This is an excellent first book in a middle grade mystery/horror series that you should hand to folks who absolutely love the work of Lemony Snicket. The creepy stuff didn't land for me (but you know, I'm in my thirties and the target audience is like, 11, so that makes sense), but otherwise, it's a quirky, whimsical read with likable characters. If the narrator of the audiobook is any good, this would be an excellent listen for families on a road trip. Anyway, I shall add this one to my booktalking repertoire.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the eARC which I received in exchange for an unbiased review. Wretched Waterpark is out 07 June, but you can put your copy on hold today!

This is the story of three Sinister-Winterbottom siblings. Wilhelmina, the sixteen-year-old oldest sister, who is on her phone 24/7, and the twelve-year-old twins, Alexander and Theodora, who are brave and cautious. During their summer holiday, they somehow ended up with their Aunt Saffronia Sinister and her creepy ass house. The aunt told them to go to the Fathoms of Fun waterpark for a week. They did agree and thus began their adventure in the oh-so-creepy-and-weird Fathoms of Fun. It’s not like the other waterparks, it’s old and full of mausoleums. Even the guests are not many and the staffs are even weirder. The names of the pool and the slide there are ominous. What will their summer end up like?

The idea for the concept and plot is interesting and the execution is also good. I love how the author wrote all the shits that went down in this book terribly interesting and I can’t stop reading it. I want to know what actually happened there and how the ending will be. The ending is okay, I want more moments between the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings and the Widow family (plus Edgar and other staffs).

This book is creepy and horor-y but very very enjoyable middle-grade book. It’s the author’s debut in middle-grade series but it’s so so good and enjoyable. It’s such a well-written debut book. It’s definitely a very solid book as the first book in a series. What I love the most about this book is the bond between Alex and Theo. I adore them very much. My theory is that all the characters (staff etc) from the Fathoms of Fun waterpark are all ghosts, including Aunt Saffronia. How the siblings always forget to ask or discuss about the actual address of their aunt’s house, how they actually ended up in the waterpark, how they came home are really puzzling. Up until now, we still don’t know what is actually going on. That’s why I want to read the next books within this series and I can’t wait for their second adventure in the ‘spa’.

Thank you Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the e-ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press/Random House Children’s for sending me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first introduction to Kiersten White’s writing and I loved it! Wretched Waterpark is the perfect middle grade blend of A Series of Unfortunate Events with elements of Scooby Doo mysteries. The story is fun, imaginative, and fast-paced with the hint of plenty more to look forward to. The gothic waterpark setting was absolutely the right choice and I enjoyed the writing style, which I found to be equal parts humorous and atmospheric.

I can’t wait to share more adventures with the Sinister-Winterbottoms in future installments! Thank you again to NetGalley and Delacorte Press/Random House Children’s for the opportunity to review an ARC.

Meet the Sinister-Winterbottom kids, twins Theo and Alexander and their older sister Wil. They abruptly got sent to their aunt’s house for the summer. When their aunt suggested a week pass to the local water park the kids jumped at it, but when they got there they found everything strange, the staff dressed and worked in a place that was so gothic it was unbelievable as a water park. But when people go the twins see a mystery they must solve, especially when Wil is one of the missing. It is Rodrigo and churros that have the twins hot on the case.
This was a really good book, it was so much fun and great for any kid who thinks they are having a bad summer. Reluctant readers will also find this book a new favorite, and it is going to be a series with at least one more book coming. This book has plenty of adventure, suspense and action to keep any one’s attention.

This will appear on my blog on June 7th

The Sinister-Winterbottom children suddenly find themselves dropped off at an unknown aunts house for the summer and knowing nothing about kids she decides to send them to the local waterpark to pass their days. However this waterpark is nothing like what they are used to - feels closer to a gothic castle by the sea then the fun colorful setting they were expecting - even more off putting is that people keep disappearing. Twins Theodora and Alexander decide that the best way to pass the time is to solve the mystery of the waterpark themselves.
Alexander and Theo make for wonderful detectives with their ability to go with the flow but to also ask question when needed. They didn't let their missteps shut down their investigation but instead took them as opportunities to regroup. Their relationship with older sister Wil saw a great development over the course of the story as well as their interactions with their odd aunt. The mystery itself is both easy to follow and just scary enough for it's intended audience. Kiersten does are great job giving us our first trip into this world and lays crumbs to the bigger mystery that will play out over the course of the series.

