I'd not realised this was a second book, so I went and read the first one before jumping into this one, and although I did prefer the overall story and mystery of the first book, this one was quite strong! The story is heavily led by its characters and how likeable they are, and it's so easy to read!

Aveline Jones is back and she has another spooky tale to ‘bewitch’ us with. She quickly discovers that her Summer holiday plans are not as mundane as she thought. The cottage mum has rented rests besides a stone circle with thousands of years of history that is known as ‘the Witch Stones’. By these mysterious ancient artifacts, Aveline meets Hazel, a cool and collected, but friendly young person. Hazel oozes charm and it’s not long before Aveline is desperate to impress her, for some reason that she cannot work out. There’s something mysterious about her new friend…but will Aveline discover it in time?

Phil Hickes is an absolute master of writing spooky and haunting adventures in a way that will chill your bones, but isn’t too scary for the target audience - just perfect! Children (especially UKS2) are clamouring for more ‘horror’ books and I highly recommend the Aveline Jones series. As well as being filled with creepy, spooky vibes (emphasised by chilling description and chiller style writing), this book is pacey, leaving you wanting more and desperate to read on. It’s not a hugely long read either, so perfect for those that want a shorter, but still effective story to read.

Aveline remains a compelling character to follow; she questions the world around her and is so fascinated in all things supernatural. She’s a great protagonist, backed up well by almost sidekick Harold. He felt a little sidelined during this tale, but that was sort of the point of the story. Hazel, however, was most intriguing throughout. The power dynamic in her friendship with Aveline is a great relationship to explore and I imagine readers will find themselves feeling frustrated at Aveline throughout and wanting her to see how badly Hazel is leading her on!

As haunting as the first, with some seriously ‘bewitching’ vibes! 5 out of 5 stars.

This is such a great book that is well written. It has the perfect amount of spookiness. I can’t wait for the next one. Perfect for younger readers

Im not sure how Phil hicks manages to do it, but every book I read has me sleeping with the light on for at least a week, they are just so haunting!

This is such a great series, and I loved this book as much as the first one. I bought the whole series for my classroom and a girl who never finishes books is totally addicted and the rest of the class are now getting interested too. For some of the children who don't read much, this is huge.

Absolutely loved Aveline, so creepy but perfectly pitched for a middle grade 9-12 audience, loved both books, and the illustrations by Robinson. Can't wait for the next one.

We read the first chapter of the first book in Guided Reading. The children were hooked and couldn’t wait to read the rest so imagine their surprise to hear about a sequel! The vocabulary used in this book is stunning and really helps you to picture the atmosphere and setting as a reader. A great instalment in Aveline’s adventures. My class love her!

A fantastic sequel to The Haunting of Aveline Jones! Equally as spooky and mysterious with a new challenge for Aveline to overcome. Whilst on holiday, Aveline is thrilled to be staying near a stone circle, which the villagers refer to as the ‘Witches Stones’. Being the curious girl she is, Aveline explores this location and makes a new acquaintance, Hazel. Instantly Aveline is under Hazel’s spell and forms a quick friendship. But everything is not as it seems and Aveline will have to overcome several challenges before she works out what is going on. This story is perfect for children aged 9+

Loved the first of this series. Aveline is a well drawn character. This is a great book to introduce children to ghost story genre. Some great building of tension and suspense. The final chapters are especially brilliant. I will definitely use this story when teaching The Gothic with Year 8

A thrilling, captivating book with many twist and turn. My class begged me to continue reading at the end of each chapter. A sequel that was amazing and just as good, if not better than the first. We can't wait for the next one to come out!

The first Aveline Jones book was brilliant, so I was really looking forward to book 2. Once again, I had a great time reading this book and I love having this series available to recommend to children in my class.

In this story, we follow Aveline and her mum on their holiday to the small village of Norton Wick, famous for its stone circle (known as the Witch Stones). It doesn't take long for strange things to start happening to Aveline, from finding a glass bottle buried in the garden, to meeting a mysterious girl named Hazel. At least, her friend Harold will arrive soon and hopefully he can help her understand what is happening. However, by inviting Harold to Norton Wick, she might be bringing him into more danger than either of them have ever faced before!

What's great about this series is they're shorter than many other middlegrades so are accessible to children who might not yet have the reading stamina for a longer book. The stories are always wonderfully sinister and creepy but not gory, which is perfect for readers who like to be scared, but don't want graphic violence (like me!)

Really looking forward to reading Aveline's next creepy adventure in book 3.

It's a real thrill to see this series become so popular, I adore it and hope the adventures just keep coming. I couldn't choose between the first and second book, I think they're both pretty much flawless.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Usborne Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a brilliant sequel! I adored The Haunting of Aveline Jones and I couldn't wait to see where her adventures took her this time. I'm also a huge fan of anything and everything witch related and this definitely delivered, so it was a double-win!

This is a hugely atmospheric read, and Hickes paints a vivid sensation of place; you are really there with Aveline. I think this installment is creepier than the first (and I was honestly freaked out at a couple of scenes in the first one too), and delivers a stronger plot now that the characters are already established. I do suggest reading the first Aveline book before picking up this one, but they are a fantastic light-horror duo that I can't recommend enough

I cannot wait to see where Aveline and Harold get to next time.

