Thank you netgalley for giving me a digital arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this fun and spooky middle grade, as quite a big fan of Carrie Hope Fletcher already I was quite excited when she announced this book as it had all my favourite things, spooky vibes, loveable character, cute illustrations and an amazing story line!

The character are so loveable and it’s very easy to follow and imagine the magical aspects of this book. Would be an amazing read during Halloween season and would
be brilliant for all ages to enjoy!

An enjoyable read even as an adult. I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it was. I could see my nieces and nephews reading and enjoying it and will definitely be purchasing a copy for them. It had a great plot line with likeable characters. It wasn’t overly childish and I found myself gripped and wanting to see what would happen.

I read this one with/to my daughter and she loved it! A nice little story about the power of sisterly love overcoming a curse, and what small girl doesn't love a good witch story!

I thought the initial mystery about the strange new next door neighbour was well done and there were just enough twists and turns to keep the story at a good pace.

I asked my daughter and she gave it 4 out of 5!

Ivy and Maggie are best friends who share the same birthday which was on Friday the 13th, and everyone knows that babies that are born on Friday the 13th are immune to all evil. They love to get into trouble so that's why they call themselves The Double Trouble Society. They live in a town called Crowood Peak which has a legend of a witch who tried to eat 13 children's hearts because of a curse from a demon, but got stopped by her sister, and that she'll return 300 years later to claim the 13th, be immortal and destroy Crowood Peak. So they do this festival every blue moon which falls once in 2 and a half years on this Hokus Pokus house which is in the middle of Ivy's and Maggie's houses. But one night someone moves in there. And Maggie is sure she's the witch who came back to claim the 13th but Ivy isn't so they want to find out more and learn how to stop her and save their town.
This was a pretty fun short fantasy novel for ages I'd say 9 to 13. Though I'm older I still really enjoyed it. The mystery was fun, and even though the plot was pretty predictable I still liked it. The MC girls were very nice and I loved their friendship. Also, the whole saving the day by love and hope was cute. I love the cover and the illustrations, they're pretty. There's also a quiz about the book in the end, and it was fun, I almost guessed them all. I recommend this to younger readers who love fantasy adventures that play with prophecies and legends, they're fun.

For her first children's novel, Carrie Hope Fletcher has written 'The Double Trouble Society', a magical story about two best friends, a witches curse and a house that appears to be haunted. The development of the two main characters, Ivy and Maple, is excellent; they are two quite different characters which makes for an entertaining read when they are trying to get to the bottom of the strange goings on in Crowood Peak. The themes of magic and friendship run strongly through the book and, although at times it felt the action dragged a little, the language throughout is rich and descriptive. I enjoyed the development of the villain (which is sometimes rare in a children's novel) and the feeling of community towards the end of the book. The male single parent representation is one that is often lacking so Carrie should be commended for this also. The book would be great for children aged 8-10.

Thoroughly enjoyable tale about a pair of precocious kids who are best friends, forever.

I liked the characters, the magic and the witches.

Great fun to read and who doesn't like a bit of magic in their world.

A fun, bright adventure about two friends and the legend that surrounds their town. It was really heartwarming and action packed. Carrie Hope Fletcher has weaved a wonderful tale. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to review this ARC.

A tweenaged fantasy with an awful lot of conviction and distinction for a 'celebrity' author. Two adopted children would be next door neighbours but for the fact that between their homes is the access to Hokum House, a ruin for three hundred years since the last witch to live there vanished, chasing a thirteenth child's heart to eat to become ruler of the underworld, or something. Oh, but, now a new woman has moved in, restored it to full glory with a wave of her hand and a muttering or two, and all the key adults about the place now believe this woman, Amy, to be a long-term village inhabitant. Our heroines are sure something very nasty is afoot, especially as they see the village's legends and history getting redacted at the same time. It will clearly kick off this next blue moon, when a festival about the legend is due. But is this going to be the time a three hundred year old prophecy comes true?

