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.

The book managed to get under my skin in a way that few horror books do. 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. It also means that the mystery is able to be given centre stage without other issues that are superfluous. They don’t instantly dismiss the things kids say out of hand just because they’re adults and know better. Instead, the adults are well reasoned and kind people. In fact, there wasn’t really any kind of adult foe or overbearing authority figure for Aveline to overcome, something that can become an easy trope in middle-grade books. READ MORE: The Ghost Tree (Christina Henry) – Book Review And it was nice to see this relationship evolve over the course of the book, and see the two of them become closer. I thought the book was going to be setting up a stern and overbearing aunt figure who 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.

One of the things that I really like about The Haunting of Aveline Jones is that there’s not a huge amount of conflict. 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 she was being stalked by a ghostly figure. However, the final story in the book is crossed out. She picks out an old and unusual book about local ghost stories, and is soon enthralled by the local tales. READ MORE: The Angel of the Crows (Katherine Addison) – Book ReviewĪveline explores Malmouth and discovers a second hand book store, run by the elderly Mr Lieberman. 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’s aunt lives in the small coastal town of Malmouth, where she tutors some of the local children. The book follows Aveline Jones, who’s gone to stay with her Aunt Lilian for about a week or so whilst her mother travels up to Scotland to visit her own ill mother. This one immediately jumped out at me and drew me in, and once I read the blurb I was hooked. I know that you’re not supposed to be judging books by their covers, but let’s be honest, we all do. I was initially drawn to The Haunting of Aveline Jones because of the gorgeous cover art.

The haunting of aveline jones blurb