The Haunting of Aveline Jones: 1: The first spine-tingling book in the Aveline Jones series

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insert gif of the Other Mother from the movie "Coraline", saying the words "You Know I Love You" here] Of course you can't review a ghost story without talking about the spooky side of things. It is wonderfully creepy, and there were plenty of moments that left my spine tingling. I'd spend hours pouring over 'Goosebumps' books and 'Are You Afraid of the Dark?' was always on the tv, and The Haunting of Aveline Jones has all the elements of those classics. I would have adored this as a kid, it undoubtedly would have given me nightmares, but that wouldn't have stopped me reading it time and time again. Aveline Jones gets sent to stay with her aunt in the Cornish town of Malmouth. Aveline loves ghost stories, so the first thing she does is visit the local bookshop and buys a book of ghost stories. But something strange is happening. The book belonged to a girl who disappeared more than 30 years before and there is a strange ghost story that seems somehow connected. Aveline decides to investigate and with her new friend Harold, begins to uncover something creepy going on. Someone, or something, is out there and it is looking for Aveline….

I had a laugh that our girl went to the police.. for a ghost. Yep. And she was surprised they didn’t take her seriously, um what did you think would happen? I read this story in one day and loved it entirely. Feeling spooked, haunted and proud of Aveline all the way through to the end! Whether you read it on a sunny bright day or a rainy grey day, I am sure you will enjoy it! I did really like the relationship between Aveline, Harold and his great uncle the bookshop owner. He's eccentric enough to come off as harmless and good company rather than weird. Harold was also developing into a good friend before the story ended too. However, I found the familial relationship between Aveline and her aunt a bit stiff and unnatural - a bit like an extension of her personality. It doesn't ever seem to thaw, even though the narrative tries really hard to get them to build up some kind of relationship. It just ended up still feeling standoffish to me. Aveline finds herself being left to spend her October half term with her Aunt Lilian in dreary Malmouth, a desolate and grim seaside town ravaged by stormy weather. From the minute Aveline arrives, she is perturbed by the presence of ghoulish scarecrows adorning the houses, and the unmistakeably creepy sounds she hears at night. Upon discovering the local bookshop and its eccentric but loveable owner, Aveline buys a book of local ghost stories, but is intrigued to find that the last story has been scratched out by the previous reader. Armed with a sense of determination and her inquisitive mind, Aveline embarks on a mission to uncover the missing story, but soon realises that something or someone already has its sights set on her… Aveline Jones is a big fan of ghost stories and just can’t get enough of them. When she is sent to stay with her Aunt Lillian in a dreary, creepy town called Malmouth over half term, she thinks things are going to be boring, that is until she discovers a creepy old book. The stories within the book are terror-inducing to say the least and Aveline soon finds out the book used to belong to Primrose Penberthy, who disappeared never to be seen again. Aveline then finds herself investigating Primrose’s disappearance unaware that something or someone is stirring and looking for her.

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This was the perfect book to read at this time of year. Even the cover oozes Autumnal atmosphere. And yes, at times this was incredibly creepy, with a final scene that did give me a few shivers. I just wish it was a bit longer to really build up this tension. At times the story just goes too fast, zipping from one scene to the next without giving the story time to breathe. Wow - I loved this. It reminded me of ghost stories I used to read when I was in primary school, devouring all of the books that were meant for people older than me. I can't think of any real faults with this book - the characters were fleshed out, the atmosphere and tone was just unsettling enough and the pacing built from unsettled to chilling. It just hit the right notes for a middle grade ghost story, and I want MORE! Thank goodness this is the first in a series!I enjoyed this read just as much as I did the first time around. I was reminded of how much I liked Ghost Girl and Book Boy, and how perfectly the illustrations complimented the story. I appreciated the connection between the creepy scarecrows and the crossed out story in Aveline’s book more this time around. Just in time for Halloween, our Author of the Week is releasing his first scary story, The Haunting of Aveline Jones, which is all about a young girl who is fascinated by ghost stories. When she comes across a book that once belonged to Primrose Penberthy, who mysteriously went missing, she decides to investigate her disappearance... Aveline is travelling to Scarbury, the village where her Uncle Rowan lived before he mysteriously disappeared 10 years ago. Nobody knows what happened... LoveReading4Kids exists because books change lives, and buying books through LoveReading4Kids means you get to change the lives of future generations, with 25% of the cover price donated to schools in need. Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives.

A Toppsta reviewer said they couldn't put down this exciting middle grade mystery adventure series for ages 8+, so read up and don't miss out on this fun, Halloween-y read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I REALLY enjoyed this book. The atmosphere was pitch-perfect in this, from the gloomy stormy weather, to the small-town feel, it was very nicely written. It's one of those books where you could cosy down with a hot chocolate on a dark night close to Halloween and read cover-to-cover. For a ghost story mystery, this one is a fantastic one. I have literally just finished this, I started it yesterday and have binged read it on and off all day today, gripping! The author sets the scene brilliantly, describing Malmouth as feeling like "somewhere the world had forgotten about". He cleverly builds up the tension as Aveline finds out more about Primrose. The section in which Mrs Fitzwilliam reveals the full story missing from the book is quite chilling. However, the author saves his scariest writing for the scenes in which Aveline finally confronts the Lady in the Waves. The stormy night, crashing waves and descriptions of "slow, measured steps slapping in the water" and "nails scraped along the top of the stone wall" are incredibly effective.I am always intrigued by middle grade spooky books because it is a fine line to walk to make it spooky without stepping outside of the lines of the target group. I think The Haunting of Aveline Jones does that well. At the end of the day, many young kids are interested in spooky elements and ghosts and this book will appeal to many, just as Aveline will. From the second we meet Aveline we are met with an interesting child who loves ghosts and all things haunting, then as they drive into her aunts creepy beach side town we see a child like creepy scarecrow, in which starts us off on the mystery we get to unfold whilst reading. I felt an affinity with the main character Aveline, as I to was obsessed with ghosts and all things that go bump in the night. But another thing I liked is how that the adults were present for most of it. There is the show owner of the second hand bookstore and his cousin (of the same age as Aveline). But also surprisingly her aunt who builds a relationship with Aveline throughout everything that is happening. Never did she make Aveline feel silly for feeling as something paranormal was going on around them. She believed her, because she knew that Aveline would never make it up.