This was a spooky story with chaotic gays, a haunted house, and found family. What's not to love? I really enjoyed the friendship between all the characters and the wonderfully eerie setting. Perfect for Halloween.

3.5 stars.

Thank you to Peachtree Teen and Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed my time with this book. The characters are so easy to care about and root for. I liked that each of them felt distinct and entirely their own person with their own unique struggles. Each of the main characters were all easy to relate to and I could understand their perspectives. The romance was very sweet and it was cute to see the way their relationship progressed throughout the book. I also think it was so interesting having one of the main characters be a witch. This use of magic was really intrigued and there were some things that I didn't predict before they were revealed. I appreciated the discussions of the foster care system and the trauma that growing up in the system can bring. I also really enjoyed the descriptions of the town and how immediately you understand the kind of environment it is. All in all, I feel like this was a quick read.

I think that while I really liked the relationship between the main trio, there were a lot of moments of telling, not showing. I feel like sometimes their relationship was speed-run to get them to a certain point that they needed to be narratively. I also wish there was more page time and development of those around the main characters, like Taylor's best friend, Jaime's foster parent, Theo's sister and parents, etc. I feel like what we were given leaned a bit more surface level, and it would have been interesting to delve in deeper. It also would have given even more depth to the story and the characters.

I think that overall this was a solid debut novel and I'm very glad that I got the chance to read it.

This had such a beautifully atmospheric cover that I just had to request it!

Saint Juniper is a valley of dark history and secrets. When Jamie returns only to find himself trap in a haunted house in the woods, he's forced to confront a lot of things about himself. His new friends Theo and Taylor have their own difficulties to come to grips with as they try to break the binding keeping Jamie there.

My absolute favorite part of this was the characters and their relationships. Watching the friendship blossom between the three teens was charming, and I really felt the friendships developed organically. The romance between Jamie and Theo was sweet, but I did feel it was a little quick, but that's maybe just me.

Where this book really shines is how the characters have such unique voices. Even without the chapter headings, I would have been able to keep the narration straight (hah!) between the three of them

The atmosphere of the haunted house, especially as the trio learned more about the history of the house and the valley was wonderfully spooky. The more we learned, the more the tension rose and the threat of the house got worse. It felt like the ending was rushed, especially when multiple things suddenly happen to push up the time clock.

But overall, I really enjoyed this story, and I'd be delighted to look up more work by Crespo.

My thanks to NetGalley and Holiday House for the opportunity for this ARC!

Are you looking for a little bit of spookiness, a sweet queer romance and a character-driven plot? Then Saint Juniper's Folly might be the book for you!

In this book we follow three very different characters. While Taylor struggles with the death of her mom and the fact that her Dad doesn't let her train her magical abilities, Theo's life hasn't even really started yet because he is too timid to put himself out in the world. Meanwhile Jaime, who grew up in the foster system, manages to somehow get stuck in a haunted mansion, with no prospect of getting out any time soon. But soon the three worlds collide and they realize that an alliance might just be what every single one of them needs.

I personally really enjoyed the setting of this book. I really liked the paranormal aspects that were tied to the character's individual development. I thought the POVs, especially Taylor's POV was very interesting and I honestly would have liked to see more of it. I ultimately ended up rating the book three very enjoyable stars because I felt like the plot kind of got lost in the character development. The pacing was very slow up until 90% of the book, but slow pacing is just not my cup of tea in general.

To summarize: I think this book is perfect for people who liked Aiden Thomas' "Cemetery Boys". I do think that this is on the younger YA side, but it is definitely worth a read.

Saint Juniper's Folly is a horror-lite coming of age book and I adore it. Generally speaking, if you give me some queer kids and magic, I am sold. Add in that some of those queer kids are also Latine? More sold.
This story follows three point of view characters, Jaime, Theo, and Taylor, whose lives intertwine when Jaime finds himself trapped in a haunted house and only Theo and Taylor can save him. Each of the characters feels individuated, and their motives make sense, but it is important to note that their motivations make sense because they are teenagers. Sometimes teenagers are incredibly complex creatures, but more often, their desires and motivations are pretty straight-forward, and the latter tends to be the case for these particular characters.
There is a sprinkling of very wholesome romance and self-realization in this that I loved, and I kind of adore how sweet the route the author took for this was.
Beyond that, I was actually not quite expecting some of the turns that this novel took later on, and I think that that definitely increased my enjoyment. While, as a thirty-something person, I am not quite the target demographic for this book, I do think that it is going to be the perfect book for a lot of people.

This was a cute little YA book. I thought it was going to be about a haunted house, and I was a little disappointed to find out that wasn't exactly the case. However, the message of the book was pretty good, that sometimes we are what is haunted. It was a little juvenile and slow to get into, but I really did come to love all three main characters and their dynamic together.

This book definitely give The Cemetery Boys x Haunting of Bly Manor vibes with the eerie atmosphere from an abandoned empty house in a middle of creepy woods with witchcraft and spells as well!

This book follows three different main characters – Jaime, Taylor and Theo.
They form a friendship after Theo accidentally met Jamie who was trapped in an abandoned house deep in the woods. Figuring out there’s something supernatural involved, Theo asked for Taylor’s help who happened to come from a long line of witches.

I really enjoy the mystery element as the three main characters set out to find the answer to what’s keeping Jaime from leaving the house. And the answer at the end of the book really surprised me!

