; increasingly sketchy things are happening around them constantly and the kids are on edge. Then Wil disappears and the fun is over.
Now the twins have to work together like never before to solve the mystery of the park and get their sister back!
Y'all, it's official. I am in love with the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings. This was so, so much fun. A funny, thrilling, odd, quirky and engaging Middle Grade Mystery.
I loved the writing style, it definitely channeled A Series of Unfortunate Events for me. Additionally, I loved the gothic tones woven absolutely everywhere into this story. White did such a great job of keeping that aspect entertaining.
It was like the characters from Hotel Transylvania opened their very own waterpark.
Theo and Alexander were both such strong characters in very different ways. I liked that they supported each other as siblings. They knew they were different from one another, but that didn't cause them to fight, or dislike the way the other did things or saw the world.
I found that to be quite refreshing. They loved each other so much and were able to work together seamlessly even in the face of grave danger.
I also enjoyed their older sister Wil a lot. Always staring at her phone, completely disconnected from what was going on around her, but when it counted, she wanted to be there for her family. For the most part.
The ending was so fun. I definitely get where the comp to Scooby-Doo came from after those final scenes. Delightful!
The end also left some questions unanswered. Really, I have a lot. I was super happy to read that there is actually a sequel to this, Vampiric Vacation, that may in fact be released later this year. I certainly hope so.
I need more Sinister-Winterbottom goodness!!
Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm in love with this series! Pure sinister fun!!
June 6, 2022
Where better to spend a week in the summer than at a waterpark? Perhaps that does not apply to the Fathoms of Fun waterpark. Some very strange things are going on there. Three siblings: Wil, Theo, and Alexander find themselves without their parents and with the strange and clueless Aunt Saffronia. Their Aunt drops them off at the park each morning and has encouraged them to find "it." What is she talking about? Why are their so few visitors at the park? Why do employees seem to be disappearing at an alarming rate? Like Scooby Doo, the kids team up to solve the mystery and there are "bad guys" in disguise. As we find in The Series of Unfortunate Events, there is vocabulary fun like: the replacement for Edgar being named Edgararen't, going willingly vs. going won'tingly, and being prepared vs. being postpared. There are some very progressive ideas that are thrown in here and there making me wary of continuing the series. Now I see that the next adventure has vampires in the title. No, thank you.
Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
July 5, 2022
If Tim Burton had an amusement park, this is what I would picture it being like. Minus Tim's iconic characters of course haha. Seriously though, this is a very gothic middle grade book with a mystery element.
This is about these two kids who are sent to their odd and mysterious aunts home (who's home seems to be frozen in the past.) Their aunt isn't very good with kids and had no idea how to care for tiny humans. So she decides to send them to a gothic themed water park. A water park that is not only weird in its own right but there is something off about it. Something not right. And it's up to the kids to figure out what that something is.
I can't think of a better horror middle grade for the summer. It's so atmospheric and the characters are very personable and loveable. And the whole story is clever with some clever nods to gothic lit and jokes. These character think just like someone their age would. There were multiple time I found my self chuckling at their comments and jokes. This is just so cute and everything I want in a book. And everything I needed at the time! Just a very fun and enjoyable time. I'm so excited for the next installment. It can't come soon enough!
If you like gothic horror. If you like middle grade with cute and loveable characters and a good mystery plot... this book is for you! I highly recommend this one. :)
This was an ARC sent to me by Delacorte Press via Netgalley. Thank you so much to them for the opportunity to read this ARC! All opinions are my own.
This is about these two kids who are sent to their odd and mysterious aunts home (who's home seems to be frozen in the past.) Their aunt isn't very good with kids and had no idea how to care for tiny humans. So she decides to send them to a gothic themed water park. A water park that is not only weird in its own right but there is something off about it. Something not right. And it's up to the kids to figure out what that something is.
I can't think of a better horror middle grade for the summer. It's so atmospheric and the characters are very personable and loveable. And the whole story is clever with some clever nods to gothic lit and jokes. These character think just like someone their age would. There were multiple time I found my self chuckling at their comments and jokes. This is just so cute and everything I want in a book. And everything I needed at the time! Just a very fun and enjoyable time. I'm so excited for the next installment. It can't come soon enough!
