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

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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. 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… The following morning, after her mother has left, Aveline explores her surroundings visiting the local second-hand bookshop run by the eccentric Mr Lieberman. With a little help from the old man’s nephew Harold, she finds an old volume of local ghost stories which she decides to buy. Meeting her aunt afterwards at a coffee shop, she is puzzled by her aunt’s decision to leave immediately, having barely touched her cake after reading the name written inside the front cover. Aveline Jones loves reading ghost stories, so a dreary half-term becomes much more exciting when she discovers a spooky old book. Not only are the stories spine-tingling, but it once belonged to Primrose Penberthy, who vanished mysteriously, never to be seen again. Intrigued, Aveline decides to investigate Primrose's disappearance. Aveline is travelling to Scarbury, the village where her Uncle Rowan lived before he mysteriously disappeared 10 years ago. Nobody knows what happened...

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.I live in Oregon at the moment, though I hail from the UK. Growing up in a house overlooking a graveyard, on the edge of the bleak and foreboding Pennine Hills, seems to have instilled in me an obsession with all things dark and spooky. The Vanishing of Aveline Jones is published in October 2022. Aveline loves reading ghost stories, so a dreary half-term becomes much more exciting when she discovers a spooky old book. Not only are the stories spine-tingling, but it belonged to a girl called Primrose Penberthy, who vanished mysteriously, never to be seen again. Intrigued, Aveline decides to investigate Primrose’s disappearance, with some help from her new friend, Harold.

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. I can imagine this so clearly being adapted into a film/TV series, very much in the the style of The Nightmare Before Christmas or, more likely, Coraline. I mean, the Lady in the Waves is SO the Other Mother!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. Night Mayor Franklefink has vanished from the Transylvanian Express - and it's up to you to solve the case! Part of the Solve Your Own Mystery seri... If there was ever a recipe for the perfect middle-grade scary story, then The Haunting of Aveline Jones has followed it to a tee. Take one eerie and miserable seaside town, a girl with a penchant for ghost stories, and a generous helping of things that go bump in the night, and you have all the ingredients you need to conjure up a tale that will have you well and truly spooked. Aveline loves reading ghost stories, so a dreary half-term becomes much more exciting when she discovers a spooky old book. Not only are the stories spine-tingling, but it belonged to a girl called Primrose Penberthy, who vanished mysteriously, never to be seen again. Intrigued, Aveline decides to investigate Primrose's disappearance, with some help from her new friend, Harold. The Haunting of Aveline Jones is a fast paced, spooky read which kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. I couldn't put it down!

The MM Agency is a dedicated and passionate literary agency with a global outlook, specialising in launching debut writers, international rights and book to screen adaptations. It is also full of great characters and some lovely, if unusual, friendships. The adults were as well developed as the children, which it was great to see too. Aveline goes to a little bookstore and finds a really cool book full of local ghost stories. Unfortunately, the previous owner of said book decided to cross out the words of the final story, making it impossible to read it. Aveline sets out to find Primrose Penberthy, the book’s previous owner, to find out more about this final story. But Primrose went missing over thirty years ago.Aveline Jones loves to read ghost stories, while others her age like stories with unicorns or horses. Knowing she is different in this way, she is unstoppable in her quest to find spooky tales. With a spooky feel to the story as soon as it starts, Aveline gets swept up in a mystery that she is determined to solve despite her love of ghost stories actually making her quite scared. 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. 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. The setting helps a lot too. The way the town is described for example is always just the right amount of creepy and spooky, without being too scary. And I love that even seemingly unimportant details all play their part in elevating the story as a whole, and make sense in the grand scheme of things.

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! This story had me on the edge of my seat as ghostly sightings, creepy child like figures and Halloween approaching all converged to create this super story. Aveline is the unsuspecting detective and heroine of this story, putting the pieces together and figuring it all out. New friendships are forged and a new fondness for Aunt Lilian is a positive to come out of this spooky and haunting tale. Author Guy Bass introduces SCRAP, about one robot who tried to protect the humans on his planet against an army of robots. Now the humans need his... 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 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…. The Haunting of Aveline Jones is a fast-paced, extremely well-written story, scary enough to send shivers down the spine and perfect for Halloween. Aveline is a feisty, intelligent girl who, although often scared by what is happening around her, is determined to solve the mystery of what happened to Primrose. Helped by an interesting and well-drawn bunch of characters - Harold and Mr Lieberman from the bookshop, Edith Fitzwilliam, an authority on local folklore, and even Aunt Lilian herself - Aveline continues to work on the puzzle.