Not just covering the mystery, the romance blooming between Theo and Jaime is also delightful. It’s sweet and cute, it progresses slowly as they keep spending enough time together.

Each character is unique and has their own problem to solve and through this mysterious event each of them ended up discover something for themselves.
Although, sometimes at the middle of a chapter I can forget which POV I’m reading so I need to go back to the beginning of the chapter to remind myself.

Overall, for a debut novel this is a really good heart-warming story which comes with a satisfying ending!
It’s enjoyable, entertaining and perfectly suitable for teens who wanted to read a book for the spooky season!
Definitely will keep an eye out for the next book from this author in the future!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: Confinement, blood, grief, death, animal death, child abuse, brief mention of murder and racism

I received an advanced review copy for free through Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Huge thank you to the author and publisher!

I loved that this book mixed romance with a tad of haunting thrill! Seriously, how could you not like the main characters (Jamie, Theo, and Taylor) their individual stories were moving and at times emotional and I enjoyed watching the bond deepen over time. The magical elements of the story were a plus and Taylor was fantastic in her role. Overall, this was a pleasantly surprising read!

I got lost a few times, but I liked the overall vibe of this book. The characters were compelling, and it's a good Halloween-feel YA.

3.5 stars

This story has a great flow, it's easy to read & get into.
The first half of the book is very character and the last half is more supernatural plot, I do wish that the two had mixed more. Hey, I wouldn't have been made if this was longer so the supernatural/magic storyline had more progression -in my opinion.

However, I adore the characters, their relationships & their character arcs. An outstanding job was done with them and you cant help but I love them. A great LGBTQ+ READ!

Thank you, NetGalley, Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink, Peachtree Teen, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Jaime didn't want to return to Saint Juniper, to a past he's been trying to forget for over eight years and where everyone knows about his business. So he hides in the woods, Saint Juniper's Folly and he doesn't return.
For Theo, instead, the city means being stuck and he doesn't want to spend the rest of his life in a dull existence. That's until he went to the woods too and stumbles into a haunted house with a handsome boy physically trapped inside it.
As for Taylor, she struggles to practice her magic her dad banned since her witch mother died. That's until Theo comes looking for a witch, asking for help to save a trapped boy.

I fell in love with this peculiar, funny and creepy book since the description: Cemetery Boys meets The haunting of Bly Manor. How could I say no?
This lovely paranormal and queer romance is absolutely amazing! I loved everything in this book. The characters are wonderfully perfect and complex with their struggles, fears, desires and loves and I did love how they bond together and they have to face their own demons in order to save themselves and those they love.
It's a book about magic and powers, about haunted houses and handsome boys, about found family and friendships, ghosts and their powers. It's both a creepy and thrilling book, a loving story about love and family and a paranormal one. I truly enjoyed this book!

I really loved this. I loved having the three different POVs of the characters. I liked the romance, too. I just wish we had gotten a little more information regarding Jamie’s powers. I definitely want to pick up more from this author in the future.

This was a really cute queer romance set in a small mysterious town, with an interesting mystery to solve as well. Told in three POVs, we meet Theo and Taylor as they race against time to discover why new to town Jaime is trapped inside the strange house in Saint Juniper.

I loved that a lot of the magic in this was tied up in emotions, especially Taylor, who's mother passed away and her father responded by banning Taylor from accessing her books and magic, something Taylor sees as her birthright.

I did want more from Anna, who was an odd character. When she was introduced I was so sure she was going to be the fun sidekick for Taylor, but she kinda disappeared after a few chapters, only appearing occasionally and I completely missed what her whole issue with Theo even was.

This story has solid Stranger Things vibes and is easily one of the strongest small town mystery books I've ever read, I was really invested in the romance and finding out just what was keeping Jaime inside the house. Everything was solved really well, and the final scenes were so emotional they kept me speeding through the pages!

a great paranormal romance that keeps you hooked

Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for this review copy.

Saint Juniper’s Folly is a very sweet and minimally creepy read. While the POVs all kind of blend together, the story is still enjoyable. It’s deeply satisfying to watch the characters grow, and the romance and friendships develop. And the dedication! “For every queer kid who feels trapped in a life that feels too small and cruel for their big heart. It only gets better from here on out”. I’ll admit, it made me tear up. All in all, a surprisingly heartwarming and slightly spooky book!

This book is such an incredible one and so far, every pick I had from Peachtree has been amazing.
But back to the book itself: I cannot describe the vibes in words but it builds up nicely to the spookier parts. You can grasp how the creepiness of the Folly has an effect on all characters and it is so interesting to witness how this story unfolds.

PS: Yes, I will and want to buy this book and add physically to my collection.

I found this book to be really engaging and I loved the premise. I'm a sucker for spooky haunted house books so this story was right up my alley. I am looking forward to reading other books by the author.

Peach Tree Teen is quickly becoming one of my indie houses to watch. I've enjoyed so many of their books and both their authors and editor's have incredible taste. This was cute and queer, and perfect for scaredy-cats. As a religious horror reader this was something that felt almost cozy, but is also a good introduction into the genre for teens (the intended audience). It's a perfect read for spooky season!

This one was exactly what it promised to be: a book for us queer ones feeling lost. A good comparison for me is seeing this as Heartstopper but make it spooky. Imagine Lockwood & Co but with a (queer) romance.

This was short, adorable and perfect.

easy plot to follow and very enjoyable characters! perfect book for teens or younger to read a mystery thriller without diving too deep into those genres!