If you like gothic horror. If you like middle grade with cute and loveable characters and a good mystery plot... this book is for you! I highly recommend this one. :)
This was an ARC sent to me by Delacorte Press via Netgalley. Thank you so much to them for the opportunity to read this ARC! All opinions are my own.
June 10, 2022
just a few weeks ago, i read Hide by kiersten white - another 2022 publication featuring a ~spooky~ storyline set at a theme park (hide is horror targeted at adults, while wretched waterpark is a gothic middle-grade mystery). after reading both of these novels, i have come to the realization that i am definitely a fan of this niche.
for me, the best thing about wretched waterpark was how kiersten white perfectly balanced the creepy, atmospheric narrative with deadpan humour and quick-flying banter between endearing characters. i laughed out loud SO many times - white’s humour really shines through and adds an offbeat appeal to this novel. the only thing i felt disappointed about was the underwhelming climax and resolution; when the big reveal happened, i didn’t feel satiated in the least. which is truly such a shame, because up until that point i was bursting with curiosity, excitement, and growing investment in the plot! :(
at the end of the day, though, i'm looking forward to reading book 2 in this series. (it's titled (Vampiric Vacation) and i gotta say, i like the alliteration - makes me reminisce about childhood favourites the magic treehouse and a to z mysteries.)
for me, the best thing about wretched waterpark was how kiersten white perfectly balanced the creepy, atmospheric narrative with deadpan humour and quick-flying banter between endearing characters. i laughed out loud SO many times - white’s humour really shines through and adds an offbeat appeal to this novel. the only thing i felt disappointed about was the underwhelming climax and resolution; when the big reveal happened, i didn’t feel satiated in the least. which is truly such a shame, because up until that point i was bursting with curiosity, excitement, and growing investment in the plot! :(
at the end of the day, though, i'm looking forward to reading book 2 in this series. (it's titled (Vampiric Vacation) and i gotta say, i like the alliteration - makes me reminisce about childhood favourites the magic treehouse and a to z mysteries.)
September 16, 2022
What a gothic, spooky, somewhat kooky amazing read! I loved this! This is unusual, weird, eerie, & just plain delightful. There’s mystery all around. The mystery at the Waterpark they have to solve. Then the mystery of their Aunt, & also the mystery of why their parents left them with her for the summer, & where they are. The last 2 mysteries seem like they will continue through the series, & we will get clues & puzzle pieces throughout. But still have the mystery of the location the kids travel to each book to solve. Loved that. There is even some clever world play in here, & fabulous names. Not only Aunt Saffronia, & some of the last names such as Sinister-Winterbottom. But also, the “Fathoms of Fun” Waterpark that has 5 stars. But not on Yelp, but on GULP haha. Some of the park rides: Oblivion, Abandon Hope, Infinite Plunge, Mortal Coil, the Other Side, the Afterlife, & more. Then cabanas that look like mausoleums, & rafts in the shape of open coffins lol. Just all the descriptions of this Waterpark.. not just the names but the way the rides/EVERYTHING look, the way the employees are dressed & the way they speak..giving black lace parasol for “sun protection..such vivid details, which makes this such an atmospherically gothic read. The way their aunt & some of the waterpark people talk in riddles almost, or say 1 thing & mean another..or mean what they say then change it to another lol Getting places, & not remembering getting there. Like I said, very weird, unusual, kooky read that was amazing. Theo & Alexander are polar opposites for siblings, but they balance the other out, & they both had some great character development. Wil has eyes only for “Rodrigo” most of the time lol, but she just added to the whole vibe that is this book lol. Edgar has my heart. I’m currently at their next bizarre summer destination in book 2, & loving it so far. This is a great summer story, & is also perfect for spooky season as well. So a good read for no matter what time of year really. Kind of gives me “if The Addams Family ran a waterpark” vibes..Highly recommend. STUNNING cover by Hannah Peck too.💜
June 22, 2023
This was a delight!!! My stone-cold heart loved the eerie water park vibes. Perfect blend of atmosphere and mystery. I truly can’t wait to read the rest of the series 👏🏽👏🏽
August 4, 2023
What a fun adventure. I never knew I needed a gothic Waterpark! But after reading this I NEED A GOTHIC WATERPARK!
