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Sinister Summer #2
Vampiric Vacation
The spooky summer adventures of the Sinister-Winterbottom twins continue in another gothic mystery: can Theo and Alexander solve the secret of the Sanguine Spa in the little Transylvania Mountains?
After leaving Fathoms of Fun, the kids are on their way to the next odd summer destination their aunt has chosen for them. This time, they find themselves dropped off at the Sanguine Spa in the "little Transylvania Mountains". There they meet the owners: Mina, her mysterious little sister, Lucy (who is extremely pale, can't go in the sunlight, and has an affinity for hanging upside down from the ceiling), and their intimidating guardian, the Count.
When the Count sends all the children in the spa on a scavenger hunt, the Sinister-Winterbottoms use the excuse to snoop around and discover that this spa may be more than just eerie--it might also hold clues to what happened to their parents. When Wil starts to show vampiric symptoms, the twins resolve to investigate what's really going on at the Sanguine Spa.
The second book in the Sinister Summer series continues the adventures of the Sinister-Winterbottoms and their aunt who never saw a discount vacation destination she didn't love.
After leaving Fathoms of Fun, the kids are on their way to the next odd summer destination their aunt has chosen for them. This time, they find themselves dropped off at the Sanguine Spa in the "little Transylvania Mountains". There they meet the owners: Mina, her mysterious little sister, Lucy (who is extremely pale, can't go in the sunlight, and has an affinity for hanging upside down from the ceiling), and their intimidating guardian, the Count.
When the Count sends all the children in the spa on a scavenger hunt, the Sinister-Winterbottoms use the excuse to snoop around and discover that this spa may be more than just eerie--it might also hold clues to what happened to their parents. When Wil starts to show vampiric symptoms, the twins resolve to investigate what's really going on at the Sanguine Spa.
The second book in the Sinister Summer series continues the adventures of the Sinister-Winterbottoms and their aunt who never saw a discount vacation destination she didn't love.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2022
About the author
Kiersten White
61 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 129 reviews
October 26, 2022
I appreciate that although I'd recommend reading the first book first, you could technically start with this one and have an understanding of what's going on. Each book is set in a different location with a different plot. The main thing you'd get from starting with the first one is the understanding of the characters personalities and adding more to the mystery as to why their parents dropped them off with their aunt and are going to all these spooky locations.
I didn't like this one quite as much as the first one but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Maybe it was because I listened to it on audio. Maybe I need to go back and read it physically. Even so, I still enjoyed the writting style and the plot. And I still, of course, adore the characters! These are such cute and fun gothic, spooky books that are perfect for spooky season. Or any season really!
I said in my review on Wretched Waterparks that it reminds me of Tim Burton and that still holds true in this book. I love gothic literature and Tim Burton so much that I think that adds to my love of these books.
If you're a gothic lit or Tim Burton fan like I am, I think you will enjoy these books as well. Although, I really do recommend these books for everyone! I hope you decide to pick these up and give them a try. So worth the time and the read!
I didn't like this one quite as much as the first one but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Maybe it was because I listened to it on audio. Maybe I need to go back and read it physically. Even so, I still enjoyed the writting style and the plot. And I still, of course, adore the characters! These are such cute and fun gothic, spooky books that are perfect for spooky season. Or any season really!
I said in my review on Wretched Waterparks that it reminds me of Tim Burton and that still holds true in this book. I love gothic literature and Tim Burton so much that I think that adds to my love of these books.
If you're a gothic lit or Tim Burton fan like I am, I think you will enjoy these books as well. Although, I really do recommend these books for everyone! I hope you decide to pick these up and give them a try. So worth the time and the read!
October 27, 2022
I am loving this series! It's fun and entertaining and I enjoy cheering on the twins as they search for mysterious objects and help root out bad guys. There's a good amount of humor and I think these are good for middle-grade readers and adults.
Right after leaving the waterpark, the Sinister-Winterbottom kids are whisked off to a mysterious spa in Transylvania. There are some suspicious bats, a Count who may be up to no good, and a girl who randomly yells things at the shadowy ceiling. The side characters were interesting and I like how Theo and Alexander make new friends at each stop.
I can't wait for the summer camp mystery!
Right after leaving the waterpark, the Sinister-Winterbottom kids are whisked off to a mysterious spa in Transylvania. There are some suspicious bats, a Count who may be up to no good, and a girl who randomly yells things at the shadowy ceiling. The side characters were interesting and I like how Theo and Alexander make new friends at each stop.
I can't wait for the summer camp mystery!
September 12, 2022
I am so glad I decided to give this series a try, despite having hated two books by this author before, because this is now one of my all times favourites. I can’t wait to buy myself some physical copies, so that I can take pictures and annoy everyone on Instagram with it.
If you know me, you’ll know I typically am not the biggest fan of vampires, so I was worried. However, when the vampiric situation is presented as it was presented in this book, I kinda love it. In a way, it reminded me of Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco, if it were a middle grade and it were mixed with a dash of Scooby-Doo and a pinch of The Addams Family. Which is basically a perfect recipe for success, as far as I am concerned.
The atmosphere was great, and I loved how it kept the same vibe of the first book, but translated to a vampiric spa. It was really exciting to read and I would pay good money to take a vacation at the Sanguine Spa right at this moment. Possibly without the Count, though.
The plot and the “mystery” were very well constructed, and I think kids will have a lot of fun trying to figure out what is going on at the spa. I know I had a lot of fun reading this book and I am old enough not to be fooled by the red herrings.
As with the first instalment, I adored the characters, both the ones we already knew and the new ones. Theo and Alexander are quickly becoming my children and I would protect them with my life, but I also really enjoy Wil and I am really curious to see their development in the next book. I really hope the publisher will grant me and e-ARC of book three as well, because there’s no way I’ll be able to wait until January to read Camp Creepy.
