This is a strong debut by Angela Kecojevic, bringing us a story steeped in family secrets, traditions, friendship, differences and a few scares thrown in for good measure.

The author has built a world around the Victorian era we know, bringing a sense of fear and dread to it by adding in illusions (or are they just tricks) that mess with your eyes and your mind, whilst Nancy and Arthur dig deep to brave the dangers and face their fears to get to the bottom of Nancy’s links to Skelter Tombola and the Scareground.

Nancy’s relationship with/to the sky is an added element that we are never quite sure is an advantage or will bring her more peril.

Whilst the ending brought some answers for Nancy, there is definitely more to her past and her special abilities than revealed here, leaving the door wide open to further speculation and hope that there will be a second novel on the way.

Special mention must also go to the map at the start…I do love a book map.

Thank you to @NetGalley @NeemTreePress and @The_WriteReads for an advance copy in exchange for this review.

Scareground is an atmospheric adventure, filled with magic, whimsy, and mystery.

While the main characters definitely felt younger than they were, all the characters were vividly depicted with all the quirks and personalities of a good children’s book. I especially liked Nancy, the main character’s, emotional arc, as she comes to terms with what happened in her past and finds a way to move forward. She also had a lovely friendship with Arthur which was a nice anchor for the novel.

I found the plot enjoyable, if a bit cliché at times, but the mystery aspect is good. However, I did find the fantasy aspect a bit scattered, and I would have preferred it if the ‘good’ magic and the ‘bad’ magic had been complementary in some way. Instead there were multiple different kinds of magic going on, none of which really got explored, and it felt a bit too busy and muddled.

The setting was very immersive, which did make it a very absorbing read, and I really liked the illusionist themes throughout.

I received a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.

I read this myself as sometimes some scary childrens book can upset my youngest grandchild depending upon the subject matter. I do get into trouble if I give her nightmares .No worries with this book though, I will look forward to reading it again ( probably for Halloween) with the family.

I absolutely LOVED Scareground!
It's a spooky and atmospheric read, with brilliantly realised characters, believable friendships and lots of adventure!

The perfect middle grade read for autumn!