The Wretched Waterpark is absolutely perfect for anyone that wishes they could solve another unsettling mystery with the Baudelaires. There are of course unreliable adults with ulterior motives, mysteriously disappeared parents and strong sibling relationships that simultaneously bring out the best and worst in each of them. (I loved Theo and her bees the most!)

It is both haunting and intriguing that the siblings can’t remember how they arrived at their Aunt’s house… She repeatedly mentions being “summoned” and the anticipation of figuring out what kind of underworld creature she is only builds when we learn ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about her by the end of the book. I need book 2 immediately!!

I will note that there are some fast and loose assumptions made about the legally binding nature of contracts signed with shortened names or under duress…but there do seem to be *otherworldly* aspects of this contract that could be somewhat different from real-world contracts. I guess there is some wiggle room there to suspend my very literal interpretation…

The setting (an underworld themed water park) was spooky, atmospheric, and refreshingly original. It was never clear what world this takes place in. Is it our world? Is it THE underworld? I assume it is some kind of hybrid of the two with its own special rules, but I’m sure we’ll find out later! On to the Vampiric Vacation!!

Wretched Waterpark is Kiersten White’s middle grade debut and in my opinion, she should definitely stay in the middle grade genre! This was great.

We follow twins Theo (who is always down for an adventure) and Alexander (who is not). The twins along with their older sister Wil are sent to stay with their aunt all summer. Their aunt knows nothing about raising children and sends them to spend their days at the local waterpark. The strangely gothic “Fathoms of Fun” waterpark is bizarre in every way and with the amount of people that seem to be disappearing, it seems to be dangerous as well. Theo and Alexander begin trying to figure out the mystery of the disappearances while Wil is just looking for a good wifi connection.

I don’t really want to say too much about this book because I went in pretty blind and I’m so glad that I did. The writing style reminded me so much of Series of Unfortunate Events while the location and mystery of the story definitely had scooby-doo vibes. I loved this whole book. It does have a bit of middle grade cheesiness but it is targeted to 12 year olds so I can’t really fault it for that.

I requested this ARC because even as an adult, I genuinely loveee reading whimsical creepy middle grade novels. Despite them being geared towards a younger audience, some of them are genuinely chilling (ummmm hello, Coraline?) I loved how deliciously creepy A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison was, so I’ve been looking for similar creepy middle grade novels since then. Something creepy without being full blown horror, yet still chilling enough to make you feel uneasy. I picked up Wretched Waterpark because it seemed to be just that!

This book had EXACTLY the vibe I was looking for. Middle grade, but still just morbid enough to keep me entertained. From the first page it immediately felt exactly like A Pinch of Magic, same writing style and all. It’s dark but nonchalant in the same way the Addams Family is. It’s a cute and whimsical sort of dark (“do you have towel color preferences? We have black, nearly black, and extremely black”) with the children acting annoyingly unassuming and cheery despite how weird and abnormal everything is.

I really enjoyed this but the world building did seem a bit small and lacking. Other than that, this was a super fun read and I loved the whimsical creepy vibe!

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

AHHHH! This was so cute! Exactly what I needed - a fun, fast-paced middle grade mystery to throw myself into. Everything Kiersten White writes I read, and this was no exception. She continues to prove my theory she can’t write a bad book. Already DYING for the next adventure in the Sinister-Winterbottom series, and hoping the sinister isn’t just in their name!!

A middle grade family friendly thriller reminiscent of Lemony Snicket, A Wrinkle in Time and The Addam's Family.
Thank you Random House Children's Publishing and Delacorte Press for this digital review copy.
I enjoyed it.

This is the perfect summer read for any student who has ever not wanted to be left somewhere while their parents go out on vacation. With Kiersten White's usual whit and charm she delivers a fun, adventurous, and mysterious mystery that young students will devour on a hot day.