I am also very curious to see if we will meet some of the secondary characters again in future books. As of now, there are only three books listed on Goodreads, but I really do hope the author is planning on writing more, because I cannot stand the idea of having to let go of this series so soon, since the first two books came out this year and the thrid one is coming out at the beginning of the next. Three books in around six months, I love the quickness so I do not have to wait, but at the same time, if book three is the last one, it’s going to be over to quickly. Please, miss White, keep writing the Sinister Summer Series, pretty please!
As far as the writing is concerned, I am really falling in love with Kiersten White’s style. I am not the biggest fan of her YA and adult style, but this middle grade vibe she has going on is really for me and I think she does it really well. I am very curious to read Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales to see if it’s her general middle grade style, or if she is writing this specific series in this specific style. One way or the other, I love it and I think it suits the characters, the story and especially the atmosphere really well.
I would definitely recommend this series to anyone, children and adults alike. If you like spooky books that aren’t actually scary, but are really fun, this is perfect. And don’t be fooled by the “Summer” in the title. While it is true that the books take place during the summer, I consider them perfect Halloween reads. So go ahead and buy yourself a copy, so that you can cozy up on the 31st and read this amazing series.
If you know me, you’ll know I typically am not the biggest fan of vampires, so I was worried. However, when the vampiric situation is presented as it was presented in this book, I kinda love it. In a way, it reminded me of Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco, if it were a middle grade and it were mixed with a dash of Scooby-Doo and a pinch of The Addams Family. Which is basically a perfect recipe for success, as far as I am concerned.
The atmosphere was great, and I loved how it kept the same vibe of the first book, but translated to a vampiric spa. It was really exciting to read and I would pay good money to take a vacation at the Sanguine Spa right at this moment. Possibly without the Count, though.
The plot and the “mystery” were very well constructed, and I think kids will have a lot of fun trying to figure out what is going on at the spa. I know I had a lot of fun reading this book and I am old enough not to be fooled by the red herrings.
As with the first instalment, I adored the characters, both the ones we already knew and the new ones. Theo and Alexander are quickly becoming my children and I would protect them with my life, but I also really enjoy Wil and I am really curious to see their development in the next book. I really hope the publisher will grant me and e-ARC of book three as well, because there’s no way I’ll be able to wait until January to read Camp Creepy.
I am also very curious to see if we will meet some of the secondary characters again in future books. As of now, there are only three books listed on Goodreads, but I really do hope the author is planning on writing more, because I cannot stand the idea of having to let go of this series so soon, since the first two books came out this year and the thrid one is coming out at the beginning of the next. Three books in around six months, I love the quickness so I do not have to wait, but at the same time, if book three is the last one, it’s going to be over to quickly. Please, miss White, keep writing the Sinister Summer Series, pretty please!
As far as the writing is concerned, I am really falling in love with Kiersten White’s style. I am not the biggest fan of her YA and adult style, but this middle grade vibe she has going on is really for me and I think she does it really well. I am very curious to read Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales to see if it’s her general middle grade style, or if she is writing this specific series in this specific style. One way or the other, I love it and I think it suits the characters, the story and especially the atmosphere really well.
I would definitely recommend this series to anyone, children and adults alike. If you like spooky books that aren’t actually scary, but are really fun, this is perfect. And don’t be fooled by the “Summer” in the title. While it is true that the books take place during the summer, I consider them perfect Halloween reads. So go ahead and buy yourself a copy, so that you can cozy up on the 31st and read this amazing series.
May 13, 2024
YOUTUBE / INSTAGRAM
El primero estuvo entretenido, peor debo decir que este me ha conquistado mucho más. Técnicamente, podría leerse este por separado, porque la trama en sí y el misterio son independientes en su mayor parte. No obstante, hay spoilers del primero y además, pese a que cada libro tiene su aventura en una localización diferente, en este segundo se empieza a percibir una trama que, aunque todavía está muy enterrada, parece que unirá todos los libros y cada aventura entre sí, de modo que mi recomendación sería leerlos en orden.
Pero, hablando de este libro en concreto, la verdad es que lo he disfrutado mucho. Lo empecé a leer en una tarde de lluvia intensa, y adentrarme de la mano de los hermanos Sinister en un spa sanguíneo ubicado en un hotel me pareció la ambientación perfecta. La resolución del misterio "vampírico" ha conseguido sorprenderme, porque estos libros parecen contener toques mágicos pero también muchas explicaciones racionales, y es una combinación interesante.
Ha vuelto a gustarme mucho la narración de la autora (y su toque de humor) y cómo da voz a los diferentes hermanos. Cada uno tiene una personalidad muy única y unas manías y cualidades propias, con lo que la mayoría de lectores más jóvenes van a encontrar a alguien con quien identificarse. Tenemos al obseso del control y más reflexivo, que tiene cien mil preocupaciones en la cabeza; tenemos a la más lanzada y activa que, no obstante, experimenta a menudo una sensación que, aunque no recibe directamente el nombre de "ansiedad", yo creo que se trata de eso y me parece interesante la forma de presentarla e introducírsela a los jóvenes lectores.
Por otro lado, me encanta cómo, a pesar de sus diferencias, los tres hermanos (incluso la adolescente adicta a su móvil, que hasta tiene nombre: Rodrigo) aúnan fuerzas para salir de los problemas y se apoyan constantemente y tú ves claramente lo mucho que se quieren, y eso a mí siempre me toca la patata.
El primero estuvo entretenido, peor debo decir que este me ha conquistado mucho más. Técnicamente, podría leerse este por separado, porque la trama en sí y el misterio son independientes en su mayor parte. No obstante, hay spoilers del primero y además, pese a que cada libro tiene su aventura en una localización diferente, en este segundo se empieza a percibir una trama que, aunque todavía está muy enterrada, parece que unirá todos los libros y cada aventura entre sí, de modo que mi recomendación sería leerlos en orden.
Pero, hablando de este libro en concreto, la verdad es que lo he disfrutado mucho. Lo empecé a leer en una tarde de lluvia intensa, y adentrarme de la mano de los hermanos Sinister en un spa sanguíneo ubicado en un hotel me pareció la ambientación perfecta. La resolución del misterio "vampírico" ha conseguido sorprenderme, porque estos libros parecen contener toques mágicos pero también muchas explicaciones racionales, y es una combinación interesante.
