Haunting of Bellington Cottage is a gently spooky and emotionally rich middle grade read that explores friendship, grief, and growing up—all wrapped in the creaking floorboards and cold drafts of a haunted house. Laura Parnum crafts a story that’s both heartwarming and hair-raising, making it perfect for readers looking for chills with substance.

Iris is a thoughtful and creative protagonist, eager to reconnect with her childhood best friend during a snowy winter getaway. Her love of spooky stories and haunted houses adds a fun, playful tone to the book’s early chapters. But beneath the surface, the story delves into deeper themes as Iris tries to reach Vee—who’s shut down, angry, and struggling with changes in her family.

The supernatural mystery builds gradually, with eerie details like slamming doors, vanished items, and footsteps in the night keeping readers on edge. Parnum does a great job balancing the ghostly tension with real-world emotional struggles, particularly around shifting friendships and the impact of blended families.

The pacing is strong, and the final reveal ties the haunting to the cottage’s tragic history in a way that’s both satisfying and poignant. It’s a ghost story, yes—but also a story about holding on, letting go, and learning how to move forward.

It’s a charming and atmospheric read—perfect for kicking off spooky season or curling up with on a wintry night. Fans of The Girl in White or Scritch Scratch will find plenty to enjoy in this haunted cottage tale.

Haunting of Bellington Cottage is a cozy, eerie middle-grade ghost story that blends friendship, family tension, and supernatural suspense in a snowy, atmospheric setting. Laura Parnum delivers a tale that’s both heartfelt and haunting, perfect for readers who like their scares served with a side of emotional depth.

At its core, this is a story about two girls—once inseparable, now estranged—trying to reconnect over a winter break getaway that quickly takes a spooky turn. Iris is a lovable narrator: creative, hopeful, and eager to reignite the fun they used to share. Vee, hardened by her parents’ separation and her mom’s new relationship, brings a dose of realism to the emotional weight of growing up. Their shifting dynamic gives the story a strong emotional foundation.

The supernatural elements start subtly—just enough to raise goosebumps—and build toward a satisfying mystery that ties neatly into the cottage’s shadowy past. Parnum does an excellent job balancing the creepy and the comforting, never veering too far into horror, but keeping the suspense strong enough to keep readers turning pages.

Some plot turns are a little predictable for seasoned ghost story fans, but the emotional payoffs and atmospheric writing more than make up for it. The final chapters are especially rewarding as friendship and forgiveness begin to take shape amid the haunting.

A great pick for fans of Small Spaces or The Girl in White, this is a ghost story with heart—quietly spooky and deeply satisfying.

The Haunting of Bellington Cottage is a great ghost story about a haunted house. The atmosphere is spooky. The story discusses how friendships change over time which is a good thing to learn. It's a real page-turner as the characters try to solve the mystery of why the ghost is haunting the house they are staying in. A really fun read. Fans of Goosebumps will enjoy this book.

Middle Grade horror is a subgenre I’ve read periodically for a few years now, and there are plenty of novels to keep avid readers—especially those with a penchant for spookier tales—entertained. For example: Katherine Arden’s game/challenge themed series, Small Spaces; Give Me Something Good to Eat by D.W. Gillespie’s which was Stranger Things meets Hocus Pocus; and It Came From the Trees by Ally Russll that had an outdoorsy main character and cryptids. And now, with Laura Parnum’s latest, the subgenre has a new entry with The Haunting of Bellington Cottage.

The Haunting of Bellington Cottage was enjoyable and had many hallmarks of middle grade horror. The wintery scenery was the perfect backdrop for an isolated haunting. And the cottage’s storied history was detailed and provided material for the paranormal aspect to find its footing. This was also a story about friendship and change, and Parnum crafted a narrative which dealt with it in a way that the target audience would likely find relatable. After all, the story interrogated its themes through Iris’ character arc, notably with her struggle for connection in friendships she once felt secure in, which—when combined with the novel’s eerie atmosphere—resulted in a harrowing tale that will appeal to many readers.

