Brad McLelland delivers all the goods in THE CROOKED DOOR! And this cover?! If we're being honest, that was my biggest pull when I saw the book pop up. But I'm a huge fan of middle grade horror, too, so the exquisite cover was just a bonus! I think the author does a great job at immediately grabbing the reader's attention and an even better job at maintaining the levels of intrigue and suspense throughout the whole book. It has dark fantasy elements blended into this wonderful world of horror and adventure, and I am absolutely excited for whatever Brad McLelland does next!

I was curious what had happened with this book when it ended up being archived six months prior to the expected publication date. As it turns out, the book was originally co-authored and the second author was accused of predatory behavior and abusing his position as a high school teacher. The publisher planned to move forward with the book's publication listing Brad McLelland as the sole author, but, due to legal issues, ultimately decided to pull the publication of the book. Therefore, I was unable to read it and cannot review it.

If you liked Goosebumps growing up, you’ll love this!

This book is a suspenseful horror geared towards young adults but suitable for all ages!

After trying to add this in goodreads and doing some research I will not be finishing this book. I do realize that the publishers pulled the one author after it came out about his indiscretions but I will not be reviewing this book fully.

This book was pretty predictable, and not very exciting, and now I find I cannot actually add it on goodreads because the publication has been canceled due to authorial misconduct. Yikes!

According to Publisher’s Weekly “publication of the book has been canceled” as per the publisher because of evidence of authorial misconduct .

This is a slow burn middle grade horror that really packs a punch. It is definitely scary! It kind of reminded me of a similar tone to the first Goosebumps movie. I have also heard it compared to the tone of Twilight Zone, and I think that’s a fair comparison. This is one I will stock in my classroom library. It didn’t completely work for me, but I know that I have students who will love it!

While I appreciate receiving this arc I will Not be reading this after finding out some information about one of the co writers.

I have to say--I didn't actually read this one as the publication was cancelled due to the actions of one of the authors.

As an adult reviewer, it is important to remember that this a book that is appropriately and well-written for its audience. The prose lends to that age group and the reactions and lessons, though somewhat cliche for adults are important for this age group. Demon stories lend well to horror for this age because it addresses self-control, peer issues, relationships, understanding, etc. I think this is a great one to pick up for young readers in your life or to enjoy as an adult.

A fun middle-grade horror about a family getting stuck in a twisted town where children make the rules and the adults cower in fear.

Pros:
✅ creepy monsters
✅ spooky atmosphere
✅ interesting plot
✅ intriguing details
✅ age appropriate horror

Cons:
❌ bland characters
❌ repetitive phrases/descriptors
❌ frequent clichés

But like seriously, wtf with the ending!

SPOILER!!!!!!
Driving to a new home and then get stuck in a town where they literally SACRIFICE people to some whimsical spirit in a box that likes playing children's games, nearly get sacrificed to said creature, but it's ok, we're still alive, let's just drive home like everything is okay and we did not just experience LOADS of trauma. Also, they are fucking broke! It literally says that at the beginning of the book, and then all their stuff gets destroyed. And the dad's reaction is, "that's fine, we'll just buy all new stuff when we get to our new home." YOU ARE MOVING BECAUSE YOU ARE IN DEPT! WTF!?

I know it's a middle grade book and that there should be some suspension of disbelief, but come on.

Entertaining middle grade fantasy/horror. Children are spooky in general, but children left to run amok without supervision; children who have every wish granted; these children can turn into little monsters.

For fans of Lord of the Flies and Children of the Corn, but a little lighter and a little more humor. Solid world building with strong characters.

When Ginny and her parents move to Nebraska, their car breaks down in a strange town called Pottsville. By day, it’s almost too charming and perfect, but by night, Ginny quickly learns that it’s crawling with monsters created by something called the Dirge. The Dirge lives behind a crooked trap door in a basement, and it’s happy to grant children’s wishes for a price. If Ginny wants to save her parents, she’s going to have to find a way to defeat the Dirge and the children of Pottsville once and for all. I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Macmillan/Henry Holt. Trigger warnings: character death, abduction, captivity, injury, weapons.

