I didn't end up finishing this book, I was given it for a review for a blog tour but ended up just doing a promo for it

Bumps in the Night by Amalie Howard is a fantastic middle grade fiction book set in Trinidad and Tobago about a young witch discovering her lineage and coming into her power to save her family and the world. Bumps in the Night explores the folklore of Trinidad and Tobago in a way that is both incredibly fun and packed with urgency. Human destruction of the natural environment has led to the corruption of magic and power on the island and only the Lovelace Trinity (maiden, mother, crone) can save the world from the wrath of Bazil, a powerful demon trapped in a silk cotton tree. Darika, or Rika for short, must overcome his trials while learning how to utilize the power within her. This book has strong themes of environmentalism, family, friendship, and overcoming adversity and is an excellent read for older children and tweens.

Folklore is a passion of mine, and folklore is inherently tied to place and culture. Bumps in the Night is a story that couldn’t take place anywhere else because the lore is so intricately tied to the island. And yet, how we treat the land anywhere has its ripple effects around the world, connected as we are to each other in the age of global commerce. It is easy to see how a godly figure could become tainted to the point of revenge in the face of current global catastrophe. But this book has an important message: change begins one person at a time. One kinder act, one moment of forgiveness and empathy, one sustainable choice in micro. One choice builds onto the next and so on until we create a better society, one connection to another.

Ok, so it’s not exactly speedrunning to a sustainable future, but in the grand scheme of things, the smaller steps often matter much more than the giant leaps.

“In scary situations, small steps are the answer. No matter how little, it’s better than nothing. Small steps.”

Amalie Howard. Bumps in the Night (Kindle Locations 3231-3232). Kindle Edition.

My favorite thing about this book was Rika’s magic. Every character is so well crafted that their magic makes sense. The Minders are elemental, and their attitudes reflect their elements, at least in my opinion. It isn’t totally clear what kind of magic Rika’s mother and grandmother have, but Rika’s talent is art. She is only in Trinidad for the summer because she got in trouble for vandalizing her school by painting on the walls. At her grandmother’s home, she paints a magical mural without realizing what it is she has truly done. Her grandmother, it is clear, understands early on what kind of magic it is that Darika wields, providing her with a small pot of paint that ultimately enables her to defeat Bazil.

For most of the time she spends in the maze, Rika doesn’t have much of a conception of her own powers. She had spent most of her time struggling with trying to make anything happen, often with antagonism from Monique, one of the Minders with a grudge against Rika from their younger days. It’s Piku, her iguana familiar, who pushes her to understand what power she holds, and once she does, it changes her whole perspective on herself.

“I’m not a flop or a dud. I just have a different kind of magic than the Minders do, one rooted in creativity.”

Amalie Howard. Bumps in the Night (Kindle Location 3009). Kindle Edition.

What I loved about this is the fact that every person alive is unique, and we each have unique ways in which we can be successful in the modern world. Often, we find ourselves in a battle with comparison, the thief of joy. It’s only by eschewing our need to succeed the same way others do that we can truly discover and explore what is great about ourselves.

While this book appears to be a standalone, I could easily see this becoming a thrilling series should Howard wish to pursue such a thing. Though the story neatly tied all of its edges together, I believe it could easily be opened back up again, though hopefully Piku the iguana will forget all the slang Rika taught him by then.

For youngers readers of horror, this book is for you if you like Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston, The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste, and Root Magic by Eden Royce.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Wonderful novel for young readers who enjoy mystery/horror genre. It had a more thrilling plot line that could keep young readers invested in the story.

I love children and middle grade spooky fiction. While the book is atmospheric, it's not too scary. I think any kid ages 9-13 will love this big adventure. This was really fun! I loved the characters and the plot and the setting very much!

Bumps in the Night is a book about a thirteen year old girl named Darika who, following a school incident, is sent to Trinidad to stay with her grandmother over the summer. While there, she discovers that her family’s past is riddled with even more mystery (and magic) than she could have ever imagined.