This had great characters, a great setting and an amazing storyline. Highly recommend.
This had great characters, a great setting and an amazing storyline. Highly recommend.
October 4, 2023
After reading other kids books that blend good writing with kid centric plots, this book felt very very kid audience based. Good for the kids, kinda annoying for me. Also the same recycled tropes of “the brave one”, “the nerdy one”, and “the glued to the phone/uninterested one” without any new twist or fun.
September 30, 2023
I will not be continuing this series. Watered down tropes & story.
July 5, 2022
Okay, I absolutely INHALED this book. Who knew a gothic waterpark could be so much fun?? I cannot wait to get a copy for my MG-reader niblings, and I am well and truly chomping at the bit for book two. Gimme!
June 9, 2022
3.5 stars
Twins Theo and Alexander and their older sister Wil are baffled when their parents leave them for an entire summer with their Aunt Saffronia (I mean, they don’t even know her!). The whole thing seems odd - they don’t remember arriving or why they’re here. It’s obvious Aunt Saffronia hasn’t spent much time with kids and doesn’t really plan to do so since she gets the three in her care a week long pass to the local waterpark, Fathoms of Fun, and promptly drops them off.
Fathoms of Fun is an oddly gothic waterpark with mausoleums instead of cabanas, slides extending from gargoyle faces, and not a churro in sight! How can a waterpark operate without churros on the menu??
Theo and Alexander are soon pulled into the mystery of the missing owner who disappeared in the wave pool (aptly named the Cold, Unknowable Sea) as each day park attendance - and employees - dwindle. On top of these bizarre events, the Sinister-Winterbottom kids soon realize they have no idea how they’d get back to Aunt Saffronia’s house or when they’ll be reunited with their parents who have sent a peculiar letter reminding them to be both cautious and brave.
This is the beginning of a charming gothic middle grade series with definite A Series of Unfortunate Events vibes! It’s fun and lighthearted even with the gothic tones and I can’t wait to see where the next adventure takes these characters!
Thanks to Delacorte and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Wretched Waterpark was released on June 7, 2022.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
Twins Theo and Alexander and their older sister Wil are baffled when their parents leave them for an entire summer with their Aunt Saffronia (I mean, they don’t even know her!). The whole thing seems odd - they don’t remember arriving or why they’re here. It’s obvious Aunt Saffronia hasn’t spent much time with kids and doesn’t really plan to do so since she gets the three in her care a week long pass to the local waterpark, Fathoms of Fun, and promptly drops them off.
Fathoms of Fun is an oddly gothic waterpark with mausoleums instead of cabanas, slides extending from gargoyle faces, and not a churro in sight! How can a waterpark operate without churros on the menu??
Theo and Alexander are soon pulled into the mystery of the missing owner who disappeared in the wave pool (aptly named the Cold, Unknowable Sea) as each day park attendance - and employees - dwindle. On top of these bizarre events, the Sinister-Winterbottom kids soon realize they have no idea how they’d get back to Aunt Saffronia’s house or when they’ll be reunited with their parents who have sent a peculiar letter reminding them to be both cautious and brave.
This is the beginning of a charming gothic middle grade series with definite A Series of Unfortunate Events vibes! It’s fun and lighthearted even with the gothic tones and I can’t wait to see where the next adventure takes these characters!
Thanks to Delacorte and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Wretched Waterpark was released on June 7, 2022.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
July 5, 2022
More Wretched than Waterpark. 12-year old twins Theodora and Alexander and their older sister Wilhelmina (who is obsessed with her phone, Rodrigo) get shipped off by their parents to live with their Aunt Saffronia for an entire summer. The Aunt has no idea how to take care of them, and buys them a week's pass at a local waterpark, where things are weird. Nobody goes there, and the staff acts very weird, except for Edgar. By the time I was done, all I could think of was a bad episode of Scooby Doo (without Scooby and Shaggy) and these meddling kids, who thwart an evildoer.