Ha vuelto a gustarme mucho la narración de la autora (y su toque de humor) y cómo da voz a los diferentes hermanos. Cada uno tiene una personalidad muy única y unas manías y cualidades propias, con lo que la mayoría de lectores más jóvenes van a encontrar a alguien con quien identificarse. Tenemos al obseso del control y más reflexivo, que tiene cien mil preocupaciones en la cabeza; tenemos a la más lanzada y activa que, no obstante, experimenta a menudo una sensación que, aunque no recibe directamente el nombre de "ansiedad", yo creo que se trata de eso y me parece interesante la forma de presentarla e introducírsela a los jóvenes lectores.
Por otro lado, me encanta cómo, a pesar de sus diferencias, los tres hermanos (incluso la adolescente adicta a su móvil, que hasta tiene nombre: Rodrigo) aúnan fuerzas para salir de los problemas y se apoyan constantemente y tú ves claramente lo mucho que se quieren, y eso a mí siempre me toca la patata.
August 31, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and Kiersten White for the opportunity to read Vampiric Vacation in exchange for an honest review.
This is the second book in the Sinister Summer series, a series with Unfortunate Event vibes, but more wholesome and enjoyable. Vampiric Vacation did not hit quite the same as the first book, Wretched Waterpark, but it was still enjoyable and adds to the Sinister-Winterbottom family mystery. Will they find their parents? What are the strange clues their aunt keeps egging them to seek? While the mystery and side characters seem to lack the flare of those in Wretched Waterpark, I have a feeling this is doing what many second books in a series do: setting up for something amazing and interesting to focus on in he next book. It just needs that extra backbone to support it.
The Sinister-Winterbottom's find themselves being dropped off at a castle spa, or "caspatle," as the kids cleverly name is, by their aunt, leaving them with yet another ominous task: look closer! They observe a whole slew of families arriving at the caspatle, assigning various names or nicknames to the parents and families. Greeted by a receptionist who screams randomly often, seemingly for no reason, the children soon find themselves split from their parents for spa activities, similar to how a family camp would work. Mina is apparently not only a receptionist, but seems to cover all the jobs of the spa, under the direction of the Count. Hmm...
The secrets within the caspatle lead the children to think they might just be dealing with...a vampire spa! As they search for clues and follow their aunt's advise to "look closer," they end up finding something even more mysterious! What secrets might the spa hold regarding the Sinister-Winterbottom family?
A very cute, fun read for a middle grade audience. This is an excellent series and I absolutely love the setup with the Sinister-Winderbottom family. The three main children are excellent characters, and they are relatable to a contemporary audience while holding on to a fun paranormal feeling in their story. A strongly-recommended creepy fun series in which I can't wait for more (and I really hope it doesn't end at book three: Camp Creepy)!!
This is the second book in the Sinister Summer series, a series with Unfortunate Event vibes, but more wholesome and enjoyable. Vampiric Vacation did not hit quite the same as the first book, Wretched Waterpark, but it was still enjoyable and adds to the Sinister-Winterbottom family mystery. Will they find their parents? What are the strange clues their aunt keeps egging them to seek? While the mystery and side characters seem to lack the flare of those in Wretched Waterpark, I have a feeling this is doing what many second books in a series do: setting up for something amazing and interesting to focus on in he next book. It just needs that extra backbone to support it.
The Sinister-Winterbottom's find themselves being dropped off at a castle spa, or "caspatle," as the kids cleverly name is, by their aunt, leaving them with yet another ominous task: look closer! They observe a whole slew of families arriving at the caspatle, assigning various names or nicknames to the parents and families. Greeted by a receptionist who screams randomly often, seemingly for no reason, the children soon find themselves split from their parents for spa activities, similar to how a family camp would work. Mina is apparently not only a receptionist, but seems to cover all the jobs of the spa, under the direction of the Count. Hmm...
The secrets within the caspatle lead the children to think they might just be dealing with...a vampire spa! As they search for clues and follow their aunt's advise to "look closer," they end up finding something even more mysterious! What secrets might the spa hold regarding the Sinister-Winterbottom family?
A very cute, fun read for a middle grade audience. This is an excellent series and I absolutely love the setup with the Sinister-Winderbottom family. The three main children are excellent characters, and they are relatable to a contemporary audience while holding on to a fun paranormal feeling in their story. A strongly-recommended creepy fun series in which I can't wait for more (and I really hope it doesn't end at book three: Camp Creepy)!!
September 23, 2022
I’m loving this series so far! They’re such a gothic, unusual, weird, phenomenal good time. Can’t say a lot since this is the 2nd book, but the Sinister siblings are at a new destination on their sinister summer vacation. This 1 also has a “vampire” type theme, if you will(the title shows that lol). These still give me the vibes of The Addams Family or The Munsters-not like those shows exactly, just that whole vibe you get from them. This author does the weird & unusual gothic mystery story so well! I loved every new person we meet at this spa, & this new mystery played out so well. I had no idea what to think, which I love. And then when you think you have it figured out, the last couple pages show you something where you have no idea again, nor do our MCs lol Such a great time. We’re still solving the mystery at the new location, while there are still many underlying mysteries involving the siblings, their parents, aunt, & more that we are getting clues sprinkled throughout the series. I enjoy that aspect so much as well. I have no clue how any of that is going to go, & I’m super excited to find out. It’s just so deliciously mysterious, & I love the whole gothic awesomeness in these, & the type of humor that goes along with that. There’s a certain person from the 1st book that shows up in here, & is also connected to a new character in this 1, & I’m so eager to see what happens next with that too. Theo, Alexander, & Wil are still so amazingly written. Their sibling relationship is just the best. Wil fascinates me lol She may hide behind her precious Rodrigo(her phone), but she’s been up to a lot this book, & that’s another thing I’m eager to continue on with lol. Theo & Alexander are so different, but they really do balance each other out too. They make each other stronger, & are a great team. I related to Alexander so much when he had to use the trick his mom taught him to yell STOP when his brain went racing out of control. Also, I always laugh with their banter back & forth in front of Wil when they say the craziest things because they know she’s not listening lol. I cannot wait for the 3rd book. Highly recommend these. This 2nd book comes out this Tuesday, September 27th. Another STUNNING cover by Hannah Peck too.💜
October 16, 2022
This a cute series that is very reminiscent (maybe too reminiscent) of A Series of Unfortunate Events.