While this book is labeled as a horror and has a spooky-sounding title, I felt like it was really just a fantasy with some darker elements in it. I don’t think it ever got particularly scary, so if you were worried about that aspect of it, it should be totally fine for you/your kids. Many, if not all, of the creatures in the story are informed by Trinidadian cultural tales, as the author was born and raised there. As someone who wasn’t familiar with any of these things, I thought this did a good job at introducing readers to the area and it’s legends.

My main trouble with this book was that I had a hard time getting invested in the story and the characters. I wasn’t able to connect with any of them as much as I would have hoped, so whenever something bad would happen to someone, I didn’t feel the emotional tug that I was probably supposed to feel. I went through the book feeling pretty neutral about everything that was happening, which made the pace feel slower and more tedious than my usual reads. That being said, this is a middle grade novel, and I think younger readers will have an easier time getting attached to characters that are closer to their own age.

The plot itself involves a good amount of trials and riddles, similar to many other MG fantasy novels in which the main character(s) have to prove themselves worthy in order to get to their final destination/goal. I think that type of storyline is something that MG readers really enjoy, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes another popular series to keep your eye on.

An engaging horror with folklore/fantasy elements that I would recommend for fans of The Jumbies, Small Spaces, and The Devouring Wolf. The beginning was a little slow to start, but it picks up well and is a great recommendation for young horror fantasy lovers

I adored this book. I am always up to read a books that draws from the mythos of different cultures and this was not different. The myths used in the story were really interesting and not something I would even considered without this book. The characters were great and I an definitely going to read more by this author.


Thank you netgalley for the arc!

Its a familiar construct - a girl gets caught up in magic and has to save the world. And maybe if you read a lot of these books this one will fail to thrill. But if you judge it on it's own merits, it's a solid read. It captures the setting and folk lore well. The characters are decently complex for a middle grade audience. It's action oriented with just a hint of spookiness for horror fans.

I am not a fan of horror novels, however, I love a good middle grade horror type book and this one perfectly scratched that itch. By far my favorite part of this book was the Trindad myth and lore mixed throughout the story. I have always been fascinated by different cultural mythologies and this was really cool. Then I was able to talk to a friend of mine from Trinidad who confirmed many of the creatures and characters and how their story was related to or different than how they were portrayed in this story. So much fun!

Otherwise, it was just an overall good story with great characters and an interesting plot. It gave me some Harry Potter vibes just from the final task in the Goblet of Fire. There was a similar type ordeal that our cast of characters had to go through with various tests, only they got to work together.

Greta book, highly recommend.

I enjoyed this. I liked the plot and ties to Trinidadian folklore. That is something I haven’t seen before and think a lot of middle grade readers would enjoy. For me though I wish there was a little more character development.

My Top 5 Reasons to Read:

A glimpse into the beautiful culture and landscape of Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹
A young girl searching for answers and belonging ❤️
New knowledge of superstitions and local legends 🧟‍♂️
Enthralling characters, including a special iguana 🦎
A vividly descriptive book that leaves you wondering what is imagination and what actually goes bump in the night 👻

“𝑭𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉𝒚. 𝑭𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒔 𝒖𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒄𝒕,”—𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 10

This is the perfect read for whoever craving folklore story with a little bit of spooky, magic, adventure, and riddles.

I love the writing style with mystical world building and some mysteries to solve.

I love children and middle grade spooky fiction. As a horror lover I love being able to give my students recommendations of books to read that will hopefully turn them into lovers of the genre as well and Bumps in the Night now tops my list of books to recommend.

I have to say this is about as high as I go on spooky level! However it is a middle grade awesomeness alert! A girl stays with her grandmother in Trinidad for the summer and discovers that she comes from a long line of witches. It only gets better from there, and I loved all the rep!

I have read quite a few middle grade books about Jumbies but they were nothing like Bumps in the Night which in my view was the best.

Every character from Rika who was annoying at the start to the side characters like Nox were all so well written they literally felt like they were real and omg don't get me started on the whole atmosphere which was AMAZING.

Amalie was not afraid to have such a dark story and then add to it the many many revelations really made it a stonking read

I am praying that there will be a sequel to Bumps in the Night and if there is I shall be buying a copy just for me.

For all the above reasons Bumps in the Night receives 5 big fat stars.

