This middle grade fairytale series is just so cute and wholesome! The covers are absolutely adorable adorable, reminding me of the Disney Princess faiThis middle grade fairytale series is just so cute and wholesome! The covers are absolutely adorable adorable, reminding me of the Disney Princess fairytale movie covers (this one especially reminds me of Tangled). This kind of reminded me of the old Gail Carson Levine middle grade fairytales that were super popular back in the day (the type of hype that fairytales deserve to have today tbh). It felt really nostalgic!
The world building is so whimsical and adorable. It kind of reminds me of Ella Enchanted, with lots of fairies and magic. Unlike the two previous installments focusing a princess and giving us a peak at royal life, this book takes place in the village of Hamlin and the fairy realm. Instead of the princess of a kingdom, this is about the princess of the fairy realm. The narration was super adorable and I know that younger readers would absolutely LOVE this read. Even older readers like myself would enjoy this if you also love fairytales, because while it is middle grade, the narration isn’t overly young in an annoying way.
This wasn’t the best middle grade fairytale I’ve ever read, but it was whimsical and adorable. This series kind of has the same vibe as Once Upon a Marigold, Tuesday’s at the Castle, The Wide Awake Princess, or Ella Enchanted.
Thank you to Delacorte Press for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review. ...more
A town where everyday is Halloween (basically) and it just happens to have a ghost story and be cursed? Are you kidding me? Autumn lovers, if you’re lA town where everyday is Halloween (basically) and it just happens to have a ghost story and be cursed? Are you kidding me? Autumn lovers, if you’re looking for the perfect autumn read to get into a fall mood, you’ve found it. I have an obsession with cozy east coast towns that remind me of Salem, where it just feels like eternal autumn. Creepy parades each month featuring a piano with keys actually made of bones, spooky themed hotels using spooky history to draw in tourists, and restaurants offering “chill up your spine chili” and “boneyard biscuits” are just a few of things that this quaint, historical town has to offer. Even the local coffee shop is called Cups and Cauldrons. This is a town that knows how to capitalize on spooks and Halloween to draw in tourists and if this town were real, I would fall for it hook line and sinker. Jack o lanterns all year round? A halloween lover’s paradise honestly. Since sadly autumn (aka the best season) also feels like the shortest season of the year, I rely on books like these to get fall vibes whenever I want them. This book is the epitome of a cozy fall read. It made me want to get out my flannels and drink a pumpkin spice latte despite the fact that we are still enduring torturous summer weather. Since I can’t have the frigid weather I want, I have to read about a town where the weather is bone chilling by early October.
“Today is October first. It barged in on a gust of chilly air with red and orange leaves on its heels. Morning fog settled over our narrow streets like a cold, wet blanket, and everyone—and I mean everyone—is already wearing their chunkiest sweaters. For most people I know, October isn’t just the end of T-shirts and flip-flops; it’s the beginning of the best month of the year. Halloween month. The time when Eastport comes to life.”
Middle grade horror is GREAT and that is a hill that I will die on. In the same way that “kids” movies like Coraline or Monster House are geared towards children yet still deliciously creepy and entertaining even for adults, middle grade horror is the same way. Don’t think it can’t be creepy just because it is targeted towards a younger audience! Also, it never bogs down its horror with pointless and non scary horror motifs like excessive gore or jump scares. Which granted, is mostly in movies rather than horror novels, but it’s still annoying. This book had a quirky innocence to it but still had a deliciously creepy feel with high stakes. The perfect Halloween read!
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for sending me and advanced copy in return for my honest review. ...more
I requested this ARC because even as an adult, I genuinely loveee reading whimsical creepy middle grade novels. Despite them being geared towards a yoI 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.
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