This is a well written book, with some fine lines and a few well-conceived set pieces. That said, try as I might I found neither the characters, nor their situations, nor the overall narrative engaging enough to arouse or hold my curiosity and attention. As a consequence, it doesn't seem fair to write much more of a review, apart from encouraging inquisitive readers to give the book a try.

I am continuing to enjoy this middle grade mystery series by Kiersten White! Each book plays with a horror trope in a kid-friendly, Scooby-Do way. While each story has its own reveal, and this ending is another fun one, I am very much looking forward to the conclusion of the overall mystery in the next (and final?) book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press for an advanced reader copy of this book for review.

After another narrow escape, this time from Camp Creek, the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings find themselves at a seaside manor occupied by Mr. Frank & Dr. Stein. Along with their friends, they sign up for the advertised science camp to get past the front door. Once inside, their intent is not science but rather searching for clues pertaining to their parents’ disappearance. Their group of eight forms a plan & spreads out, two distracting, two researching, two searching, & two watching. The twins tackle the additional task of opening the seven locked books they’ve recently discovered; each cover bears a different surname, five of which match up with the members of their group, & they want to know why. Settling in at yet another camp, this eccentric group of kids leans on the lessons they’ve learned during a nightmare summer, tentatively bonding with their camp leader Essa & avoiding big, scary Mr. Frank. They think they know who can’t be trusted, but this time, things might be different. Is the manor hiding a secret? Are the locked books hiding even more secrets? Will the kids finally be reunited with their parents? Will Victor Stein ever return from his short trip?

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Random House Children’s Books through NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

The Sinister Summer series is still scratching the macabre itch I’ve had since A Series of Unfortunate Events, but much like “Camp Creepy,” this sequel didn’t grab me. “Wretched Waterpark” set a perfect tone for the series, and “Vampiric Vacation” set a high bar for quality, earning my only 5-star review thus far. I’m not sure how much time passes between the final draft of each book and the publishing date, but it feels like there’s been too much of a rush; the quality has been affected and the last two stories not as fleshed out. On the positive side, I enjoyed the seaside manor setting and constant thunderstorms. Don’t we all want to one day find ourselves in a roomy house during a storm, cozied up with a good book? Sure, it would be spooky, but that’s all part of the experience. I also liked the parallels to Mary Shelley’s classic novel “Frankenstein” and, of course, the unique humor I’ve come to love and expect from the Sinister-Winterbottom crew.  For example, they think cookies with raisins instead of chocolate chips are terrifying. If you don't find that funny, you're on your own. My rating for “Menacing Manor” is 3 stars, and I still have high hopes for the fifth and final book “Haunted Holiday.” Bring on the funhouse!

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Content Breakdown: The Sinister Summer book series is middle grade & squeaky clean. What you should be aware of is the macabre setting, situations, & humor. Think along the lines of Addams Family, A Series of Unfortunate Events, & Scooby-Doo. “Menacing Manor” is inspired by “Frankenstein,” & you can expect a seaside manor with too many rooms, at least one monster, & thunderstorms galore. Every sequel circles back to events & themes from the previous book(s) so also expect things like summoning a ghost or vampires’ affinity for blood.

The saga of the Sinister-Winterbottom family continues in MENACING MANOR, the fourth installment in Kiersten White’s Sinister Summer series. This book picks up after the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings have managed to escape Camp Creepy. With their friends in tow, they make their way to Stein Manor hoping to locate the remaining family mentioned in the books they’ve been collecting—and find their missing parents, too. They sign up for a science camp at the manor to serve as a cover for their snooping. Once again, the kids will need to figure out who they should trust while they try to uncover the truth about their missing parents. While each of the quirky cast of characters brings something to the story, twins Theo and Alexander anchor the story. Readers will appreciate how they’ve grown through the course of the series. The familiar horror classic twists and turns that fill the story have been tamed to fit a middle grade audience while still thrilling and delighting them. This one ends with a cliffhanger that will have readers anxiously anticipating the final book in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC to read and review.

Another delightful addition to the Sinister-Winterbottom saga. Alexander and Theo, along with the motely crew of friends they have acquired along the way are running from Edgaren’t and wind up at Stein Manor Science Camp. They think they might be closer to solving the mystery of their missing parents, but another villain has made themselves known. Just when they think they have the upper hand, disaster strikes and the twins must find a way to rescue not just their parents, but their gang as well. I was very excited to see another book in the series has been announced and look forward to reading it. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy mild scares, humor and can read independently (but it is also a great book to share and read together.)

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this DRC.

The Sinister-Winterbottoms have arrived at their next adventure, the Stein Manor Science Camp. Kiersten White keeps us laughing and shrieking during another wild romp in a creepy manor with the hulking Mr. Frank.

#MenacingManor #NetGalley

My 10 year old and I have been reading this series together, and it is definitely among our favorite of all time (bonus: she has dubbed herself Theo and me Alexander, as we are very close respective personality matches for those characters, and she never stops asking me for churros). When we read the final page of Menacing Manor and she realized it was over, she literally screamed in frustration--that's what I'd call a stellar review! The plot and writing continues to meet its own high standards, and the character development is poignant, realistic, and consistent. We also love how the secondary characters get their own meaningful backstories and paths. Can't wait for the next installment!

Menacing Manor is the fourth book in the Sinister Summer series by Kiersten White. Released 2nd May, 2023 by Penguin Random House on their Delacorte Press imprint, it's 272 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats (paperback also out in May 2023 from the same publisher). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. The fifth book in the series is due out in 2024.