July 30, 2022
Intriguing, but I think I was expecting a little more from this. It felt at times confusing, like I had to be missing something, and at others points, there was just really too little of anything going on. Still, I’ll be giving it to my boys to read to see if it resonates with the intended audience more than me.
November 18, 2023
it's like a series of unfortunate events without everything that makes a series of unfortunate events actually good and clever and witty
October 1, 2022
Entertaining and often weird (only for good reasons), this was a nice introduction to the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings and what I can only assume will be more odd adventures ahead.
April 16, 2022
I requested this ARC because even as an adult, I genuinely loveee reading whimsical creepy middle grade novels. Despite them being geared towards a younger audience, some of them are genuinely chilling (ummmm hello, Coraline?) I loved how deliciously creepy A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison was, so I’ve been looking for similar creepy middle grade novels since then. Something creepy without being full blown horror, yet still chilling enough to make you feel uneasy. I picked up Wretched Waterpark because it seemed to be just that!
This book had EXACTLY the vibe I was looking for. Middle grade, but still just morbid enough to keep me entertained. From the first page it immediately felt exactly like A Pinch of Magic, same writing style and all. It’s dark but nonchalant in the same way the Addams Family is. It’s a cute and whimsical sort of dark (“do you have towel color preferences? We have black, nearly black, and extremely black”) with the children acting annoyingly unassuming and cheery despite how weird and abnormal everything is.
I really enjoyed this but the world building did seem a bit small and lacking. Other than that, this was a super fun read and I loved the whimsical creepy vibe!
Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
This book had EXACTLY the vibe I was looking for. Middle grade, but still just morbid enough to keep me entertained. From the first page it immediately felt exactly like A Pinch of Magic, same writing style and all. It’s dark but nonchalant in the same way the Addams Family is. It’s a cute and whimsical sort of dark (“do you have towel color preferences? We have black, nearly black, and extremely black”) with the children acting annoyingly unassuming and cheery despite how weird and abnormal everything is.
I really enjoyed this but the world building did seem a bit small and lacking. Other than that, this was a super fun read and I loved the whimsical creepy vibe!
Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
April 20, 2022
****Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book ahead of its release. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book will be released in June 7th, 2022.
Wretched Waterpark is Kiersten White’s middle grade debut and in my opinion, she should definitely stay in the middle grade genre! This was great.
We follow twins Theo (who is always down for an adventure) and Alexander (who is not). The twins along with their older sister Wil are sent to stay with their aunt all summer. Their aunt knows nothing about raising children and sends them to spend their days at the local waterpark. The strangely gothic “Fathoms of Fun” waterpark is bizarre in every way and with the amount of people that seem to be disappearing, it seems to be dangerous as well. Theo and Alexander begin trying to figure out the mystery of the disappearances while Wil is just looking for a good wifi connection.
I don’t really want to say too much about this book because I went in pretty blind and I’m so glad that I did. The writing style reminded me so much of Series of Unfortunate Events while the location and mystery of the story definitely had scooby-doo vibes. I loved this whole book. It does have a bit of middle grade cheesiness but it is targeted to 12 year olds so I can’t really fault it for that.
The overarching plot of this series isn’t really gone into in this book so there were definitely a lot of loose ends throughout but I feel like that is something that will come together as the series goes on.
I will 100 percent be buying this book for my children’s home library and picking by up the second book as soon as I am able!
This book will be released in June 7th, 2022.
Wretched Waterpark is Kiersten White’s middle grade debut and in my opinion, she should definitely stay in the middle grade genre! This was great.
We follow twins Theo (who is always down for an adventure) and Alexander (who is not). The twins along with their older sister Wil are sent to stay with their aunt all summer. Their aunt knows nothing about raising children and sends them to spend their days at the local waterpark. The strangely gothic “Fathoms of Fun” waterpark is bizarre in every way and with the amount of people that seem to be disappearing, it seems to be dangerous as well. Theo and Alexander begin trying to figure out the mystery of the disappearances while Wil is just looking for a good wifi connection.