I had to push myself through most of this book, and had I read a sample of the writing style beforehand, I probably wouldn’t have picked it up. It reads like something an actual middle schooler would write at times, in addition to being rather long and drawn out for a middle grade novel. It starts with an extended car ride that could have easily been skipped, and it can’t maintain the mystery or horror for as long as it needs to when things do finally get going. I quickly got bored with all the running and chasing and hiding. There’s a reason that Goosebumps books are only about a hundred pages long, just saying.

I didn’t vibe with the main character at all, and she’s another variation of the selfish, entitled brats that populate this book. Yeah, kids can be as selfish as adults if not more, but unlike the children of the corn, there’s nothing remotely sinister about these. McLelland also pushes believability quite a bit with Ginny being able to both repair cars and drive them for being, at most, twelve years old. However, I did enjoy the lore in this story. There’s some interesting German folklore on the background of the Dirge, and it was probably the only time I felt invested in what was happening. However, I doubt younger readers would be motivated to stick with it.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

Imaginative, fast paced, descriptive, and a page turner to say the very least!
Going to assume this is classified as a “young reader” due to the age of the characters, as I thought “The Crooked Door” was better than most “adult horror/thriller” I have read! I can not wait to see what else Brad McLelland has in store for us!

A sincere thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, and Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for providing me an advanced copy of “The Crooked Door” in exchange for an honest review. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read this story and leave my review voluntarily.

4 Stars. This was such a great middle grade book! I'm definitely going to be ordering this for my library.
Ginny and her parents are moving to Nebraska. On their way there, they get caught in a dust storm where they are detoured to the town of Pottsville where they have to have their old station wagon fixed. It looks like the perfect town; a Mayberry if you will. Ginny meets some weird kids where she finds out they "run" the town and all of the grown-ups are afraid of them. A eerie Dirge runs the town and allows these games to happen because of wishes and sacrifices.
Ginny realizes she has to save her parents and save the town based on an old fairy tale.
This book was great. If you love R.L. Stine, this is a great addition to his type of stories. The same goes for love of olden fairy tales. A creepy twist that was perfect for the beginning of October. I read this in about a day, so it is a quick read, but probably just because it drew me in. Some things were a little unrealistic, like Ginny knowing how to fix a carbureted car, and some things were extremely predictable, but I just had to remind myself this is not a Stephen King novel, but a book for younger children. Nothing new was written, but it is the perfect bridge to set middle schoolers into YA horror, and eventually into the wonderful word of adult horror books!

The Crooked Door by Brad McLelland is a delightfully creepy tale about a young girl finding her bravery. I appreciated all the spooks and tense moments throughout, it kept me on the edge of my seat!

The Crooked Door is about a girl named Ginny who becomes trapped in a spooky small town called Pottsville while moving with her family to Nebraska. The town is controlled by the local children who serve an mysterious entity called The Dirge. Ginny must find a way to rescue her parents and escape Pottsville. This is a great option for middle schoolers who are obsessed with spooky books.

An excellent horror story with a brave and forthright heroine. The child and adult characters are believable in there reactions, as are the supernatural goings on.

A girl and her parents find themselves trapped in a strand town where strange things begin to happen... Ginny and her parents are on their way to Nebraska after her father lost his job. While driving there, they get stranded in a dust storm and take shelter in the strange town of Pottsville. Pottsville is strange, there are only toy shops and bike shops... children on bikes seem to rule the town while adults act strange. Ginny soon finds that there is something much darker going on in Pottsville and that her parents have been taken. Children all get their wishes granted while adults are being held hostage... and the only way to rescue her family is to play the game against the dark entity. This was very reminiscent of Coraline for me, and it just captures the spooky fun that I love. This was such a fun read and definitely perfect for the spooky season!

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I can not wait to get this book into the hands of my students. They are going to love this! I sure did; it had a great clean horror/scary factor. Ginny and her parents are forced to move because of hardships, so the town looks very interesting when they end up in a small town in the middle of nowhere. As the story unfolds, Ginny discovers that this town is not what you think. It is not all sweet; there are hidden horrors just wanting to sink their claws into you. You can't escape the Crooked Door and what it wants. Remember, when you knock, it grants your wish.
It will be a fight for survival for Ginny, and we see just how she never gives up; with the help of others, can the town be rid of this curse? Or will it continue? The cover fits the creepy factor of the story!! If you have a child who likes scary books, but it is not overly scary and clean, then this is one I would recommend.