It’s largely the same premise (mysteriously absent parents, same goofy villain inexplicably showing up over and over, snappy humor), which I don’t really mind since it’s a good setup, but this book was missing the more clever plot and sense of atmosphere that the first book in the series had.
Because there’s so much Scooby Doo over the top-ness to the villain (and frankly, most of the adults in general) and the situations the kids find themselves in are fairly repetitive, the series has to lean on humor and atmosphere to feel fresh enough to not get boring. That worked well in the first book, less so here. The jokes are cute but the setting (which should have been an easy slam dunk - Dracula’s Castle!) was underutilized.
The characters were better in the first book as well. The secondary characters here were cleverly drawn nods to Dracula, but were otherwise a bit of a letdown. Though I like the three Sinister-Winterbottom kids for the most part, the rule follower kid is a little tough to take. And while I enjoyed the reimagined Dracula characters, some of the rest were a tough hang. Is there a more obnoxious archetype than the too-loud, yee haw Texan? Sigh.
Not sure I’ll continue this series, though I do think it’s fun and age appropriate for middle readers.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
It’s largely the same premise (mysteriously absent parents, same goofy villain inexplicably showing up over and over, snappy humor), which I don’t really mind since it’s a good setup, but this book was missing the more clever plot and sense of atmosphere that the first book in the series had.
Because there’s so much Scooby Doo over the top-ness to the villain (and frankly, most of the adults in general) and the situations the kids find themselves in are fairly repetitive, the series has to lean on humor and atmosphere to feel fresh enough to not get boring. That worked well in the first book, less so here. The jokes are cute but the setting (which should have been an easy slam dunk - Dracula’s Castle!) was underutilized.
The characters were better in the first book as well. The secondary characters here were cleverly drawn nods to Dracula, but were otherwise a bit of a letdown. Though I like the three Sinister-Winterbottom kids for the most part, the rule follower kid is a little tough to take. And while I enjoyed the reimagined Dracula characters, some of the rest were a tough hang. Is there a more obnoxious archetype than the too-loud, yee haw Texan? Sigh.
Not sure I’ll continue this series, though I do think it’s fun and age appropriate for middle readers.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
September 29, 2023
Another delightful spooky sinister book.
I totally judged this book by its cover that's why in the first place I purchased the first two books of the series without having read the first book.
I love the twins and their friendship.
I totally judged this book by its cover that's why in the first place I purchased the first two books of the series without having read the first book.
I love the twins and their friendship.
May 1, 2024
I can literally not read these FAST ENOUGH I NEED ANSWERS. But I seriously love the way this woman writes, the jokes are perfection 😂
July 6, 2024
Highly disappointed there were no vampires! Only vampire bats 🦇 devastated.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2023
Unfortunately I didn't like this book as much as the first one, I felt the mystery aspect was kind of lacking. I prefer the underlying mystery that is happening with the children rather than the mystery they found during this part of their summer trip.
July 24, 2023
I’m enjoying this series. It reminds me of another middle grade series I read years ago, and I’m enjoying the writing style. The humour is awesome, and I love the balance between the unsettling and spooky things. The mysteries keep piling up, and I am so excited to see what they get up to next.
October 27, 2022
I just love this series so much. Clever, creepy, and so much fun. I’ll say the story-specific drama felt a little repetitive, but not enough to take away from my enjoyment. Can’t wait for book 3!
May 10, 2023
4.5 stars. I really enjoy the way this series has a Series of Unfortunate Events kind of vibe. I also like that the books are quick reads and funny and mysterious and a little spooky. Also, there's a lot of attention to detail and well-thought-out planning. And the ADHD and anxiety representation is very accurate and it's so nice that while those cause challenges, they're also big strengths of the characters at times too.
October 14, 2022
4.4/5 stars, full review to come! I CANNOT wait to see where this series goes.. I am so invested in the Sinister-Winterbottom children!
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Pacing: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Enjoyment: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Pacing: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Enjoyment: 5/5
January 30, 2023
Ok, so this author is trying to educate a little in the story with a little bit of history about Transylvania. She continues to do the word/meaning inserts in the story like I first saw in Lemony Snicket. She continues to write in a moralist fashion - every book I've read by her it gets worse - more and more in every book.
---
These are the parts that stood out:
The drapes were pulled tightly, the entire space as dim as a haunted graveyard at twilight.
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...because cavities never take a summer vacation.
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"She was just like most adults, barreling through the world, never explaining the baffling things going on around them.
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...because how could it be all-inclusive for families if their whole family wasn't included?
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(history)
Transylvania is in Europe. ... However, where Transylvania is in Europe does change because people make borders. A border is an imaginary line, like the one you sometimes draw across the middle of your room to designate which side is yours and which side is your sibling's so that you can get as close as possible to the line and fight about it.
Borders are literally, exactly, that same thing, only for countries instead of siblings.
Transylvania has been Transylvania. It's been Hungary. It's been Wallachia. It's been Romania. It's been Dacia. It's been ruled by Bulgaria, the Ottomans, part of the Habsburg kingdom, part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and back to Romania. Transylvania's history is like capture the flag and keep-away, with Transylvania being both the flag and the kept-away item.
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"... But sometimes when people move into new area that remind them of old area, they rename the areas after where they came from."
"Like taking home with you wherever you go," Alexander said, wishing he could do exactly that.
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A slug the size of Theo's thumb slimed sluggishly along the path in front of them, yellow racing stripes going down its black body like a false promise of speed.
