I was initially drawn to The Haunting of Aveline Jones because of the gorgeous cover art. I know that you're not supposed to be judging books by their covers, but let's be honest, we all do. This one immediately jumped out at me and drew me in, and once I read the blurb I was hooked.

The book follows Aveline Jones, who's gone to stay with her aunt, Lilian, for about a week or so when her mother travels up to Scotland to visit her ill mother. Aveline's aunt lives in the small coastal town of Malmouth, where she tutors some of the local children. Lilian and Aveline have something of a strained relationship, thanks to not having seen each other for a while, and Lilian's slightly removed and regimented way of dealing with children takes some getting used to.

Aveline explores Malmouth and discovers a second hand book store, run by the elderly Mr Lieberman. She picks out an old and unusual book about local ghost stories, and is soon enthralled by the local tales. However, the final story in the book is crossed out. Wanting to learn more about this, Aveline discovers a mystery about a girl that disappeared in Malmouth thirty years ago, a girl who was convinced was being stalked by a ghostly figure.

One of the things that I really likes about The Haunting of Aveline Jones is that there's not a huge amount of conflict. I thought the book was going to be setting up a stern and overbearing aunt figure that would cause all kinds of problems for Aveline, but instead she was a kind woman, just one who's not used to having a young teen around. And it was nice to see this relationship evolve over the course of the book, and see the two of them become closer.

In fact, there wasn't really any kind of adult foe or overbearing authority figure for Aveline to overcome, something that can become something of a easy trope in middle-grade books. Instead, the adults are well reasoned and kind people. They don't instantly dismiss the things kids say out of hand just because they're adults and know better. It also means that the mystery is able to be given centre stage without other issues that are superfluous.

The central mystery is where the book really shines, and author Phil Hickes is able to craft a story that goes from slightly unsettling to very scary in no time at all. The book managed to get under my skin in a way that few horror books do. It might have been the cold and rainy coastal village on the edge of Halloween that helped with this, but it was also the fact that Hickes didn't give much away. He slowly built up the idea of something ghostly lurking in the background, laying small seeds that would later bloom into very real fear. I've read a lot of adult horror books that aren't even half as scary, and I think that it's because those authors didn't spend enough time building up the world and the atmosphere, slowly introducing more elements until you suddenly realise that you're reading curled up beneath your blanket, sitting on edge. And the fact that he managed to do so in a relatively short book aimed at younger readers was astounding.

There were times I was reading that I found myself wondering if perhaps things got a little too scary, if maybe this might be too much for the target audience, but I don't think it is. It's just a book that's able to appeal to a broader audience beyond just middle-grade readers. The Haunting of Aveline Jones is a story that can draw you in, that makes you want to devour it in a single sitting, and will have you turning on the lights to chase away the shadows. It might be best to read this on a dark and spooky night around Halloween, but just be warned that if you do you might end up hiding under your covers.

This is a spine tingly ghost story perfect for those Autumn evenings when the warm summer evenings are a distant memory and there is a definite chill in the air.
Draw the curtains, turn up the heating and join Aveline Jones on her October half term break in the small seaside town of Malmouth.
Aveline, the main protagonist, is staying with her Aunt Lilian. Convinced that her stay will be boring, reluctantly Aveline ventures out to explore Malmouth only to discover that it has a bookshop. Within its dark interior, Aveline discovers a book of new ghostly tales. She sets of home with her purchase, hurrying past the creepy child-like scarecrows that are appearing in the town. Are they part of a Halloween tradition or part of something more sinister and spooky?
As Aveline reads her new purchase, she discovers that the final story is missing and that the books previous owner also vanished mysteriously more than 30 years before.
What follows is a brilliant haunting 5 star read. Aveline turns detective but will she uncover the town's haunted past in time? Whatever you do, make this your number one read but don't turn off the light.

I really really loved this book! It is the perfect spooky read! I just wish it was longer!!

Following Aveline as she visits a Cornish seaside town and visits a book shop to find local ghost stories. This leads her to a cold case mystery from the 80’s and to a local myth that are somehow connected!