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for this arc and in return I am submitting my honest review.
I was already a huge fan of Kiersten White's writing so I was thrilled to get an ARC of her foray into the middle grade genre.
The Sinister-Winterbottom children suddenly find themselves dropped off at an unknown aunts house for the summer and knowing nothing about kids she decides to send them to the local waterpark to pass their days. However this waterpark is nothing like what they are used to - feels closer to a gothic castle by the sea then the fun colorful setting they were expecting - even more off putting is that people keep disappearing. Twins Theodora and Alexander decide that the best way to pass the time is to solve the mystery of the waterpark themselves.
Alexander and Theo make for wonderful detectives with their ability to go with the flow but to also ask question when needed. They didn't let their missteps shut down their investigation but instead took them as opportunities to regroup. Their relationship with older sister Wil saw a great development over the course of the story as well as their interactions with their odd aunt. The mystery itself is both easy to follow and just scary enough for it's intended audience. Kiersten does are great job giving us our first trip into this world and lays crumbs to the bigger mystery that will play out over the course of the series.

Kiersten White is the queen of hilarious and bizarre middle grade books, and she does not disappoint in her middle grade series debut! Wretched Waterpark reminded me a lot of A Series of Unfortunate Events, in all the best ways. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Children's for letting me read an early copy!

This is a great book for young readers and I strongly recommend it for late elementary and middle school classrooms and libraries. Alexander and Theo make for great heroes/detectives with their ability to just go with what is going on but to also question things when they need to. I also liked that when they made a mistake they didn't give up or sulk about it - they learned from it and moved on. Their interactions with Wil at the beginning of the story are funny and it was good to see that there was more to her than there initially seemed. She steps up when she needs to and volunteers to help people she has just met. The scenes with the aunt are also amusing - she's just the right amount of weird for the story.

The mystery isn't too scary for young readers or overly complicated for them to follow. The author does a great job of laying the foundation for what should be a great series and leaves you with a little hint as to what the next mystery/adventure will be. If the rest of the series is as good as this first book it's definitely one for educators to keep an eye on!

The first in a new Middle Grade series that is part mystery, part weird (in a good way! like Series of Unfortunate Events). Theo, Alexander, and Wil are siblings that have been dropped off with an aunt they've never met before for the summer. They expect to be doing normal summer activities, but their aunt insists they go to a waterpark for a week. When they arrive, they discover this is not a normal waterpark - there are gargoyles on slides, employees dressed in black, and just an all over spooky vibe. That isn't the weirdest part though - employees keep mysteriously disappearing.

This was such a unique concept, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would! I will definitely read the next in the series, and would recommend this for kids (and adults) looking for a different middle grade series.

Wretched Waterpark by Kiersten White is the first in a new series about the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings, sent to stay the summer with an Aunt they don't know and spend all week at a very strange waterpark run by some very sketchy people. A mystery to unravel and strange happenings abound, and don't forget the churros! I look forward to the next installment of this very strange family.

#WretchedWaterpark #NetGalley Thank you to the publisher and @NetGalley for the E-ARC copy of this book. The rating of this book is entirely of my own opinion.

Marketed as a part Scooby Doo, part A Series of Unfortunate Events this book certainly lived up to my expectations. The Sinister-Winterbottom siblings were well-developed characters and I really enjoyed the way they interacted with each other. The plot was engaging which could be read as a standalone but was also a great introduction to the series. I look forward to future books in this series.

A good beginning to what is sure to be a fun and spooky series. I really enjoyed the gothic water park setting. The characters were great. I loved the relationship between the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings. The park employees fit right in with the gothic surroundings. I liked that the mystery about the water park was solved within this book, but that there is enough overall mystery that will likely be explored in forthcoming books. So, this could be enjoyed as a standalone or as a series. I liked the blend of horror, mystery and humor present in this book. I think there are lots of readers that will enjoy this one.

Readers who commit to the delirious internal logic The Sinister Summer Series with the enthusiasm of a preteen committing themselves to the thrills, chills, swoops and swirls of an actual waterslide are in for a great ride! Kiersten's Alexander and Theo Sinister-Winterbottom, along with older sister Wil and their extraordinarily mysterious Aunt Saffronia, must dive into the depths of the decidedly peculiar Fathoms of Fun and its denizens. Perfect for fans of "Phineas & Ferb," and "Gravity Falls," with a sound sense of familial bonds, plus enthusiastic word play.