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

This is a great middle school book for fans of ghost stories and haunted houses.
From the first page, you are drawn into the mysteries of the house and its prior occupants. At the same time you are drawn into past friendships and new family dynamics. The author keeps the story engaging by going back and forth between the present problems and the mysteries of the past.
The ghostly parts seemed very believable and there were a couple of times when you wonder just how far the ghost will go.
The present day issues were perfectly balanced to add to the story and give it more depth.
Enjoy!

The Haunting of Bellington Cottage is an absolutely fun middle grade spooky read. When Iris is excited to see her friend Violet after some time apart, Violet or Vee (as she's going by now) isn't the same girl Iris used to know. Still, Iris is determined to have the same fun the girls used to have and put on a haunted house that's spooky and scary enough for the adults. However, when the girls discover that there is a ghost in the house, they have to work together to save the cottage and their friendship.

This book was brilliant in its approach to friendships and the ways that they can fracture at any point. It's also a spooky, yet not very scary, ghost story that's sure to thrill your kids in the middle grade age, around 9-12 years old!

Oh wow this was an amazing creepy book. I loved that both girls worked out what was going on between them. And they both helped a little girl ghost be at peace. It was sure a fun book.

A fun and spooky-lite read. There were ghosts- but nothing TOO scary. Well, aside from the annoying parents that won't listen to their children trope. Which is a trope that always drove me nuts as a young reader and continues to do so to this day, however I can see how this would be particularly relatable for some readers.

Overall I really liked this one, the characters were fun as was the setting. One of the creepiest parts of this story was the bizarre taxidermy animals. I think Stewart, the stepfather, was particularly delightful dad jokes for the win. This was more than just a ghost story there were many different layers of interpersonal conflicts and I think they were handled wonderfully.

(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy in exchange for an honest review)

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started The Haunting of Bellington Cottage, but it quickly pulled me in with its eerie charm. What really stood out to me was the atmosphere: it wasn’t over-the-top scary, but it had that slow, creeping sense of unease that made me glance over my shoulder more than once.

If I had one minor issue, it’s that the pacing lagged a bit in the middle. But the payoff was worth it, and by the end, I felt like I’d been on a meaningful (and chilling) journey.

This is the kind of creepy, middle-grade story I love—quiet, thoughtful, and just spooky enough to keep the lights on a little longer than usual. Perfect for readers of (just about) all ages! Thank you, NetGalley!

4 stars

A delightful spooky story for middle-grade readers with a relatable protagonist and an intriguing mystery.

Iris is hoping that a ski trip with distant family friends and their daughter Violet, who she befriended on a previous vacation, will be an opportunity to reconnect—especially as Iris’s hometown best friend recently moved away. But Violet’s not eager to renew their old easy relationship, and Iris’s love for all things spooky (so long as they’re fictional) makes the adults in their lives reluctant to believe her when she starts to suspect that there might be an Actual Real Life Ghost in their creepy winter rental cottage.

The best part of the book is definitely Iris’s personal growth, as over the course of the story she is forced to consider outside perspectives and re-evaluate her own actions, especially her treatment of her friends. This self-reflection is sometimes uncomfortable for her, but is ultimately good for Iris’s social development and sense of self.

While investigating possible ghosts, Iris and her friend Violet find the diary of a girl from the early 1900s, which unfortunately sometimes slips in the accuracy of its period writing. This probably makes the diary easier for a modern middle schooler to read but does stick out as a weakness in the writing.

I would 100% recommend this title to young readers with an interest in ghost stories. It’s a mysterious and character-focused tale that doesn’t get too frightening, and an excellent choice for young people struggling with change and with long-distance friendships.

This will be a nice addition to the horror section of any school library. It moves at a good pace for kids and has the perfect amount of creepiness with friendship drama mixed in.