So spooky and the atmosphere was everything. I have yet to read an adult book with this kind of atmosphere.

My only tidbits about this book is that 1) it was too short! I wanted more! She did all this within practically 2-3 days! Why not the full week that she was visiting?
2) It seems very unrealistic for the mum to go from Bristol to Cornwall and then to Scotland TWICE in one week. I can’t even figure out the logistics of that. I know as a middle grade, that isn’t supposed to matter. But financially that is a lot, and also timewise that is a lot of traveling!
And 3) is Malmouth really meant to be in Cornwall? The beach/seaside town and especially the weather sounds more like from something in the northern coast of England.

Otherwise I really loved this book!

Aveline Jones loves ghost stories... Until she finds herself in one.

When Aveline is forced to spend her half term holiday with her Aunt Lilian by the sea in Malmouth, she fears she's in for a week of rules and dullness. Until, that is, she finds a second hand book with a mystery. The more she knows, the more real the mystery becomes, and maybe half term being dull would have been a relief...

Phil Hickes has managed to create a proper ghost story with Aveline Jones, one you certainly don't want to read right before bed! It's jumpy and spooky, perfect for curling up under a blanket on a rainy day and reading in one or two sittings. Heart pounding and bone chilling, everything you love about ghost stories has found its way into this book.

Genuinely creepy, brilliantly plotted, with warm and gorgeously crafted characters. I would have loved this title as a child and did so as an adult. Can’t wait for the next in the series. Great illustrations too - perfectly pitched. Wishing this book every success.

Before I start this review, I wanted to say thank you to the Usborne for sending me a proof and giving me the opportunity to read this awesome book!

I started this yesterday and I am sooo glad I did! I live in the south where this book is set and we had a very blustery, rainy, cold, and overcast day, which was an absolutely perfect setting for this book! ... I may have lit a fire to top off the atmosphere...

This book is superbly written and has all the hallmarks or a great horror. Chilling, tension filled and exquisitely eerie. It is so atmospheric you call smell the sea, touch the books and feel the biting cold. The scenes are scattered with stormy weather, creepy scarecrows, bumps in the night and silhouette lightening.

Aveline our protagonist is left with her aunt, while her mother visits her ailing grandmother in hospital. She expects nothing more and plans for a boring stay in a empty dismal seaside (well best laid plans and all of that...). Nearing Halloween the town emptied of its usual tourists. In its wake has left a dark sinister feel. Aveline who has a love for ghosts, paranormal and ghost stories regrets on bringing her books along with her given the lack of phone signal. That is pretty much all I am willing to say because its easy to give spoilers. I read this knowing next to nothing about it and I am so glad I did. It deserves the gasps and the drawing of covers it will entice.

What I will say is the characters are perfect, it is rare you are able to pick up a book and you are unable to find any faults, or make desired tweaks. Aveline is an amazing protagonist, who shows a great deal of determination, courage and honesty, even when overcome with fear. Mr Ernest Lieberman who is the bookseller I would love to be.

This will be my go to Halloween recommend without a doubt!

What an absolutely superbly spine-tingling story! The Haunting of Aveline Jones is a satisfyingly chilling, tension-filled and eerily atmospheric story, and is the perfect read for a cold, dark evening – if you dare!

Aveline Jones has been sent to the seaside town of Malmouth on the Cornish Coast to stay with her Aunt Lilian whilst her mother visits her Grandmother who is unwell.

Aveline is a booklover who has a predilection towards those of the spooky kind – you know, the kind that keep you awake at night or, even worse/better, wake you up in the middle of the night! After visiting the most wonderful dusty old second-hand bookshop, she buys a book of folklore about local ghosts and phantoms.

Aveline finds the name of the previous owner, Primrose Penberthy, written in the book and, on further investigation, discovers that she went missing over 30 years previously. She is determined to find out what happened to her, to not let her be forgotten and to unearth the truth behind the last story in the book which has been crossed out … a booklover’s nightmare!