Highlights:
✨Trinidad: I had never read a book set in Trinidad before, but I fell in love with everything about this one: the tropical island setting, the vivid descriptions of food (don't read this while hungry), and the captivating folklore.
✨Cool Kids: Riki, our MC, along with her Minders set out to save some family members. The Minders have the ability to control elemental magic - Fitz controls earth, Monique controls fire, Hazel controls water, and Nox controls wind. In addition, Rikir and the Minders are accompanied by a talking iguana named Piku, who can sometimes offers some tough love. As the story progresses, these lovable characters learn that they must work together to save the people they love.
✨Narration: Yamin Mwanza gives each character a personality with attitude and Caribbean accents, immersing the reader deep into the story.

Quick loves: Magic, the devil tree which includes a maze, the trials (puzzles, riddles, vampires, evil creatures), a bag of Skittles (that helps save the day), and themes of climate change.

While the book is atmospheric, it's not too scary. I think any kid ages 9-13 will love this big adventure.

✨ Review ✨ Bumps in the Night by Amalie Howard

Thanks to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, PRH Audio, and TBR and Beyond Tours for the gifted advanced copies of this book!

Top Five Reasons to Read Bumps in the Night

1. The book is set in Trinidad and immerses you in Trini culture, folklore, and the environment. Rika is sent to stay with her grandma for the summer, and instantly, you're transported into this world.

2. It's a middle grades book, but it's super creepy. From the earliest pages, the author creates a sense of looming mystery, horror and suspense! The magic in the book is fantastic and left me grasping for more!

3. The audio narration brings the voices and accents of these characters to life, immersing you fully in the story.

4. Rika loves skittles, her iguana sidekick, and painting and art, and is so relatable in her frustration at being packed off for the summer.

5. The book has strong messages of climate change interwoven with folklore and can create a perfect opportunity for talking to kids about the impact we are having on our planet.

(Note: Rika's mom is missing, if that's a trigger point for young readers)

Genre: middle grades horror / magical realism
Setting: Trinidad
Pub Date: 20 Feb 2024

The middle-grade horror debut from USA Today bestselling author Amalie Howard in which a girl stays with her grandmother in Trinidad for the summer and discovers that she comes from a long line of witches.

This was really fun! I loved the characters and the plot and the setting very much!

A fun adventure through mystical spaces. This book is rich in Trinidadian folklore and carries a distinct Caribbean ambiance. Lots of magic and supernatural elements, but ultimately this is a book about self-discovery, friendship and family.

Amalie Howard’s Bumps in the Night is a new middle grade fantasy adventure set in the Caribbean. There’s folklore, mystery, and endearing characters that, along the way, learn valuable lessons about teamwork, the environment, and importantly about themselves.

There felt like two discernable parts to the story.

In the beginning, we’re introduced to Darika Lovelace, who has landed herself in hot water and is sent to stay with her grandmother for the summer, in Trinidad. She doesn’t want to like where she is; not the people, food, or places—because she doesn’t want to enjoy herself. For the first hundred pages or so, some of the story can come across slightly repetitive with how much she denies what she sees. However, I understood what Howard was trying to do with her character, because Darika had internalized a lot of false concepts about herself—often feeling lonely, abandoned, and as if she isn’t really being heard. Even though she was surrounded by people who still cared and loved her, it was the absence of her mother—the mystery surrounding it, and the evasiveness of the adults in her life—that negatively affected her in a very significant way. This, arguably, had an effect on the way she dealt with the others as well as the obstacles thrown her way—particularly in situations she was woefully unprepared to deal with. It was a good scenario to begin with, though.

In the second half, all the groundwork—the clues, the strange and magical instances—starts to pay off, and the fantasy adventure arrives in full force. This is one of the areas where Bumps in the Night excels (for me at least), and I flew through the rest of the story. Mazes are obstacle-laden fun, especially when they’re done well. This one was a good one.

So in Bumps in the Night there were big concepts with higher, world ending, consequences. But the journey the main character, Darika, had to undertake was never far from sight either. There was a good balance between the two, and the overall story is as fun as it was meaningful. I highly recommend Bumps in the Night.

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Delacorte Press) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!