I really enjoyed the first Aveline Jones and this second title was just as brilliant! Spooky, intriguing and compelling. Loved the exploration of an unbalanced friendship alongside the historical witch angle. There were also a couple of truly chilling moments. Thoroughly recommend and can’t wait for the third title in this series.

This book is the perfect spooky season read. I read the first Aveline Jones last year and fell in love with the Eiree feel of the setting and the friendships that Aveline made. The second book carries on from that spooky landscape and I was entranced reading this. I have already stocked it in my store and will continue to stock it for years to come. Its up there with one of my favourite series.

The Bewitching of Aveline Jones was an eagerly anticipated sequel to the delightfully spooky 'The Haunting of Aveline Jones' and it did not disappoint. A spine-tingling 5 out of 5 stars.
Aveline is holidaying in the little village of Norton Wick. She has very little to do other than explore the ancient stone circle at the bottom of the cottage garden where she meets Hazel and then the real story begins.
Perfectly illustrated by Keith Robinson, Hickes has managed to make this instalment even more spooky and tense. I'm not sure whether it's the choice of setting, the aptly named the Witch Stones or the mysterious Hazel but there is a real undercurrent within the pages. Is it that Hazel seems to eager to please, too friendly or is it because Hickes has used references to historical views of witchcraft?  Whichever it is, this is an undeniably deliciously spooky tale perfect for readers aged 9+.
Thank you to NetGalley and Usborne Publishing for my advanced read.

The second installment of Aveline Jones' spooky adventures. The atmosphere of the strange town, where Aveline and her mother are holidaying for the summer, is wonderfully creepy. I felt that because it was set in summer, the coziness was lost a bit, but it did not detract from the story. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Aveline's strange encounter with Hazel as well as the strange goings on. I was kept guessing throughout, and could not predict the ending.

A wonderfully spooky middle grade for the spooky season!

Cute and quick read, perfect for younger readers (and older, I'm 34 and still enjoyed it!) While I guessed where the book was headed fairly early on, I definitely enjoyed the read and will be looking out for the next book in the series.

Another perfect piece of #kidlit horror👻Just the right amount of scares, thrills, fun & heart

There so much more mileage in this fab series... as long as there are enough suitably spooky words for further "-ing of Aveline Jones" titles.

The bewitching of Adeline Jones is a great little book. Spooky, witchy, a little sinister and a lot of fun. It may be a little scary for younger or sensitive readers but my daughter will love this story.

Such a fantastic middle-grade horror! I didn't think I would enjoy a horror book so much but I really liked how the story progressed. I loved Aveline Jones and all the characters. The atmosphere created was so well-written and I think the writing is really simple and easy to understand.

I can't wait for the next one! Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for an e-arc for review!

I really enjoyed this title. Aveline is such a believable character, it could be the girl next door usually doing ordinary things, with ordinary family concerns, but she just happens to have an affinity for the supernatural and gets caught up in these strange sistuations. The plot is just right for the target age group to have them think about what’s going on and what could be about to happen as they read through. There is enough tension to keep them turning the pages and to not want to put the book down and this is present right to the end. A quick read for me, but a perfect book for late primary to early middle school ages for our market here in Costa Rica.

Summer holiday, and Aveline is with her mum in a remote cottage in a little village in the middle of nowhere. Boring…or at least it is until Aveline befriends one of the local girls who isn’t quite what she seems.
We can tell where this is going a mile off, but the story is engaging and offers some genuinely creepy moments. It was good to see Aveline not losing her interest in the unusual, but her lack of confidence in dealing with Hazel makes her seem little younger than she is.
Hazel and her desire to be friends with Aveline could have gone very differently, but we sense things will resolve themselves. There's a fw scenes where we have the benefit of knowing a little more than Aveline and this makes us fear for her, though there's never a sense that she's really at risk.
A quick read, giving just the right amount of creepy vibes. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this before publication.

Aveline Jones is on a summer holiday with her mum, renting a holiday cottage in the village of Norton Wick. Aveline is thrilled to discover that next to their cottage is a stone circle, which the locals refer to as The Witch Stones and Aveline cannot wait to learn about them and discover their secrets. Soon, she meets the mysterious Hazel who soon has Aveline under her spell. Hazel is unique and unlike anyone, Aveline has met before, but she can’t work out why this is. Shortly after meeting Hazel, Aveline sets out to discover the truth about her, before it’s too late.