So begins a riveting mystery, laden with masterfully balanced tension and a sense of foreboding which builds a tightrope of suspense, orchestrated perfectly to send shivers down your spine. Is there any truth in a local almost forgotten ghost story? Why are scarecrows placed outside homes on Halloween?

I am in awe of how enticingly the eerie atmosphere has been portrayed through the senses: a seaside town in winter, stormy weather, crashing waves, child-like scarecrows, scratching noises, unexpected occurrences and sightings, shocking revelations, the threat of danger … this is definitely a story that made me jumpy and read some parts from behind my fingers, and I loved it for being able to do that!

Aveline is a wonderful protagonist who shows great courage, determination and strength despite her understandable fear. She is intent on solving the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Primrose, and feels an affinity with her as she learns more and more about her. I loved how the relationship between Aveline and her Aunt Lilian changed during the course of the story, from one of tentativeness and awkwardness to closeness and warmth. I also enjoyed Aveline’s growing friendship with Harold who despite his scepticism about ghosts and irritating her at times, proves a loyal ally in her investigation.

I have to give a special mention to the bookseller, Ernst Liberman, who is a wonderfully rich, eccentric character, kind-hearted with a wealth of bookish knowledge, who utters the lines that are very close to my heart … “ … Books are the most precious thing in all the world …”

This is an absolutely perfect middle-grade read for those who like the frisson of fear, the eerie atmosphere and the build-up of tension that are all part of a thrilling ghost mystery story … it gave me delicious reading chills.

I’d first like to thank Usborne for allowing me to read this digital ARC via Netgalley!

The first thing I need to say is that I am glad I read this in the summer, while the nights are light haha! Not that it would be too scary for children, I am just particularly easy to scare/have an overactive imagination! It is definitely the perfect level of creepy for young ghost story fans in the run up to Halloween.

Aveline is like many of us; lover of ghost stories until the creaking starts and the howling of the wind rages on and then it gets too scary. Couple this with her stay in an out of season seaside town round Halloween and a strict aunt, who is keeping secrets and you have the creepiest of settings.!Oh, and let’s not forget the awful scarecrows designed to look like children that adorn the front gardens of those who live in Malmouth. They were the icing on the (terrifying!) cake.

The setting description was perfect – if you have ever been to a seaside town in the winter, it is like a ghost town and usually pretty freezing and dismal! This is a perfect example of pathetic fallacy for students; the bleak, grey palette that is described coupled with fantastic language that foreshadows what is to come perfectly sets the rest of the story up.

‘Malmouth appeared to have all the right ingredients for a haunting. Stormy weather. Old houses. The eerie grey swell of the sea. But, most of all, that uncanny emptiness that ghosts liked best.’

The motley crew of characters also works a treat; a young girl with a love of ghost stories, an annoying sidekick with his heart in the right place, his old book seller uncle who seems a bit zany and a no-nonsense aunt, as well as the mystery of Primrose, a teen who went missing several decades prior without a trace. Throw in a ghoulish folk tale, ‘The Lady in the Waves’ and prepare to be freaked out! Aveline is determined and brave but the characters knit together seamlessly. Take one away and the whole set up fails. I can’t tell a lie, the description of the lady reminded me of ‘The Woman in Black’, which I had nightmares about after watching! The tiny detail of having no visible eyes changes the whole tone from ghost story to full on fear factor, or it did for me! (I am easy to spook though. 😂)

I’m not going to go into detail about the story line because it would be easy to give spoilers in this type of novel but it’s fair to say Phil Hickes has executed the perfect ghost story here and really pushes it to the limit for the intended age group, with the fear factor, vocabulary and writing techniques. There is so much to pick out! You know that moment on a film when the protagonist is hiding, trying to hold their breath so the killer spectre doesn’t find them? The descriptive language is so detailed, I could actually hear that in my head!

All in all, The Haunting of Aveline Jones is a macabre, atmospheric novel, perfectly paced and absolutely essential for reading under the covers with a torch in the run up to Halloween this year!