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"Remember the year we had to add all the birth and death dates on the Sinister gravestones in the cemetery to get to a number that turned out to be the GPS coordinates where Mom and Dad buried treasure?"
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They had only been walking for eight minutes and twenty-seven seconds - she was timing it - but when you didn't know where you were going, paths felt a lot longer than they actually were. Time was funny that way. Always warping to move either faster or slower, usually the opposite of whichever way you wanted it to move.
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The fear just kept running and running through him, filling his mind with terrible images.
He closed his eyes and, remembering a trick his mom taught him for when his brain was racing out of control, said, "Stop," out loud to himself.
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(big family shaming?)
The man pushed inside past a mother doing a head count of her four children.
"One, two, three, four. Did we always have four kids?" she asked, eyes wide with surprise. "That seems like such a lot of children! What were we thinking?"
---
(about his 2 toddlers)
"How is everything sticky?" the dad asked.
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Even professional escape artists cannot beat toddlers wriggling free of things meant to contain them, which is why escape artists are some of the strongest advocates for making child labor illegal. They just can't handle the competition.
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Theodora Artemisia Sinister-Winterbottom, and combined with Wilhelmina Camellia Sinister-Winterbottom and Alexander Hawthorne Juniper Rowan Alder Sinister-Winterbottom
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(use of original Dracula characters from Bram Stoker used in the story)
Mina
Harker
Van H. / Van Helsing
Lucy
the Count
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"The orientation meeting is in the great ballroom, which is near the okay ballroom, which is across from the disappointing ballroom. ..."
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The reason why crushes are named crushes is because they literally crush your ability to think clearly: ...
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"If you could all take your seats?"
"Where should we take them?" one of the dads said, to a smattering of polite fake laughter, which is the only acceptable response to dad jokes.
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A man swept into the room, much like a broom, only without cleaning anything. He wore a suit as dark as charcoal, with the red-satin-lined jacket flapping freely against his back like a cape. His hair was dark and slowly ebbing like the tide away from his forehead. His skin was pale, and his lips were unnervingly red, like he had just been drinking fruit punch and failed to wipe his mouth afterward.
---
"I'm going to win!" bad-dad-jokes junior shouted, puffing out his chest. "Whatever contests there are, or activities, or games! My dad said I need to be the best, and I'm going to, and he's going to be so proud!"
"That's nice," Mina said, smiling blandly at him.
It wasn't nice at all, Theo thought. She was good at nearly everything she tried to do - or at least, nearly everything she wanted to be good at, since she couldn't bother to care about being good at things like sitting still, or following directions, or golf - but her parents never put pressure on her. All they did was encourage.
---
"I'm from Texas," she confirmed, which is a thing that people from Texas will always tell you because it's a legal requirement of living there.
---
... look for ways to make room for different people.
---
She had never before realized what an essential life skill lassoing was.
---
...their mother said her feet were secrets best left to the darkness.
---
(From Saw)
"Do you want to play a game?" a voice whispered.
---
They opened the huge brass doors and were greeted with a wall of humidity. It was like a giant was standing right there, breathing on them. The morning sky was a grumble of gray.
---
Theo was mostly willing to follow rules and instructions but not arbitrarily. She liked the word arbitrary. It was spiky and complicated, a barbed word to mean something with no meaning. If she was going to follow a rule, there had to be a reason. Theo didn't believe in arbitrary obedience.
---
He loved rules. He liked wrapping himself up in them like a sweater, all cozy and protective, keeping him safe from getting in trouble. Theo was like a snag, unraveling that sweater.
---
"Thanks for catching me," he said...
"I always will."
"I know." ... "I'm sorry I got so mad."
"I'm sorry that I made you break a rule. I really didn't mean to. I just didn't think about it."
"I know."
"And I know it's important to you to follow rules whenever you can. I'll try to be more respectful of that."
"Thank you." Alexander knew it was hard for Theo to apologize, and not only had she apologized, she had said specifically what she did wrong, why it hurt Alexander, and what she was going to do to make sure it didn't happen again. He was proud of her.
---
"What exactly is the Count the count of?" Alexander asked, trying to change the subject. "I didn't think we had counts in this country."
"It's a nickname. He was my parents' accountant."
"Ah, the Count!"
---
Mina searched the air for an answer - the thing adults do when they lie - ...
---
Because he rarely lied, he wasn't good at telling when someone else was lying, and he always assumed other people were honest.
---
So, who do we trust?" Alexander asked, at a loss.
"Ourselves," Theo stated, confident. "If we can't trust that anyone is telling us the truth, then we find out the truth for ourselves."
---
"... Did you know that in the Philippines, they have stories of Mandurugos, who look like normal girls by day, but at night they grow wings and their tongues turn long and hollow like needles? They don't drink blood, though."
... Alexander had never thought about just how full of blood he was, and how very much he wanted to stay full of blood.
... "they eat hearts and livers and guts. And also snot from sick people. Cool, right?"
---
Theo turned around, buzzing with anger over the lock and annoyance that she still didn't know how to pick them. "Does anyone have any small metal tools?" she shouted. How could she have overlooked such a vital life skill as lockpicking? It was a tremendous personal failure, but also a failure of the school system to give her the education she really needed in order to succeed.
---
Being scared with someone you trusted was always so much more pleasant than being scared alone.
---
And any amount of stairs in the middle of the night is too any, as kids who sleep on a different floor of the house than the bathroom can tell you.
---
The bees were in a frenzy, their hive smashed to pieces, too many feelings to understand or contain any of them.
---
The was pacing like a tiger because moving helped her focus.
---
bat poop.
"guano," he whispered to himself, because bat poop was so fancy it even had its own name.
---
... a conundrum, a fancy word for a puzzling problem.
---
... the sheer joy of watching Theo live out a dream she didn't know she had.
---
"... People don't understand that a scary name doesn't necessarily mean a scary thing,"
---
"... they're such delicate, sensitive creatures. And kind! They help each other. They adopt baby bats if they're orphaned. Or if one bat doesn't find food for the night, the others will share so it doesn't die. So they can all say together."