For an audience a couple of years younger than this the book would be half the length and the plot would revolve around whether Amy is a witch or not – it would be found when she waves her hands about and chants stuff she is a misunderstood yoga tutor. An audience older than this expects to have would get a fairly dark end-of-the-world scenario. This is finely pitched right in the middle, and has jeopardy and magical strangeness, but also the lightness of touch to appeal to a pre-teen crowd. The girls, Ivy and Maggie, took some time with me to appear distinct, but once I knew who was who I enjoyed their differences, and didn't even mind the copious times they mugged for the camera or nudged each other to shut up as if they lived in a sit-com.

For fans of this age bracket's fantasy, what I still say is a surprise is the layered quality of the lore – the names on the stones from the mountain because of the this and the that. It does get info-dumped on us in an awkward fashion – but, to repeat, the way it gets wiped out for practically all but our leads is another fine aspect of this story. It helps make this a book about family, as well – the two girls, practically sisters, losing connections with parental guidance just when it's most needed.

However, that aspect, the sisterhood and family love etc, does end up making the latter parts of this really, really cloying for readers older than the intended. It wants to ram down our throats the importance of hope, of never quitting, and of going the extra mile towards danger – all because of family. Such is a fine sentiment, I guess, but it's not really subtle here. And yet the target audience won't care a monkey's – this will have stolen their hearts (and some of their weekend) from the get-go.

Loved this novel for children, it's the first I've read by Carrie but do hope she follows this up with a series.
Ivy and Maggie are very likeable characters and you can definitely see children will compare themselves to one of both of them. Ivy being the quiet one and Maggie always on the lookout for adventure/ danger, my daughter would be a mix of both. Although they are best friends they are more like sisters and even live near each other with a creepy abandoned house - Hokum House separating them. They speak to each other nightly on walkie talkies and one particular night , enter a strange woman into Hokum House! The house suddenly repairs itself with a wave of her hands. Without giving too much of the plot away the legend of the Crowood witch seems to be playing out before their eyes.... After all its nearly 300 years since the curse began and the festival is coming up in remembrance, what better way for an evil witch to enter??
I remember reading "The Worst Witch" by Jill Murphy when I was young and feel it has those vibes mixed with Charmed. Children are going to.love this book, scary and ideal for Halloween!! Although could be read anytime..

Such an incredibly written middle grade book by Carrie Hope Fletcher. I have given The Double Trouble Society four out of five stars.

I loved the two main characters, Ivy and Maggie. They're best friends and couldn't be more opposite if they tried; Ivy tends to stick by the rules of a book whereas Maggie is more of a daredevil who likes adventures and being spontaneous.

This book left me feeling wholesome, filled with magic and happiness. I loved how it all tied together at the end, I came away from this book feeling so satisfied.

This is definitely one of those books which would've held a special place in my heart as a child and I would've re-read it over and over again. I can see my niece loving this book around October time for the spooky witch vibes. I absolutely adored this story and can only hope Carrie delves into this world again one day and makes a sequel.

A charming read, makes you believe there’s magic in every one of us. The novel follows two best friends as increasingly strange things happen to their town - children disappearing, immortal witches returning and a creepy Hokum House. It would be a great book to read with a child and balances magical adventures and imagination with deeper running themes such as family and love. The characters are all very fun and lovable. Beautifully written with some more ambitious vocabulary that could stretch young readers and a lovely read that’s perfect for Halloween!

My 9-year-old granddaughter is going to love this book as much as I did! It’s a great story about friendship, love and magic. Beautifully written, sometimes funny, sometimes serious and the descriptions of the magical bits are wonderful. A lovely read! Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read it.

My children and I are reading this book together (thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the preview copy) - the characters and the storyline have captured all our imaginations.
The kids have asked to buy a physical copy of the book, which is very high praise. They’re also now using it as a source of role play and building various elements of the story in Minecraft, which is testament to the quality of the world building.
Suitable for kids and big kids alike. If you enjoyed the Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend, then give this a go!

So let me see what I have here: A pair of best friends living in a boring town. Witches, magic, and a sprinkling of mayhem. And one particularly grumpy cat the likes of which I’m sure we’ve all met at least once in our lives. If you mix all this together, along with lashings of vivid description and a dash of humour, you get the most recent release from Carrie Hope Fletcher, The Double Trouble Society.