When Aveline Jones discovers she has to spend October half-term with her slightly aloof Aunt Lilian in Malmouth, a deserted seaside town, she’s far from happy; however, her love of ghost books and all things spooky is fed when her aunt leaves her at a musty old book shop. Here she discovers a book of local ghost stories that once belonged to a girl from Malmouth, Primrose Penberthy, who went missing on Halloween many years ago. After finding the final story in the book blacked out, and then being given Primrose's diary by Mr Lieberman who found it in his shop, Aveline is convinced there is more to her disappearance than meets the eye, but can she discover what happened? Is there a link to the past and why on Earth do so many of the locals have creepy child-like scarecrows in their gardens?

The setting for this book is just perfect for such a spooky story: a deserted seaside town with stormy, roiling seas; an old musty bookstore piled with long-forgotten second-hand books, and old cottages that creak and groan with age. If you then add into the mix Aveline whose love of ghost stories means she reads more into bumps and knocks in the night, you've got the perfect setting for a ghost story!

The tension and suspense builds from the very beginning of this book and doesn't let up. I read it I one sitting as I couldn't put it down! I was desperate to discover what was going to happen next and yet, at the same time, had my fists clenched in fear and was hugging the nearest cushion!

At 224 pages, this book will be perfect for children who like shorter novels yet still like thrills and brilliantly written plots. I'd recommend The Haunting of Aveline Jones for those aged 9+, as well as those who enjoyed VE Schwab's City of Ghosts, Ross Montgommery's Christmas Dinner of Souls and Jennifer Killick’s Crater Lake.

The Haunting of Aveline Jones is brilliantly eerie and deliciously spooky and a book to read in a stormy night by torch-light ... if you dare!

A heart racing, palm sweating, deliciously terrifying 5 star Halloween read for sure. Although you may be sleeping with the lights on after!

This story gripped me from the very beginning. All the best horror stories have a wintry seaside setting and this tale doesn't disappoint.

Obsessed with ghost stories, Aveline is sent off to spend a few days in the sea side town of Malmouth with her Aunt. She is reluctant to go but her mother needs to visit her Grandmother in Scotland. It isn't long before she is adding to her collection of ghost stories after visiting a quaint second hand book shop. Aveline, helped by the Great Nephew of the book shop owner, discovers a few quirks about the book itself and it's previous owner. As she delves into the history of Malmouth, her aunt's house and her book it starts to appear as if Aveline herself might be in danger.

The Haunting of Aveline Jones is a deliciously scary story that will send shivers down your spine. One cold, blustery October half-term, Aveline travels to the Cornish coast to spend the week with her hard-edged, strict Aunt Lillian. Right from the start, readers are immersed in a shadowy, autumnal mood. The town of Malmouth is full of folklore and ghost stories. Superstitions live on even though most towns people have forgotten how they started and Aunt Lillian’s old house is full of secrets.

When Aveline discovers Lieberman’s Second-Hand Bookshop, she enters a treasure trove – like a secret book cave waiting to be explored. Searching through the stacks of old books, she comes across a volume of local ghost stories and the name Primrose Penberthy. Who was this girl? How did she disappear? What connection could she possible have to Aveline Jones?

Readers’ hearts will beat a little faster and they’ll hide under their blankets as they journey with Aveline to solve the mystery of the missing girl and the strange hauntings of her aunt’s house. Is Primrose Penberthy a kindred spirit or is there something more sinister yet to come?

Thank you to NetGalley and Usborne Publishing for the e-arc copy to read and review.

Set in the fictitious Cornish sea side town of Malmouth, this is the story of Aveline Jones who is sent to spend the autumn half term holiday with her Aunt whom she does not know very well. Aveline is a keen reader of spooky ghost stories and with nothing else to do with her time she soon finds herself if the local bookstore own by the eccentric Mr Lieberman. Whilst at the store she discovers a book about Cornish ghost stories with One of the stories unreadable and the name of a local girl who went missing 30 years ago written inside. Desperate to know more about the missing girl, Aveline sets out to investigate her disappearance with the help of Mr Lieberman and his great nephew Harold.