I don’t really want to say too much about this book because I went in pretty blind and I’m so glad that I did. The writing style reminded me so much of Series of Unfortunate Events while the location and mystery of the story definitely had scooby-doo vibes. I loved this whole book. It does have a bit of middle grade cheesiness but it is targeted to 12 year olds so I can’t really fault it for that.
The overarching plot of this series isn’t really gone into in this book so there were definitely a lot of loose ends throughout but I feel like that is something that will come together as the series goes on.
I will 100 percent be buying this book for my children’s home library and picking by up the second book as soon as I am able!
June 25, 2023
To me this has the vibe of : A series of unfortunate events , Scooby Doo , Stranger Things , and The 39 Clues mixed together . 🥰
February 10, 2023
This was a fun mystery with a lot of spooky details. There's a great self-contained mystery to solve as well as the setup to a more over-arching mystery for the series that we only get bits and pieces of but enough to pique interest for sure.
November 12, 2023
She’s giving Series of Unfortunate Events meets Inheritance Games. So far, I’m intrigued.
August 8, 2022
Reviewed on Lili Lost in a Book
One of my favorite books by Kiersten White is Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales , a spooky MG book that intertwines nursery rhymes and fairy tales in a really fun way. When I found out Kiersten White was writing another MG book, I was very excited! And I am happy to say that I loved Wretched Waterpark ! It’s such a great, summer-y read!
Right from the beginning, I was having a great time with this book. The introduction of the characters was fun, and they all have really silly names. I mean, they are the Sinister-Winterbottoms 😂 And don’t get me started on their Aunt Safforina who knows virtually nothing about children... and seemingly, humans, in general, 👀😂 Theo, Alexander, and Will are staying with their aunt for the summer while their parents are... away. Their aunt then thinks that taking them to a waterpark is a great idea! And it would've been, have people not been freaking disappearing in said park! 😱 When the twins’ older sister Wil goes missing, they must unravel the mystery of this creepy waterpark and get their sister back.
I mentioned this before in my review of Hide , but the writing is just SO GOOD! It doesn’t matter what she writes, but Kiersten White is just a great writer! I loved every minute of this book! It was just a lot of fun! The park was really creepy, which I appreciated. The lazy river is called the River Styx, there are gargoyle faces at the waterslides, and just weirdness all around. It was great! 😆 I just loved the setting of this book. We got an abandoned amusement park in Hide , and now a creepy waterpark in this book? I am loving it!
I haven’t been reading a lot of MG lately, but it was fun to get back into the genre with this book. I loved the characters and their little quirks, the mystery was really interesting, and it was just a fun ride all around! I don't know why, but I think I might like Kiersten White’s MG more than her YA... not that her YA is bad. But this was just a lot of fun! And spooky! I loved the idea of a gothic waterpark, which is a thing in this book because Kiersten misread a headline 😂 I can't wait for the next book in the series! Apparently, they’re going to Sanguine Spa 👀
One of my favorite books by Kiersten White is Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales , a spooky MG book that intertwines nursery rhymes and fairy tales in a really fun way. When I found out Kiersten White was writing another MG book, I was very excited! And I am happy to say that I loved Wretched Waterpark ! It’s such a great, summer-y read!
Right from the beginning, I was having a great time with this book. The introduction of the characters was fun, and they all have really silly names. I mean, they are the Sinister-Winterbottoms 😂 And don’t get me started on their Aunt Safforina who knows virtually nothing about children... and seemingly, humans, in general, 👀😂 Theo, Alexander, and Will are staying with their aunt for the summer while their parents are... away. Their aunt then thinks that taking them to a waterpark is a great idea! And it would've been, have people not been freaking disappearing in said park! 😱 When the twins’ older sister Wil goes missing, they must unravel the mystery of this creepy waterpark and get their sister back.
I mentioned this before in my review of Hide , but the writing is just SO GOOD! It doesn’t matter what she writes, but Kiersten White is just a great writer! I loved every minute of this book! It was just a lot of fun! The park was really creepy, which I appreciated. The lazy river is called the River Styx, there are gargoyle faces at the waterslides, and just weirdness all around. It was great! 😆 I just loved the setting of this book. We got an abandoned amusement park in Hide , and now a creepy waterpark in this book? I am loving it!