Best friends Maggie and Ivy live in the boring town of Crowood Peak. Nothing exciting ever seems to happen there. Life just meanders on, with the girls navigating the typical trials and tribulations of their school and home life, all while avoiding the wrath of Ramshackle, the grumpy cat who resides in the fantastically spooky sounding Hokum House (the supposedly haunted house which sits fiendishly right between the girls’ homes.) At least that is what happen until a strange figure arrives at Hokum House and life in Crowood Peak is cranked up a notch or 10! What follows then is a race to solve the mystery of Hokum House which pits Maggie and Ivy against a witch.

The Double Trouble Society really caught my attention. Reading more in my role as a teacher, I found myself really engaged with the twisting and turning of the plot as it developed. I’d wager that many young readers will see a little bit of themselves in Maggie or Ivy (or maybe even both) as they escape into the world of The Double Trouble Society and follow the girls’ as they try to solve the mystery of Hokum House. The familiar plot may seem simple, but Fletcher’s writing really brings it to life and is why my 9 year old daughter is eager to read it as I speak!

A lovely summer read with likeable characters and a wonderful story arc I had a lovely weekend reading this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the novel.

This is mine and my daughter's first novel by author Carrie Hope Fletcher and we both found it highly enjoyable.

The blurb reads

"What do you get if you mix together two best friends, a witch's curse and a haunted house? A spell-binding mystery from acclaimed performer and bestselling author Carrie Hope Fletcher - star of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella.

They say children who are born on Friday 13th are immune to evil spirits. Whilst Ivy and Maggie liked to believe that was true, it didn't stop them checking for monsters under their bed each and every night.

Ivy and Maggie have been best friends ever since they were born at exactly the same minute twelve years earlier. They're always on the look-out for a new adventure but unfortunately Crowood Peak is officially the most boring town in the world. Or at least it was until children start to mysteriously disappear and, even stranger, none of the grown-ups seem to have noticed . . .

It's up to the Double Trouble Society to work out what's going on. All the evidence points to the old mansion next door with strange green lights in the windows and a new owner who looks suspiciously like a witch!

Can Ivy and Maggie solve the mystery of Hokum House and rescue their friends or will they be next on the witch's list of victims?"

We were both super excited to read this novel and it did not disappoint. My daughter enjoyed reading about Ivy and Maggie and found it quite relatable as she is 9 years old. For me personally, I feel that it is geared towards may 11 plus children but it was still suitable.

Such a good and interesting story line that did keep us both wanting to read longer. We both enjoyed these characters and it is full of fun. Lovely narrative, funny in places and kept our attention.

Thanks for allowing me and my daughter to have an arc copy of this novel.

I loved it, it gives you adventure, mystery, happiness, teamwork and a little hocus pocus!!
I thought I knew where the story was going and then you got the twist.
I thought Ivy and Maggie were great one with a sense of adventure and one to keep the other grounded. So the perfect pair.
The story kept me gripped as an adult so I think children will love it.
I think it holds a great message of even in times of darkness to hold onto Hope and good feelings.

I love Carrie's books.

This was a fun easy to read book about friends, witches and wizards.

I loved it and would certainly recommend to friends with children

A simple but fun story about witches, magic, friendships, family, and love conquering all. The relationship between the characters were lovely to read about and the strength of the story.

The narrative was a little too simple, with little to no character arcs or commentary on societal matters. While I realise this is a middle grade story, and definitely aimed at the younger side of that categorisation, there are plenty of examples out there of MG stories that do this. This isn't one of them.

Regardless it was a fun magical romp with a sweet message of cherishing your loved ones.

This was an enjoyable read, yes I’m an adult who reads children's books now and again. The storyline I feel was appropriate for the audience and age range on this book. Two best friends Ivy and Maggie save the day, well actually save their town Crowood Peak from a legend about a witch and what are the goings on in Hokum house, Ivy and Maggie intend to find out. I have to say my only little niggle was sometimes I did feel the words and actions placed our two main characters younger than their 12 years but then also sometimes older than their 12 years but this could just be me reading from an adults perspective.