This is a fantastic fast-paced paranormal middle grade mystery with engaging characters and a marvellously spooky atmosphere throughout. The setting of the desolate seaside town in the autumn/winter when it has been abandoned by the tourists was perfect. The town almost felt like another character within the book.

As a primary school teacher I cannot wait to get my hands on a finished copy of this book to share with my class. They will love it. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next in the series.

Aveline’s half term plans are thrown into disarray when Mum has to visit Grandma who is ill in Scotland, and Aveline is taken to stay with her Aunt Lilian, whom she does not know very well, in a Cornish seaside village. Although fond of a ghost story, she is disturbed by the bizarre and grotesque child-like scarecrows that keep appearing around the village, and the strange noises that emanate from Aunt Lilian’s cottage. On a visit to the bookshop, she immediately feels at home with proprieter Mr Liebermann - even if the same cannot be said for his nephew Harold – and returns to the cottage with a book of folklore and ghost stories from the local area. The last one has been completely blacked out to the point where it is unreadable. As she tries to find out why, and what the story might be about, she uncovers disturbing facts about the book’s previous owner.
There is a real sense of menace in this brilliantly told ghostly mystery, balanced by a down to earth realism in the relationships between the characters and their differing views on existence of ghosts. Touches of humour in the dialogue and good-natured, kindly characters add warmth to the mix. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which kept me turning the pages but anyone who shares Aveline’s imagination should certainly read it in the daytime!

A fantastically haunting tale of ghosts and ghoulies from a brilliant debut author. Perfect for fans of spooky middle grade novels.

There will always be something about dark middle-grade/children novels that utterly terrifies me. Set in a bleak fictional town, Malmouth, Aveline Jones goes to visit her aunt in a seaside town in which a series of hauntings occur. 
This book is one that I definitely wish I had an opportunity to read when I was a kid as ghost ‘stories’ don’t always translate the same to adults as they do to children, but the language and beautiful autumnal imagery within the book did help me visualise it and did send a couple of shivers down my spine. At first I was sceptical of how much a book can actually creep me out. It’s written for children, and I, who hasn’t been one for many years now, cannot be even scared if even Pet Cemetery didn’t give me a single goosebump. Eeeeeek. Wrong. My lights will be staying on for the foreseeable future.The town is so atmospheric, immersive, and if you’ve ever lived in a seaside town, you’ll notice many things that will ring home to you. If you haven’t lived or visited one, then the book is a perfect opportunity for you to do so from the comfort of your own home. The metaphors are so clear, down to the point, all in all: perfect for children while holding a lovely balance between the contrasting sides of the spooky and the funny. It is absolutely phenomenal in all its darkness, and the character of Aveline Jones seems very much like a distant sister of our so beloved Coraline Jones. Filled with pumpkins, ghosts, small town characters, and mystery: this book is perfectly eerie for all ages to enjoy. The cover art is also phenomenal, and really brings the story to life.

Haunting, spooky and fully creepy. The Haunting of Aveline Jones was a spooky ghost story that had excellent atmospheric build up and suspense. I loved the integration of the missing child and her diary within the chapters. I liked Aveline herself and her interest in ghost stories. In addition, I enjoyed the bookseller and Harold who added their own quirkiness but in a different way. A truly scary tale that I imagine will delight younger readers!

I grew up in a town with a castle, the resident ghost there 'The Green Lady', haunting the ramparts waiting for her executed lover to return. As a kid, I was equal parts fascinated and terrified by the idea of her. Whenever we'd drive past the castle at night, I'd intensely look for her on the battlements, and instantly screw up my eyes for fear of actually seeing her. The Haunting of Aveline Jones completely harnesses that feeling, both in the context that it completely creeps you out, and that Aveline herself both wants to look and doesn't want to look.