---
Maybe she was right, and they should put themselves first and leave. But if they had a chance to help someone who needed help, they knew their parents would want them to do it.
---He could tell she was freaking out. What did mom do when that happened? He pulled Theo close and squeezed her, putting exactly the right amount of pressure on her so she could feel her whole body come back to a sense of who and where and what she was.
---
...that same level of universal adoration.
---
It made a world of a difference, having a teacher who saw who she was and appreciated her.
---
Ren needed someone to see him and appreciate him. He was always competitive because he was desperate for praise.
---
"I don't think wining any competitions here is going to get your dad to notice you. I think he's maybe forgotten how much you need him, but we can remind him of that. Either way, you deserve to be seen and loved for exactly who you are, and I'm sorry I wasn't nicer to you. so will you help us?"
---
"We want a refund, too!" the other parents chimed in. "And to be unsubscribed from that email list you signed us up for without our permission! We should have known you were evil."
---
These are the parts that stood out:
The drapes were pulled tightly, the entire space as dim as a haunted graveyard at twilight.
---
...because cavities never take a summer vacation.
---
"She was just like most adults, barreling through the world, never explaining the baffling things going on around them.
---
...because how could it be all-inclusive for families if their whole family wasn't included?
---
(history)
Transylvania is in Europe. ... However, where Transylvania is in Europe does change because people make borders. A border is an imaginary line, like the one you sometimes draw across the middle of your room to designate which side is yours and which side is your sibling's so that you can get as close as possible to the line and fight about it.
Borders are literally, exactly, that same thing, only for countries instead of siblings.
Transylvania has been Transylvania. It's been Hungary. It's been Wallachia. It's been Romania. It's been Dacia. It's been ruled by Bulgaria, the Ottomans, part of the Habsburg kingdom, part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and back to Romania. Transylvania's history is like capture the flag and keep-away, with Transylvania being both the flag and the kept-away item.
---
"... But sometimes when people move into new area that remind them of old area, they rename the areas after where they came from."
"Like taking home with you wherever you go," Alexander said, wishing he could do exactly that.
---
A slug the size of Theo's thumb slimed sluggishly along the path in front of them, yellow racing stripes going down its black body like a false promise of speed.
---
"Remember the year we had to add all the birth and death dates on the Sinister gravestones in the cemetery to get to a number that turned out to be the GPS coordinates where Mom and Dad buried treasure?"
---
They had only been walking for eight minutes and twenty-seven seconds - she was timing it - but when you didn't know where you were going, paths felt a lot longer than they actually were. Time was funny that way. Always warping to move either faster or slower, usually the opposite of whichever way you wanted it to move.
---
The fear just kept running and running through him, filling his mind with terrible images.
He closed his eyes and, remembering a trick his mom taught him for when his brain was racing out of control, said, "Stop," out loud to himself.
---
(big family shaming?)
The man pushed inside past a mother doing a head count of her four children.
"One, two, three, four. Did we always have four kids?" she asked, eyes wide with surprise. "That seems like such a lot of children! What were we thinking?"
---
(about his 2 toddlers)
"How is everything sticky?" the dad asked.
---
Even professional escape artists cannot beat toddlers wriggling free of things meant to contain them, which is why escape artists are some of the strongest advocates for making child labor illegal. They just can't handle the competition.
---
Theodora Artemisia Sinister-Winterbottom, and combined with Wilhelmina Camellia Sinister-Winterbottom and Alexander Hawthorne Juniper Rowan Alder Sinister-Winterbottom
---
(use of original Dracula characters from Bram Stoker used in the story)
Mina
Harker
Van H. / Van Helsing
Lucy
the Count
---
"The orientation meeting is in the great ballroom, which is near the okay ballroom, which is across from the disappointing ballroom. ..."
---
The reason why crushes are named crushes is because they literally crush your ability to think clearly: ...
---
"If you could all take your seats?"
"Where should we take them?" one of the dads said, to a smattering of polite fake laughter, which is the only acceptable response to dad jokes.
---
A man swept into the room, much like a broom, only without cleaning anything. He wore a suit as dark as charcoal, with the red-satin-lined jacket flapping freely against his back like a cape. His hair was dark and slowly ebbing like the tide away from his forehead. His skin was pale, and his lips were unnervingly red, like he had just been drinking fruit punch and failed to wipe his mouth afterward.
---
"I'm going to win!" bad-dad-jokes junior shouted, puffing out his chest. "Whatever contests there are, or activities, or games! My dad said I need to be the best, and I'm going to, and he's going to be so proud!"
"That's nice," Mina said, smiling blandly at him.
It wasn't nice at all, Theo thought. She was good at nearly everything she tried to do - or at least, nearly everything she wanted to be good at, since she couldn't bother to care about being good at things like sitting still, or following directions, or golf - but her parents never put pressure on her. All they did was encourage.
---
"I'm from Texas," she confirmed, which is a thing that people from Texas will always tell you because it's a legal requirement of living there.
---
... look for ways to make room for different people.
---
She had never before realized what an essential life skill lassoing was.
---
...their mother said her feet were secrets best left to the darkness.
---
(From Saw)
"Do you want to play a game?" a voice whispered.
---
They opened the huge brass doors and were greeted with a wall of humidity. It was like a giant was standing right there, breathing on them. The morning sky was a grumble of gray.
---
Theo was mostly willing to follow rules and instructions but not arbitrarily. She liked the word arbitrary. It was spiky and complicated, a barbed word to mean something with no meaning. If she was going to follow a rule, there had to be a reason. Theo didn't believe in arbitrary obedience.
---
He loved rules. He liked wrapping himself up in them like a sweater, all cozy and protective, keeping him safe from getting in trouble. Theo was like a snag, unraveling that sweater.
---
"Thanks for catching me," he said...
"I always will."
"I know." ... "I'm sorry I got so mad."
