lapetitepritt's Reviews > Wretched Waterpark

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!