4 fantastic stars

Another fantastic entry into the Aveline Jones series - I really think these books are an essential for any young, curious, voracious reader. They will see a lot of themselves in Aveline and Harold.

This story is focussed on local witching traditions and legends, and is perfectly embedded into the feeling of a dull summer holiday when you're young. The setting was a small village that could be anywhere in the UK and incredibly recognisable. I found the plot poignant and melancholy.

I wish i'd had these books when I was young - I would have loved them. Can't wait to read more of Aveline's adventures!

"The Haunting of Aveline Jones" was one of my absolute favourite Autumn reads last year, and I could not WAIT for the sequel to come out. While HAUNTING was all about ghosts, BEWITCHING follows Aveline on her family holiday, to a cottage right next to a mysterious stone circle. But not everyone in the village is who they seem to be, and when Aveline is drawn closer to the mystery she, herself, soon finds herself in danger...
Another fantastic spooky read for October! Written in the same charming style as the first book in the series, this is the perfect read for any lover of mysteries and the supernatural!

A spooky and charming middle grade with a lot of heart. My 8 year old found this impossible impossible put down and was so eager to retell his favourite parts.

It's rare to stumble across a great book by pure happy accident; yet that's how Aveline Jones fell into my life. I requested and was approved for an ARC of The Bewitching of Aveline Jones, and it was only when it arrived that I realised it was the second in a series. Unsure whether these books would function as standalone, I decided to purchase The Haunting of Aveline Jones to read first. And what an absolute treat for the spooky season. I love advocating Middle Grade Mysteries and Ghost Stories, because they always enchant as well as scare. Some adult horror novels struggle to find that balance of tension and true scare - well Hickes is a master. Even his debut is evidence of that. And then on top of that, the language and pacing is accessible to all ages. I repeat - a master.

The Haunting of... follows our titular character Aveline Jones, a young girl with a fascination with ghosts, ghouls and other spooky wonders. Aveline is left in the moody village of Malmouth to stay with her Aunt Lilian, whilst Aveline's mother takes care of their sick gran. Immediately the atmosphere is built and I could perfectly imagine this cold, unwelcome and super creepy seaside down - void of life and sunshine. Aunt Lilian was a great character who perfectly reflected the cold and stern nature of Malmouth in the beginning but warmed to Aveline as the ghost story develops. I loved this, and just wanted to take a minute to praise Hickes for including such a compassionate character for Aveline to go to. Often in Middle Grades, parents are absent or neglectful so that the characters can go on their journies without interruption from the outside world. And whilst Lilian began as a similar foil, she does encourage Aveline to find the answers she seeks throughout the narrative. It was a refreshing change of pace, and such a little thing - but I felt it needed adding.

Equally, The Betwitching... follows Aveline as she explores the grounds outside a cottage she's staying in with her mum. There are Witch Stones that unlock mysteries Aveline is desperate to explore. The tension and payoff was there, with clues the whole way through and beautifully crafted atmosphere. It's so hard not to spoil such great books by telling you all the reasons I loved them, but just know that I found both novels a fun and refreshing take on ghosts and witches, Aveline and her friends get caught up in some well-crafted mysteries which have clues from the first page - but won't hold your hand as you put the pieces together. (Another tricky balancing act that some adult novelists struggle with.)

A creepy book is just what I needed to binge read, and this book fit the bill perfectly. It was great to be reunited with Aveline and her love for the supernatural; some characters really do lodge themselves like aquaintances in your mind, and Aveline feels just like that.

I was curious to see how this would work as a second book both as a formula and in practice. Would we meet the first book’s side characters again? Would the balance of comfort and creepy be struck just as well? Would a children’s book keep me up at night as it was spooky? I’m happy to report yes to all three.

The beautiful illustrations by Keith Robinson and the lovely writing blend together to provide a wonderful adventure, with lessons well worth noting for any children reading. It raises the question of how to balance out new and old friendships, and quite how much to tolerate from people; it asks us to consider when teasing stops being fun and starts being hurtful, and how to handle that balance. Aveline has to learn to stand up for herself and for the people she cares about in order to keep them all safe, as well as working out who to trust, while keeping her mum in the dark of the magic that’s afoot.

This is the second Aveline Jones book and I am thoroughly hooked on this series now. I loved the story of the witches and witch stones, the return of Harold, and the adventure they have. It's another brilliantly creepy book and perfect for the upcoming spooky season.

This second outing for Aveline Jones finds her on holiday in the village of Norton Wick, in a cottage situated next to an ancient stone circle, known locally as the Witch Stones. Aveline has a huge interest in all things supernatural and can't wait to find out more about them. Then a chance meeting with a strange local girl called Hazel teaches her more about the stones than she could have found in books. This is another deliciously creepy story from Phil Hickes. The writing is eerily atmospheric. I enjoyed it just as much as nine year old, Misty reading me would have! I cannot wait to see what's in store for Aveline in the next installment.