I haven’t been reading a lot of MG lately, but it was fun to get back into the genre with this book. I loved the characters and their little quirks, the mystery was really interesting, and it was just a fun ride all around! I don't know why, but I think I might like Kiersten White’s MG more than her YA... not that her YA is bad. But this was just a lot of fun! And spooky! I loved the idea of a gothic waterpark, which is a thing in this book because Kiersten misread a headline 😂 I can't wait for the next book in the series! Apparently, they’re going to Sanguine Spa 👀
June 13, 2022
Wow, I really enjoyed this one, I loved the mystery, the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings and the whole gothic vibe, also I really freaked out about the Wuthering Heights reference! So cool!
There’s supposedly vampires in the next book so obviously I’m a thousand time more excited about it, can’t wait!
There’s supposedly vampires in the next book so obviously I’m a thousand time more excited about it, can’t wait!
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December 7, 2021love love love this one!!! Perfect for series of unfortunate events fans. So fun, spooky, and utterly engaging!!
July 15, 2022
I have never read A Series of Unfortunate Events, but whoever compared this book to Scooby Doo was onto something. Personally, I would say it’s a mix of Scooby Doo and The Addams Family, which are two of my favourite things ever, so it’s no surprise I ended up loving this book so much. I can’t wait to read the next installments in the series.
I was a bit worried, seeing I didn’t like the other two books by Kiersten White I’d previously read, but luckily this book broke the curse. I loved everything about Wretched Waterpark, from the atmosphere to the setting, from the characters to the plot. I just know that if I’d read this book when I was younger, it would have become my whole personality. I can clearly see myself playing at being Theo each summer.
I really liked Theo and Alexander as main characters, I loved their characterisation and the way they complemented each other, while being their own individuals. I loved their sibling relationship, the way they helped and balanced each other and I can’t wait to see how their bond grows with them in the next books in the series.
I also really enjoyed all the other characters, especially the people from the waterpark. I think they are all extremely interesting and I love the fact that there’s some kind of mystery that surrounds them. They really reminded me of the Addams Family and I hope to see them again in the next books, especially Aunt Saffronia.
The plot was engaging, the book was such a quick read — I read it in two sittings and only because it was a buddy — and the mystery was well crafted. Even if it was a bit predictable, I didn’t mind it, because it was still built well and this is a lower middle grade anyways. I don’t know if children will be able to figure it out or not, I guess it depends on the child, but the whole reading experience is so good I think they won’t mind as well.
However, the best thing about the book was definitely the gothic atmosphere. It’s a perfect summer book, seeing it is set at a waterpark, but it’s also perfect for Halloween season, because it has those lovely spooky vibes that middle grades just do so well.
The writing was also really good, which surprised me because I had issues with White’s writing style in the past. I think she can really write middle grades and I hope she does write more of them, aside from this series. I find she managed to convey the right amount of spookyness and weirdness in this book and I am pretty curious to see how the other books will compare to this one, once the setting changes.
I would highly recommend this book to all middle grade fans, especially if you like spooky things or if you enjoyed the Small Spaces series by Katherine Arden. While this one is more mystery and Small Spaces more horror, I think you can like one if you liked the other!
I was a bit worried, seeing I didn’t like the other two books by Kiersten White I’d previously read, but luckily this book broke the curse. I loved everything about Wretched Waterpark, from the atmosphere to the setting, from the characters to the plot. I just know that if I’d read this book when I was younger, it would have become my whole personality. I can clearly see myself playing at being Theo each summer.
I really liked Theo and Alexander as main characters, I loved their characterisation and the way they complemented each other, while being their own individuals. I loved their sibling relationship, the way they helped and balanced each other and I can’t wait to see how their bond grows with them in the next books in the series.
I also really enjoyed all the other characters, especially the people from the waterpark. I think they are all extremely interesting and I love the fact that there’s some kind of mystery that surrounds them. They really reminded me of the Addams Family and I hope to see them again in the next books, especially Aunt Saffronia.
The plot was engaging, the book was such a quick read — I read it in two sittings and only because it was a buddy — and the mystery was well crafted. Even if it was a bit predictable, I didn’t mind it, because it was still built well and this is a lower middle grade anyways. I don’t know if children will be able to figure it out or not, I guess it depends on the child, but the whole reading experience is so good I think they won’t mind as well.
