When ghost enthusiast Rebecca is dragged to Iowa (away from her bestie!) with her mom to family she's never met, the only upside is the possibility of seeing a real live ghost. As Rebecca tries to fit in with the local kids, connect with her dad's family, adjust to the possibility of her mom dating and crushes of her own, she starts to uncover a family connection to a very real ghost. Field of Screams is a lovely ghostly mystery, and while I would have loved to see Rebecca and her friends be more proactive in resolving the haunting, this is a fun read that will appeal to kids who like their mysteries a bit on the spooky side!

Field of Screams is full of frightening moments, tween drama, and family secrets. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next! And what had happened in the past! Just don't read it after dark...

4.25/5 stars! This middle-grade horror story takes the reader through ghosts, puzzles, and tragedy. Honestly, this didn't suffer the feeling super young that many middle-grade books do. I think this book would still be enjoyable for adult lovers of horror when they need a pallette cleanser. Rebecca is a cute character and I enjoyed getting to know her and watching her discover what spooky force was trying to communicate with her.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

This is a page turner! It is a perfectly spooky read for the kid in your life obsessed with ghosts and the supernatural. It is perfect for what it is - a middle grate horror with a relatable main character. We see the character struggle with real-world problems that readers will relate to, alongside the more fantastical issues of the supernatural mystery. The tantalizing mystery will keep readers engaged as they speed through this short read.

I knew I wanted to read this book the first time I heard about it, and I was definitely not disappointed. I read this in one sitting. Steeped in atmosphere, characters with meaningful connections, and an age-old mystery, Parris delivers a joyous book with just the right amount of unease. Kids will love this.
Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the Arc of this fantastic book.

Rebecca’s mom decides that it’s time to spend some quality time with her distant family in Iowa for the summer. Her mom thinks it’ll be the perfect opportunity to get closer to her dad’s family, who passed when she was in kindergarten, while her mom spends the summer writing.

Like every teen, summer in a new, rural, unfamiliar place with people they don’t really know is the last place she wants to be. However, she decides to make the most of it as she meets her uncle, her dad’s brother who provides new insight to who her dad was that makes her feel more connected to him, and the strange old family house… which is giving her some seriously spooky ghost vibes that no one else can see or feel.

As Rebecca tries to navigate a summer without her best friend, her mom finding a potential suitor with an unfriendly daughter, and a new crush — the more time she spends in the town, the more she experiences the signs that a ghost is trying to communicate with her and it’s unclear if this ghost is a friend or foe.

Rebecca, excited for the chance to hunt ghosts (which she learns her father liked to do), she starts to explore the area and uncover secrets that force her to learn about her family and it’s secrets, going back almost 100 years to figure out what this ghost really wants.

Overall, this was a good change of pace and well written. The kids will love this mystery, ghost hunting novel. Plus, it’s engaging enough to keep adults interested who may need a lighter spooky read!

thank you Random House Children’s for this ARC, courtesy of NetGalley. Publication date for “Field of Screams” is Aug 1, 2023.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC!

This was a really good, well written middle grade horror/mystery story. I think the pacing was just right, just creepy and suspenseful enough to keep you turning the page. Because it was so engaging, it was also a quick read!

Pretty good children's horror book. It was equal parts creepy and engaging, the characters were well-written, I enjoyed the suspense as well. I'll be anticipating more from this author whenever I feel like picking up a middle grade novel.