this is such a great young adult horror novel, the characters were great and I enjoyed the story itself. I liked how Ms. Alexander writes and look forward to more from her.

Emma’s freshman year has finally begun but not in the way she had hoped. Not long after arriving, Emma learns some shocking news: Doug has a new girlfriend. Although heartbroken, that’s not all on Emma’s mind. One night while getting some fresh air, Emma glimpses a mysterious phantom on the castle’s east tower. Spurred on by other strange encounters, Emma launches into an investigation to find out if what she saw was real and, if so, what it could mean. What she discovers is unlike anything she expected and sparks a secret adventure through the academy’s underground caverns.

When an unforeseen danger threatens to undo all that she’s accomplished, Emma must gather her courage and do the right thing. But what will it cost? And will she and Doug ever be the same again?


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Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC! I've never thought that this book is the 3rd book within the series and the author makes several references from books before so it's a bit confusing but anyway it's still a 3 stars book. It's a fast paced and action packed middle-grade book!

I had a hard time getting into this book. I wanted it to be a little bit more punchy to start but I thought the mystery was well done! A fun read overall.

The book starts with an introduction to a new character to the series named Andy. Andy is currently running away from his abusive home and is trying to find a place to rest. While this is happening, we are reintroduced to the current series characters Martha, Emma, Sebastian, and Doug who all attend a boarding school called Dinswood Academy. Doug is currently going out with the resident mean girl. As a result of this, the group dynamic has changed. As the teens deal with typical teen angst, a mystery appears which may ultimately bring them all back together.
Full disclaimer, I did not realize that this book was a part of a series until I was several chapters into it. I was grateful that the author reintroduced the reader to the characters. Despite being lost at the beginning for obvious reasons, I truly enjoyed this read. This book has it all: action, romance, mystery, and suspense.

I received this book for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley
this was a spooky cool adventure I really enjoyed the characters and the humor

thank to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

i wasn't aware this was part of a series, but it was still easy enough to catch on to the story. although i did find the pacing a little confusing. there was pretty much nothing happening in the first half of the book, and the mystery was solved at around 50%. moreover, i found the narration was odd, but i got through it no matter how annoying it was. the pov switches occurred in the middle of the chapters and often just for a few paragraphs just so we could connect to the characters (which were ok, but not that necessary to get into the heads of every couple of paragraphs) it was jarring and pulled me out of the story. overall, this story had many flaws, although it was still a fun read that could have potentially been better written and thought out in terms of pacing and character work.

Although I liked the characters, this book was ultimately not for me.

I found the pacing of the plot to be confusing. The mystery alluded to in the title took up very little of the first half of the book, and it was solved by around the 50% mark. After that the characters sort of go about their lives without any long-term plan until an unrelated incident forces an action sequence at the end. The action sequence itself was engaging.

I also found the narration to be confusing. Although the majority of the story is told from the 3rd person POV of the main character, Emma, we are occasionally thrown into the heads of supporting characters to be told what they are thinking/their reaction to an event. I found the switches, which occurred mid-chapter and often just for a few paragraphs, to be jarring and pulled me out of the story. Their reactions could have been shown through dialogue or description of their visual cues (facial expressions, etc). The characters themselves behaved much older than 15, their reactions to various situations read like those of an older adult.

The openly religious aspect did not appeal to me, however, I could see it being appealing to someone who is more active in their Christian faith.

This is a good middle grade series that I have not read any of the previous entries but will seek them out now. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I had read the first two.

The phantom of the east tower by Ellen Alexander

This is a fast paced middle grade fiction book. I didn’t know that this was the third book of the series but it was still easy understand when it mentioned storylines from the other books.I really enjoying reading this book it was easy to get into and the characters were fun and likeable.I especially love the strong friendships throughout the book especially Andy and Emma.My favourite parts were when they were exploring the underground caverns and passage ways under the school.
I received this Ebook ARC from @Netgalley

“The Phantom of the East Tower” was a fun middle-grade novel filled with action and adventure.

Firstly, I wasn’t aware that this was part of a series, and previous novels were leading to the storyline. The author references the earlier adventures, which I had trouble connecting with, but also intrigued me. Nevertheless, I had no problem relating to the characters and enjoyed reading this book!

Secondly, the author beautifully writes the adventure. The story made me reminisce about the old “Famous Five” adventure novels I loved reading. The first half of the story is eerie and suspenseful as Emma notices the strange apparition in the Tower and the library. One of my favorite moments is when she hears strange footsteps in the corn maze. In contrast, the author fills the second half with action and adventure as the group tries to escape from the convicts.

The author also wonderfully wrote the characters. Emma, Martha, and Sebastian form a wonderful group and share a friendly camaraderie. Similarly, Emma and Andy stand out in the story and share a wonderful friendship. I loved the way they meet each other and Andy’s backstory. As the author mentions, Emma and Andy act as angels and always support one another.

Moreover, I enjoyed the love angle between Doug, Juniper, and Emma. Juniper is one of those characters you love to hate, and I wanted how she spiced the story. But I feel she disappeared mid-way into the plot. Reading this book inspired me to pick up the previous books to discover how it all began and read their last adventures. Overall, “The Phantom of the East Tower” is a lovely book to pick up if you are in the mood for an exciting middle-grade adventure novel.