However, the best thing about the book was definitely the gothic atmosphere. It’s a perfect summer book, seeing it is set at a waterpark, but it’s also perfect for Halloween season, because it has those lovely spooky vibes that middle grades just do so well.
The writing was also really good, which surprised me because I had issues with White’s writing style in the past. I think she can really write middle grades and I hope she does write more of them, aside from this series. I find she managed to convey the right amount of spookyness and weirdness in this book and I am pretty curious to see how the other books will compare to this one, once the setting changes.
I would highly recommend this book to all middle grade fans, especially if you like spooky things or if you enjoyed the Small Spaces series by Katherine Arden. While this one is more mystery and Small Spaces more horror, I think you can like one if you liked the other!
April 2, 2024
3.5 rounded up. This was a cute middle-grade spooky summer read that gives off (as many other reviewers have stated) “Series of Unfortunate Events” vibes. Absolutely LOVE the idea of a gothic water park! Count me in. It seems like a fun series I’ll probably continue. It does feel a bit middle-grade. The plot is fairly simple, they happen to stumble in major clues all the time, and as an adult the mystery wasn’t difficult to figure out. However, I had a grand old time reading it. The one thing that was difficult for me was the narration continuous switching back and forth between the brother and sister. That might just be me, but sometimes I had to stop and backtrack to remember who was supposed to be talking.
June 23, 2024
When you want to shift and lighten up your reading game for a moment… For a young adult categorized novel, the gothic vibe, humor and creepiness was pretty darn sinister! And let’s not forget about Rodrigo!!📱
July 28, 2022
I think I would’ve been obsessed with this as a child
March 24, 2024
I read this for the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge category of middle grade horror. And middle grade horror is about all I can take in the horror genre so it is a win from that perspective. It is the story of three siblings who for unexplained reasons are spending the summer with their aunt who drops them off at a gothic and creepy (bordering on horror but this is MG) water park. One sibling goes missing and the other two try to find her and figure out the mystery behind the water park’s low attendance and disappearing employees. It was a fast read and I enjoyed the three siblings’ characters but the story left the reader with many unanswered questions about siblings’ parents and their aunt, for example (maybe it is the beginning of a series that will answer them). Still a good way to satisfy that category.
June 17, 2022
This is a book made for grade schoolers and I am a 33 year old, so when I say it was predictable I don’t mean that in a negative way. I loved “A series of unfortunate events” and this book gave me that vibe. I hope a ton of young readers find it and love it.
July 9, 2022
4.5 stars...sooo close to 5 I had to round it up for Goodreads.
This is like an updated Series of Unfortunate Events with a fun trio of siblings, some gothic atmosphere, and mysterious circumstances involving absent parents and an unknown aunt.
I loved White's semi-sarcastic writing style and the relationships between the siblings. In fact, the whole story is full of quirky characters who just had me giddy. The waterpark was perfection. Pale lifeguards in black and white dress accompanied by black parasols? Oh, the gothic vibes. I think this is the collision of characters and world that I have been looking for.
The mystery was fantastically written. The book is definitely middle grade, but the level of deception is well done. Adults will figure out some of the twists, but there are some great red herrings in the mix and it was just honestly a really intriguing and entertaining read. Highly recommend and I will be anxiously awaiting the sequel.
This is like an updated Series of Unfortunate Events with a fun trio of siblings, some gothic atmosphere, and mysterious circumstances involving absent parents and an unknown aunt.
I loved White's semi-sarcastic writing style and the relationships between the siblings. In fact, the whole story is full of quirky characters who just had me giddy. The waterpark was perfection. Pale lifeguards in black and white dress accompanied by black parasols? Oh, the gothic vibes. I think this is the collision of characters and world that I have been looking for.
The mystery was fantastically written. The book is definitely middle grade, but the level of deception is well done. Adults will figure out some of the twists, but there are some great red herrings in the mix and it was just honestly a really intriguing and entertaining read. Highly recommend and I will be anxiously awaiting the sequel.
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