The Carrefour Curse by Dianne K. Salerni

This book has everything for those who love magic and mystery! The power of gems and stones, an old house, time-travel, a creepy old man, a possible murder, a large and quirky family, elemental magical powers, and so much more! I didn’t know what to expect when I started this book, but I was hooked almost instantly! The book reminded me a bit of A Series of Unfortunate Events. From the moment Garnet arrives at Crossroad House, one bad thing after another takes place. Everyone in the family is on edge waiting for the next heir of the family’s magic to be named. The book had me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next!

I would like to thank NetGalley, Dianne K. Salerni, and Holiday House (publisher) for allowing me to read this advanced copy of The Carrefour Curse. It was an exciting read with a lot of twists and turns. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys magic and discovering hidden powers. I would also like to mention that I loved the cover art!

Loved it, very original and enjoyable read. Will defo purchase when it comes out as a physical copy :)

"The Addams Family meets The Westing Game in this exhilarating mystery about a modern magical dynasty trapped in the ruins of their once-grand, now-crumbling ancestral home.

Twelve-year-old Garnet regrets that she doesn't know her family. Her mother has done her best to keep it that way, living far from the rest of the magical Carrefour clan and their dark, dangerous mansion known as Crossroad House.

But when Garnet finally gets summoned to the estate, it isn't quite what she hoped for. Her relatives are strange and quarrelsome, each room in Crossroad House is more dilapidated than the last, and she can’t keep straight which dusty hallways and cobwebbed corners are forbidden.

Then Garnet learns the family secret: their dying patriarch fights to retain his life by stealing power from others. Every accident that isn’t an accident, every unexpected illness and unexplained disappearance grants Jasper Carrefour a little more time. While the Carrefours squabbles over who will inherit his role when (if) he dies, Garnet encounters evidence of an even deeper curse. Was she brought to Crossroad House as part of the curse . . . or is she meant to break it?

Written with loads of creepy atmosphere and an edge-of-your-seat magical mystery, this thrilling story reads like The Haunting of Hill House for preteens. Perfect for late-night reading under the covers."

Wait, are you saying that preteens shouldn't be reading The Haunting of Hill House?

Despite not being the intended target audience, I really enjoyed this book and had such a fun time following Garnet’s journey, meeting her family members along with her. The characters were a delight to read about and I loved learning more about them. It was a nice quick read filled with elements of mystery and family secrets. I was definitely intrigued the whole way through and wanted to find out more about Crossroad House and the family magic.

This is what a good middle grade fantasy should look like.
I loved the whole vibe of the book, it was such a quick and fun read.
I'm a sucker for fantasy mixed with mystery and a little family secret so this book was just perfect.

Thanks to NetGalley and Holiday House for the advanced copy.

I was drawn to this due to the comparison to The Westing Game, one of my most favorite novels. By the end I felt that was an kind of there - it's more The Westing Game if it were a Goosebumps story, and the type of magic used by the Carrefours reminded me a lot of a favorite series I had as a teenager: Sweep by Cate Tiernan. Then, at the end the author says her inspiration was actually Dark Shadows by way of Ambrose Pierce, which, of course!

That's all to say: I loved this book! If I'd read this in middle school it, and The Westing Game, would've been tied for my #1 favorite book. Garnet is my favorite type of middle grade heroine: feisty and good-intentioned, or Lyra Belacqua if she were a good person, lol. The mystery was fun and twisty, but not over-complicated, and the perfect amount of intrigue for a pre-teen reader (and still fun enough to entertain this adult).

Salerni is a tight and light writer as well, and managed to make The Carrefour Curse is intelligent for its audience without being patronizing. I initially thought I could do with more description, then I realized she gave plenty of it, it was just more concise (and thematic) than I was expecting.

Overall, this is a great fun, magical adventure for middle grade and young adults! I can't wait to get this for my niece :)

This one ticks all the boxes:
*Supernatural
*Mystery
*Family secrets
*Magical Powers
*Unexplained disappearances
*and a House that gets what it wants.
And it is clean, no language, no sex.
I believe both middle graders and teens will like this book.

"The Carrefour Curse" was an intriguing Middle Grade story from start to finish. The language was a tad elevated for typical MG fiction, but reader's will enjoy the mystery guiding the narrative. Each member of the Carrefour family, stuck in their dilapidated family mansion until the diabolical head of the family names a successor, has their own personality and talents. Our heroine, Garnet, relies on the younger generation of her family to help her solve the mysterious disappearances that plagues her families land. Very much recommend for library purchase.

I loved the way different stones were highlighted at the start of each chapter, talking about their strengths and how to recharge them. Who knew that onyx grew stronger with use/handling? And I've always been a fan of what here is called time-walking (think du Maurier's House on the Strand or the British series "Goodnight Sweetheart"), so that's another plus for this book.

Unfortunately, the rest of the book is pretty standard: a family patriarch clinging to power through questionable means, a family with powers, attempts to protect the youngest generation, etc.. If there'd been something new or different, this could easily have been a four star. So much of this is infodumps so that Garnet can learn about her family history, and yet questions remain (like why Uncle Mica doesn't talk).

eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.

