Series: n/a
Author: Laura Parnum
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Middle Grade; Paranormal; Horror
Publisher/Publication Date: Storytide; July 29, 2025
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Synopsis from Goodreads...
Middle Grade horror is a subgenre I’ve read periodically for a few years now, and there are plenty of novels to keep avid readers—especially those with a penchant for spookier tales—entertained. For example: Katherine Arden’s game/challenge themed series, Small Spaces; Give Me Something Good to Eat by D.W. Gillespie’s which was Stranger Things meets Hocus Pocus; and It Came From the Trees by Ally Russll that had an outdoorsy main character and cryptids. And now, with Laura Parnum’s latest, the subgenre has a new entry with The Haunting of Bellington Cottage.
The Haunting of Bellington Cottage was enjoyable and had many hallmarks of middle grade horror. The wintery scenery was the perfect backdrop for an isolated haunting. And the cottage’s storied history was detailed and provided material for the paranormal aspect to find its footing. This was also a story about friendship and change, and Parnum crafted a narrative which dealt with it in a way that the target audience would likely find relatable. After all, the story interrogated its themes through Iris’ character arc, notably with her struggle for connection in friendships she once felt secure in, which—when combined with the novel’s eerie atmosphere—resulted in a harrowing tale that will appeal to many readers.
Author: Laura Parnum
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Middle Grade; Paranormal; Horror
Publisher/Publication Date: Storytide; July 29, 2025
Goodreads Barnes & Noble
Synopsis from Goodreads...
From the author of Peril at Price Manor comes a new spooky and bighearted stand-alone novel about two girls trying to figure out if they’re still friends who discover their vacation rental home is haunted.
It was the perfect winter break getaway . . . until the ghost showed up.
The last time Iris's and Violet’s families went on a trip together, the girls turned their rental home into an epic haunted house—and Iris has brought all her spookiest supplies to the cottage they’re calling home for the next week, ready to re-create the magic they’d shared. But in the years since, Vee (don’t call her Violet) has become closed off and short-tempered and wants nothing to do with anyone, especially not her mom’s new boyfriend.
Vee’s bad mood feels inescapable in the cottage. And soon strange things are happening that make it seem like the house itself is angry, too—doors are slamming, rooms that were perfectly neat a second ago are suddenly a disaster, and Iris hears pacing footsteps long after everyone’s gone to sleep. Iris and Vee soon discover that the cottage has a secret history and that there’s no need to stage a haunted house after all . . . because they’re already in one.
The Haunting of Bellington Cottage was enjoyable and had many hallmarks of middle grade horror. The wintery scenery was the perfect backdrop for an isolated haunting. And the cottage’s storied history was detailed and provided material for the paranormal aspect to find its footing. This was also a story about friendship and change, and Parnum crafted a narrative which dealt with it in a way that the target audience would likely find relatable. After all, the story interrogated its themes through Iris’ character arc, notably with her struggle for connection in friendships she once felt secure in, which—when combined with the novel’s eerie atmosphere—resulted in a harrowing tale that will appeal to many readers.
About the author....
Laura Parnum is the author of the middle grade novel Peril at Price Manor. She writes stories that blend humor and heart with a touch of horror. When she’s not writing, she’s editing other people’s stories and helping out at local elementary school libraries. She currently serves as Co-Regional Advisor for the Eastern Pennsylvania region of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Laura lives with her family in Philadelphia. They have a turtle that bites and a snake that doesn’t.
Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Storytide) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!
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