It's not derivative; the author is capable and talented, but to describe the series as Scooby Doo written by Lemony Snicket feels appropriate and accurate. The three Sinister-Winterbottom siblings, the eldest is 16 and permanently looking at her smartphone, and fraternal brother and sister twins aged 12 are on their way to summer camp. Not just any summer camp... they're hoping to find clues to solve the disappearances and odd mysteries cropping up with unnerving frequency (including their parents!). They're still hot on the trail of evil archnemesis Edgaren't, and trying to figure out the rules of their new reality, where people are actually disappearing, and it's left to the siblings to get to the bottom of the weirdness. At camp, they've added some allies to their team and they hope they're ready for a showdown with Edgaren't, but nobody's planned for all the twists and turns.

This is a fun summertime mystery for middle grade readers (Lexile measure is 750L). It's well written and edgy, but not inappropriate. The plotting struck me as a trifle meandering and the pacing was odd (clearly intentional on the author's part), but it's a fun and fast paced ride.

Four stars. This would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, or gifting to a young mystery fan.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This was better than the last installment in the series, but it still feels largely repetitive and deliberately drawn out with filler.

The first two books in this series were decent, kind of like an updated version of A Series of Unfortunate Events. Unfortunately the schtick got stale quickly, and the series suffers from the same problem as Unfortunate Events did in that it just feels like the same thing over and over with only infinitesimal progress in plot movement in order to stretch the series out longer. It especially bugs me when kids series do this, because it’s easier to get away with when writing for a younger audience.

I’m also confused as to why we’re at a camp in this book, since the last book was also a camp. Surely White could have come up with a setting more different from the last one at the very least.

The characters remain a mixed bag. I understand what White is trying to do with Alexander, but he’s pretty tough to take, and the cowgirl is just horrendous. It’s a shame because I really like both Will and Theo, and think they’re well drawn characters and terrific for a young audience.

As with all the other titles in this series, this is AMAZING! I love this series so much, I never want it to end. Each book gets more and more amazing.

Menacing Manor is a continuation of the series from the last book, Camp Creepy.

The previous book was good and this one is even better! It is a great MG series by the author. The story is intriguing with different and interesting characters that each bring something to the story. It's a fun read that you won't want to put down once you start reading it. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the ARC of this!

My kids (6 & 9) are obsessed with this series! It gives A Series of Unfortunate Events x Classic Horror Characters. In this one the kids travel looking for V. Stein and instead meet the scary, lumbering Mr. Frank and the sweet Essa. This was a great continuation of the series and we had a lot of fun reading it.

this was my favorite book in the series so far! i read it in two sittings because i could not put it down. i loved the moments of found family we get in this book, and i can’t wait for the conclusion to the series!

I just love this series.
The intersecting storylines and B Movie monsters
Its so great. Lovely middle grade series, cannot wait for the final book in the series

This was the first book of this series that I have read, but I will go back and read the rest now! What a wonderful middle grade series to discover.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and Kiersten White for the opportunity to read Menacing Manor in exchange for an honest review.

Menacing Manor is the fourth book (of five) in the Sinister Summer series, and it continues to harbor its Unfortunate Events vibes with a slew if wacky, flavorful characters aiming to solve the mysteries of their families.

This novel has the Sinister-Winterbottom's and company fleeing the summer camp and making their way to Stein Manor to find the Stein family, the one of the last families named on the mysterious collection of tomes the kids have found. The Manor is its own science camp, featuring Frankenstein allusions and vibes.

The children "sign up for camp," though they use the activities to cover their sleuthing. With Victor Stein missing and Mr. Frank watching the children's every move, trying to discover their family secrets proves to be quite the challenge.

Nearing its conclusion, the Sinister Summer books continue proving to be exceptionally fun reads. Menacing Manor maintains the quirky air with its assemblage of intriguing characters. I can't wait for the final installment, for the mystery to find its resolution!

This has become my go-to series to recommend for middle readers, especially those looking for some off-beat spooky fun! Like a lighter Lemony Snicket with clever mysteries and sinister figures that continue to make for a compelling cross-over read. The fourth installment in the series features a new monster and even more clues about what happened to the parents--I know readers will be excited for this one and the next one, too!

My favorite so far in the series! I'm loving the way the mystery is unfolding, and continue to love the thoughtful and warmhearted way the characters and their quirks are approached.

This is once again a great continuation of this series. I wouldn’t recommend reading this until after reading the rest of the series because there is a lot that has happened prior to this one that is important.

I enjoyed that all of the kids/teens are working together in this one from the start. It’s fun to see how they all come together. I also think that the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings continue to grow and utilize each other’s strengths to help when there is trouble.

The ending of this one has me very eager for more from this series.

Overall I would recommend this series for middle grade kids but also to readers of all ages, particularly any adults who were once Scooby Doo or Series of Unfortunate Events fans.

The Sinister-Winterbottoms are BACK in the fourth installment of the Sinister Summer Series. After escaping from their third misadventure in Camp Creepy, Theo, Alexander, and Will are officially ready to take this summer into their own hands. They've learned from their mistakes and from each other and this time the won't be misplacing their trust in any more mysterious adults. Their latest clue has led them to the Day-Camp at Stein Manor where they hope to finally find their missing parents.

Menacing Manor was yet another quippy, quircky, quick read. I loved the inclusion of more of the extended cast from previous adventures in this one as much as I hated that cliff-hanger ending. I need the next installment stat!

I don't often read middle-grade mysteries but these monster-themed misadventures have me in a delightfully nostalgic choke-hold. As always, if you loved the Baudelaires you'll love the Swinterbottoms...er...I mean...the Sinister-Winterbottoms! Only one more book to go!

Thank you to Kiersten White, Delacorte Press, Random House Childrens, and NetGalley for this e-ARC.