The blurb intrigued me, but it all fell flat. It felt like a potentially great YA story being over-simplified for younger readers, and all with a whacky plot to keep those readers engaged.

I'll just say that this wasn't for me and move on, because anything I want to point out in this review would be a spoiler, which I do my best to avoid.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for allowing me to read this eARC.

4.5, rounded up where applicable.

I knew going into reading this book that I would be angry with the Ginghams, and I wasn't disappointed! Between the cult-hive mind, the "Pillars of Perfection," women being subservient, etc. It mimics a lot of what certain people nowadays are trying to do. Then to see Joni take action with the help of Tyler, and others along the way, it gave me a bit of hope that the intended audience for this book will be inspired to stand out and stand up when necessary.

I will say, as a story, that the beginning felt a bit rushed, as did the ending. It's hard to explain without spoilers, though. I wish we could have known May a bit more pre-change instead of being introduced to her and her mom already mid-change. Then the ending felt like a light switch was flipped with Mrs. Gingham, and for the length of time she mentioned, it didn't quite feel authentic.

The last thing I'll mention is that I liked the Charlotte Ann and Mrs. Gingham twists.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for allowing me to read this eARC.

Had I not been intentionally slowing my reading pace down lately, I easily would have read this book in one day. That's how intriguing it was and how easily it sucks you into the mystery, both the one Lilac and Em are trying to solve, and the Seer world itself. The world-building and magical system are beautifully done.

I found the narration intriguing because Lilac's story is being told in third-person with the occasional interjection by the narrator in first-person. It's presumably a ghost, but unless I missed it, or for whatever reason it never registered in my head while I was reading, we don't know who that ghost is. I will say, though, that I found some interjections rather annoying, especially the dictionary ones. I understand that it's geared towards middle grade, and those words may be difficult for that age range, but it stops becoming an occasional fun and quirky interjection after it's done so many times.

As an adult reading middle grade, some of the mystery elements were obvious to me. However, I felt there were plenty of other things going on that it was easy to get distracted and forget about them, that I ultimately didn't feel disappointed when those elements were correct in the end. I think this will also help keep the intended audience engaged as well.

I loved the dynamic between Lilac and Em. There's a connection there that is waiting to be explored, and considering there are quite a few unanswered questions, both between them and Spindlewood as a whole, I'm hoping there will be sequels that will answer them.

And finally, I loved the disability rep and the LGBTQIA+ rep. It's subtle in some ways, but there in a way that readers can find themselves in those characters and still feel a part of this magical world.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for allowing me to read this eARC.

This was a fun and spooky adventure, one that I can easily see myself rereading whenever I need a spooky or vampire fix. The "Hardy Boys meets Gravity Falls" comp is very apt. I enjoyed all the references to Stoker's Dracula and it being a literal reference source while the group are off attempting to save their family members/friends. The Boojum addition to the story was nice, too.

I found Dig and Elliot's dynamic enjoyable. They're cousins, but they sometimes came off more brotherly. I wish we learned more about Dig's backstory, though. He and his dad moved to Transylvania County because of his troublesome behavior, and while we got some information, there's still a lot of mystery surrounding him, his parents, and his past.

I'm not entirely sold on Elliot and his use of "cringe" five times in the story. Yes, I kept a counter because when the second and third uses happened in the same chapter, mere pages from each other, I expected it to become something. Thankfully, it did not. However, it felt out of character for him (to me) that he'd say it in the first place, so each time caught me off guard.

There are some plotholes that are left unanswered. In part, I'm assuming, so that any potential sequels may answer them. The whole last chapter is literally an opening for one.

Overall, it was enjoyable. I feel like readers who fit the target audience will love this book. It's not too gory or scary, while really digging into Dracula and other myths and legends.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for allowing me to read this eARC.

It's a nice retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, with a couple of other fairytales being retold, others being hinted at. I enjoyed the nod to Little Golden Books. The story itself is simple and the message / morals clear, but not too simplistic that even older readers would also enjoy this. The artwork was stunning and captivating, but the color combinations can make it difficult to read for some. Overall, it was enjoyable and one I'd definitely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for allowing me to read this eARC.

This was such a fun read; I want more! [4.5 rounded to 5 where necessary.]

As someone who was never quite at superfan level for The Amazing Race, but watched my fair share of seasons over the years, I loved going along with Noelle and Yumi as they lived out their dreams of being on The Adventureverse, got reacquainted with each other, and fall in love. Also, as someone who knows how things work behind-the-scenes of shows, it was interesting to see Noelle come to terms with the "reality, but not real" of it all, and how that, initially, also applied to her relationship with Yumi.

That being said, there are two things holding me back from a full 5-stars. The first: I felt like there were a few times where there was an imbalance between the girls' love story and the show. Essentially, too much of one and not enough of the other a few times. It wasn't horribly distracting, but it was enough for me to notice even while I was locked in. The second: how quick and easy the show seemed to be. Given the intended target audience, I didn't expect the challenges to be complicated, but compared to TAR, it was seemingly a walk in the park unless phobias or Noelle's ADHD weren't being manipulated on the page.

Overall, this was a delight that I definitely see myself reading again.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for allowing me to read this eARC.