I read The Haunting of Aveline Jones last year and absolutely loved it, so I was highly excited to read the second book in the series – The Bewitching of Aveline Jones. I certainly had high hopes when going into this sequel, and well, I certainly wasn’t disappointed. If you love creepy, terrifying Middle Grade horror, then this is a book for you..

Well, this was a quick, spooky, hair-raising read that I devoured in one sitting. It captured the creepiness and sinister vibes that you want from reading a book during this time of year. I felt unsettled at times, whilst reading, and I had to look around to make sure no one was watching me. The Bewitching of Aveline Jones brought chills to my spine and caused goosebumps to form on my arms. You don’t want to be reading this book in the dark, let me tell you that.

The setting of Norton Wick added to the chilling narrative, and from the get-go, you got the feeling something was amiss in this small village. This, in turn, made the whole atmosphere of the overall story just that bit more chilling. The village which is steeped in paganism had links to witchcraft and I found the overall concept of The Witch Stones to be fascinating and I found myself absorbed in Aveline and Harold’s attempts to learn more about them. I was also stunned to find out that they were based on a real stone circle in Stanton Drew. I do love it when authors base their fictional work on things they discover in reality, so I commend Phil for this. Plot-wise I was intrigued by Hazel and the mystery surrounding her, and Aveline’s attempts to uncover any secrets. The plot is fast-paced and this keeps successively keeps you so hooked, that you don’t want to put the book down.

Aveline, I feel was a more rounded character in The Bewitching of Aveline Jones, and this may be because we know what her personality is like from reading the first book. She had that spark of adventure and curiosity about her, mixed in with bravery and determination. Her friendship with Harold was also a lot stronger and they are such a perfect duo. I’m looking forward to more adventures featuring the two of them. Hazel, well I found disliking her from the moment I was introduced to her, but I think this may have been intentional. However, as I got further on into the story I started to understand why she was acting the way she did. It was also great to have the original characters from the first book back. It was amazing to see Aunt Lillian and the eccentric Mr Liberman back, and I do hope they are back for more adventures in future books.

The Bewitching of Aveline Jones is the perfect book for the spooky season. It’s terrifying, chilling, and suspenseful all rolled into one. In my opinion, it’s just that bit better than the first book, and I am so excited to read more of Aveline’s adventures in the hopefully near future.

This is a superb sequel. I read it in one sitting, which is always the sign of a good story.
The author cleverly creates a real sense of unease and foreboding, more so than many adult ghost stories I have read.

A perfect read for this time of the year as I love reading spooky books around this time. Aveline is a relatable and well rounded character. The spooky elements are done well and are spine chilling. I would definitely reccomend this book.

WARNING! Contains witchcraft!
Having read the first book in this series, The Haunting of Aveline Jones, last year around Halloween, I was keen to read this one too. Unable to wait for Halloween, I went ahead and dived in!
Our plucky heroine is off to Norton Wick in the West Country on a last minute summer holiday. She is pleased to find that there is a stone circle practically in the back garden of their cottage and rushes off to explore. The Witch Stones have local superstitions attached to them and Aveline encounters a mysterious girl, who seems to both appear and vanish at will. Soon her friend Harold arrives with her Aunt Lilian and Mr Liebermann (Harold’s great uncle, who owns a bookshop) and the two friends embark on an adventure to discover more about the standing stones and the history of the village. As someone who is familiar with the supernatural, Aveline is intrigued by the mysterious girl, Hazel Browne (with an e) but soon she is embroiled in an unpredictable friendship and faces forces the like of which she has not seen before.
I really enjoyed this well plotted book and, as someone who grew up in a place of ancient history, standing stones and long barrows, loved the setting. Phil Hickes has a way of tapping into your childhood brain, the part of your brain which still remembers how it felt to be a child who still believed in things that go bump in the night. I loved the combination of witches, druids, folklore, magpies, the supernatural and everyday friendship challenges that children face. I found shades of fairytales, Hansel & Gretel’s witches house in a modern day setting, which made me (as an adult) smile. This book contains the forces of good and evil, that never ending battle to stay away from the dark side and run onwards to the light. I look forward to the next book in the series.
I will recommend this book to Year 5 and up, with a mention that is does have spooky content.

Aveline Jones is back for another superbly spine-tingling adventure in The Bewitching of Aveline Jones, a spookily witchy tale that is a perfect autumnal reading treat.

Aveline Jones is on a late summer holiday with her Mum, staying in a remote rundown cottage in the village of Norton Wick. With her natural curiosity relating to all things supernatural, she is keen to visit the ancient stone circle, known as The Witch Stones, close to the cottage, and learn more about their history.