"I'm sorry that I made you break a rule. I really didn't mean to. I just didn't think about it."
"I know."
"And I know it's important to you to follow rules whenever you can. I'll try to be more respectful of that."
"Thank you." Alexander knew it was hard for Theo to apologize, and not only had she apologized, she had said specifically what she did wrong, why it hurt Alexander, and what she was going to do to make sure it didn't happen again. He was proud of her.
---
"What exactly is the Count the count of?" Alexander asked, trying to change the subject. "I didn't think we had counts in this country."
"It's a nickname. He was my parents' accountant."
"Ah, the Count!"
---
Mina searched the air for an answer - the thing adults do when they lie - ...
---
Because he rarely lied, he wasn't good at telling when someone else was lying, and he always assumed other people were honest.
---
So, who do we trust?" Alexander asked, at a loss.
"Ourselves," Theo stated, confident. "If we can't trust that anyone is telling us the truth, then we find out the truth for ourselves."
---
"... Did you know that in the Philippines, they have stories of Mandurugos, who look like normal girls by day, but at night they grow wings and their tongues turn long and hollow like needles? They don't drink blood, though."
... Alexander had never thought about just how full of blood he was, and how very much he wanted to stay full of blood.
... "they eat hearts and livers and guts. And also snot from sick people. Cool, right?"
---
Theo turned around, buzzing with anger over the lock and annoyance that she still didn't know how to pick them. "Does anyone have any small metal tools?" she shouted. How could she have overlooked such a vital life skill as lockpicking? It was a tremendous personal failure, but also a failure of the school system to give her the education she really needed in order to succeed.
---
Being scared with someone you trusted was always so much more pleasant than being scared alone.
---
And any amount of stairs in the middle of the night is too any, as kids who sleep on a different floor of the house than the bathroom can tell you.
---
The bees were in a frenzy, their hive smashed to pieces, too many feelings to understand or contain any of them.
---
The was pacing like a tiger because moving helped her focus.
---
bat poop.
"guano," he whispered to himself, because bat poop was so fancy it even had its own name.
---
... a conundrum, a fancy word for a puzzling problem.
---
... the sheer joy of watching Theo live out a dream she didn't know she had.
---
"... People don't understand that a scary name doesn't necessarily mean a scary thing,"
---
"... they're such delicate, sensitive creatures. And kind! They help each other. They adopt baby bats if they're orphaned. Or if one bat doesn't find food for the night, the others will share so it doesn't die. So they can all say together."
---
Maybe she was right, and they should put themselves first and leave. But if they had a chance to help someone who needed help, they knew their parents would want them to do it.
---He could tell she was freaking out. What did mom do when that happened? He pulled Theo close and squeezed her, putting exactly the right amount of pressure on her so she could feel her whole body come back to a sense of who and where and what she was.
---
...that same level of universal adoration.
---
It made a world of a difference, having a teacher who saw who she was and appreciated her.
---
Ren needed someone to see him and appreciate him. He was always competitive because he was desperate for praise.
---
"I don't think wining any competitions here is going to get your dad to notice you. I think he's maybe forgotten how much you need him, but we can remind him of that. Either way, you deserve to be seen and loved for exactly who you are, and I'm sorry I wasn't nicer to you. so will you help us?"
---
"We want a refund, too!" the other parents chimed in. "And to be unsubscribed from that email list you signed us up for without our permission! We should have known you were evil."
January 7, 2023
Full review - https://booksteacupreviews.com/2023/0...
Vampiric Vacation is entertaining second book in middle-grade mystery series that now takes the Sinister-Winterbottom kids to Transylvania Mountains where they get tangled in another mystery.
Writing is fun, and entertaining with same dry humor and rambling style. This can be read as standalone as there is a brief recap of what happened with their parents and how they are on different task and occasional mansion of characters they met in first book but I still advise to read first book before starting this sequel as you get to know characters and understand their personality better.
Like first book, I enjoyed the characters. Sinister-Winterbottoms are same. As I read first book there wasn't something new for me but again I enjoyed their wit and amusing way to describe other characters they met at spa. Wil was even more interesting in this installment. As she is teenager she isn't required to take part in either adult or kids' activity and as usual, she was glued to her Rodrigo (her phone) but she seemed to be doing her own research and how exactly she found the same room at the same time as twins did is a mystery in itself and i think it will be explained more in next book of the series.
Setting of the spa is amazing. It's huge castle-like building in the middle of the forest, near the cliff with a way in through a maze, has many rooms with creepy hallways, high dark ceilings with rafters, changing and moving paintings, missing catacombs, and lots of rules along with suspicious things pointing to vampires sure made it perfectly atmospheric and gothic.
Mystery is better in this book. there is also many surprises that I couldn't see coming. The conclusion related to the Count is a little predictable after some point but everything else is very interesting. While the mystery of the Spa is resolved the main mystery of what happened to Winter-Bottoms' parents and why they are on the task or how they are exactly traveling without any knowledge of details still remains the same and now after that surprising twist in the climax it raises even more question that I'm eager to find out in next books.
Vampiric Vacation is entertaining second book in middle-grade mystery series that now takes the Sinister-Winterbottom kids to Transylvania Mountains where they get tangled in another mystery.
Writing is fun, and entertaining with same dry humor and rambling style. This can be read as standalone as there is a brief recap of what happened with their parents and how they are on different task and occasional mansion of characters they met in first book but I still advise to read first book before starting this sequel as you get to know characters and understand their personality better.
Like first book, I enjoyed the characters. Sinister-Winterbottoms are same. As I read first book there wasn't something new for me but again I enjoyed their wit and amusing way to describe other characters they met at spa. Wil was even more interesting in this installment. As she is teenager she isn't required to take part in either adult or kids' activity and as usual, she was glued to her Rodrigo (her phone) but she seemed to be doing her own research and how exactly she found the same room at the same time as twins did is a mystery in itself and i think it will be explained more in next book of the series.