Despite having her arm in a cast, Iris is looking forward to the ski trip vacation. It’s her first chance to see her friend, Violet, in three years. After bonding over a love of haunted houses and all things spooky on their previous vacation together, Iris came prepared to create the scariest haunted house their rental home – the Bellington Cottage – has ever seen. The cottage is plenty spooky on its own, with strange taxidermy animals, creepy noises and slamming doors. Iris can’t wait to get started. But when Violet, things are different. She now goes by Vee, stomps around the cottage in a grump, and wants nothing to do with Iris or her childish scares. Before Iris can set up her own haunted house, the cottage starts haunting them.
While the haunting escalates, Iris discovers that she hasn’t been such a good friend to Vee in the past. As a blizzard closes in, Iris must search for Vee in the woods, apologize, then together they must find a way to help the frightened ghost haunting Bellington Cottage.

The Haunting of Bellington Cottage is a quick, cute read, perfect for the younger range of middle grade readers. Author Laura Parnum excels at conveying the worries and uncertainties of young friendships. The book’s emotional component really shines, especially in Iris’s two important friendships. However, I found myself wanting more from the mild scares and a bit let down by the sheer cluelessness of the adults.

Thank you to Harper Collins Children's and Netgalley for the e-arc.

This was such a fun and spooky book. The haunting was done better than some adult mystery/horror books I've read.

Vee and Iris are your typical 12 yr olds who love all things spooky and mysterious. I think aside from the ghost haunting, the really great part of the story was the relationship between Vee and Iris. You see a real, raw preteen relationship building even more and budding into something stronger.

This is a great book for middle grade for any reader who likes a good haunting and mystery.

this was a cute story i loved it a lot also love haunting books it was a quick page turner, a middle grade school story about a house and she was obsessed with making it look haunted till it was really haunted.

Love this novel! Creepy dolls, creepy house, and a great friendship story at its heart. Leans more mystery than horror. Not too dark or grim at all. Perfect for readers who like a little suspense/horror with their mystery and sleuthing kids!

This was a super cute middle school grade read. Ghosts, a spooky house filled with taxidermied animals and two girls trying to renew a friendship made for a light-hearted and fun read. The parents were all annoying b/c they never listened to the girls, but I’ve noticed the pattern with middle school books, lol. I love that this story has a warm, fuzzy ending b/c you worry that things might not work out well for everyone. Including the ghost. The author really pulled it together nicely and the ending was great. It’s a fun read and I would love to see these characters again. They are so different, but so likeable. I received an advance readers copy and all opinions are my own.

The characters unfortunately fall a little flat for me. However, the plot is actually pretty good! I can see my young cousins enjoying this book and getting a little spooked by it! Perfect for middle-grade children who wants to be introduced to this genre

I absolutely loved this one! The Haunting of Bellington Cottage has everything you'd hope in a ghost story-- friendship, a mysterious house with a spooky setting, and a ghost! I've already recommended it to friends & plan to order a copy for my daughter when it debuts later this year. Perfect for those MG readers who like a spooky read.

THE HAUNTING OF BELLINGTON COTTAGE is such a great take on the haunted house genre, all while focusing on the tricky navigation of friendship as you grow up and apart. Kids will relate to the concerns about friends that seem more sophisticated, changed family dynamics, and changing friendships, and enjoy the backdrop of a ghostly mystery. Super fun and full of heart!

The Haunting of Bellington Cottage is the story of two "vacation friends," Iris and Violet whose mothers were college friends and who get together every couple of years for a week's reunion. Both girls previously shared a love of the macabre and bonded over an antique doll and putting together a haunted house in their vacation rental house. Now, three years later, their lives have changed and they don't know if they can still be friends until they realize that the new "rent-a-bode" house they are staying in might just be haunted for real. Laying aside the differences that time and distance have made in their friendship, they band together to solve the mystery of the noises, footsteps and moving objects in their 100 year old cottage.

I would recommend this book for middle school on up. The book is squeaky clean, but deals with parental divorce and death.

I received a free advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.