It is not long before she meets Hazel Browne, a cool, confident and friendly girl who is keen to become Aveline’s friend and introduce her to the magic of the stones which she seems to know a lot about. Although Aveline is wary, she is also fascinated by her mysterious new friend, a friend who may not always be telling Aveline the whole truth …

Aveline’s friend Harold, who we met in The Haunting of Aveline Jones, comes to visit and brings with him some books Aveline has asked for, books that might reveal more about the Stones, the mysterious bottle that Aveline has found buried in her garden, and even her new friend, but will these revelations come too late to protect the friends?

This is a thrilling, dark mystery, laden with suspense, a brilliantly evoked eerie atmosphere, and deliciously sinister moments that sent a shiver down my spine. There is a constant sense that things are not quite as they may seem in Norton Wick, and that danger may never be far away. The past has a way of invading the present, but will Aveline and Harold discover the truth of someone’s past before it is too late?

Aveline is just as wonderful as I remember her from her first adventure. Even though she is spellbound by Hazel, her natural instincts warn her to be wary, to question and to investigate, just as I would expect from this strong, curious and determined girl.

The cover and inside illustrations by Keith Robinson are stunning and complement the spooky atmosphere of this story perfectly.

This is a wonderfully spooky middle-grade read that is perfect for readers of 9+ and is one I cannot recommend highly enough.

On holiday near a stone circle, Adeline bumps into Hazel, a local girl who seems to appear and disappear unexpectedly. When her friend Harold comes to stay, they embark on a magical adventure involving witches, spells and druids.

This was a gripping and well told story, however it is extremely dark. There were times that I felt genuinely frightened for the characters and although children would love the story, I think it is too dark and sinister in places to make it a general read aloud book for a class. Definitely one to be chosen with caution. I believe that witchcraft is real, not just something found in stories and this book touches on its dangerous aspects. However, because the story has a happy ending (of course it does, it’s a children’s book) I worry that young people may be drawn towards dabbling in witchcraft and supernatural things without fully understanding the dangers. It’s a superbly written book, but not one I will be recommending for that reason.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely wonderful read and one that will stay in my memory for a long time. A superb sequel to The Haunting of Aveline Jones that is both thrilling and scary. Phil Hickes continues to show a great aptitude for really drawing the reader into the story and making the book unput downable.

I have really enjoyed reading this book, it was really wonderfully written, easy to follow and kept me gripped throughout. Would recommend.

Blimey, this book gave me the shivers!

I haven't read the first book but this works as a stand alone, there a only a few mentions of something before.

Aveline and her Mum suddenly get to go on a holiday , Mum books a cottage which is near a stone circle, The Witch Stones. Aveline feels weird from the first time she goes there. She realises there is a girl there, in a white dress, she disappears. Then she finds an old bottle with something inside, she calls her friend Harold who is coming down to stay with them and asks him to bring books on the stones and old bottles.
Aveline sees her again the next day, dressed for riding on a beautiful black horse. Again, she disappears quickly. Later they meet again at the stones, but Hazel won't come into Aveline's cottage, she makes an excuse about spraining her ankle. She invites Aveline to stay at her house, but then Aveline finds her parents aren't going to be there, she is worried but daren't say she wants to leave.
What is going on? Why doesn't Hazel seem to want to be with Aveline and Harold? Where does she live? It's hard to retrace her steps with Harold.
Hazel is not all she seems, but who is she and why does she hate the village vicar, Alice, so much?
Aveline finds herself and her family and friends are in trouble, how can she sort it out?

In her second adventure, Aveline goes off on holiday to the West Country near Bristol. Her Mum has chosen a cottage in a tiny village with the added bonus of a mysterious stone circle in the garden.

Aveline is both fascinated and repelled by the stone circle asking her friend Harold (from the previous book) to bring books from the bookshop in Cornwall about stone circles when he comes to visit. She also wants to find out more about a mysterious sealed bottle she finds near the door.

Aveline almost instantly meets the mysterious Hazel who rides a black horse but sometimes vanishes. Hazel wants to befriend her and initiate her in the magic of the stone circle. Aveline is warned off by the vicar, Alice, who she finds carrying out strange rituals. Who is to be trusted?

A sleepover with Hazel deepens the mystery more and Aveline must trust her instincts. Once again her sensitivity and courage will be needed.

This has old fashioned charm, magic and just the right amount of spookiness and "peril". It reminds me f Penelope Lively's The Whispering Knights and The Ghost of Thomas Kempe.

There is a taster of the next adventure which I look forward to hugely.