Setting of the spa is amazing. It's huge castle-like building in the middle of the forest, near the cliff with a way in through a maze, has many rooms with creepy hallways, high dark ceilings with rafters, changing and moving paintings, missing catacombs, and lots of rules along with suspicious things pointing to vampires sure made it perfectly atmospheric and gothic.
Mystery is better in this book. there is also many surprises that I couldn't see coming. The conclusion related to the Count is a little predictable after some point but everything else is very interesting. While the mystery of the Spa is resolved the main mystery of what happened to Winter-Bottoms' parents and why they are on the task or how they are exactly traveling without any knowledge of details still remains the same and now after that surprising twist in the climax it raises even more question that I'm eager to find out in next books.
July 18, 2023
another fun adventure with the sinister-winterbottom siblings. the twins, theo and alexander, and their older sister, wil, are driven to the sanguine spa in the transylvania mountains by their mysterious aunt. while there, they saw parents with their children on family vacation and were wondering where their own parents are at.
in the spa, theo and alexander were sent on a treasure hunt with only one clue and started to realize that the pictures are moving in the hallways and mina, one of the staffs, kept glancing and shouting into the ceiling even though there wasn't anyone there.
thoroughly enjoyed this little adventure. the twins are always running into danger but had each other as support. i can't wait to see where and what they'll be up to next. also, why does their aunt keep sending them to weird places and giving them cryptic messages? we'll probably uncover that bit by bit with the subsequent books.
in the spa, theo and alexander were sent on a treasure hunt with only one clue and started to realize that the pictures are moving in the hallways and mina, one of the staffs, kept glancing and shouting into the ceiling even though there wasn't anyone there.
thoroughly enjoyed this little adventure. the twins are always running into danger but had each other as support. i can't wait to see where and what they'll be up to next. also, why does their aunt keep sending them to weird places and giving them cryptic messages? we'll probably uncover that bit by bit with the subsequent books.
June 28, 2022
The second in the Sinister-Winterbottom series finds Theo, Alexander, and Wil at a Transylvanian spa. Yet again their aunt has abandoned them here with just vague advice. Theo and Alexander realize weird things are going on at the spa and start to investigate. As they do, they start to suspect vampires lurk in the spa.
This was another good book! I didn’t like it quite as much as the first book but we definitely get more of the larger plot here. I’m so curious where it’s going to go and look forward to the future books!
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was another good book! I didn’t like it quite as much as the first book but we definitely get more of the larger plot here. I’m so curious where it’s going to go and look forward to the future books!
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 15, 2023
When the twins and Wil are dropped off at the Sanguine Spa by strange Aunt Saffronia and told to "Look Closer" as a clue, they never expected to get caught up in a deeper mystery of vampires, smoothies, and bats.
Anyone wanna know what happens? You need to read book two.
Again, there's the deeper mystery of what is going on with Theo, Alexander, and Wil's parents. Where are they? Why were they dropped off with their aunt so unexpectedly? Why are they constantly being moved place to place every week?
It is all so ... sinister for the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings. I can't wait for them to experience summer camp now.
Anyone wanna know what happens? You need to read book two.
Again, there's the deeper mystery of what is going on with Theo, Alexander, and Wil's parents. Where are they? Why were they dropped off with their aunt so unexpectedly? Why are they constantly being moved place to place every week?
It is all so ... sinister for the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings. I can't wait for them to experience summer camp now.
December 1, 2022
This series is positively delightful. This iteration of vampires is a lot of fun, and the writing is so charming.
I'll admit, I feel like this series might be getting cranked out a bit fast. The plot could have been tightened a smidge, and I noticed a couple typos, but I still had a great time with the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings. I'd definitely recommend reading the first book -- Wretched Waterpark -- before this one for full enjoyment.
I'll admit, I feel like this series might be getting cranked out a bit fast. The plot could have been tightened a smidge, and I noticed a couple typos, but I still had a great time with the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings. I'd definitely recommend reading the first book -- Wretched Waterpark -- before this one for full enjoyment.
February 27, 2023
Seriously, the Sinister-Winterbottom twins are quickly becoming some of my most favorite literary characters. This series is so much fun - perfectly creepy, mysterious, warm and adventure filled. As an adult, I find myself wishing they were just a little bit longer because I totally love them, but see how these are truly perfect for middle graders. Can'tget enough of these stories, and can't wait to read #3!
4/5⭐️s
4/5⭐️s
March 10, 2024
Wie schon der erste Band von Kiersten Whites »Sinister Summer«-Reihe, hat mir auch der zweite Teil gut gefallen. Die interessant ausgearbeiteten Figuren, der humorvolle Schreibstil und das skurrile Setting (ein Wellness-Hotel mit Vampir-Flair) machen das Buch zu einem Vergnügen, das ich sehr gern weiterempfehle.
Die vollständige Rezension ist online unter Bibliophilis.de.
Die vollständige Rezension ist online unter Bibliophilis.de.
October 5, 2023
An enjoyable second book, however, I found it was a lot harder to get into, and had to finish reading it as my hold was up at the library. I feel like the problems and hunting for the item weren't as organic as it was in the first book. More like go here do this, then oops, do this other thing, and voila. Instead of the first where it seemed to just unfold better. Also the random yelling all the time got a little annoying, as you didn't know who she was yelling at, and even made me jumpy sometimes.
June 11, 2024
I’m afraid this one really dragged for me, pacing-wise. The characters are still as lovable as ever; kids who like these characters may very well love this book.
I just found it repetitive- day after day, very little progress made. If I had been the editor, I would have cut a big chunk out of the middle.
Still, I do enjoy this author’s voice, and the characters are relatable.
I just found it repetitive- day after day, very little progress made. If I had been the editor, I would have cut a big chunk out of the middle.
Still, I do enjoy this author’s voice, and the characters are relatable.
Read
December 25, 2022Utterly delightful. I want so many books in this world. I love the Sinister-Winterbottoms infinitely.
October 27, 2023
3.5⭐️
December 2, 2023
Another compelling middle grade mystery.
May 7, 2023
This is a fun series, I like it
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