Delightful! As a kid, one of my favorite books was The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones and The Carrefour Curse brought back all those wonderful feelings of reading something magical and mysterious. The plot here is straight-forward: something horrible happened in the past, a magical kid comes and eventually sorts it out, but it's a classic for a reason. What really stars here is the family and the world-building. I don't know if Salerni is planning to do more books in this world, but if she does, I am eagerly awaiting it. Recommended for ages 12-100!

Book Title: Carrefour Curse
Author: Diane K, Salerni
Publisher: Holiday House
Genre: Middle school, Mystery, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Pub Date: January 31, 2023
My Rating: 3 Stars

Garnet is a twelve years old and very curious about her family.
Emerald, Garnet's mother, is trying to protect her daughter from the magical Carrefour clan and keep her away from the mansion known as Crossroad House.

Garnet does finally get to meet the family at the mansion. She is disappointed as the Crossroad House is in need of a redo inside and out. Additionally the relatives are not at all friendly as they have concerns over who will inherit the estate as the patriarch Jasper Carrefour who is dying.

However, he fights to retain his life by stealing power from others.

I am not the target audience for this but as a guidance counselor I love reading stories I believe students would like.
I think they will like this one although it wasn't one of my favorites!
However ~ I love the cover.

Want to thank NetGalley and Holiday House for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 31, 2023

The Carrefour Curse is a middle-grade fantasy mystery about a modern magical family imprisoned in the crumbling remains of their once-grand ancestral house.

The story follows 12-year-old Garnet, who is summoned along with her mother back to Crossroad House—the ancestral home of the Carrefour clan and magic. Garnet is initially pleased, but her excitement quickly fades when she realises that their dying patriarch is fighting to preserve his short life by stealing power from others. Jasper Carrefour lives a little longer with each unexpected illness, accident, and unexplained disappearance.

The Carrefour family drew me in from the start, and the Carrefour dark secret kept me reading. I enjoyed how this story was about more than just Garnet—it was about her mother, cousins, uncles and aunts, and the entire extended family. Many books have orphaned protagonists going off on adventures alone or discovering their own families (which I love), but I've found that I really enjoy reading books where the protagonist's family is involved. In this book, the entire family comes to life and plays a role.

Then there’s the family secret: the dying patriarch is stealing power from the other members of the family. While reading, you can't help but think, "Who's next?"

While the intended target audience is younger, I think that this is a book that can be enjoyed by all ages. Garnet is a curious young girl who wants to learn about the family her mother has kept hidden from her for her entire life. Whatever the Crossroad House throws at her, she remains calm and brave, making it an enjoyable to follow her.

Overall, this is a well-written, eerie book with an interesting plot, believable characters, and a good mystery.

[Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!]

This book blends genres in a way that I think works well. It's partly about the family's magic powers, and partly about the mystery surrounding the family mansion. The main character, Garnet is scrappy and likable. Great choice for middle grade readers who like fantasy and horror.

This was such an amazing read. I put it down. I love Garnet!!!!!
While this book was written for middle grade, I believe adults can read it and not get the typical middle grade feel from the book.
The book was a little creepy/spooky, but what’s a ‘Mystery book’ without the creeps? Lol.
⭐️3.5 stars.

Thanks NetGalley for this book!

This reminded very much of children's fairy tales. Children's fairy tales can be fun, scary, whimsical and entertaining. this certainly had quite a lot of all of this. Garnet is great as the central character and the story is aimed at children of her age. It all works well, is suitably creepy and fun, It manages the mystery the family story cleverly and compellingly.

Actual rating 3.5/5 stars.

An eerie and mysteries MG title that gripped me throughout, even if I did wish that the first quarter was increased in pace and the tension was raised a little earlier. A solid title, suitable for both adult readers and the intended age range.

The Carrefour Curse is a wonderfully exceptional middle grade novel! While written for a Middle Grade audience it's something that easily can be appreciated by all ages and audiences. Full of dark and mysterious elements this is sure to keep anyone up all night reading.

Review: This was such a well written, interesting, and truly terrifying MG read! I started reading this before bed one night, and ended up finishing it the following afternoon, because I just had to know what would happen to the Carrefour family. This book was so creepy, and I loved it! The magic was interesting. Garnet was a great main character, and I loved getting to know (at least most of them) the other members of her family. Even though this book stands on its own, I really hope we get another book with this family! I think there are so many possibilities for more books. Overall, I loved this MG novel, and I would highly recommend reading it!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

A perfectly spooky mystery that is reminiscent of The Inheritance Games series. This book will be very popular when it hits the shelves of middle school libraries.

A spooky story about a 12 year old girl tossed into the middle a decades long family mystery. This is a middle grade level book but between the eerie, mysterious curse and our witty heroine, this is an enjoyable read for all ages! I loved how seamlessly the magical elements fit into and added to the story. It took me a couple chapters to realize the importance of the stones described at the beginning of each chapter, but once I realized, I loved how the descriptions gave a hint to what would happen in the chapter. I could see an English teacher giving a wonderful lesson with this book!