The setting of Malmouth was perfection, totally atmospheric, it's an slightly abandoned town by the sea that's dark and gloomy, and constantly being lashed with rain and wind. The town's backdrop sets the tone for what's to come, and instantly makes you feel slightly on edge. My favourite part of the town was definitely the second hand bookshop, crammed with dusty old books and an eccentric owner, it felt like a little safe haven during all the spooky goings on.

Aveline is a wonderful protagonist, with her slightly quirky need to surround herself with ghost stories. I just loved her sense of adventure and how quickly she was willing to throw herself into any situation, even though she was just as on edge and spooked as the reader. She's supported by some great side characters, her auntie in particular with her love of order and rules added an interesting dynamic to the ghostly tale.

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.

I'd have loved it to be a little longer, just to spend more time discovering Malmouth and it's history, but I was excited to see that there will be another book and can't wait to see what comes next for Aveline! A fantastic little book, which would be the perfect read for Halloween for both middle graders and adults alike! If you like your stories with a little creep, definitely check this one out.

This is a really good start to what looks like a new series of supernatural stories. The characters were well developed and I especially liked Aveline who is both bright and courageous. The plot is a good one and genuinely creepy in places. It has a really good atmosphere and just the right amount of chills for the 8-10 age group. Overall I enjoyed this one a lot and will be looking out for the next in the series.

“Malmouth appeared to have all the right ingredients for a Haunting. Stormy weather. Old houses. The eerie grey swell of the sea. But, most of all, that uncanny emptiness that ghosts like best.”

I devoured The Haunting of Aveline Jones in a matter of hours. It’s thrilling, mysterious and spooky and I literally could not put it down! A real page-turner!

A ghost story, an unsolved mystery coupled with an eerie seaside setting in the run up to Halloween make this the perfect Autumn read. The September publication date is timed impeccably to ensure that the atmosphere will mirror the dark, blustery autumn afternoons described in the book and the approach of All Hallows Eve. As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, this book is best enjoyed cuddled up in front of the fire as it begins to get dark.

Whilst her mother looks after Granny who is ill in hospital, Aveline Jones has to go and spend half term with her Aunt Lilian in Malmouth on the Cornish coast. The town has unnerving Halloween tradition and creepy scarecrow dummies begin appearing outside the cottages.

Aveline loves reading ghost stories and she pays a visit to the town’s quirky second hand bookshop. Here she meets the shop’s eccentric owner, Ernst Lieberman and his nephew Harold. As she browses the shelves, a book of local folklore book catches her eye. Aveline discovers it belonged to a girl called Primrose Penberthy, who vanished mysteriously, some 30 years ago and has never been seen since. She then makes another disturbing discovery when she comes to read the final legend in the book ‘The Lady in the Waves.’ Sensing that her findings are somehow linked, Aveline is intrigued. She decides to investigate Primrose’s disappearance, with some help from her new friend, Harold but then the hauntings begin… The story reaches its nerve-jangling climax on Halloween night.

The exact amount of suspense needed is delivered at just the right moments; a scraping sound in the middle of the night, small marks on the window pane that resemble a small hand...these build to a deliver a spectacular dose of horror appropriate to middle grade fiction.

Although the principal character is female, I feel this book would appeal to both boys and girls in equal measure. I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic between Aveline and Harold– the awkwardness between them, desperately trying to hide the fact that they like each other perfectly captured the pre-teen relationships of upper primary school pupils. They make a great duo. The character of Aveline’s Aunt Lilian was also cleverly developed as the story progressed and I loved seeing the subtle changes in her relationship with her niece.

As a primary teacher, I would delight in reading this book to a class of Year 5 or 6 pupils - I loved scaring myself silly listening to a ghost stories as a child. This would be an ideal class book just before October half term and I know they would be on the edge of their seats wanting more.

I was absolutely thrilled to discover at the very end of the book that my adventures with Aveline Jones are not over...there is going to be a second in the series! The short synopsis of 'The Bewitching of Aveline Jones' sounds equally as gripping as the first and I shall be eagerly awaiting its arrival.

I will post a review on my blog at the point of publication.

Thank you to Net Galley and Usborne Publishing for allowing me to read this fantastic book ahead of publication.